I felt oddly buoyant as I walked from Spanish toward the cafeteria, and it wasn't just because I was holding hands with my beautiful girlfriend, though that was certainly part of it.

Maybe it was the knowledge that my sentence was served and I was a free woman again.

Or maybe it wasn't anything to do with me to do with me specifically. Maybe it was the atmosphere of freedom that hung over the entire campus. School was winding down, and, for the senior class especially, there was a perceptible thrill in the air.

Freedom was so close it was touchable, taste-able. Signs of it were everywhere. Posters crowded together on the cafeteria walls, and the trashcans wore a colorful skirt of spilled-over fliers: reminders to buy yearbooks, class rings, and announcements; deadlines to order graduation gowns, hats, and tassels; neon-bright sales pitches—the juniors campaigning for class office; ominous, rose-wreathed advertisements for this year's prom. The big dance was this coming weekend, but I had an ironclad promise from Elsa that I would not be subjected to that again. After all, I'd already hadthathuman experience.

No, it must be my personal freedom that lightened me today. The ending of the school year did not give me the pleasure it seemed to give the other students. Actually, I felt nervous to the point of nausea whenever I thought of it. I tried tonotthink of it.

But it was hard to escape such an omnipresent topic as graduation.

"This speech is kicking my butt." Jeremy whined, crumpling up a piece of paper and shoving it aside. "It's gotta be good."

"Don't worry, Jeremy," I laughed as Elsa and I sat down at the table, "It'll be epic."

"Epic?" He raised a playful eyebrow, "It'll change lives."

Jeremy was class valedictorian. His excitement over that fact had dwindled into stress and dread once he started trying to write his speech. He had gone through a ridiculous number of drafts in the last few days alone.

"Have you sent your announcements, yet?" Angela asked. She had her light brown hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail instead of her usual smooth hairdo, and there was a slightly frantic look about her eyes.

Alice and Ben were already there too, on either side of Angela. Ben was intent over a comic book, his glasses sliding down his narrow nose. Alice was scrutinizing my boring jeans-and-a-t-shirt outfit in a way that made me feel self-conscious. Probably plotting another makeover. I sighed. My indifferent attitude to fashion was a constant thorn in her side. If I'd allow it, she'd love to dress me every day—perhaps several times a day—like some oversized three-dimensional paper doll.

"No," I answered Angela. "There's no point, really. Renée knows when I'm graduating. Who else is there?"

"How about you, Jeremy?" Angela glanced at her.

"Huh?" Jeremy looked up from his notebook. "Oh, yeah, I'm almost done."

"And you, Alice?"

Alice smiled. "All done."

"Lucky you." Angela sighed. "My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to hand-address one to everybody. I'm going to get carpal tunnel. I can't put it off any longer and I'm just dreading it."

"I'll help you," I volunteered. "If you don't mind my awful handwriting."

David would like that. From the corner of my eye, I saw Elsa smile. She must like that, too—me fulfilling Charlie's conditions without involving werewolves.

Angela looked relieved. "That's so nice of you. I'll come over any time you want."

"Actually, I'd rather go to your house if that's okay—I'm sick of mine. David un-grounded me last night." I grinned as I announced the good news.

"Really?" Angela asked, mild excitement lighting her always-gentle brown eyes.

"Wait, what?" Jeremy blinked up in surprise. "Why did you not text me immediately and tell me this, Winters?"

I laughed. "Sorry, Jeremy."

"I thought you said you were in it for life?" Angela said.

"I'm more surprised than you guys are. I was sure I would at least have finished high school before he set me free."

"Well, this is great, Anna! We'll have to go out to celebrate." Angela laughed.

"Oh, my god!" Jeremy squealed. "Friends' night!Seniorfriends' night!"

"You have no idea how good that sounds."

"What should we do?" Alice mused, her face lighting up at the possibilities. Alice's ideas were usually a little grandiose for me, and I could see it in her eyes now—the tendency to take things too far kicking into action.

"Whatever you're thinking, Alice," I raised my eyebrow, "I doubt I'mthatfree."

"Free is free, right?" she insisted.

"I'm sure I still have boundaries—like the continental U.S., for example."

Angela, Ben, and Jeremy laughed, but Alice grimaced in real disappointment.

"So what are we doing tonight?" she persisted.

"Nothing. Look, let's give it a couple days to make sure David wasn't joking. It's a school night, anyway."

"We'll celebrate this weekend, then." Alice's enthusiasm was impossible to repress.

