Thanks as usual to those who reviewed, please keep them coming!
CPOV
As the night drew on I could see the couples start to make their way home and I realised I would soon have to leave too. I again felt indescribably sad at the thought that everyone here would pile and bundle into trucks and cars and make their way back to La Push and I would be left in the city. I knew I had work again the tomorrow but all I wanted was to follow them back and curl back up in Emily's cosy room. Quil approached me after i'd received several hugs and squeezes and thrust his hands awkwardly into his pockets. I smiled up at him.
'Thanks so much for inviting me to this Quil, I had a great time. It was just what I needed.'
His face split into a huge smile that stretched right into his eyes. It was contagious. 'Do you really mean that?' He asked happily.
I laughed with him, 'Of course I do silly! You guys all make me feel so welcome, it feels as if I've known you for years not months.'
His smile stretched even wider if possible and he answered so softly I had to wonder if I imagined it, 'Longer than you'll ever know.'
QPOV
I had decided right then that I was going to make Claire notice me. And I mean really notice me. I knew that the ultimate decision of what I was going to be was her choice but I needed her in my life and Rafe was right. She's meant for me and I most certainly am meant for her. I had just had to make her realise that.
As the week drew on I got more and more impatient. Fed up with just following Claire around Seattle in my human form and sleeping as close to her apartment as I could in my wolf form, I wanted something more. That and the pack were getting more and antsier with me creeping around Seattle at night as a giant wolf. Sam said I was playing with time I didn't have before someone saw me.
Somehow I knew that I had to get Claire back to La Push as much as possible and that then her memory would start to return. I knew that she loved it there and I knew that she felt comfortable there. I could hear the small sighs as she said goodbye to us all and I could see some of the shine in her eyes dissipate when we left.
As luck would have it Emily once again came to my rescue. She wanted Claire to remember almost as much as I did and I could tell she loved having her niece around her again.
It was a few days after Kim's birthday and I was busy stuffing my face with whatever I could find in Emily's fridge when I felt her. I spun round and sure enough I could hear the rumble of Claire's car come down the drive. I swallowed loudly and closed the fridge door, making my way out onto the porch to greet her. Suddenly on impulse I whipped my shirt off, then instantly regretted it. It was too late, i'd committed to being topless it seemed. It wasn't that I was arrogant, but I knew I was in good shape. We all were, we couldn't not be. However as soon as I'd done it I felt like an idiot, she was definitely not one of those girls that cared just about how a guy looked. Besides, it was late October and freezing already, so she would think I was arrogant and crazy. Good one Quil.
She hopped out of the car and grabbed her bag from the front seat when she saw me. I heard her heart quicken ever so slightly. Ahah. Not above a bit of chest action then are we Claire? Cringing internally I raised my hand and waved at her, clenching my biceps so she'd notice. She gave me a small wave and a confused look back before heading towards me. I held out my arms for a hug, she again gave me a quizzical look and gave me a fleeting squeeze before heading inside.
I followed after her just as Brady and Oscar emerged from the woods. They looked at my bare chest quizzically then noticed Claire's car and laughed. Out of everyone I was probably the most shy. I was happy enough wandering around completely naked in front of the guys, it wasn't something we could really avoid. I was often topless in front of the other imprints too but only on the rez. The single wolves loved strutting around Forks and Seattle, knowing that most of the female population and probably some of the male, would be staring at them. I was far less comfortable. I didn't really care who looked at me if it wasn't Claire.
As we walked in we saw Claire and Emily sat at the kitchen table looking through leaflets that had been deposited into a large pile. I pulled one from the top of the pile and flicked through it. Upon noticing words such as 'lactating' and 'perineal exercises' I promptly put it down again. Emily laughed and said 'Claire's come to give me some advice on getting back into shape.'
I made a face and looked at the clock. 'Got to go,' I said looking at Claire, 'will you be here later?'
She nodded at me then turned back to Emily as I sauntered out of the room.
CPOV
'What?' I asked Emily who was positively smirking at me across the table.
She smiled at me, 'nothing.' Then proceeded to smile at me slyly every chance she got. I shook my head, there was something about everyone here. Like they all shared some kind of in-joke that the rest of us weren't allowed to know.
