Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of Stephanie Meyer's characters.

I tapped my fingers impatiently on the dashboard, staring out the window. I was a little irked that my mom wouldn't let me drive, but the knowledge of where we were going smothered that feeling. I groaned let my head fall back against the seat. Green, green, and more green. The colors brown, and more importantly, blue, seemed to be foreign to this wet, moldy, rainy place. La Push.

"Your father and I are going to miss you so much, honey," my mom gushed. Her eyes were watery as she swatted at the stereo, turning the music down.

"You and dad hardly talk, mom," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. She had moved out, dragging me with her, when I was seven. I didn't really miss my dad, I had hardly seen him, anyway. That summer had been the second time I had gone to La Push. I didn't miss anything about it. Of course, at the time, anything beat the constant yelling at home.

"You know, I think I'm going to move back in with your dad while you're gone," my mom continued, swerving around a fallen tree. Lies. It must be the nerves getting to her. I think my mom felt somewhat guilty about dumping me off at Emily's place for the first time in nine years. She wanted to assure me that things would be fine back at home. Yeah right. Things hadn't been fine since we had left.

WELCOME TO LA PUSH! The flashy sign made me grind my teeth together. My mom sighed. "You'll have fun. What were your little friend's names? Josh? Will?"

"Jake and Quil, mom," I mumbled incoherently. "Plus, they're probably gone. They're both thirty now."

"Huh? Oh yeah," my mom turned the music back up, singing along with a song. "That's odd, I seem to remember them being there when you went when you were two."

I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead against the cold window. "Yeah…" My mom was probably just trying to distract me, but it wouldn't work. I felt her truck screech to a stop. "Hi Emily!" I heard her get out of the car. I didn't move.

"Look at you, Claire, you're so big!" There seemed to be a different meaning behind her seemingly harmless words. I finally forced my eyes open and hopped out of the car. I lugged my duffel bag from the truck bed and slung it over my arm.

When I rounded the side of the car, my mom had tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Her hair was in a red frizzy mess and her cheeks were splotched with red. "Don't give your aunt any trouble," she choked out, pulling me into a tight hug. I sighed and hugged her back.

"Don't worry about me, mom," I whispered into her ear. I pulled away from her arms and walked to stand beside Emily. My mom looked unsure for a moment as she unwillingly climbed back into the truck. "I love you, honey!" she called. I waved to her as she pulling out of the dirt driveway and sped back down the road.

Emily and I watched her go until she rounded a bend, and then my aunt turned to me, "It's just us for today, the boys are out," she started walking toward the house, picking up my bag on the way. "Wait, what boys?" I asked. I ran after her and opened the door. The mouthwatering scent of lunch wafted from the kitchen.

Emily laughed, "You remember Quil?" she turned to me as if the fate of the world depended on my answer.

"Uh…yes? And Jacob, and Embry. But shouldn't they be…gone?"

Emily carried my bag to a familiar room, the guest room. The walls were a light shade of blue, and the wood floor was dark and worn. Heavy brown curtains were draped around the window, letting in a dull, gray light that was signature of La Push. The bed sheets were blue, matching the wall.

"They're still here," Emily answered my question reluctantly. She dropped my duffel bag on the bed, which creaked with the weight. She glanced up at me, her brown eyes sparkling. "Let's get you some lunch before they come back," she suggested brightly, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Um…okay," I agreed, unsure whether I should push the issue. She grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen. Pots full of boiling water and vegetables filled up every burner on the stove. A full platter of sandwiches took up most of the table. A bowl, well, more like cauldron, of fruit sat on the counter. The food was enough to feed fifty people, how many boys were there, anyway?

Emily giggled at my expression. "They have big appetites," she seemed to agree with me.

"Um…how many of them are there, anyway?" I questioned. My head was spinning with the delicious scents all around me. Emily handed me a chipped blue plate. I began filling it up.

"Fourteen," she answered, busying herself with setting plates and napkins on the tiny table. I was shocked by her answer. "Wow…" I mumbled, taking a bite of my sandwich. She sat across the table from me.

I ate in silence, staring at the wood grains on the table. "Here they come," Emily murmured. I looked out the window, but couldn't see anyone. I shrugged and went back to my food. A moment later, laughter and stomping filled up the house. My eyes widened at the crowd that had just squished into the tiny house.

"Hey, Em!" A booming voice laughed. Emily glanced at me apologetically. "Hey, Embry," she answered. From what I could tell, only five of them were here. Where were all of the others?

"Boys, Claire's here," Emily announced. Where before there had been laughter and conversation, silence filled up the kitchen. All eyes turned to me, and through the crowd, a giant man pushed his way out.

His eyes bore into me, filled with some emotion I couldn't comprehend. A huge grin spread across his face. "Welcome back, Claire," he spoke gently, carefully. "Hi, Quil," I breathed.

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