"Sure, sure," I said, hoping to placate her. I knew I wasn't going to do anything too outlandish; it would be safer to take it slow with David. Give him a chance to appreciate how trustworthy and mature I was before I asked for any favors.

Angela and Alice started talking about options; Jeremy joined the conversation, setting her speech aside. Ben smiled at their enthusiasm from his comic book. My attention drifted. I was surprised to find that the subject of my freedom was suddenly not as gratifying as it had been just a moment ago. While they discussed things to do in Port Angeles or maybe Hoquiam, I began to feel disgruntled.

It didn't take long to determine where my restlessness stemmed from.

Ever since I'd said goodbye to Kristoff Black in the forest outside my home, I'd been plagued by a persistent, uncomfortable intrusion of a specific mental picture. It popped into my thoughts at regular intervals like some annoying alarm clock set to sound every half hour, filling my head with the image Kristoff's face crumpled in pain. That was the last memory I had of him.

As the disturbing vision struck again, I knew exactly why I was dissatisfied with my liberty. Because it was incomplete.

Sure, I was free to go anywhere I wanted—except La Push; free to do anything I wanted—except see Kristoff. I frowned at the table. Therehadto be some kind of middle ground.

"Alice? Alice!"

Angela's voice yanked me from my reverie. She was waving her hand back and forth in front of Alice's blank, staring face. Alice's expression was something I recognized—an expression that sent an automatic shock of panic through my body. The vacant look in her eyes told me that she was seeing something very different from the mundane lunchroom scene that surrounded us, but something that was every bit as real in its own way. Something that was coming, something that would happen soon. I felt the blood slither from my face.

Then Elsa laughed, a very natural, relaxed sound. Angela and Jeremy looked toward her, but my eyes were locked on Alice. She jumped suddenly, as if someone had kicked her under the table.

"Is it nap-time already, Alice?" Elsa teased

Alice was herself again. "Sorry, I was daydreaming, I guess."

Alice threw herself back into the conversation with more animation than before—just a little bit too much. Once I saw her lock eyes with Elsa's, only for a moment, and then she looked back to Angela and Jeremy before anyone else noticed. Elsa was quiet, absentmindedly rubbing my neck.

I waited anxiously for a chance to ask Elsa what Alice had seen in her vision, but the afternoon passed without one minute of alone time.

It felt odd to me, almost deliberate. After lunch, Elsa slowed her pace to match Ben's, talking about some assignment I knew she'd already finished. Then there was always someone else there between classes, though we usually had a few minutes to ourselves. When the final bell rang, Elsa struck up a conversation with Makayla Newton of all people, falling into step beside her as Makayla headed for the parking lot. I trailed behind, letting Elsa tow me along.

I listened confused, while Makayla answered Elsa's unusually friendly queries. It seemed Makayla was having car troubles.

"…but I just replaced the battery," Makayla was saying. Her eyes darted ahead and then back to Elsa warily. Mystified, just like I was.

"Perhaps it's the cables?" Elsa offered.

"Maybe. I don't really know anything about cars," Makayla admitted. "I need to have someone look at it, but I can't afford to take it to Dowling's."

I opened my mouth to suggest my mechanic, and then snapped it shut again. My mechanic was busy these days—busy running around as a giant wolf.

"I know a few things—I could take a look, if you like," Elsa offered. "Just let me drop Alice and Anna at home."

Makayla and I both stared at Elsa with our mouths hanging open.

"Er… thanks," Makayla mumbled when she recovered. "But I have to get to work. Maybe some other time."

"Absolutely."

"See ya." Makayla climbed into her car, shaking her head in disbelief.

Elsa's Volvo, with Alice already inside, was just two cars away.

"What wasthatabout?" I muttered as Elsa held the passenger door for me.

"Just being helpful," Elsa answered.

And then Alice, waiting in the backseat, was babbling at top speed.

"You're really notthatgood a mechanic, Elsa. Maybe you should have Royal take a look at it tonight, just so you look good if Makayla decides to let you help, you know. Not that it wouldn't be fun to watch her face ifRoyalshowed up to help. But since Royal is supposed to be across the country attending college, I guess that's not the best idea. Too bad. Though I suppose, for Makayla's car, you'll do. It's only within the finer tunings of a good Italian sports car that you're out of your depth. And speaking of Italy and sports cars that I stole there, you still owe me a yellow Porsche. I don't know that I want to wait for Christmas…"

I stopped listening after a minute, letting her quick voice become just a hum in the background as I settled into my patient mode.

