Disclaimer: We all know Stephenie Meyer is the queen of all things Twilight. Sadly, I own nothing.

A/N: Here is my perspective on Quil's experience with imprinting.

The End and the Beginning

My name is Quil Ateara Jr. and you are in for a very interesting story.

Here are some very little known but very true facts about me: I love my mom. Yeah, my dad was okay and all but he was the sort of guy that you didn't just go play catch with or ask to help you with your homework. No, my mom did those things. Growing up it was sometimes hard to watch how very different they were. It made me wonder what in the word she saw in him to begin with. I decided way back then that I wouldn't be anything like my dad.

Whatever. At least he never hurt me or anything like that. He just didn't care, or approve, or really even notice much. He was too wrapped up with being with the guys down at the river, drinking in the village, maybe flirting with the pretty waitress at the only diner on the reservation…like I said, whatever. No worrying about it now, I was too young then to really put it all together anyway.

Ok, here's another: I totally think being a werewolf, shape-shifter...whatever we are, is freaking awesome. It was the first time in my life that people took any interest in me. I don't know if it was just the glory of it, because I was one of the rockstars of the reservation now, or that I'd just done something that had been impossible for two generations.

Third fact: I was a smug and overconfident jerk sometimes, still am. Like when me and Embry used to beat up anyone that made a not so nice comment about our totally awesome and unique names. It was just a show, I had to be the tough guy. Maybe I got that from my dad, oh well. I was the macho, don't-take-no-lip-from-nobody teenager. I even acted like mom was an irritation…but she really wasn't. I loved that she cared enough about me to put in my place when I needed it.

Okay, enough with the mental fact list. To be honest I was relieved beyond words when I went through the transformation and became a wolf. My grandfather, "Old Quil", had been watching me closely for several weeks prior to it. I was glad to have my friends back, to know the truth, and realize it wasn't a cult after all. I was actually on a natural high from having so much physical strength all of a sudden. I'd always been the one who worked out and tried to impress, now I didn't even have to try anymore.

But, you know what, life has a way of biting you right in the butt just when you think everything is going great. It happened when Emily brought her two-year-old niece to La Push for a visit. I had known what imprinting was, I'd seen it happen first with Sam and Emily, then with Jared and Kim. The women they loved so much I could even feel the power of it when we transformed were the center of their lives, and I couldn't understand it.

Don't think I'm joking, when I mean the center of their lives I mean their point of gravity moved. Their imprints became their lives. They were drawn to them like the Earth was kept in spot by the sun. It was creepy. It was sickening. It was all sappy and lovey-dovey.

Surely something like that wouldn't, couldn't happen to me. I'd never been the sensitive type. I didn't think I even knew how to be romantic, even if I wanted to be. I mean come on, I was only sixteen and had never had a steady girlfriend in my life. So when the elders had explained that imprinting could happen now that we were phasing regularly, but it was a rare and sporadic thing, I just assumed I would be one of the lucky guys that didn't have to worry about it.

So. Totally. Wrong.

I was in the kitchen eating with the rest of the pack, most of them anyway, the day it happened to me. Jared was off with Kim, as usual. Jake was off with Bella, probably working on motorcycles with the Vampire Girl in his garage. So, I was left with Embry and Paul in the small kitchen having to watch Sam get all googoo eyed at Emily for the millionth time.

It was something I had learned to overlook after so many weeks, otherwise I would've gagged on the over-sized muffin I was trying to eat.

Honestly, I didn't even realize what had happened to me at first. One minute I was sitting at the table eating, or rather inhaling my food at an inhuman rate, and then something was tugging me. I felt it as surely as I would feel a fishing lure attached to my stomach.

It wasn't painful, it was strange. I had the compelling urge...no. I had a demanding need to go into the next room. I couldn't stop it, the draw was so precise and powerful I couldn't help myself. I stood up, dropped the muffin on the table, and went off in search of whatever had me acting so insane.

I followed the pull. I didn't hear the others asking we what I was doing. I didn't notice Emily's sister or brother-in-law giving me strange looks as I wondered aimlessly through the house in search of that something.

I opened the door to Emily and Sam's bedroom and there on their bed was a very tired looking child. She had obviously just woken up. Her short, brown hair was a mess. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and I heard the faint coos she made as she kept yawning and stretching herself. She was so little.

I knew the kid was around here somewhere, I'd already been told she was taking a nap in the next room. Of course I didn't bother to go look at her, what business was it of mine where Emily's baby niece slept at? No, my first thought was to get to the food as fast as I could.

I mean seriously, I didn't even like kids very much - especially not the really young ones. I never knew what exactly to do with them. Just hand them off to the parents or a responsible looking adult, that was my motto.

