Chapter One

Chasing Reality

Soleil slept later than she had originally anticipated. When the clock struck two in the afternoon, she sprang from bed to run around the house while trying to put herself together. She had completely forgotten that she was volunteering that day, down at the local veterinarian office, taking the pups for walks and playing with the energetic kittens. It had become routine on her days off.

Though, now she supposed it could become a hobby with her lack of work.

Soleil sighed, running her fingers through her hair as she closed the door behind her. The office wasn't far, certainly in walking distance from her shabby household. She jogged her way down to the office, stopping out front when she was still five minutes away from her volunteering shift. Her hands fished through her jean pockets, pulling out a cell phone from one and the other pulling out a crumpled piece of paper.

She had not forgotten everything this morning.

With shaky hands she dialed the number she had ripped from the letter. The first ring sent a shiver down her spine, anticipation flowing through her veins. Was this a joke? Or was her grandmother she had never met actually that kind? Part of her pleaded, the other half rationalized. She craved and denied, the feeling tearing her into two.

Second ring.

Third ring.

Anticipation grew, she resisted the childhood urge to chew at her nails. Should she hang up? Maybe this was a joke after all.

"Bender Law Services, how may I help you?" The voice was polite and airy as the lady answered the phone. Soleil nearly choked on her own breath. "Hello?" The lady was less polite this time as she listened to the breathing on the end.

"Oh!" Soleil jumped back into reality. "This is Soleil Johns, I received a letter yesterday to call Mike at this number?" Her voice wavered, unsure. Any and all confidence had left the building.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, the receptionist typing away at her computer. "Yes, Miss Johns I have you right here in the system. I can transfer you to Mike right away." Before Soleil could even thank her, the line had gone dead, leaving a beeping sound to signal the transfer. She held her breath, waiting for the other to pick up.

"Miss Johns? I've been waiting for your call." The breath she had been holding was released. "I was contacted by your grandmother Marie, about six months ago when she informed me she would like to change her will."

Soleil nodded to the phone before mentally smacking herself. "Do you have any idea as to why she wanted to change her will sir?" She asked in a shaky voice, her free hand rubbing the material of her jeans. "I mean, I've never met my grandmother before, why would she want to leave me everything-"

"She had mentioned that several times. Due to lack of contact, she removed your parents as her successors. She never went into much detail but I can say that woman had a spitfire temperament." His chuckle was deep as he reminisced about the little time he spent with the elderly woman. "She had come in the next day, a picture in her hand. It was of you, she had told me, back when you were six or seven. She said 'everything I own will go to her. Not that selfish brat of I child I raised."

Soleil could barely hold back the laughter of her own as she thought towards her father. He certainly got the bullseye there. Her father was nothing but selfish, self-entitled, and believed sunshine shined out of his ass. Her mother was much similar, the only difference being she worshipped the ground her husband walked on.

That very thought made Soleil sick. That was where her name had come from, she was the daughter of the very man of the universe and his wife. She was the sun.

But now she was nothing but rain on a cloudy day.

The man spoke again, knocking Soleil out of her reverie. "Is it possible for us to meet sometime in the next few days? I usually just do small work here within the towns, but I do work part-time for a firm in the Port Angeles."

She bit her lip, looking up at her volunteer place of choice. "When will you be in next? I will meet you then."

Three days later Soleil was driving down the highway, iPod plugged in through a cassette in her older car, windows half drawn to let in fresh air, and sunglasses perched on her nose. There wasn't a cloud in the sky that morning, the sun drifting higher and higher as the time rode past. It was almost noon, her meeting with Mike just a mere hour away.

To say she still wasn't shocked would be an understatement. To say that it was difficult hiding it from her parents was even worse off. Her boss had called the other night, begging her to come back as he had lost another member of staff. She had not been home at the time, her mother picking up the phone. When she arrived an hour later, all hell broke lose in the household. Her mother yelled, her father yelled, while Soleil looked at the both blankly.