It looked like Elsa was trying to avoid my questions. Fine. She would have to be alone with me soon enough. It was only a matter of time.

Elsa seemed to realize that, too. She dropped Alice off at the mouth of the Cullens' drive as usual, though by this point I half expected her to drive her to the door and walk her in.

As she got out, Alice threw a sharp look at her face. Elsa seemed completely at ease.

"See you later," she said. And then, ever so slightly, she nodded.

Alice turned to disappear into the trees.

She was quiet as she turned the car around and headed back to Forks. I waited, wondering if she would bring it up herself. She didn't, and this made me tense. WhathadAlice seen today at lunch? Something she didn't want to tell me, and I tried to think of a reason why she would keep secrets. Maybe it would be better to prepare myself before I asked her. I didn't want to freak out and have her think I couldn't handle it, whatever it was.

So we were both silent until we got back to my house.

"Light homework load tonight," she commented.

"Mmm," I assented.

"Do you suppose I'm allowed inside again?"

"David didn't try and kick you out when you picked me up for school."

But I was sure David was going to be less than pleased when he got home and found Elsa here. Maybe I should make something extra-special for dinner.

Inside, I headed up the stairs, and Elsa followed. She lounged on my bed and gazed out the window, seeming oblivious to my edginess.

I stowed by backpack and turned my laptop on. There was an unanswered email from my mom to attend to, and she got panicky when I took too long. I drummed my fingers as I waited for the laptop to boot up and load my emails; my fingers snapped against the desk, staccato and anxious.

And then her fingers were on mine, holding them still.

"Are we a little impatient today?" she murmured.

I looked up, intending to make a sarcastic remark, but her face was closer than I'd expected. Her golden eyes were smoldering, just inches away, and her breath was cool against my open lips.

I couldn't remember the witty response I'd been about to make and she didn't give me a chance to recover.

Kissing Elsa was always an incomparable experience. Never in my life had I felt anything like her cool lips, marble hard but always so gentle, moving with mine.

Usually our kisses were controlled, careful.

So it surprised me a little when her fingers braided themselves into my hair, securing my face to hers. My arms wrapped around her neck, locking behind her. One hand slid down my back, pressing me tighter against her stone chest. Even through her sweater, her skin was cold enough to make me shiver—it was a shiver of pleasure, of happiness, and her hands tightened in response.

I was feeling a little adventurous today, and decided to try something new. I knew I'd have only a few seconds before she would sigh and slide me deftly away, saying something about how we'd risked my life enough for one afternoon. So I crushed myself closer, molding myself to the shape of her. Her hand slide further down from my back, to grip the back of my thigh. I smirked and made my move. The tip of my tongue traced the curve of her lower lip; it was flawlessly smooth as if it had been polished.

She let out a breathless moan, and pulled my face away from hers. She was panting as she stared at me, I could only smile.

She chuckled once, a low, throaty sound. Her eyes were bright with the excitement she so rigidly disciplined.

"Ah, Anna." She breathed.

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

"And I should feel sorry that you're not sorry, but I don't." She paused and closed her eyes. "Maybe I should go sit on the bed."

I exhaled with satisfaction. "If you think that's necessary…"

She smiled crookedly and gently released her hold on me.

I ran my hands through my hair and breathed out a sigh as she moved fluidly to the bed. I turned back to my ignored computer.

"Tell Renée I said hello."

"Sure thing."

I scanned through my mom's email, shaking my head now and then at some of the sillier things she had done. I was just as entertained and horrified as the first time I'd read this. It was so like my mother to forget exactly how paralyzed she was by heights until she was already strapped to a parachute and a dive instructor. I felt a little frustrated with Phil, her husband of almost two years, for allowing that one. I would have warned her against such an adventure. I knew her better than that.

I had to chuckle at the strange way my mother and I had taken care of each other.

I'd spent most of my life guiding her away from her craziest plans and good-naturedly enduring the ones I couldn't talk her out of. Whileshehad always taught me to be kind, selfless, and open to what the world brought you.

I had to thank my mother for that; it had made me who I was today. Someone thoughtful and cautious. It had made me responsible; learning from her lessons and her mistakes.

With the blood still pounding from Elsa's kiss, I couldn't help but think of my mother's most life-altering mistake. Silly and romantic, getting married fresh out of high school to a man she barely knew, then having me a year later. She'd always promised me that she had no regrets, that I was the best gift her life had ever given her. And yet she'd drilled it into me over and over—smart people took marriage seriously. Mature people went to college and started careers before they got deeply involved in a relationship. She knew I would never be as thoughtless and goofy andsmall-townas she'd been…

I gritted my teeth and tried to concentrate as I answered her email.

