She cried when she first saw the house. It was a loud sort of high pitched howl that made the two humans in the front give their own noisy groans in response. She had cried a lot during the drive, but when the truck began to slow down to enter the gravel driveway, she really let her vocals out.

Canis - the small adolescent rat terrier that conquered the single row of back seats so she could pace back and forth in worry for her idle owners in front - was never good with roadtrips. Which was why her owners never took her anywhere by car and instead would leave her with one of their friends. They would've avoided taking Canis, but this was one trip they didn't feel comfortable going on without the small dog.

A woman slid out of the driver's seat with a stretch, while the man didn't pause as he left the car. Instead he trotted around to open the back door to let the ansty dog out and onto stable ground. Canis immediately ran around to the back of the truck where the woman had moved so she could begin to unload.

"You don't want to go inside first?" The man asked, his black brows knitting when he watched the bright red-orange haired female pick up one of the large, heavy, bulging cardboard boxes up effortlessly. She was more of a silhouette with how the orange of the sunset shined brightly behind her, giving her a glowing white outline.

"I'll check it out while I grab stuff. Come and help me, Maximus." Amusement laced her tone as she began walking over to the open porch. The man snorted, shaking his head. Instead of grabbing anything he looked to Canis, whistled to get the small pups attention, and then hurried to hold open the screen door for the pale girl.

When the heavy boxes hit the floor a layer of dust explodes out from under them, reaching up to brush the girl's face. Canis trotted in, weaving between her owners so she could begin sniffing the new house.

It hadn't been touched in a long time, it's old age given away by the hodgepodge of dirt and grime covering all of the visible surfaces, and the groaning of the hardwood floor under the man's boots as he walked. It smelled like mildew and damp wood, with hints of something smokey no one could quite place. They had heard that the house had been hand built by the previous owners, which could be seen by the personality the walls had with the soft carvings and designs, and by how the ceiling hung down farther back towards where the medium sized kitchen sat.

Max, the deep coppery colored man, sat on the long sofa, cringing at the odd damp feeling he felt when his bare shoulders hit the back cushion. His deep brown eyes shined something sweet as he watched the orange haired woman walk in with another stack of boxes. He was sure, if she didn't have her long sleeved shirt on, he'd see what muscles she had rippling in her back and in her thick arms as she moved. Her hazel eyes fell to Canis, who jumped up to sit with Max, giving him away to the working woman. He chuckled deeply, wearily, standing up quickly and jogging outside before he could feel the woman's wrath. Though he was 6'4, an impressive height, and she was only 5'11, which for a girl was still quite tall, he would definitely prefer facing a bear than the ginger. Yes, a bear would be easier than trying to go against that woman.

The back of the denim blue truck was filled with boxes and crates that had been used to store things the duo needed to move in. Clothes, personal items like toiletries, dog necessities, and utilities for the kitchen (Max had been informed the kitchen was bare and cleaned out of anything electrical or useful). The boxes Amara, the freckle drowned and deep orange haired girl, had already carried inside were the four containing things for the kitchen and Canis. Other than what the two had packed, there were other things cluttering the back of the truck. Trash like old tabloid magazines that had molded to the sides from water and harsh sun, and stray fishing lines and hooks that had been deemed unusable and thrown from the tackle box without a second thought. In one of the back corners there was an old stuffed animal that must've been the moldy toy of Max's younger sister, left there to be loved by insects instead of by his sibling. The girl probably had missed the toy when she first lost it, but not once had the child mentioned the missing bear during one of the calls she and his mother would give, so he assumed it was a long forgotten memory by this point.

Max grabs the last of the boxes, stopping Amara on her way over before she makes the fruitless trek, and turns her back around.

"Remind me to clean Blueberry," Max says, following the ginger as she holds the door open for him before immediately closing it behind them. It's not like it stopped the cold wet winds from going through the screen and filling the house, but neither were comfortable with leaving the useless door open, not yet atleast. Amara makes a silent note to herself to either build or buy a real door. For now, she thinks, a quilt hanging over it would be effective enough to keep out the cold.

Amy throws her elbows up, twisting her body. There's a pop in her back and she moans as she lets her speckled arms fall, pleased by the loose feeling she'd missed while cramped up in Max's car.

"Kay. We'll clean blueberry tomorrow after we see your Aunt and go into town to shop." She mumbles, more to herself than in reply to Maximus. She lifts her eyes from the boxes by her feet to watch him as he sets his load down to grab the packages labeled "kitchen". He turns on his heel and heads just to the room in front of her, the only thing telling anyone that the large main room was divided between the living room and kitchen was the different flooring that suddenly checkered out just to the left of the door.

