Author's Note:

Yes, I know, I'm getting good at this updating often thing. Don't worry, I'm sure it won't last long. Enjoy it while you can. This chapter I guess is sort of a 'filler' in a way, but I actually really like it. It's more sentimental, and I think you get to see the softer side of Dakota. And some more character development on Seth, who of course, we all love. So...enjoy and let me know what you think in a review at the end! :)

Happy Reading!

This is painful, so I'm going to do it fast, like ripping off a band-aid. I don't own Twilight!

There, uff-da. All better.

Ch. 10 In Which There is Baring Of Souls

"Rise n' shine! It's moving day!" Seth's very low, baritone voice boomed, efficently waking me up from my very needed slumber. I pulled a pillow over my head, covering my ears, and hopefully blocking out any other noise that Seth would make.

His strong arms yanked the pillow from my grip, and his voice was right in my ear this time, so close that I could feel his hot breath. "Wakey-wakey Dakota."

Of course Seth would be a morning person. Of course fate would link me to someone who is frickin Wendy Williams by the crack of dawn. Damn it to hell.

"Get the fuck away", I tried to yell, but the mattress combined with my incoherent scratchy morning voice made it sound more like, "Gs-a-ku-aay". I heard Seth laugh under his breath, but he continued to gently shove my shoulder blades. I needed sleep, like no kidding, I needed it. Or else I was a bitch. Well, I guess I was normally always a bitch, but without sleep I was more of an extreme bitch.

"C'mon, we have a lot to do. We have to pack all your stuff, drive to La Push, get you settled in my house, and then bring you down to the clinic to apply." God this kid obviously didn't get it through his thick head. I need sleep.

Suddenly, I heard my father's low chuckling, probably passing my bedroom while walking down the hallway. He knew I wasn't a morning person from personal experience.

"You sure you still like her, son? She's always like this in the morning. I had to pour water on her head in highschool in order for her to get there on time", my dad informed Seth, and I knew he was just having a ball with the whole ordeal. Motherfucker.

Like I said, bitchy in the mornings.

"If you really wanna get her up fast, she's really ticklish", my dad told him, a sly tone to his voice.

He did not just say that. No fucking way. That's one of my biggest damn secrets... Seth wouldn't -

I felt warm fingers graze my toes, then begin to tickle their way up my calves. I immediately lost control, I couldn't contain the giggles that exploded through me. I was so damn ticklish, it wasn't even funny.

I tore the covers off myself, in the process of rolling over and twitching uncontrollably from all the tickling. I wanted to be so mad when I saw the smug smirk plastered scross Seth's boyish face, but I couldn't form a pout when his hands were all over, sending tickling sensations through my nervous system.

"F-fu-ck y-y-yo-uu", I managed, inbetween fits of laughter. His long fingers were focused on my stomach now, tickling the skin that was exposed from my pajama shirt riding up a little bit. I meakly attempted to swat his giant hands away, but I was shaking too hard to suceed.

Seth didn't say anything in return, just somehow managed to pick me up off the bed, while never ceasing the tickle-fest. I was shaking like a maniac and my stomach was reaching that point of hurting from all the laughter coursing through it.

"Are you up now?" Seth asked, a teasing tone to his voice and a sneaky twinkle in his eye. I tried to catch my breath inbetween giggles.

"If you l-let m-ee down th-then, yeah, I-I'm up", I huffed, trying to get the smile off my face even though it was probably impossible at the moment.

Seth smiled genuinely this time and set me on my feet upright. His hands retracted, and I stopped laughing. I regained the control over my facial muscles, so I shot Seth the stink-eye and pulled my shirt back down over my stomach.

"Your cute when your mad", Seth said, his eyes shying away from mine because of the nasty look I was giving him.

"Well then I probably look like Adriana-fucking-Lima right now because I am this far", I created a tiny space of air inbetween my thumb and my pointer finger, shoving the hand gesture in front of Seth's face, "from kicking your hairy werewolf ass!" I bellowed loudly, except the werewolf bit so my father didn't hear. I knew I probably resembled the bride of Frankenstein with my wild bed hair and lack of makeup but I didn't mind looking like a mess at the moment, as long as I scared the living hell out of Seth.

