This chapter gives you some background info on Noelle. Enjoy!

It was two days before Christmas and Noelle hadn't talked to Jacob since Bella's truck appeared in his driveway. She hadn't talked to Embry either or anyone from the pack for that matter after that day. She wasn't mad anymore but life got in the way. She had to take care of Henry and when she had to take care of him that meant complete and utter isolation.

As she came down the stairs she saw Henry sprawled out on the couch sleeping hard. Bottles of Bacardi, Absolut and other spirits littered the living room table and floor. Noelle punched the air in frustration. She hated watching Henry drink himself into complete and utter oblivion, but he did it everyday. Noelle walked into the living and picked up the miscellaneous bottles strewn about and brought each and every one of them to the kitchen. There were about ten empty bottles and she poured the contents of each one down the sink before throwing them all in a trash bag. She would recycle them usually, but she didn't want her siblings to see them.

She walked back into the living room and helped him off the couch. He reeked of rum, whisky and orange juice. Alcohol was a smell, which she had grown accustomed to hating over these past few months and soon he was rested in his own bed. She washed her hands in the upstairs bathroom sink to try to rid herself of the smell that assaulted her senses. Noelle walked back downstairs to the kitchen. Sarah was already at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee staring at nothing in particular.

"Good morning," Noelle greeted with a wave as she got something to eat for herself.

"Good morning Noelle," said Sarah as she gulped the last of her coffee. "Thank you." Her mother was referring to taking care of Henry. Noelle took it upon herself to wake up early to get Henry back in the bed and clean up the bottles so her older siblings wouldn't see. They still had no idea Henry was an alcoholic although they probably had their suspicions.

"Uh huh," said Noelle. She poured herself a cup of coffee and prepared it with milk and sugar and when it was just right she put it to her lips and swallowed. Sarah got up from the table putting her coffee mug in the kitchen sink. She gave Noelle a hug and whispered in her ear.

"I really do love you, you know. I know I work a lot and I'm sorry but I just want you to know I appreciate what you're doing for dad even though he might not show it. And I appreciate you so much for not telling your brother or sister." Sarah pulled away and looked at her daughter in her almond shaped brown eyes that mimicked her own. "You're stronger than you realize Noe and I do love you honey." She kissed her on the cheek and pulled away. "I have to go now, but have a good day, okay?"

"Okay. Love you mom." Noelle uttered as she saw her mother out the door. Closing the door and locking it she retreated to the kitchen where she sat and began to tear up at the thought of where her family was headed. She was so pissed off at Henry for tearing apart their family and she felt guilty because of her feelings, her hatred toward Henry. Thinking about all of this she didn't hear her oldest and only brother Jackson come down the stairs. He had on Harvard basketball shorts and picked up the gallon of milk from the fridge and drunk it straight from the carton.

"Hey Noe," Jackson gave his sister a lazy smile. "What's up? Did Ma leave already?"

Noelle realized he was drinking straight from the carton and said, "God, you're such a guy and yeah she left already. Why are you up so early?" It was about 8 o'clock but it was early for a vacation day.

"I could ask you the same question."

"I'm an early bird Jax."

"Oh, I see. I never went to sleep."

"I see," said Noelle with a smile. She always got along great with Jackson. "Did you sneak in again?"

"Something like that," he said with a smile. "I was at Leah's but I didn't want mom or dad to worry about where I was so I just left."

"I never took you for a hit and quit it type of guy Jackson."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny Noe, but I really like her, like really like her. I think I might love her."

"You're fucking delusional Jax. How can it be love when you all just met each other in the summer and you're seeing her again since you're on break. You don't make any sense."

"I can't describe it, it's like the first time I saw her, something in me was like I'm going to be with her for the rest of my life. I just feel this pull toward her. I just, I don't know," explained Jackson excitedly.

"Whatever you say." Noelle sipped her coffee. "So, how's college going?"

"It's good I can't really complain. I'm doing my thesis now and it's about economic disparities within reservations."

"Wow, sounds hard. Wait I thought your major was History?"

"It was with a concentration in Native American Studies, but I'm also majoring in Economics."

"Wow, you really are a big shot. You know mom's really proud of you and she brags about you all the time."

"Really?" Jackson blushed.

"Yes she does, but I'm proud of you too big bro. You're like an inspiration."

"Thanks Noe." He went over to give his sister a hug. They always did have the best relationship.

"No problem although I do feel inferior to you sometimes."

"Why's that?" he asked as he pulled away from her.

"Because you're so accomplished plus you're the first born son so everyone thinks the sun shines out of your ass then on top of it you're so nice and you're an awesome brother. It's hard to compete." He gave Noelle another bear hug and sighed.

"You don't have to compete with me Noe. I'm you're family and I've got your back all right. Oh speaking of schools, which ones did you apply to? Are you done with your apps yet?"

"Oh yeah I finished my apps a while back although Quil, Embry and Jake are doing their college apps over the break." Noelle answered with a smile. She drunk the last of her coffee and put the cup in the sink. She sat back down at the table and answered her brother's first question. "Since we're short on cash I only applied to five schools: UMiami, Boston Univeristy, UCLA, NYU and Stanford for my reach school."

"No Harvard?"

"No offense, but Harvard isn't my idea of a good time it's too stuffy and pompous for me and plus I don't think any of the Ivies have great communication programs."

"So, you wanna do Communications?"

"Well, Public Relations. I think it would be cool to work in business for myself and do PR for celebrities and maybe try my hand at fashion PR."

"Well, it looks like you've got it all sorted out."