Max's light brown tank top hung loosely on his body but hugged his broad shoulders, sticking to him as he crouched down to begin sorting through the large box. First, he pulls out the one device Amy had actually been keen on bringing, and even flashes it to her with a big grin to remind her he had remembered to pack it. It was a little coffee and tea maker and the sight of it had the ginger smile and relax. She strode over to him, going to the box to begin sorting.

The house was used and old, already weathered down and very much lived in even when the last owners were the ones to build the place. It had one thing, though, that had the two people ecstatic to move in. It was the selling point, if not the thought of having a stable, free, place to live in wasn't already one.

Electricity.

Though it was far out into the woods of La push, even farther from the closest town, Forks, the house lights would turn on and the water ran effortlessly. There were outlets and a usable fridge, too. The two, especially Amy, who thought she had almost been homeless for a moment, were extremely grateful to Max's Aunt,

Amara suddenly paused, forgetting the box of utensils she had been sorting into a drawer in favor of slipping a hand into her pocket. Max stopped what he was doing to glance to the ginger. She casted her eyes to him as she dialed a number and then turned to leave the house to make her call. The black haired man watched her through the window above the kitchen sink for a quiet moment before glancing down to the oblivious puppy wagging her tail at his feet.

"Think she's calling her brother again?" He coo'd, kneeling so he could pet the excited animal. Canis was ignorant to the sadness that laced her owner's voice, happily licking his hand as he sighed and shook his head. This would be the seventh time Amara tried to reach her brother since they had climbed into Blueberry.

Amy's older brother, Percy, was Max's age and had been his best friend when they all had gone to school together. It was because of him that allowed Maximus to meet Amara and form the type of bond they currently had. Percy would take little Amy by the hand and lead her to every single place he went, making sure to bring Max with him if the guy wasn't grounded. The trio had done everything together from elementary to college.

Max looked up to Percy. The boy was confident and strong, always being the first to settle arguments and keep his cool even in the most terrifying moments. The guy had a ridiculously contagious laugh, a big smile that drew in even the shyest of people, was loved by everyone in their neighborhood, and was just a natural born leader that lead the packs of people who hung on his every word and courageous statement. Amy loved her brother just as much, if not more, than Max. Percy was her knight in battered armor, protecting her from any and all enemies as if she was a damsel in distress. He became the parental figure in her life that neither of them had after middle school. He grew up too fast just so Amy didn't have to. Percy was probably the only person who could pull out Amara's rare fluttering giggles or get Maximus to show his shielded frowns and complaints.

And Percy was missing.

Amy walks back inside, immediately going back to sorting silverware. Max leaves Canis to silently continue plugging in the electronics like their toaster and microwave. He didn't have to look to Amy's face to know she hadn't heard her brother's voice, or that she was now brooding like she always did when the phone calls fell through. He knew the ginger well enough that she needed a couple minutes of silence before he'd be able to speak to her and not be immediately shot down.

Canis barks.

"I'll take her out." Amy shuts the drawer, having just finished, and gives a small nod to Max as she passes him to follow the bouncing rat terrier. The boy blinks, folding up one of the now empty cardboard boxes.

"Imma go pick my bed then!" He flashes a toothy smile, dashing to grab his box and run off before Amy could take a swipe.

"No windows!" She hollers, hoping the over excited guy listens to her loud plea. All she gets is a loud boisterous laugh that has her snort. Amy hated sleeping in rooms with large windows that she could see out of from her bed. It was unnerving to her, and it was only okay if she wasn't on a ground level floor. Something about the darkness of the outside with all of the shadows creeping close, reaching to grasp at the thin layer of glass separating them from where she'd lay- Amy shivers.

Canis whines at her feet, pawing at the screen. "No, Canis," She scolds quietly, pushing the door open so the dogs nails don't hook. She notes this is another reason they need a real door.

It's much colder outside now that it's dark, the sun having successfully, and completely, set since they had first arrived. Amy's eyes are full of the star packed sky for a long moment, seeing if she could find Orion's belt and his two dogs- major and minor - before they fall back to Earth to trail after the white and black pup that had tentatively begun to explore the new "yard". Canis already missed her outside back at where Amy lived before she and Max moved to La push. Amy did too. She didn't like how the large thick trees loomed over the house or by how much of the forest crept right up to the driveway and hid away the exit back to the main road. Amara had always lived in populated towns that may not have been as packed like new york, but definitely bigger than tiny little Forks. Driving through there, even in the afternoon, showed how little there was of life and something about the small population upset Amy. Her mind, as she blindly watched Canis begin to creep closer to the denser tree line, began to wander to all of the possibilities.

What if they needed to buy something important and they couldn't find it in Forks? How far would they have to drive? Was their a vet close? What if something happened to Canis? What if something happened to one of them, where was the closest hospital? They were supposed to meet Max's Aunt, Emily, tomorrow, but what if she decided she didn't like them and kicked them from the house? Without it, Amy would definitely be homeless without the paycheck from her and Percy to pay for their original home- it was the whole reason Amara traveled up with Max in the first place.

