A/N: All right, so college kind of kicked me in the butt. Between 16 credit hours and marching band, all I've had time for is homework and sunburn. On that thought train, I am sincerely sorry for the long wait in between this and the last chapter. Note to self, getting up at 5am is great for writer's block and muse disappearance. So, let me know what you think and thanks for reading. :)

"Quil, come on, I have to go to class!" I tried in vain to escape from the heater in the shape of an arm that was surrounding my middle.

Quil merely groaned in my general direction. I loved him but he was in no way conducive to getting to eight o'clock class. Aubrey was lucky: Embry was a morning person. Just thinking that made me smile. I loved Quil. Quil loved me. Supernatural wolf tendencies aside, this was about as normal a relationship I'd ever had and I was freaking loving it. If I was smart, I would've been on the lookout for something to go wrong. This was me we were talking about after all.

The last week had passed very nicely with a three day trip back to La Push that included me begging everyone for forgiveness. I got hugged a lot. Then, with Quil complaining about the lackluster size of my car the whole way, I drove back to the dorms. Quil had been hogging most of my twin size bed ever since. It's a very good thing it was extra-long.

It hadn't occurred to me yet that maybe it was a little odd that I wouldn't even consider sex with a guy I'd been dating for over a month, but I was perfectly fine sleeping in the same bed as a guy I'd been dating for a week.

After I finally roused Quil, I forced him to put a shirt on so he could walk me to class. I was perfectly fine with the lack of shirt but I was the only one I wanted seeing it. He might've been the one who could turn into a wolf, but I didn't want to find out what I'd turn into if I had to fight off any college girls.

It was pleasantly foggy as we made our way across campus to the science building. We were almost there—with maybe ten minutes to spare—when Quil suddenly stopped. His head cocked oddly to the side, like he was smelling for something. I frowned, "What's up?"

He didn't answer for a long moment. His head just turned to the side and I thought I saw him pale. He all but picked me up when he replied, now hurrying toward the door, "We need to get inside."

I laughed, "I know. I've got class. What's wrong?" He still didn't answer. Locking my knees and putting a hand against his chest, I asked with worry, "Quil, what's wrong?"

His sigh came out more of a whine when he suddenly slumped in defeat, "She's here." Before I could question the antecedent of that pronoun, my answer was marching lividly out of the fog at us.

"Mom?"

I looked in sheer shock at the angered woman before me. She'd sworn she was never coming back to Washington and as soon as I crossed the state line she was never coming to see me again, either. The look of pure loathing she was sending Quil told me perhaps that wouldn't have been such a bad thing for her to stick to.

She still had yet to say anything when Robert appeared beside her, looking more than slightly confused. Smiling at me, being the generally kind man he was, he stepped forward and gave me a hug which I returned. "Claire, how are you?"

Smiling genuinely, I nodded, "Great. I'm great. Robert, this is Quil. He's my boyfriend. Quil this is my stepdad, Robert."

They were just about to shake hands when my mom decided to voice her opinion, unfortunately, "Oh no he is NOT!" Quil and Robert both flinched at her tone. I imagined the painfully high pitch of her voice was killing Quil's sensitive ears.

Ignoring my mother, in a stunning display of courage, I must admit, Robert shook Quil's hand enthusiastically, "Hi, it's great to meet you. Do you go to school with Claire?"

Quil's mouth was just opening to reply when once again he was interrupted, "Oh, I highly doubt that." My mom stepped forcefully in between Quil and I. She leveled me with the glare she always gave when she wasn't taking any defiance. "Claire, I am not allowing this. People like him are the reason we went away."

"We didn't go away," I objected, hand clutching Quil's instead of braiding. "You took me away from the only family I'd ever known!"

She looked a bit taken aback. I guess she'd gone soft in the months I'd been gone. Either that, or she didn't expect me to have learned the truth. My siblings were too young to properly fight with her yet. Robert—sometimes I wondered why the man hadn't been a professional negotiator—inserted himself flawlessly. "At least, it seems you've found them again. Honey," he looked to my still silent mom, "she looks fine. Besides, she's an adult. She can be with whomever she wants."

For a second, I thought she was going to cave. Looking at Robert, her eyes seemed to soften. I had to give it to her. She was a bitch to me most of the time but she truly did love Robert. My momentary lapse of hatred ended abruptly. Her eyes that were so like mine narrowed and glared daggers at the hand I had entwined with Quil's.

