A/N: Sorry that it took me so long to update... I feel horible!!! But all the teachers were pilling up homeworks on us as i we hadn't got a life outside school... ok, and "Twilight" came to the cinnemas on Monday/Wednesday... I went to watc t... twice... ;)
Enjoy!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone...
7. Chapter
BURNING OR CROSSING?
„the hardest thing in life to learn
is
which bridge to cross
and which to burn"
The unusual bright sun made the pack's search for the newest imprint difficult. They could barely use their wolf forms and therefore were not able to comunicate with each other. Some of the younger ones were sent to the beaches close-by, the older and more experienced ones towards Seattle in case Amy had decided to leave. Jacob's former pack searched the area outside the boarder. Embry and Sam went into the forest where they could eventually phase.
"Man, I don't think she'll be here... Amy doesn't seem to be the kind of girl that runs off into the woods where who knows what could kill her..." Embry ignored the voice in his mind, gritted his teeth and sped up. He just had this feeling...
They were halfway through the huge forest, that he smelled something. Something fimilar. Something fragile. Something that he would never misinterpret. Amy's scent. It was there, muted nearly overlaid by the earthy smell of the woods, but still there. Sam had recognised it, too, and they both quickened the pace.
The search became easier as her scent became heavier and heavier. It led them away from the path into the brushwood. There she was. Unconsciously. Covered in soil and leaves. Branches entangled in her brown hair. Her right leg twisted in a weird angle. A small wound above her left eyebrow.
Embry's heart stopped beating. While Sam's wolf senses analysed her condition, there was only one question that mattered to the smaller wolf – was she dead? He panicked.
Eventually he noticed what Sam's mind had already observed: Amy was breathing. Slowly and shallowly but still breathing.
Embry finally managed to phase back, slide his pants on and run over to his imprint. She looked so vulnerable, so small, so very little alive. He carefully picked her up cradling her close warming her with his body heat. Slowly the two over-seized men exited the forest and went to Sam's house where his wife would take excellent care of them.
ooOoo
Emily had reassured them Amy was not immensely hurt. If the Cullens had been there, she would have wanted Carlisle Cullen to check her through but since they weren't around, she had cleaned the scratches on her face and arms herself. As Emily had attended some medical courses at the hospital in Forks ('if your family is a bunch of werwolves who get into a lot of fights, you're better off knowing a bit' she had thought and no it came in handy) she could tell that Amy's leg was broken but knew out of experience it would heal with the time. There was nothing she could do about it but splint it.
Now, Amy was laid on the couch in the living room, covered by blankets and accomanied by Embry who refused to leave her side, not even for dinner. The others were in the kitchen when Amy's eyelids fluttered open.
At first, she only had a blury view of the ceiling above her. Then a face moved into it. A beautiful face, that she would recognize everywhere.
"Embry..." trying to speak Amy felt the pain shoot through her head. It just would not work. Speaking was not an option and keeping her eyes open neither. She sensed the heat before Embry's fingertip lightly brushed over her cheek.
"It's okay, sweetheart. Don't strain yourself. Go back to sleep, you need it." A stone had fallen from his heart leaving it a lot less stressed. He now knew Amy would wake up again. He was hopeful.
But Amy could not go back to sleep. Once awake, she felt the pain in her entire body. She could not open her eyes, not move, not think properly and not enjoy having Embry that near because all she could was feel the pain brought to her. It ruled her body, her mind, her every thought.
Taking a deep breath of Embry's earthy aroma, the pained lessened. The memories flooded her mind; the fight, her escape, her fall, her black out.
"Embry" she mouthed once again.
"What is it, darling?" his voice sounded edgy. His fingers automatically started carressing her scalp easing the fierce headache. A sigh escaped her lips. She relaxed remarcably.
"I'm sorry" Amy whispered and snuggled closer towards him despite the pain.
"Why? You don't have to be sorry for anything. What happened is not you fault! I should be sorry, if I hadn't come to your room nothing of this would have happened..."
In the kitchen, an evil smile lit on Jared's face.
"No, Embry, don't say that. It's my fault, I shouldn't have run away..." her voice trailed off. Too pooped out by all the stress and indulged by Embry's odor, she fell back asleep.
ooOoo
The next day, Amy had mostly recovered from the accident. Besides her broken leg and the extraction of the skin around her small wounds, she felt like new. She was sitting in between Embry's legs on the couch, his arms protectively wrapped around her. A few of the others werwolves were spread about the room. In a corner, Quil was playing with Clair and her dolls. His huge figure hid Jared and Kim were making out on the second chair from the innocent child. Rachel had laid her head on Paul's lap who leaned against the couch. They could hear Emily rumbling around the kitchen making lunch for her baby son.