There is a loud rumbling, and then something heavy slams against one of the large trees in front of Amy. The girls snaps back to reality to see Canis had run back to cower by her feet- something she'd never seen her fearless dog do before. She squints in the dark, trying to see what was making the shrubbery and singular tree shake. Quickly, Amara decides she doesn't give a fuck about whatever is in the dark as the throaty quiver of a growl sends her heart cold and to the pit of her stomach. She scoops up Canis and turns and sprints back to hide inside.

Locking the screen door behind her wouldn't help against whatever was large enough to shake the massive pines and make such a bone rattling groan, but it made her feel better. She jogged to the back of the house to find where Max had gone, refusing to let her whimpering dog back down to her paws.

Max was in the bedroom on the left out of the two at the end of the hall, pulling out clothes from a crate and throwing them onto his bare mattress. He had yet to put any of the sheets or blankets on, deciding that he'd rather get his closest filled first. That, or he couldn't find the cloth to make his bed and decided to fix his clothes first.

He immediately feels Amy's presence in his doorway and looks up to find her wide eyed, confused look centered on him. He opens his mouth, looking ready to tease, but the way Amy's eyes flicker in the light has him stop and stand up fully.

"What happened?" He asks immediately, knowing the worry coating Amy's features was something rare for the woman and it was not to be taken lightly.

"I think there's a bear outside," She replied, nervously glancing back out the door, having a clear view all the way back to the front of the house where the two large windows showed the deep blue outside.

"Did you see it?" He asks, pushing around her gently as if he was going to stand protectively before her like the bear was inches from his face.

"No. Just growling." Max frowned heavily, staring at the front of the house for a long moment before glancing back to Amy. She'd set Canis back down.

"You don't have to worry. It's not going to go on a rampage or something. Bears are pretty lax as long as you don't get between them and food. Or their kids." Max gives one of his signature grins, something that does well to ease Amy. She hadn't been shaken up badly, so the small amount of reassurance immediately calmed her nerves. He ruffles her curly mess of hair before nudging her shoulder. "You should go get some rest. You drove practically the entire time-"

"Yeah. What the hell was that about?" Max laughs, shaking his head as Amy raises an accusing brow.

"You know I don't like driving," He practically whines. The noise is effective in getting Amara to spin around on her heel to immediately leave. Max laughs at that, watching her as she quickly heads to the living room to grab her own box of personal items and clothes. She hesitates, looking back out the large windows for the bear she may, or may not have, almost encountered, before turning the lights off and heads to the room just next to Max's.

"Good night Maxxie."

"Night Ames."

Canis looks ready to head over to the woman's room, but is stopped by the click of her door shutting and Max's soft whistle. She turns, running back to her man to jump up onto his bare bed. He scratches her ear affectionately before pulling wads of navy blue sheets from the bottom of his box, shoving it to the side to remind himself to finish in the morning.

"Off, Canis," He mumbles, immediately clothing his mattress and throwing his thick homely comforter on top. They looked like that had been through quite the trip. They had, really. Had the same one since he and Amara were kids. It wasn't that it smelled or was covered in stains, but it was closer to being threads than a complete blanket. Battered and beat, but still holding memories he couldn't bare to throw away just yet. Canis is quick to jump back up and curl in the fluff. Max rolls his eyes.

Stripping himself of his jeans, leaving him in his tank and briefs, he removes the small solid gauges from his ears, setting them to the bedside table. For a moment his hand reaches for the metallic green lip ring but he stops himself.

He'd gotten it pierced the same day that Percy had gotten his own. Max and him wanted to surprise Amy by getting the lip rings on the left of their mouths to match the scar just in the same spot on her own face. Back then, it was an angry red that split her lips and had her embarrassed to go out with it maimed in such a way, so the boys thought it'd comfort her if they had something in the same spot. Now her scar was a soft white that came from just next to her nose down to her jaw and she'd make fun of the piercing Max had, because it was the same one that led him to getting the two piercings on his right end of his brow and the gauges. She joked she was a bad influence.

He turned his room's light off, throwing himself under his blankets.

Tomorrow, when Amy and him went shopping in Forks, he'd check on bear repellent. Also generally repellent of any large animal that might come wandering close. What was in the forest? He'd imagine deer, but there had to be a predator that made sure those herbivores didn't overrun the woods. What hunted deer other than people? Probably wolves, then. It was odd thinking that bears and wolves could be slinking outside his window during the night. He'd have to ask Emily if she had any trouble with wild animals, living even a bit farther into the La push forests. He was sure she'd have some idea.