Then I hit her parting line and remembered why I'd neglected to write sooner.

You haven't said anything about Kristoff in a long time, she'd written.What's he up to these days?

I couldn't help but think David was prompting her.

I sighed and typed quickly, tucking the answer to her question between two less sensitive paragraphs.

Krustoff is fine, I guess. I don't see him much; he spends most of his time with a pack of his friends down at La Push these days.

Smiling wryly to myself, I added Elsa's greeting and hit "send."

I didn't realize Elsa was standing silently behind me again until after I'd turned off the laptop and shoved away from my desk. I was about to scold her for reading over my shoulder when I realized that she wasn't paying attention to me. She was examining a stiff rectangle of paper in her hands.

"You didn't get much use out of your birthday presents last year," she said in a disgruntled voice. She started fanning herself with the paper.

I didn't answer right away. My disastrous eighteenth birthday—with all its far-reaching consequences—wasn't something I cared to remember, and I was surprised that she would bring it up. She was even more sensitive about it than I was.

"I use the stereo in my car from Emmett, Royal, and Jasper. I love it." I offered defensively.

"Alright," she said, "but do you realize these are about to expire?" she asked, holding the paper out to me. It was another present—the voucher for airplane tickets that Esme and Carlisle had given me so that I could visit Renée in Florida.

I sighed, and answered honestly. "No. I'd forgotten all about them, actually."

Her expression was carefully bright and positive; there was no trace of any deep emotion as she continued. "Well, we still have a little time. You've been liberated… and we have no plans this weekend, as you refuse to go to prom with me." She grinned. "Why not celebrate your freedom this way?"

I laughed. "By going to Florida?"

"You did say something about the continental U.S. being allowable."

I glared at her, suspicious, trying to understand where this had come from.

"Well?" she demanded. "Are we going to see Renée or not?"

"David will never allow it."

"David can't keep you from visiting your mother. She still has primary custody."

"Nobody has custody of me. I'm an adult."

She flashed her brilliant smile. "Exactly."

I thought it over for a short minute before deciding that it wasn't worth the fight. David wouldn't be happy—not that I was going to see my mom, but that Elsa was going with me. David would probably rescind my freedom just to keep it from happening. It was definitely smarter to not even bring it up. Maybe in a few weeks, as a graduation favor or something.

But the idea of seeing my mothernow, not weeks from now, was hard to resist. It had been so long since I'd seen her. And even longer since I'd seen her under pleasant circumstances. The last time I'd been with her in Phoenix, I'd spent the whole time in a hospital bed. The last time she'd come here, I'd been severely depressed. Not exactly the best memories to have.

And maybe, if she got to know Elsa better, she would tell David to ease up.

Elsa scrutinized my face while I deliberated.

I sighed. "Not this weekend."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to fight with David. Not so soon after he's forgiven me."

Her eyebrows pulled together. "I think this weekend is perfect," she muttered.

I shook my head. "Another time."

"You aren't the only one who's been trapped in this house, you know." She frowned at me.

Suspicion returned. This kind of behavior was unlike her. She was always so impossibly selfless; eager to make me happy.

"You can go anywhere you want," I pointed out.

"The outside world holds no interest for me without you."

I rolled my eyes at the hyperbole.

"I'm serious," she said.

"Let's take the outside world slowly, all right? For example, we could start with a movie in Port Angeles…"

She groaned. "Never mind. We'll talk about it later."

"There's nothing left to talk about."

She shrugged.

"Okay, then, new subject," I said. I'd almost forgotten my worries about this afternoon—had that been her intention? "What did Alice see today at lunch?"

My eyes were fixed on her face as I spoke, measuring her reaction.

Her expression was composed; there was only the slightest hardening of her topaz eyes. "She's been seeing Jasper in a strange place, somewhere in the southeast, she thinks, near his former… family. But he has no conscious intentions to go back." She sighed. "It's got her worried."

"Oh." That was nothing close to what I'd been expecting. But of course it made sense that Alice would be watching out for Jasper's future. He was her soul mate, her true other half, though they weren't as flamboyant about their relationship as Royal and Emmett were. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I didn't realize you'd noticed," she said. "It's probably nothing important, in any case."

I wondered if my imagination was just getting out of control. I'd been convinced Elsa was going out of her way to keep something from me, when there was nothing wrong.