She rolled herself over and slid off the bed, landing on the floor. She was still rubbing her face all over and wobbling toward me, since I was the one blocking the door. I could tell everyone was behind me, I sensed it. But I couldn't turn around even when I heard my name being called.

She walked right up to me and used my leg for support to help herself stay standing. She finally looked up at me and I was already looking down at her. The moment our eyes met it was the end of me, or at least the end of the old me. It was crazy, I didn't even have a chance to stop it or care that it was happening. Nope, all I felt was that suddenly nothing else mattered. Not mom, the pack, the tribe, not even me. Everything else slipped easily to the backseat and here she was, this little thing no bigger than half of my arm was in control.

She glowed to me. Literally, I'm not being poetic or figurative. She glowed, and everyone else paled in comparison. She was the sun, my sun. She was all that mattered. She would be the only reason I protected the rez anymore, the only reason I fought vampires. She would be my reason to stay alive, to come back home. It was the end of me.

It was also my beginning.

She lifted her arms for me to hold her and my body automatically reacted. I didn't make the conscious choice to pick her up, I just did it. It was the first time in my life I had ever held a child of any size. I turned around to face the others with the little girl hugging my neck tightly, smiling up at me. It made me grin like the cheshire cat. Emily thought it was sweet of me to help her up but Sam, oh boy Sam, he knew what had happened before I did. The way I looked at her now, like she was everything good in the world, he knew that look. He knew what had happened. He understood, but Emily didn't. The girl's parents didn't. Even the rest of the pack didn't, at least not at first.

Well heck, I didn't even understand it. I felt…well, wonderful at first. It was a euphoric high that I hadn't come down from yet. I kept holding her, even when Emily tried to take her away from me. Paul laughed and Embry just shook his head apologetically, I didn't understand at first why that was. I just didn't get what was so funny or troublesome that they would react like that…but it didn't take long.

Sam took my sunshine away from me and handed her to Emily, then dragged my butt outside. He demanded to know what I felt, what was happening, how my body was reacting. I thought he had gone crazy but I couldn't even focus on him enough to tell him so. I kept trying to look around him to see the little girl again, but she was away from the windows so I frowned pathetically at her absence. That's when Sam punched me square in the face and sent me sprawling into the forest, wiping out a few trees along the way.

"Phase!" He yelled once he caught up to me and his voice was dripping with the Alpha tone. I burst out of my skin the next minute and so did he, then he could see and feel everything that had just happened.

I was cussing him out for the punch but he just sighed and sat on his haunches, relieved. He had actually been worried that I was physically attracted to the baby! I felt myself get nauseous and Sam barked out a laugh at my expence. We phased back into humans and he put his arm on my shoulders as some strange kind of comforting tactic while we walked back toward the house. I didn't understand what had happened but once Sam explained it, and of course it clicked right away, I was brought to my knees in overwhelming shock. Sam put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly as I braced myself against the side of Emily's house, asking him why this had happened? I wouldn't have minded so much if it had been a woman this happened with. But, come on, a two year old? Give me a break!

Still, I wasn't angry about it. Confused, confounded, and more than a little unsure, but not angry. No, I couldn't be resentful. This feeling of bliss surrounded me so thoroughly that I still felt like I was walking on clouds. I heard her whimper from inside and before it could even register in my brain that I was moving I was already inside and kneeling beside her.

"Dow...dow." She said, crying out again as she pointed across the room.

"Doll?" I asked and she nodded. I walked across the room and grabbed one but she yelled a very loud "No!".

I dropped it immediately, then picked up another one. She nodded that time with a huge grin on her face. I felt my own mouth mirror hers and brought her the doll.

"Here you go princess." I said, then realized that I didn't know the name of the most important person in the world. "I'm Quil, what's your name?"

She looked up at me and grabbed the doll out of my hands and hugged it to her.

"Qwuiw." She tried, it was so cute and I never liked the way my name sounded more than when she said it. I laughed and nodded my head.

"That's right. What's your name?" I asked again. Odd, I'd never been the patient or sweet type before but I would have been content to squat next to her all day.

In fact, it made me happy to consider spending all day with her doing whatever she wanted. That was so beyond weird I couldn't even think about it at the time.

"Cwlaiw." She said, but I couldn't quite understand it.

"Claire." Emily corrected.

"Claire." I repeated, the name was as beautiful as she was. She handed me a doll and I knew, without knowing how I knew, that she wanted me to dress it up.

Don't ask me how because I don't get it either. Things like that happened all the time with her after that and I didn't once get tired of it. I didn't get annoyed or bored. As long as she was happy, I was happy.

Suddenly, I wasn't the tough guy anymore, and Paul was the first and only person to ever point that out. I remember that first meeting with the pack after imprinting on Claire, no one but Sam understood how I could do that with one so young. But they could feel my feelings once we phased and they all knew it was nothing perverted. It was just love, like a paternal/big brother kind of love.