The next couple of weeks passed by in a blur. I was amazed that i'd been in America for five months, the time sped past. I had grown closer and closer to Emily and all her friends, the whole group welcomed me in as if I belonged there. Quil was a particular strength for me. He seemed to be around more and more and it became evident that something was happening between us. He was one of the closest friends I had in La Push. Most weekends I spent hanging out at Emily's, around the reservation, on the beach, just spending time with everyone, getting to know them. Quil was a constant throughout this period. Without realising it, I noticed that almost everywhere I went, no matter what I did, he was around in some way. Whether he was driving me to and from Seattle, laughing at Emily trying to teach me to bake or simply watching me study on the porch swing that I loved so much.
It was here that he asked me softly 'Why do you like being here so much?'
I looked up at him from my laptop and said, 'I can't say exactly. I feel comfortable here I guess. The nature too, it's amazing around here. I've never wanted to be outside as much as I have since moving here.'
He smiled at me and looked out over the lawn which stretched out into the forest on all sides. 'some people don't like being surrounded by the trees,' he began, 'they say that they're hiding the infamously wild La Push wolf pack.'
I laughed, 'I'm not sure how 'wild' the wolves around here are, I've heard all the howls, they're so close to the house yet they never come too near. They seem domesticated if you ask me.'
He looked offended. 'Domesticated!' he exclaimed, 'They are certainly not domesticated. The wolves are fierce hunters, dangerous and wild. Domesticated wolves...' he muttered.
I laughed again, 'Well wild or not, they don't bother me. I like being out here.'
He gave me one of his looks that I had been noticing more and more. Like he was seeing me for the first time and he couldn't quite decide what he thought of me. It was a cross between wonder and surprise and without fail it made me blush to the roots of my hair.
Quil smirked when he saw my blush start to creep up my face and leant forward to sweep a hair away from my eyes. My heart pounding I broke my gaze away and fixed it on my laptop, shivering. Although it was great out in the fresh air, the cold winds whipped around the side of the house, hitting me square on. As I gathered my jumper closer around me Quil scooted down the swing and wrapped one of his large (naked) arms around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. Once again I was shocked by his body temperature, my body moulded into his side and I could feel my pulse quicken. It was so still I could hear his breath on my cheek as my eyes drifted towards his. Suddenly the door slammed open and Rachel came storming out the house followed by an equally infuriated Paul. I jumped about a foot in the air away from Quil and proceeded to pick up my things to give the warring couple some time.
'Claire!' Rachel yelled on seeing me, 'Help me out here. Why do they,' she said, gesturing disdainfully in the direction of Paul and Quil, 'think that they can control every single aspect of our lives? We get to have our own dreams don't we? We need time by ourselves without these humungous, space-taking oafs following us around every single second of the day!' she stood square on to Paul who just raised an eyebrow in her direction and said simply 'are you done?'
Rachel let out a strangled sort of scream and hissed, 'No Paul, I am not done. I have several very important home truths to tell you and...' but she couldn't finish because Paul took two short strides over to her and lifted her off the ground, pressing his lips into hers and stopping the torrent of abuse that was flying out. Quil chuckled behind me and motioned for me to follow him into the house. I did willingly, not wanting to see anything too private, though Paul and Rachel were anything but.
QPOV
Thank you Paul, for ruining one of the best moments Claire and I have had together since she arrived here five months, two weeks and 3 days ago. The atmosphere between us was tangible and I knew she felt it too. Over the last weeks I had spent as much time as I could with her, just next to her, getting her used to my presence. Of course it didn't hurt that I often 'forgot' that she was coming over and so wandered around in just my shorts or that I took some sick pleasure in her feeling cold so that I could conveniently warm her with my touch. I had taken the advice of the other pack members who had imprinted to try not to overcrowd her too much. Rachel was living proof of the effect of that. I wanted desperately to follow her everywhere and protect her from every little thing, but Emily said that if her feelings towards me were starting to develop then the last thing I should do would be to 'big-brother her.' I agreed, that could all come later. For now I just wanted her to want me around in some way.
All I wanted was to be able to be myself around her and really let go. I wanted to act like Paul did and grab her and kiss her senseless. I wanted to touch her every second of the day. I wanted to be able to have her comfort me after a long patrol, or come home and joke about with everyone, with her completely in the know. I wanted to know that she would be there for me when I got home and I wanted her to know that I would love her and protect her for the rest of her life. But most of all I wanted her to accept me. All of me.
Please review! I promise the next chapter will be up soon. I'm having some trouble finally getting them together but It will happen! In answer to some questions, Claire doesn't remember La Push because she left when she was so young. I haven't quite decided how or when she'll start to remember but I am working on it!