Her only statement of choice, "I've found another job my first day is on Thursday." She didn't elaborate, no names, no places, it was just what she had said.

Now, she just had to figure out a way to tell her parents about her grandmothers will. Did they even know she had passed? Did they know and were just waiting for the call? Did they even care?

She sighed, taking her exit off the highway and into the city. It had been a while since she had been to Port Angeles, living in Seattle she never felt much need to travel to the other city. Usually, she had no reason too. Back in high school they would go to the odd party, or shopping for different clothes or such when bored of Seattle. Other than that, there was no purpose to visit the smaller city.

Soleil picked up the directions laying on the passenger seat, glancing at them as she stopped at a red light. "Right, two lights then right again and you should be there." She mumbled, looking down at the map she had printed off google.

Following the directions to a T, she arrived in the parking lot, pulling into one of the free spaces furthest from the building. With shaky hands, she pressed them over her eyes collecting herself for that moment. She had never felt so nervous to go and meet someone before. Then again, it wasn't every day your life was about to change.

Soleil pulled the keys from the ignition, grabbed her wallet from the dash, and undid her seatbelt. "I can do this," She repeated the mantra as she exited the car, locking the doors as she moved away. "I can do this."

EMBRY

Embry Call was never one for laying around the house on his days off. After he had finished school, he had taken a job with the police force of the county to fill his days. He worked on both 'enemy' and friend lines, but no one once questioned him for it. They never felt a reason too. As, the Cullens has been gone for years.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when they had received the call. Marie Johns, a member of the community since Embry could remember, had collapsed outside in her garden. When he arrived at the scene, there was already another squad car and an ambulance on the scene.

Embry let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. If there was anything he disliked about his job, it was moments like these. Death had wormed its way into life one way or another. It sucked out the good and left the bad. It was poison to the blood and arrived moments before only to disappear again. If it wasn't through his day time job, he dealt with death during the night as well. From rogue vampires to an oversized bear population.

Death was always knocking on his door.

But never did it come for him specifically.

It was a black rose without a card, a song without voice, and a book without words. It was background noise of the day, that left you bitter and cold as you curled up in bed at night.

It certainly was never a friend.

Embry approached with caution, looking over at his neighbors weak form being transferred by stretcher. He had grown up in the house across the street, many good and bad memories from those times. Marie treated him well, took him in when his mother wasn't around and was the support he never received from his absent father.

She was a second mom, a more present mom, she had done a lot for Embry in his past.

The lady was old, senile, yet kind and charming. She spoke nothing but ill of her own son but at the same time she spoke with love. She had created a human being that had not reflected herself in any form but she was able to love him anyway. Then there was the granddaughter she had never met, had very few pictures of but was so fond over.

In his previous years he had been jealous, scornful of the little girl that stole his attention. But the way his second mother had spoke, he felt sorry for as well.

A little girl who grew up in a loveless house.

Not much different from himself.

Embry walked to the stretcher, clasping the older ladies hand in his. "It's alright to let go mum, I'm here for you."

In the last few months his second mother had become weak, her free spirit still fighting strong but her body unable to keep up. It was a constant battle for who would win. Would she spend the day in bed or the garden.

Today was a day when her spirit had won.

Today was also the day her body had failed.

The old heart was barely beating, holding on to the slightest. A goodbye, a love, a moment with someone who cared. Embry squeezed the hand tightly. There was no need to fight anymore, she was too weak to carry on.

He spoke the last words, meaning every promise that leaked through his lips. "I'll take care of her mum, I'll make sure she is happy." He repeated solemnly, the heat from his hand in great contrast to her cold one.

"She's gone." He heard the voice of the paramedic, but he didn't leave his mantra.

"I'll take care of her."

AN: I'm tired, overrun, and anxious to the max. But I got the chapter done. I actually really loved Embry's part in this.

Review. The wolf pack gods are smiling down upon you. Shirtless, I might add.