"I'd like to think so. All I know is I have to get out of this fucking rez. I hate it. Jacob asked me to apply to Washington State with him since Rachel went there and he'd be close to Billy, but I think I'd shoot myself first. I hate living here."

"Why it doesn't seem so bad?" Jackson was right, living on the reservation wasn't bad but Henry's drinking was and it was getting progressively worse. So worse that Noelle now wakes up to the sounds of him retching on a nightly basis.

"It's not the rez itself that's so goddamn awful it's Henry."

"Henry?"

"Our dad Jax. I call him Henry when he drinks till he pukes and pisses on himself. I fucking hate it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ever since Henry got laid off from work, he's been falling into a deep depression because he couldn't find a job. So, instead while mom works her ass off pulling double duty for more money, Henry wastes it on booze. And I can't clean up his shit anymore, I really can't."

"Why didn't you tell me Noe?"

"Because you were living it up at Harvard or with Leah and I thought that – I just didn't want anyone to know."

"I'll tell you what, I'm applying to Stanford Law School so if I get in I'll go and be closer to you all."

"You sure you're not trying to get even closer to Leah?"

"Well, Leah's a bonus but really my family is my first priority and after graduation from law school I think I'll move back here to help out on the rez. Well Noe I'm supposed to be meeting Leah so I'll see you later and I love you okay?" He bent down and kissed his sister again. He put the milk back in the fridge and grabbed a shirt that was laying on a chair in the living room and put it on. Grabbing his car keys and flip flops he said his goodbyes to his sister and left. Soon, Noelle's older and only sister, Makenna, came downstairs dressed and with her car keys in hand she kissed Noelle on the cheek and took off.

Noelle was left alone in the house save her father who was passed out upstairs. Sighing, she went to the living room and sat down on the couch and began to watch television. Jerry Springer was on and the topic was "Twisted Love Triangles." Wasn't this always the topic? After a while Noelle was really getting into it and just as these two sisters began yelling at one another (they were both in love with their brother) the phone rang. "Shit!" she shouted as she ran into the kitchen to answer it.

"Hey Noe."

"This better be good Jake because I'm missing Jerry Springer and they're about to punch each other." She heard him laugh on the other end of the line.

"How can you watch that crap?"

"This is just a one time thing. So what do you want?"

"I just wanted to call and see how things were. I haven't talked to you since the mall. You okay?"

"I am but Henry isn't."

"Passed out again?" Jake asked. He was the only one that knew about Henry.

"Yup."

"I'm sorry Noelle."

"Don't worry about it. I told Jackson though."

"That's great I'm glad you did because you shouldn't have to deal with that by yourself."

"I know, but it's kind of embarrassing to have a drunk as a dad. It's not the kind of thing you want to tell people."

"But they're your family Noelle. You don't have to act tough when you're with them." She didn't want to talk about Henry anymore. It was really beginning to agitate her.

"So anyway how are you?" Noelle asked changing the topic.

"I got a scooter out of the junkyard. It's an old Vespa and I'm gonna fix it up."

"Cool beans. Can I have it when you're done?"

"Sure."

"No, Jake I was only kidding I already have a car it's fine."

"No I'll let you have it, it's baby blue your favorite color so I have to." Noelle was grinning he knew her so well and she could hear him smiling on the other end of the line. She heard footsteps upstairs.

"Thanks Jake you're the best."

"I try." They shared a laugh and he said goodbye and she hung up. They could say goodbye to one another for hours and she heard Henry moving around upstairs and wanted to make sure he was okay. She raced upstairs and saw Henry sobering up as he got back in the bed. Noelle stood by the door to her parent's bedroom and looked at her pathetic father trying to get comfortable. She understood that he was depressed from loosing his job and probably felt like a failure for not being able to support his family but enough was enough. He wasn't going to get his life on track by sleeping all day and drinking all night.

Noelle walked into the bedroom as Henry closed his eyes trying to go back to sleep and pulled the covers off of him. She rolled the comforter into a ball and threw it in the far corner of the room.

"You're getting up Henry. You're not going to sleep all day."

"Noelle give me those damn covers! And I am your father. You don't call me Henry."

"I will not give you the covers and you are Henry until you start acting like more of a father to me. And I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"Just give me the sheets!"

"No, you need to stop drinking and sleeping around all day. I get that you're depressed because you lost your job this summer, but enough's, enough dad. It's December and you've been depressed long enough." Henry sat up and swung his legs to the side of the bed so he could listen to his daughter better. He was wiping the sleep out of his eyes when she continued. "Why are you doing this to your own family?"

"Because I've lost everything Noelle." Henry said that so quietly she had to move forward to hear him. Her usually strong father sounded so small. "I've lost it all and I have no idea how to get it back."

"You haven't lost everything. You still have me, you still have mom, Jackson and Makenna. But if you don't stop you will loose everything."

"I know I'm sorry."

"I know you're sorry, but that's not going to do anything Henry. Mom works too hard for you to spend her money on bottles of booze. You need to man up and stop drinking. It's that simple. Stop turning into just another drunk Indian and shape up. You're not getting any sympathy from me Henry."

"I know, I promise I'm going to try to stop drinking."

"Promises don't mean anything. I'll believe it when I see it." With that she turned on her heels and went to her room leaving Henry all alone. She was going to get dressed and get the hell out of the house. She couldn't witness her father falling apart. She hoped that her tough love talk with him would snap some sense into him, because if it didn't she didn't know what would.

Thank you for taking the time to read the story I really do appreciate it. Reviews are appreciated so leave them!