Seth winced, and opened his mouth to respond but I held up my hand. I was not finished.

"And if you fucking ever try to wake me up at", I glanced at the clock, which read six in the morning, "Six-fucking o'clock, I will rip you limb from limb, roast your body parts over a fire, and then feed them to the stray dogs on the street. I do not fucking wake up at six fucking o'clock, get it, lover boy?" I screamed, my voice probably reaching decibels that could be considered deafening, and stomping my foot over and over again like a five-year-old in a supermarket that didn't get their way.

Seth looked like he was going to fucking faint, and then possibly die.

Good, serves him right.

"Get it?" I questioned again, my tone very sharp and loud. He flinched, but nodded his head vigourously.

"Good. Now get out of my room so I can get dressed. I'll meet you out in the kitchen for breakfast."

Seth didn't answer, but he followed my instructions. He must have gotten up really early, like four-ish, to get to Port Angeles this early in the morning. He had gone home last night, after the conversation with my dad, to inform his mother and sister that I was, in fact, moving in. I worried a little, it was such short notice, but Seth assured me multiple times that they both would understand and be perfectly okay with it. They must have been if Seth was here and ready to move.

I yanked on a pair of yoga pants, and a baggy highschool sweatshirt, knowing moving today would be uncomfortable wearing skinny jeans and a nicer one of my tops. Plus, who knew if it was going to rain, it was Washington, so I'd rather be prepared just in case.

I slumped into the bathroom, went through the usual morning routine, and headed to the kitchen for some breakfast. My dad was already heading out, for work, slipping his thick, ancient leather jacket over his factory uniform by the door. I hurried over to him, passing Seth sitting at the kitchen table, wrapping my freckled arms around his wrinkled neck.

This move was sort of like going away to college, in a way, for me. It would be the first time in my life that I wouldn't be under the same roof as my dad, my only family, and it was unbelievably scary and exciting at the same time.

I buried my face into his shoulder, taking in his natural, leathery whiskey scent, a scent I had grown very accustomed to over the span of my life, and a scent I might not be taking in for awhile. Before I could register what was going on, I felt the salty tears in my mouth, sliding over my lips. I could feel his hand running over my hair soothingly, but I knew this was just as hard for him as it was for me. I was his only kid, and even though he couldn't always give me everything, he would've given me the world if he could have. I was his only family, too.

"Kota, you know you're welcome to visit whenever you feel like it", my dad said, and his voice was shaky and crackly. He was crying, too.

"I know, but I'm just gonna miss you. A lot", I admitted, sniffling and making a small effort to get ahold of myself. I was starting to make a habit out of crying in front of Seth, and that was one of my number one no-no's.

"I'll miss you, too, baby. I have to go, now, it'll be fine. Everything'll be perfectly fine", he stated, almost more talking to himself, rather than me. I nodded my head, and pulled away from the embrace, knowing he would be late for work if I didn't let go soon. His eyes were red and teary, matching mine, I imagined, and he leaned forward to place a single kiss on my forehead, before whispering against my skin, "He's good for you, Kot, he really loves you, I can see it in his eyes. Don't fuck it up."

I couldn't help but smile through the slow tears rolling down from my eyes. Leave it to my father to insert some obscenity into a dramatic moment. That's why I loved him. In most ways, I was exactly like him.

"I love you. Bye", I mumbled, as he opened the door to leave.

He walked down the driveway, opening the door to the driver's side, before turning back to face me. He gave a small smile, "I love you, baby, don't forget it."

He slammed the door then, pulling out. I leaned against the door frame, until the loud rumbling of his broken muffler could no longer be heard in the distance.

I headed back inside, forgetting Seth's prescence as I pulled out a piece of bread and stuffed it in the toaster.

"He really loves you, you're dad." I looked up, and Seth was stirring some soggy cereal with a solemn expression clouding over his normally joyous face. Seth never mentioned a father, maybe he didn't have one...