I knew how it was going to work and then they did too, even after Sam had explained it to them it wasn't clear until we were all phased. We were one mind when we were wolves, they knew everything about me and I knew it all about them. There were no secrets, no lies, no hiding. But Paul, being the gigantic jackass that he was, had to make a comment at my expense.

I would have beat him up just for the fun of it, to be honest, he was that infuriating most of the time. But he took it a step too far when he mentioned Claire.

"So Quil," He started, once our rounds were done and we were changing back into our clothes. "Guess you'll be spending all your free time down at the playground now."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Hm, guess so."

Paul chuckled and gaffed at me. "Yeah, changing dirty diapers, reading Mother Goose…sure sounds like a great Friday night to me."

I growled and clinched my fist at him. "Back off Paul." I warned.

Jake was next to me in a minute, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Forget him, he's just jealous that he hasn't imprinted yet."

Paul scoffed at that. "Yeah, sure, I'm so jealous of Quil. I just can't wait to imprint and get myself sucked into the world of little pink too-toos and Barbie dolls."

"I mean it, mouth shut!" I yelled, and I wasn't necessarily known for losing my cool but I was very nearly about to tackle him to the ground. That's exactly what I mean about being protective, it just comes over me sometimes without warning. My hands were shaking and my body trembled with the anger; I knew it would cause me to phase if I didn't calm down.

"That's enough Paul." Embry said, coming up on my left. "You know he can't help it. None of us have a choice."

Paul shrugged. "Maybe I'll go to Claire's daycare and pick up a toddler myself, then me and Quil can double date." He let out a round of sarcastic laughter. "I'll even bring the apple juice and baby wipes."

The next thing I remember was sending Paul flying through three trees and about twenty feet of undergrowth. And here I thought Paul would always be the one with the violent reputation. To my surprise though, Sam walked up and scowled at Paul when he tried to retaliate, stepping between the two of us.

"We do not harm the object of our imprinting." He said gravely down to Paul. "Even if it is verbal harm, Quil cannot allow it and neither can I. One day, if you are lucky, you will understand."

The pack was behind me every step of the way after that, even Paul. The tribal elders were even on my side, explaining that this was not in any way to be taken as a scandalous or shameful turn of events. Lucky for us that the legends of our people run so deep, without the help of our culture I doubt that Claire's parents would have been half so understanding about why I had to be around all the time.

They were given some kind of incentive to move from Makah down to La Push. My grandfather, Old Quil, made the offer and I never asked about the details, I was just grateful it happened. I couldn't imagine running up to Makah every day to see her.

I would have, without a doubt. It just wouldn't have been fun. Her parents were not allowed to know all the secrets of the pack. They were simply given a brief explanation that it was tribal business and Claire was now a member of the Quileutes by default.

Still, when I wasn't with Claire I thought about her. The thoughts were general ones: Is she okay? What is she doing? Has she been played with? Is she happy?

Basically, I was whipped. By a two year old. Pathetic, really.

When I was with Claire I had to do what she wanted, I had to make her happy. It was out of my control, if she wanted to play hide and seek all day that's what we did. If she wanted to play peek-a-boo for three straight hours that's what we did. Even if it was dressing up dolls or throwing toys around her room until the floor couldn't be seen, only to have me pick it all up and do it again, that's what we did. I knew when she was hungry, upset, cold, tired, or happy. I especially liked her being happy, it made me happy too.

I could feel her presence too. That sounds dorky, but it's true. It wasn't so bad when we were miles apart, it was only faint then. If I was within a few hundred feet the pull was unbearable. I needed to be near her, the tug was profound and I was constantly readjusting to how close we were. If she got up and decided to run outside I was never less than five feet behind her. I preferred to carry her, physical contact was the best relief. Even if all I did was hold her hand or let my arm rest against hers.

Not that my early imprinting didn't get me into very stupid jams sometimes, like at her third birthday party. She made me wear a crown. I little, silver princess crown with fake rhinestones on it. Complete with pink streamers on the sides. Then a wand. A glitter wand with a star on top. While it was happening I had no control over it, it was what she wanted. It was harmless and it made her happy, so I did it. She wanted to put makeup on me, Emily put that little idea in her head, and then I found myself sitting cross-legged on the floor of her house with a herd of munchkins surrounding me with lipstick, blush, and eye shadow.

Her parents laughed, Emily took pictures, and I couldn't even be embarrassed about it until later. I didn't resent Claire for it, no way. She was my imprint, I couldn't even get mad at her. I got mad for a minute at the situation. I'm a six foot five inch shape-shifter, muscles cover every inch of me, I can phase into a five foot tall wolf that's bigger and stronger than a bear…but I have no control over a three year old. It's actually comical.

