A/N: This chapter is a little on the shorter side in my opinion; but I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for the alerts and reviews! I am grateful! :)


-7-

" Thank you for giving me a ride home,"

Alex unhooked the seatbelt from her waist and turned to Paul as he cut the ignition on the truck. He smiled at her and nodded to the road ahead of them.

" No problem. I mean, you'd most likely get lost anyway. Wouldn't want those wolves to get to you," He joked. Alex narrowed her eyes playfully when he smirked at her expression, and folded her arms over her chest.

" Gee, thanks for being so considerate," She replied sarcastically, and snorted when he started to laugh. She leaned over and smacked him on the shoulder playfully. Instantly, she drew her hand back, and he stared at her, grinning still- as if he hadn't felt a thing.

" Why is your skin so warm? Are you sick or something?" She inquired- a little worried. Paul shook his head and chuckled, scratching the back of his head. She noted it was a nervous tick- that could very well follow with a lie, and watched him carefully.

" No, nothing like that. I guess you could say I have this rare skin condition...thing," Alex stared at him for what seemed like a century before she finally nodded her head- as if she took his word for it. It was absolutely the most absurd thing she ever heard! He had to radiating at least three hundred degrees- that feeling you get when you open an oven or something.

He said he wasn't sick- but that, that just didn't seem normal. Even still, she left it alone. She couldn't even imagine what the real reason could be if he was lying.

" That's so unusual. But okay, I guess if you're fine," He nodded assuringly and smiled genuinely to her; and the gesture- even though he had done it countless times before when he was with her that day- stirred hundreds of butterflies in her stomach. She smiled too- looking away, and grabbed the handle of the door.

" I had fun today. You being there actually made my job, a little more enjoyable," She heard Paul say then, and blushed as she turned to face him.

" A little?" Paul laughed. " Okay, maybe more than a little. You think you'd be up to going again soon? I think Beauty would be pretty bummed if she didn't get to see her favorite girl,"

This time Alex laughed. " I already made that known earlier. Just let me know when," He nodded and as she got out of the truck, she slammed the door and waved. He smiled and said goodbye- then she watched as he started the truck and sped off onto the road, silently wishing she didn't have to leave him.

She walked into the house, and almost immediately she heard the television in the living room. She noticed her father in the kitchen and raised a brow, surprised that he was cooking. Her stomach couldn't help but growl at the aroma, reminding herself that she hadn't eaten since breakfast early that morning.

" Welcome home. Would you like to eat?" To Alex's own surprise, she nods her head- and despite going the usual route with refusing and retreating stubbornly to her room for the night, she sets her bag down and heads to the table. She takes a seat and waits silently for her plate. He brings two-one obviously for himself, and one for her, full with spaghetti- with more meatballs than she can count.

" I hope I didn't give you too much,"

" No it's alright. Thanks," And hungrily, she digs in. They eat silently for what seems like more than a few moments before Garrett decides to break the silence.

" I'm glad you've decided to eat with me. It's been a while," Alex swallows the meatball she had been savoring and makes a face.

" It's not like I asked for it to be that way. You left remember?" She reminded him- and almost immediately she notices that her words struck him. He sighed at her response and nodded his head.

" I know..and I'm not asking for you to forgive me," He paused. " I'm just glad you're not starving yourself because you don't want to be near me,"

Alex moved around the spaghetti with her fork- not knowing how to respond to that, and avoided his eyes.

They sat in silence.

After those long silent moments at the table proved to be going towards a more endless road, Alex rose from her seat to place her empty plate in the sink. Her father silently does the same, and suggests he does the dishes. Alex doesn't reply, but only nods. She gives him one last look as he's turned away towards the sink, before she finally walks up the stairs to her room.

She showers and gets under the covers of her bed almost immediately. She begans thinking of her mom- how much she must be enjoying the thought of her spending time with her Dad, when the truth of the matter was- she was avoiding him ever chance she got. It wasn't hard to do really- he had missed out on more than one of the most important milestones of her life, and she was content at being distant.

Still, the longing of that father figure nagged her, ever since she accepted his infamous pancakes that morning, and at dinner.

Though it wasn't much- cooking breakfast, or preparing dinner for the both of them, was his way of slowly trying to fix what he broke seven years ago. And Alex couldn't help but feel that she was slowly giving in to it by accepting his offers one at a time. Was it right for her to be accepting him so quickly- when she had long before planned to make him miserable for what he did? Giving in to what her mother had been begging her to accomplish on her summer vacation in La Push?

Sleep took over before she could ponder on it longer.

The next day she woke up to the house being empty. She figured her father left hours ago- seeing as he seemed like a morning person. She showered and dressed in a t shirt and shorts, and after towel drying her hair- she tied it into a loose side braid, brushing her long bangs to the side of her face.

After making a quick breakfast of eggs and bacon- after finding her way to the pots and pans, she had absolutely no idea what she was going to do today. Now that her Dad was out of the house, she had no reason to really leave. She found herself strolling around the house- observing the paintings and artwork that hung on the walls more closely than she did when she arrived just a few days ago.

The artwork was remarkable- and seeminly hand drawn and painted. One in particular caught her eye- one that she hadn't noticed before- and she admired the fine detailing,long and hard. It was of a wolf. It was massive and dark brown, and it laid its head on the ground- its bright yellow eyes staring through the picture as if it was truly staring at her. The background was painted exquisitely with soft browns, reds, greens- portaying a pink sky as if the sun were just setting, and a soft charcoal and brown color on resting under the wolf- sand maybe. The ocean painted faintly behind was a light baby blue, barely touching the surface as the wolf posed against a giant boulder.

The painting had a calming atmosphere about it, Alex reflected. She noticed small cursive in black ink at the bottom right hand corner and studied the name.

Gahege Seneca

The name had not rung a bell- but it wasn't likely it would seeing as she practically knew nothing of her history. But whoever they were, they had her last name.

An ancestor maybe? She would probably ask her father about it later.

Suddenly she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and she whipped it out- hoping it would be Miranda seeing she hadn't talked to her since the day before she left Arizona. Instead, she read her mom, she stared at it as if trying to will the call to go away. After realizing her mother was not one to give up and not get her way-she answered.

"Hello to you too. You don't seem too happy to hear from me,"

" Well I'm still here aren't I?" Alex mumbled. She could just see her mother rolling her eyes at her.

" How are things over there? You getting along with your father?"

" What do you think mom? I have no intention of making peace with him. I thought I made that clear to you,"

" You did. Seven times over. I just wanted to check on you to see how things were going. I hope you learn to forgive your father too for what he did. It wasn't all his fault you know. Things just weren't..working out between us. Things happen, but that's no reason to go around hating him. He is your father you know," There she goes with that-' It's only right; he's still your father' speech, Alex thought annoyed and sighed into the phone, waiting for the moment where her mother would just take a hint and hang up.

Seconds later, she figured it wasn't going to happen and decided to take matters into her own hands.

" Yeah well, it's been nice talking to you; but I have to go," Before her mother could reply, she hung up.

She didn't called back.

Alex figured now it was a good time to go to the beach. Relaxation was what she needed right now. Grabbing the spare key to the house from the table, her mother's explanation for her father leaving ringing through her head. As if her mother hadn't been tellng the whole story; like there was something missing.

"Things just weren't..working out between us."