We went downstairs to work on our homework, just in case David showed up early. Elsa finished in minutes; I slogged laboriously through my calculus until I decided it was time to fix David's dinner. Elsa helped, making faces every so often at the raw ingredients—human food was mildly repulsive to her. I made stroganoff from Grandma winters's recipe, because I was sucking up. It wasn't one of my favorites, but it would please David.

David seemed to already be in a good mood when he got home. His mood didn't even falter when he said hello Elsa. Elsa excused herself from eating with us, as usual. The sound of the nightly news drifted from the front room, but I doubted Elsa was really watching.

After forcing down three helpings, David kicked up his feet on the spare chair and folded his hands contentedly across his distended stomach.

"That was great, kiddo."

"I'm glad you liked it. How was work?" He'd been eating with too much concentration for me to make conversation before.

"Sort of slow. Well, dead slow really. Mark and I played cards for a good part of the afternoon," he admitted with a grin. "I won, nineteen hands to seven. And then I was on the phone with Billy for a while."

I tried to keep my expression even. "How is he?"

"Good, good. His joints are bothering him a little."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"Yeah. He invited us down to visit this weekend. He was thinking of having the Clearwaters and the Uleys over to. Sort of a playoff party…"

"Huh," was my genius response. But what could I say? I knew Elsa would throw a fit at the idea of me hitting up a werewolf party, even with parental supervision. I wondered if Elsa would have a problem with David hanging out in La Push. Or would she suppose that, since David was mostly spending time with Billy, who was only human, my father wouldn't be in danger?

I got up and piled the dishes together without looking at David. I dumped them into the sink and started the water. Elsa appeared silently and grabbed a dishtowel.

David sighed and gave up for a moment, though I imagined he would revisit the subject when we were alone again. He heaved himself to his feet and headed for the TV, just like every other night.

"David," Elsa said in a conversational tone.

David stopped in the middle of the little kitchen. "Yeah?"

"Did Anna ever tell you that my parents gave her airplane tickets on her last birthday, so that she could visit Renée?"

I dropped the plate I was scrubbing. It glanced off the counter and clattered noisily to the floor. It didn't break, but it spattered the room, and all three of us, with soapy water. David didn't even seem to notice.

"Anna?" he asked in a stunned voice.

I kept my eyes on the plate as I retrieved it. "Yeah, they did."

David shifted uncomfortably, "Well, that was… generous." He said, awkwardly. He turned to Elsa and narrowed his eyes. "No,Anna never mentioned it."

"Hmm," Elsa murmured.

"Was there a reason you brought it up?" David asked, suspicious.

Elsa shrugged. "They're about to expire. I think it might hurt Esme's feelings if Anna doesn't use her gift. Not that she'd say anything."

I stared at Elsa in disbelief.

David thought for a minute. "It's probably a good idea for you to visit your mom, Anna. She'd love that. I'm surprised you didn't say anything about this, though."

"I forgot," I admitted.

He frowned. "You forgot that someone gave you plane tickets?"

"Mmm," I murmured vaguely and turned back to the sink.

"I noticed you saidthey'reabout to expire, Elsa," David went on. "How many tickets did you parents give her?"

"Just one for Anna… and one for me."

The plate I dropped this time landed in the sink, so it didn't make as much noise. I could easily hear the sharp huff as my father exhaled. The blood rushed into my face, fueled by irritation and chagrin. Why was Elsa doing this? I glared at the bubbles in the sink, panicking.

"I don't think that's a good idea." David said, his face serious and angry.

"Why?" Elsa asked, her voice saturated with innocent surprise. "You just said it was a good idea of her to see her mother."

David ignored her. "I don't want you going anywhere with her, young lady!" He said to me. I spun around and his arms were crossed angrily over his chest.

"Dad, come on," I pleaded, "I'm not a child! And I'm not grounded anymore, remember?"

"Oh yes, you are. Starting now."

"For what?!"

"Because I said so."

"Dad, please, you're being unreasonable. I'm a legal adult."

"This is my house, so it's my rules!"

I glared at him. "Dad, I'll do my time without complaining when I've done something wrong. But I didn't do anything to deserve this."

He narrowed his eyes, but held his ground.

"Now, I know thatyouknow I have every right to see Mom for the weekend. You can't honestly tell me you'd object to the plan if I was going with Alice, Jeremy, or Angela."

"I wouldn't. But they're just your… friends." He grunted awkwardly.

"Would if bother you if I took Kristoff?"