I never got tired to doing things with her though, it was like anything that caught her attention caught mine too. It was different with parents than it was with my imprint, if she felt wonder and amazement I felt it too. I had seen the beach of La Push so many times it wasn't even a surprise to me anymore. But when I took Claire to see the ocean, and her eyes were wide with wonder, I felt the same awe she did. It was new to me all over again because it was new to her.

It was a phenomenon. It was like being reborn and becoming something completely new. It wasn't for several months that I realized just how different my imprinting experience was from the others. I couldn't even begin to come close to regretting Claire, that's not what I mean. But I would see Emily, Kim, and now Rachel. All women, all imprints of my fellow wolves, all old enough to actually reciprocate the attraction.

I felt no attraction to Claire, not in the since of a man to a woman. The only feeling I had was love and the only part I played was the most protective 'big brother' in the world. When we would all phase and go run our rounds as the wolves I could feel my 'brothers' love and lust mix toward their imprints, I could see them all in tight embraces or passionate kisses, or even more.

I felt left out for the briefest of moments, but then Claire's face would appear and I would be whole again, loving her in the purest way imaginable. I never thought something like this would happen to me. But, I would have to be patient. Unbelievably patient as she grew up.

I would be everything she ever needed from me: brother, protector, friend, lover…and that was only if she wanted it. If she fell in love with someone else I would have to settle for being her guardian. Because, even if the feelings weren't returned, she would still be my imprint. I would still think of her above all others, still need her to be safe and happy. Even if it meant she was happy without me.

My only solace in the situation of my imprinting was Embry and Jake. Embry still had not imprinted and wondered if there was something wrong with him. He waited patiently for when his time would come and his soul mate would appear, until then he stayed a very good friend to me. He found my imprinting situation to be…interesting. Everyone did, though no one said anything about it anymore.

Then there was Jake. After the mess with Bella marrying a bloodsucker and having a half sucker kid, there was nothing much our tribe could do. Jake imprinted on Bella's newborn, making her off limits for killing. Nope, it was a strict law that no one ever hurt the object of imprinting. Killing our imprint would have killed us too, not necessarily in the physical sense but, basically, we would crawl off into a little corner of the woods, bury our heads between our tails, and stop trying to live.

Eventually, we'd die. Our pack would have to feel the heartbreak too, maybe a few young ones would even die along with us. Who knew. It had never happened before, not with a pack our size with brothers, and a sister, so closely knit together. Oh yeah, Leah was a wolf now too. A girl werewolf, now that's funny. But, I can't complain, she's tough and fast. Holds her own really well in a fight.

The halfbreed's named Renesmee, but Jake calls her Nessie. I joined Jake's pack not long after the incident with the Vampires, I felt like I suddenly had so much in common with Jake that I couldn't help myself. I finally had someone who knew what it was like to be attached to a kid, and his imprint was even smaller and younger than mine! It was great to have someone understand me.

But, and I think I've already said this, life has a way of biting you in the butt right with things are looking up. I mean literally bite you, kind of like a Vampire would. Nessie was aging so fast it was incredible, and the war with the Volturi Coven shed some light on ones of her kind, half breeds I mean. She would be a fully mature adult in seven years. Seven years!

If he was excited about this turn of events Jake sure didn't show it, and he didn't think of it in terms of when he'd be able to date her. I didn't think of Claire in terms of when I'd be able to date her, just in terms of time. Thirteen years until she was my age now, and maybe then I could tell her about being my imprint. Then I'd be thirty! I would be twice her age, but not physically. No, shape-shifters stop aging while we phase and Vampires are nearby. At least that helped with the inappropriate age gap, a little.

Even Jake wouldn't have to endure as long as I would. No one could understand what I was going through, having to wait for so long just to be told a yes or no by their imprint. In the stories of the third wife at least the tribal leader had been married a few times before finding her. In all the stories of our history I had never heard of someone imprinting on one so young before they'd had a chance to already start a life.

For example, if I had already been married when I imprinted on Claire I could have continued to live a normal life until she was of age. That might have been harder though, I'd have a family already made and then have to deal with the problem of hurting them. No, maybe that wasn't the way to go. Sam really hurt Leah when he imprinted on Emily, I wouldn't want to cause anyone the kind of pain I've felt from Leah time and again.

So, I wait. Jake waits to, for now. We can relate to each other that way, but Nessie is big enough to read, run, even go hunting with Jake. Claire though, she's just turned four. I wouldn't miss a day of her growing up, I wouldn't change her for the world. I wouldn't trade her. But, jeez, I wish I had a plan. Something better than just to wait.

Patience is a virtue, right? Well, let's see how the werewolf handles it.