"Hey, man, what did you mean yesterday when you said you'd come to her room?" That was so typical of Jared. If he could stop making out with Kim, he would surely start teasing someone else. In this case it happened to be Embry. And for once Amy could clearly see why Jared had imprinted on Kim – they had the same devilish habit of picking on her privat life.
"How did Sam react? I'm surprised you're still in one piece" Paul joined the bickering though he received a short slap from Rachel.
"Funny, Paul, funny" Embry looked annoyed "but none of your business". Redness crept on his face, making his russet skin seem darker.
"Ah, don't be embarrassed, Embry" Jared kept going "we've all been through this. Maybe Paul can give you some some tips, seeing he's still in one piece though Jacob could hear him ponder over his favorite sister..." he burst out laughing at the memory of Jacob's face when he found out about Paul and Rachel... This even raised a small smile on Embry's face.
Knock, knock
Hearing the unfamiliar knocking on the door everyone looked confused. Who could this be? Any member of the wolf family wouldn't even think of knocking on Emily's door and barely anyone of the other natives dared to come out there. Most of them were a bit frightened of Sam and his 'gang' as they called the guys.
Emily rushed to the door. An unknown woman stood on the porch. She smiled uneasily.
"What can I do for you?" Emily offered.
"Umm, are you Emily Uley?" the woman counter questioned.
Inside the living room, Amy froze to ice. Her tiny movement did not stay unnoticed. Everyone's eyes flew to her.
"Do you know who that is?" Embry asked under his breath, slightly scared of the answer.
"Of course, she does. I'm her mother" an arrogant, cold voice came from the doorway "and now take your dirty finger off my daughter."
But Embry would not back off that easily. He had gone through wondering if his imprint, the girl he loved more than his own life, was dead only twenty-four hours earlier, he was not fooled by the harsh tone in that woman's voice. Not when he could see the insecurity in her eyes. His back straightened up, his eyes met her gaze.
"No. Not before Amy asks me to do so" ok, it was unfair to pass that one on to her but he could not deny her any say in this. When he felt her shake her head slowly, barely notable, Embry felt supported.
"She can't get up anyway, she's hurt. I'm afraid you have to tell us like this. But why don't you have a seat" he said politely before growling a "move" towards Jared who quickly exited the room followed by nearly everyone exept for Emily.
"Amy, you know why I am here" her mother started. Her eyes seemed to have softened as she only faced three people now instead of the huge crowd before "your aunt says you finally turned into a real teenager, that you are ignorant towards her and selfish, that you spent most of you time with him" she shot Embry a brief look "and your cousin's friends who seem to be way older than you. This isn't healthy, honey. As you can see" she pointed at her daughter's leg.
"Mom, I'm finally happy. I already told Gloria, I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I'm sorry, but this is what I want. I want to stay here. You promised me you'd give me as much time as I needed..."
"Honey, we miss you! We want you back home!"
"I miss you, too, mom. But this is my home now!"
"You've only been here for a few weeks, you can't know that yet. If you want, you can move here after you finished school but not now" Amy's mother took a deept breath to calm down, then she said lovingly "Frank asked for you! Remember him? Your best friend since kindergarden? He misses you, too."
Embry stiffened. Was that all it took to get Amy move back to her parents? Did her former best friend who she had thought she was in love with, who had made fun of her and ignored her, mean more than Embry? Did he? All of a sudden, Embry felt sick. He thought he could feel Amy waver in his arms.
"Amy, we want you back! And I can make you come home if I want to... But you are old enough and if you decide to stay, then... well, then I have to deal with it." She seemed certain, her daughter would go home with her. Making it seem as if it was Amy's decision was only a bluff. This woman would most likely have her way anyway.
Embry forced himself to keep breathing.
Eventually Amy croaked "You're making me choose between my old family and my new family?"
"Sometimes in life, honey, you have to decide what you want to keep and what you want to leave behind... It's part of growing up, honey. But I know you will make the right decision!"
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Ok, I do feel sorry for her... well, and for the little cliffy...
But I hope you will review!!! Cookies for everyone who does for this second last chapter ;)