"I know. I really love him", I stated, not really knowing what to say. I didn't want to upset Seth by asking about his father.

"What happened to your mom?" Seth questioned softly, his brown eyes finally meeting mine instead of gazing into the cereal bowl. They were curious, but very cautious. "Sorry, you don't have to answer if - "

No, I could talk about her. It wasn't a touchy subject, my mom. It didn't really hurt, as much as it made me mad.

"She and my dad got pregnant with me when they were in highschool. It was their senior year, my dad was captain of the football team, and my mom was head cheerleader. They were the power couple, you know, the one's everyone wanted to be. Top of the food-chain. But when everyone found out she was pregnant, she was no longer popular. People stared, whispered, called her a slut and a whore. My dad didn't get treated very differently, I guess he wasn't the one with the pregnant belly, and I think it made her mad. Anyways, when she had me, things got bumpy. My dad had to give up a full-ride scholarship to University of Michigan because they needed money for me. He started working odd jobs, and my mom stayed home with me. I don't remember her much, because one day, when I was four, she just up and left, after dad went to work, and took all our savings with her. Emptied the bank account, aside from one hundred dollars, and we never heard from her again. My dad raised me alone from then on out. We lived in cars, homeless shelters a few times, and we got this trailer when I was nine. I started working when I was fifteen, and haven't stopped since.

"I used to hate my mom, I even burned all the pictures we had left of her, except one, just because looking at her face made me angry. It was her fault I didn't have a mom on 'Bring your mom to school day'. It was her fault I didn't have the perfect braid on picture day. It was her fault I didn't have a mom rooting in the stands for me and taking pictures like a maniac. I blamed her, for so long. But even worse than that, I look like her. Exactly like her. Red hair, freckles, green eyes. It scared me, at first, but then it made me so mad. I could barely look at myself in the mirror after that, I just reminded myself of my mother too much."

My toast popped up, making us both jump at the noise, and I started smothering peanut butter on it.

"Did you ever forgive her?" Seth asked quietly, stirring around his spoon once again. He was careful about it, though, it never hit the edges of the bowl to make a dinging noise.

I thought about his question.

"Yeah."

"When?" He asked, looking up into my eyes again with the same curiosity as before.

I smiled. "Just now."

He smiled back, his eyes twinkling. I mustered up some courage for my own question.

"What about your dad?"

His smile slowly faded, and I wondered if this might have been a bad idea. But just as I opened my mouth to apologize, he broke the silence.

"I was really close to my dad. We went fishing, hunting, he even taught me how to skeet shoot. We went camping every summer, as a family, up by Neah Bay. He sucked at cooking, unless he was frying fish. He was famous around town for his fish-fry. Leah, my sister, was close to him, too. They used to go hiking together, on the weekends. My mom and him were so in love. It used to be gross, to see them kiss you know? But, now, I think I would trade anything in the world just to see my mom smile like that, again", Seth said, his voice quiet and somewhat shaky. I didn't want to ask agian, since he never fully answered my question. But something in my face must have told him that I was still wondering what actually happened to his dad.

"He died a couple years ago, a heart attack. He was out in the woods...uh, hunting, and by the time his friends found him, he was gone."

Oh. God. I knew I shouldn't have asked. Here I am, complaining and whining like a fucking brat about how my mom up and left my dad and I. Boohoo, Dakota. And Seth here's dad is dead. Dead.

"I'm sorry", I whispered, because I couldn't think of anything else. The sadness plainly expressed on Seth's face was making my stomach twist into uncomfortable knots, and I hated it.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. It's no one's."

But the way he said, "no one's" made it sound like it was somebody's fault.

"Well, uh, I guess I'll just finish, and then we can start packing. I don't have too much shit, so it shouldn't take too long", I mumbled, sitting down at the table and biting into my toast. Seth started plowing the soggy cereal into his mouth like it was going to up and run away.

And for the first time in my life, I felt like I was the lucky one.

Hmm...Dakota's discovering that cute little Sethy has layers. Who'd a thought? ;) Well, leave a review to let me know what you thought of the chapter, and I will reply. Thanks for reading, you guys are literally the best!