I'd only picked the name because I knew of my father's preference for Kristoff, but I quickly wished I hadn't; Elsa's teeth clenched together with an audible snap.

My father struggled to compose himself before he answered. "Yes," he said in an unconvincing voice. "That would bother me."

"You're as bad of a liar as I am, Dad."

"Anna—"

"It's not like I'm headed off to Vegas to gamble my college fund away. I'm going to seeMom," I reminded him. "She's just as much my parental authority as you are."

He threw me a withering look.

"I don't think she'd appreciate it if she knew you didn't trust her to keep an eye on Elsa and me."

David flinched, "Okay, okay," he sighed. "Don't say anything like that to her."

"I'm not going to, Dad. But come on, you've got to trust me."

He huffed. "I'm not happy about this, Anna."

"You don't need to be upset, Dad."

He averted his eyes, I could tell the storm was over.

I turned to pull the plug out of the sink. "So my homework is done, your dinner is done, the dishes are done, and I'm not grounded. I'm going out. I'll be back before ten-thirty."

"Where are you going?" His face, almost back to normal, flashed with anger again.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "I'll keep it within a ten-mile-radius, though. Is that okay?"

He grunted something that sounded like begrudging approval, and stalked out of the room. Naturally, as soon as I'd won the fight, I began to feel guilty.

"We're going out?" Elsa asked, her voice low but enthusiastic.

I turned to glare at her. "Yes. I think I'd like to talk to youalone."

She didn't look as apprehensive as I thought she should.

I waited to begin until we were safely in her car.

"What wasthat?" I demanded.

"I know you want to see your mother, Anna—you've been talking about her in your sleep. Worrying, actually."

"I have?"

She nodded. "But, clearly, you were too much of a coward to deal with David, so I interceded on your behalf."

"Interceded? You threw me to the sharks!"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't think you were in any danger."

"But I told you I didn't want to fight with David."

"Nobody said you had to."

I glowered at her. "You don't get to talk your way out of this. I specifically said I didn't want to bring it up this soon with David. I told you no and you didn't listen to me, even though Itrustedyou to not say anything."

It was a bit of a low blow, but it bothered me that she didn't seem to listen to how I wanted the situation handled and went behind my back to force my hand. The topic of trust between Elsa and I was still a sensitive one.

Her mood instantly shifted; her eyes became pained, and her posture fell slightly.

"I'm sorry, Anna, you're right."

I simply nodded once, still too angry to say anything. I stared at her, speculating. She didn't seem to notice. Her face was sad as she gazed out the windshield. Something was off, but I couldn't put my finger on it. For as careful as she was to not do anything to ruin her chances of rebuilding the trust between us, this was a fairly reckless move on her part.

"Does this sudden urge to see Florida have anything to do with the party at Billy's place?"

Her jaw flexed. "Nothing at all. It wouldn't matter if you were here or on the other side of the world, you still wouldn't be going."

I felt my anger and frustration flare up, "I don't want to fight with you tonight, too. But this is going to be a problem and we'll talk about it later, understand?"

"Yes, mam" She said quietly.

I glared out of the windshield and huffed.

Elsa sighed, and when she spoke her voice was warm and velvet again. "So what do you want to do tonight?" she asked.

"Can we go to your house? I haven't seen Esme in so long."

"She'll like that." I could tell from her voice she was smiling. "Especially when she hears what we're doing this weekend."

I groaned in defeat.

We didn't stay out late, as I'd promised. I was not surprised to see the lights still on when we pulled up in front of the house—I knew David would be waiting to continue the earlier conversation.

"You'd better not come inside," I said. "It will only make things worse."

"The tone of his thoughts are relatively calm," Elsa teased. Her expression made me wonder if there was some additional joke I was missing. The corners of her mouth twitched, fighting a smile.

"I'll see you later," I muttered.

She laughed and kissed the top of my head. "I'll be back when David's snoring. I'm sorry again."

The TV was loud when I got inside. I briefly considered trying to sneak past him.

"Could you come in here, Anna?" David called, sinking that plan.

My feet dragged as I took the five necessary steps.

"What's up, Dad?"

"Did you have a nice time tonight?" he asked. He seemed ill at ease. I looked for hidden meanings in his words before I answered.

"Yes," I said hesitantly.

"What did you do?"

I shrugged. "Hung out with Alice and Jasper. Elsa beat Alice at chess, and then I played Jasper. He buried me."