It seemed to pain her to be so "calm" when she started, "Claire, they agreed. His father gave me the okay to leave. He said he didn't want us around anymore than I wanted to be around. He didn't want a little girl spilling their secrets any more than I wanted you to get eaten out in the woods!"

Blood draining from my face, I looked from her to Quil and then back. He'd known? He was…imprinted on me and he'd just let me leave? His dad had given my mom the go ahead?

Suddenly feeling inadequate in a relationship once again, I let go of his hand and backed away from all three of them. Tears welling on my lashes, I could only shake my head, "No. No, that's not true. It-It can't be true. You're lying again. I hate you!"

People were beginning to stare at us. A small crowd had gathered around the crazy, hysterical Native girl and the people with her. I began sucking in air in shallow gulps, now unable to breathe as I ran; something I was rather good at apparently.

I couldn't stand being unwanted in another family. I could only take so much rejection—especially when Quil was involved. Who was I kidding? I couldn't take it at all when he was involved.

Just as I began sinking to the ground below the tree outside my dorm, two large arms surrounded me and pulled me back up. They were far too warm to be a normal person's. I couldn't look up at him, afraid of what I might find in those coffee-colored eyes of his. Only could I breathe again when he whispered, "Claire Bear, I'm not my dad. I never, never wanted you to leave. I promise."

Sniffing back tears, I requested simply, "Say it again."

Taking my face in his pleasantly too-warm hands, he made me look at him. All I saw in those eyes was the infinite love that made me feel weightless. My smile had begun before he even started talking, "I never wanted you to leave."

For the first time ever, I skipped class. I found myself curled up against Quil's side as he tried to explain the apparent hatred his dad had for me. I felt very stupid for not recognizing it earlier, too. I'd met Quil's dad on multiple occasions and I'd never gotten anything but a perhaps indifferent vibe.

"It's not you personally, I don't think," he began.

I snorted. Yeah, wanting me to move across the country, away from his son who was linked to me, wasn't personal. Ha! No, I didn't have sarcasm problems at all.

He smiled a tad bit, "Okay, fine, maybe it is. But it wasn't about your personality or anything. He's scared. When you were little, he was scared you'd talk about us. He didn't want the secret out. That must be why he sent told your mom it was best to go. He probably called your mom when he found out you were back. She scares him because of what she can do if she tells people about us."

I glowered into my comforter. That was a bullshit reason! It was stupid and I hated it and it was….stupid. The worst thing about it, however, was that I could kind of understand where Quil's dad was coming from. He was trying to protect them. I refused to say anything—honestly unsure of what to say.

I felt Quil's head turn toward mine, worried at my silence I'd imagine, when there was a knock at the door. He immediately scooted a few inches away.

Robert amusedly shook his head, "Quil, I'm her stepdad, not stupid. Her mom isn't with me. Don't worry." Smirking slightly, he nodded at me, "Resume the position."

I laughed at that and snuggled into his side more. Robert actually seemed more comfortable after we were again. He stepped further into the room. "We're going home now. She's going to leave you be, Claire. I don't know everything, but I think she just wants to move on. I think this is the last straw. You're beyond her reach."

I nodded. I understood the feeling when it was associated with her. The only thing more painful than hating her so much was realizing just how much she returned the feeling to me. I suddenly wished we could go back and have a different relationship…although, that would mean probably not meeting Quil.

Life did weird things. Some things sucked but they led to great, life changing things. I think I was okay with going with the flow and finding out what happened, now that I had Quil. I smiled up at him suddenly at my thoughts and kissed him on the cheek.

This seemed to make Robert happy. He understood my mom and I probably were never going to have that suburbia mom-daughter relationship. He was just happy I had someone to be with me and love me. He walked closer and I rose and gave him a genuine hug. I was lucky to have him. He kissed my temple with a smile, "Come home for Christmas sometime, though. Bring him, too."

He shook Quil's hand and then said good-bye.

As the door closed and I let out a contented sigh with my arms wrapped around Quil's middle, he looked at me with clear bewilderment. Suddenly giggling, I grinned up at him, "Think you can deal with one of your girlfriend's parents hating you?"

He grinned back down at me, "If you can."

"We'll see," I teased before finding myself being mercilessly tickled. "Quil! Quil, stop it!"

He just laughed and I loved him anyways.