By the time we got to my campus, my mind was busting for me to say something. I didn't know what was appropriate but I was desperate to fill the silence that kept growing between us; heavy with all the things we wanted to say.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. I hated what had happened. I hated that the choice had been taken away from me all those years ago. I hated that I had been kept in the dark—that I was eighteen, and I was only finding out now. I hated that Quil seemed so sure of his statement, and I still didn't know enough about it all to try and find an answer that could resolve any of it. Whether or not he was supposed to be part of my life, I should have at least had the choice to stay or leave.

I hadn't had the choice then, but I had a choice now.

I turned to him in the doorway of my building, unable to hold back my words any longer.

"Quil, I want to stay. I want you to be part of my life," I told him honestly, "Whether I can survive without you or not, I want to stay."

"No you don't," he answered flatly.

"I do!" I told him, angry now.

"I know you, Claire. Better than you think. I know you only want to stay to keep me happy. I know, but I won't let you."

"But I'm your imprint! And you're supposed to do what I want you to do! And I want you to let me stay in your life!" I yelled, apparently now coming out with stubbornness in a desperate effort to get my point across.

"It might not even work that way for us anymore. Our imprint is totally different to everyone else. I wasn't even there for you the way I was supposed to be," he said, emotionless, "I wasn't there, you were fine and I didn't protect you."

Protect me?

"Protect me?" I asked.

His brow furrowed a little before he explained.

"Your imprint is really what is supposed to drive you to protect the lands. I never had that drive, because you weren't there to protect. I didn't feel the passion or desperation to protect La Push like the others did. I didn't even feel anger or hate towards the vampires when we took them down. I just did it on the command of Jacob. That part me is lost, I've been running on empty. I didn't protect you– you didn't even need protecting. You don't need me, Claire."

At that moment, I understood.

Everything we had both suffered through, I completely understood.

He felt empty. He felt empty because that part of him had left with me all those years ago. His passion and desperation to protect were across the country with me. He was supposed to be part of my life in whatever way I needed him. And when we were apart, I needed his comfort, even if in dream form and needed his protection even if just in warning voices. Physical or not, he was always there. It all made sense now. When I left, I took it all with me.

"But you were protecting me," I finally admitted, remembering his voice in my head.

He looked at me with doubtful eyes. "Don't bother trying to make me feel better, Claire. It is what it is," he told me.

It annoyed me that he still thought I was lying.

"No really, you were," I reinforced.

"Claire..." he said in a tired tone, shaking his head.

"No, but—"

"Stop it, Claire. Just—"

"I saw you!" I yelled, unable to contain myself, no longer caring about anything but getting my point across. "Everywhere! I've been hearing your voice and seeing you in my dreams! Every night! I've been dreaming of you every night, since I can remember! I've seen you in wolf form; I've been with you in my dreams! You have been there for me! You have! Sometimes, I would crave to see you, and sometimes I wished you would just leave me alone! But you've always been there! Always!"

I was out of breath by the end, frustrated and emotional and on the verge of tears.

He looked surprised as I was confessing, but his expression gradually fell back into empty-mode.

"Claire, don't keep trying to make me feel better. Its–"

"–Ugh!" I yelled, "I'm not lying! I–"

I stopped talking and paced off in the opposite direction. I knew how strong our pull was now. I knew well enough to be sure he would follow me, even without looking back to check. I walked through the hall, and stopped at my door.

"Claire, what are you–" he sounded resigned.

I opened the door and finally turned to face him. I grabbed a hold of his wrist, and channeled all my strength into dragging him the four short steps to the middle of my room.

"LOOK!" I yelled, one hand still around his wrist and the other pointing at the masterpiece creation of him, hanging on my wall.

He froze.

--

He didn't say anything.

For a long, long time.

I released his arm, and just stood waiting.

His eyes didn't move from the painting.

He didn't even look like he was thinking.

I heard the person in the room next-door turn on their shower.

Then turn off their shower.

Then blow-dry their hair.

Quil had still not moved.

So I reached out to poke him.

"Quil?" I almost whispered.

His eyes were still on the painting when he spoke.

"It's…me."

I rolled my eyes.

"I told you."

"But…how?" he asked, finally looking at me.

"I wasn't lying when I said I see you everywhere," I explained, "You were always there and I never understood why. I thought I made you up. I thought I was hallucinating your voice. But it was there. You were really there. I thought I was mentally stalking you or something. But apparently, you were stalking me."

He was amused now.

"I was stalking you?" He asked, a real smile on his face now.

"Your voice– I would hear it in my head. Sometimes when I wasn't paying attention, your voice would yell out to me…to save me from walking into oncoming traffic. Or–"

"Really?" he seemed excited by this.

I nodded, embarrassed.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I…thought I was going crazy," I admitted.

"So, you do need me? I was protecting you…in a way?" he clarified.

I nodded; relieved he finally seemed to understand. And then I remembered something.

"For the most part," I told him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, most of the time you would save me. But the first time I got here, to this room…you said Hello."

"What?"

"I don't know. I was on the phone calling–"

Emily's house…

Ohhhhh.

"Claire?"

"Ohhh!" I nodded, mentally congratulating myself for actually figuring something out on my own. "Okay. I get it. Don't worry."

"Claire?"

He'd been the one to answer the phone that first time I tried to call Emily. And I spent an hour curled up in the corner, because I thought I had been hallucinating again.

I was laughing now, and almost forgot he was still there waiting for me to explain.

"Claire!"

"Oh, sorry."

I explained my mistaken hallucination to him, and he joined in laughing with me.

I was so happy to see him actually smiling. A real smile. And laughing even.

This was it. This was how it was supposed to be.

For once I didn't feel socially awkward. It felt right.

Quil was supposed to be part of my life.

…But as what?

AN: Ha, couldn't make it that easy. Sorry I keep doing that to you people btw. The end is near, I promise.