I smiled. Elsa and Alice playing chess was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen. They'd sat there nearly motionless, staring at the board, while Alice foresaw the moves she would make and she picked the movies she would make in return out of her head. They played most of the game in their minds; I think they'd each moved two pawns when Alice suddenly flicked her king over and surrendered. It took all of three minutes.

David hit the mute button—and unusual action.

"Look, there's something I need to say." He frowned, looking very uncomfortable.

I sat down on the couch, very still, waiting. He met my gaze for a second before shifting his eyes to the floor. He didn't say anything more.

"What is it, Dad?"

He sighed. "I'm not good at this kind of thing. I don't know where to start…"

I waited again.

"Okay, Anna, here's the thing." He got up from the couch and started pacing back and forth across the room, looking at his feet all the time. "You and Elsa seem pretty serious, and there are some things that you need to be careful about. I know you're an adult now, but you're still young, Anna, and there are a lot of important things you need to know when you… well, when you're physically involved with—"

"Oh, please,pleaseno." I jumped to my feet. "Please tell me we're not about to have the sex talk, David."

He glared at the floor. "I am your father. I have responsibilities. Remember, I'm just as embarrassed as you are."

"I don't think that's possible. Anyway, Mom beat you to the punch about ten years ago. You're off the hook."

"Ten years ago you didn't have a girlfriend," he muttered unwillingly. I could tell he was battling with his desire to drop the subject. We were both standing up, looking at the floor, and facing away from each other.

"I don't think the essentials have changed that much," I mumbled, and my face had to be as red as his. This was beyond awful; even worse was realizing that Elsa had known this was coming. No wonder she'd seemed so smug in the car.

"Just tell me that you two are being responsible," David pled, obviously wishing a pit would open in the floor so that he could fall in.

"Don't worry about it, Dad, it's not like that."

"Not that I don't trust you, Anna, but I know you don't want to tell me anything about this. And listen, I know I don't really know how it all goes between… Well, when it's two… I mean, oh boy." He blew out a puff of air, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Between two girls?" I offered, my face burning with embarrassment.

"Exactly." David huffed. "I know you don't have to worry about pregnancy and all that, but you still have to be…. Safe." David struggled through the words. "I'm not going to give you a whole speech about waiting till marriage, I'm an open-minded guy, and I know times are changing."

I laughed awkwardly. "Maybe the times have, but Elsa is very old-fashioned. You have nothing to worry about."

David sighed. "Sure she is," he muttered.

"Oh god, okay," I groaned. "Dad, don't worry about it. I'm… God… Dad, I'm still a virgin, and I have no immediate plans to change that."

We both cringed, but then David's face smoothed out. He seemed to believe me.

"Can I go to bed now?Please."

"In a minute," he said.

"Aw, please, Dad? I'm begging you."

"The embarrassing part's over, I promise." He assured me.

I shot a glance at him, and was grateful to see that he looked more relaxed, that his face was back to its regular color. He sank down into the sofa, sighing with relief that he was past the sex speech.

"What's up, Dad?"

"I just wanted to know how the balance thing is coming along."

"Oh. Good, I guess. I made plans with Jeremy and Angela today for a night out soon. And I told Angela I'd help her with her with her graduation announcements. Just us, no boyfriends."

"That's nice. And what about Kristoff?"

I sighed. "I haven't figured that one out yet, Dad."

"Keep trying, Anna. I know you'll do the right thing. You're a good person."

I felt guilty when he said that. Was I really? Wasn't it really my fault Kristoff was so miserable right now?

"Sure, sure," I agreed. The automatic response made a smile flicker across my face—it was something I'd picked up from Kristoff. I even said it in the same tone he used with his own father.

David grinned and turned the sound back on. He slumped lower into the cushions, relieved that his fatherly duties were complete for the night. I could tell he would be up with the game for a while.

"Night, kiddo."

"See you in the morning!" I sprinted for the stairs.

Elsa was long gone and she wouldn't be back until David was asleep—she was probably out hunting or something to pass the time—so I was in no hurry to undress for bed. I wasn't in the mood to be alone, but I certainly wasn't going back downstairs to hang out with my Dad, just in case he thought of some topic of sex education that he hadn't touched on before; I shuddered.

So, thanks to David, I was wound up and anxious. My homework was done and I didn't feel mellow enough for reading or just listening to music. I considered calling Renée with the news of my visit, but then I realized that it was three hours later in Florida, and she would be asleep.

I could call Angela, or Jeremy, I supposed.

But suddenly I knew it wasn't them I wanted to talk to. That Ineededto talk to.

I stared at the blank black window, biting my lip. I didn't know how long I stood there weighing the pros against the cons—doing the right thing by Kristoff, seeing my closest friend again, being a good person, versus making Elsa furious with me. Ten minutes maybe. Long enough to decide that the pros were valid while the cons were not. Elsa was only concerned about my safety, and I knew that there was really no problem on that count.

The phone wasn't any help; Kristoff had refused to answer my phone calls since Elsa's return. Besides, I needed toseehim—see him smiling again the way he used to. I needed to replace that awful last memory of his face warped and twisted by pain if I was ever going to have any peace of mind.

Beyond even that, there was a desire—deep down—to just spend time with Kristoff. I couldn't deny that he held a part of my heart, even still. Even though it appeared he wasn't willing to wait for me like he had promised, I couldn't be upset about that—he shouldn't be waiting for something that wouldn't happen. I had more or less chosen Elsa, and I was content with that decision. Since all that was off the table, I knew I needed to have Kristoff back as my friend.

I had an hour probably. I could make a quick run down to La Push and be back before Elsa realized I had gone. It was past my curfew, but would David really care about that when Elsa wasn't involved? One way to find out.

I grabbed my jacket and shoved my arms through the sleeves as I ran down the stairs.

David looked up from the game, instantly suspicious.

"Is it okay if I go see Kristoff tonight?" I asked breathlessly. "I won't stay long."

As soon as I said Kristoff's name, David's expression relaxed into a smile. He seemed pleased that his lecture on balance had taken effect so quickly. "Sure, kid. No problem. Stay as long as you like."

"Thanks, Dad," I said as I darted out the door.

Like any fugitive, I couldn't help looking over my shoulder a few times while I jogged to my truck, but the night was so black that there was no point. I had to feel my way along the side of the truck to the handle.

My eyes were beginning to adjust as I shoved my keys into the ignition. I twisted them hard to the left, but instead of roaring deafeningly to life, the engine just clicked. I tried it again with the same results.

And then a small motion in my peripheral vision made me jump.

"Gah!" I gasped in shock when I saw that I was not alone in the cab.

Elsa sat very still, a faint bright spot in the darkness, only her hands moving as she turned a mysterious black object around and around. She stared at the object as she spoke.

"Alice called," she murmured.

Alice! Damn. I'd forgotten to account for her in my plans. She must have her watching me.

"She got nervous when your future abruptly disappeared five minutes ago."

My eyes, already wide with surprise, popped wider.

"Because she can't see the wolves, you know," she explained in the same low murmur. "Had you forgotten that? When you decide to mingle your fate with theirs, you disappear, too. You couldn't know that part, I realize that. But can you understand why that might make me a little… anxious? Alice saw you disappear, and she couldn't even tell if you'd come home or not. Your future got lost, just like theirs.

"We're not sure why this is. Some natural defense they're born with?" She spoke as if she were talking to herself now, still looking at the piece of my truck's engine as she twirled it in her hands. "That doesn't seem entirely likely, since I haven't had any trouble reading their thoughts. The Blacks' at least. Carlisle theorizes that it's because their lives are so ruled by their transformations. It's more an involuntary reaction than a decision. Utterly unpredictable, and it changes everything about them. In that instant when they shift from one form to the other, they don't really even exist. The future can't hold them…"

I listened to her musing in stony silence.

"I'll put your car back together in time for school, in case you'd like to drive yourself," she assured me after a minute.

When I finally spoke, my voice was like ice. "You'd better. If there's even the slightest problem with it, you'll be in even more trouble than you are right now."

I retrieved my keys and stiffly climbed out of the truck.

"Anna," Elsa began. My eyes met hers, and something in mine caused her to minutely shrink back from my gaze. She dropped her eyes before continuing. "Shut your window if you want me to stay away tonight. I'll understand," she whispered and I slammed the door in her face.

I stomped into the house, slamming that door, too.

"What's wrong?" David demanded.

"Truck won't start," I growled.

"Want me to look at it?"

"No. I'll try in the morning."

"Want to use my car?"

I wasn't supposed to drive his police cruiser. David must be really desperate to get me to La Push. Nearly as desperate as I was.

"No. I'm more tired than I thought I was," I grumbled. "Thanks, though. Night."

I stamped my way up the stairs, and went straight to my window. I shoved the metal frame roughly—it crashed shut and the glass trembled.

I stared at the shivering black glass for a long moment, until it was still. Then I sighed, flipped the lock, and closed the curtains.