Author's Note: I do not own any of the wolves or vampires that might appear in this story. They either belong to Stephenie Meyer or to the lovely Ninadoll! The O'Brien sisters and Liam are really the only thing I might lay claim to. The yummeriffic Scar is Nina's invention as well.

I say it every time, and I mean it every time, thank you thank you to Ninadoll! She is amazing and when I was stuck on where to go, she helped pick me and set me on the right path. If you haven't already, please check out her stories., Rest of Forever, How Wonderful Life Is Now You're in the World, and How the Mighty Fall. She is an amazing author, beta, and awesome friend!

Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow, who, like myself is Sooner born and Sooner bred! She also keeps me sane!

As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of clothes and the new characters that are introduced in this chapter from this chapter!

After this, I'm working on the next chapter of Love You For Always complete with a surprise and all! Thank you!

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CHAPTER 10: THE DAY WE GREW UP

SCAR'S POV

Seth and I didn't have a lot of serious conversations, only when major, life-changing events happened, like newborn vampire fights, but when we did, it kinda freaked me out a little. I think it was because I worried every time we had a talk, it might be the talk where he confronted me about my feelings for Ava. I did great hiding them, fuck, I could win an Academy Award for the way I faked my platonic feelings for her. I knew it was coming though, he had a look all day as he helped me set up the room.

"Alright, sir, I wanted to have a little talk with you," Seth took a seat on my bed. I sighed. I should've known this was coming and I wouldn't complain because Seth had done so much for me. "First and foremost, safety." Of course, my mind goes straight to sex, particularly with Ava. In the bed, that Seth's sitting on.

Out, out, out, I think, trying to get the damn thought of my mind.

"Are you paying attention?" Seth tapped his foot impatiently and I nodded. "Good. So, safety. You know that my wife and her sisters are very important to me. Please, please, please watch over Ava for me and make sure she doesn't get into any situation she can't handle. It's a big city and I'm trusting you to keep her safe."

I nodded. "You know I will, Seth. She's my best friend, I would never let anything happen to her." I was being completely honest. I left out the part where I was in love with her and if anything happened to her under my watch, I was pretty sure I would die.

"I know, but I just need to make sure you know that's the biggest priority for Ava and Claire," he paused for a second. "And you."

"I understand," I answered.

Seth chuckled. "You know, maybe you'll get lucky, maybe you'll imprint."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. "You know, I don't think I really want to imprint."

"Aw, you wanna play the field?" he nodded his head in understanding. "That's okay. That's kinda what college is for, you know? Sow some wild oats, have some fun, stay up late, wait until December to do the project that was assigned in August."

"Yeah, but I wanna do well, too, not just live it up," I said, making it clear that I was serious.

"I know, but don't be too serious," Seth smiled. "You know, hopefully you won't have to do too much gallivanting before you find your soul mate."

I already have, I thought. It was so not the thing to say to him just as he was about to entrust me with Ava's care. "Yeah," I said, half-heartedly.

Seth took a deep breath. "It's not such a bad thing, imprinting, Scar. You don't have to sound so thrilled about it."

I was getting good at the lying as I sucked in a breath and let another fib escape my lips. "Yeah, no, I am. I'm just, you know, I got a lot on my mind right now. I'm worried about school and a new city, and you know how it goes."

"I know, but let me tell you something, nobody can make your life feel complete like an imprint. Before Abby, I felt like, like I was trapped in a bubble, trying just to make it through the day, no real clue what was going on. I don't think I really got what it meant to be alive, until the imprint," Seth said with a bit of nostalgia in his voice and his eyes far in the distance. He stared off into nothingness with a goofy grin on his face. "You'll see, one day."

"Yeah," I said, grabbing some of my clothes out of a bag and pretending to fold them and hoping that was the end of the imprint conversation.

"There is one more thing I kinda needed to talk to you about," he said and I took a deep breath. I could only imagine what he was going to say next. "I'm a doctor so I'm not going to pretend like you don't know anything about sex, I just want to make sure that you'll be smart about it when the time comes." Seth pulled a bag from behind him and pulled a box out. He handed it to me and I started at it for a moment. Trojan Magnum XL. Great, condoms.

"Um…" I wasn't entirely sure how to respond to such a gift.

"I'm not advocating wild orgies, Scar, I just know how college is and I want you to be prepared if the situation ever arises," Seth slapped me on the back. "That's kinda my brotherly duty."

"Thanks, I think," I chuckled. It was nice of him to do, no matter how much I knew I wouldn't need them. There wasn't anyone in the world I would be having sex with but Ava and that was never going to happen so I would settle for a life of celibacy. No way could I share that with him though. I remembered the conversation with Quil, how much I would eventually hurt Ava if I chose to pursue anything with her. I obviously never wanted to do that. Not to mention that I knew how Seth would react, he wouldn't be happy at all. If anyone had a better front row seat to the pain Leah felt, it was Seth and he would never, ever let me get close to doing that.

"Like I said, use them wisely, and don't go around just sleeping with any woman that gives you the time of day. Be respectful and know your limits, as a wolf, that is," he said. When he said that, I couldn't help the curiosity that sprang up.

"How so? Limits, as a wolf?" I asked.

He knew he had intrigued me by his chuckle. "Well, as a wolf, there're two types of sex. Non-imprint sex and imprint sex. Non-imprint sex is good, don't get me wrong. But imprint sex…there's not words to describe it. I guess I'm telling you that it's okay, if you really like someone to take that step, but you have to know, even though you sleep with someone, when it comes to your imprint, it doesn't matter how good the sex was with the non-imprint. I can guarantee that nothing compares to imprint sex." I was confused but didn't say anything else. I knew, imprint or not, Ava was who my body belonged to. She was the only one I knew I'd have to watch my control with. It wasn't going to be easy being so close and knowing nothing was going to happen. But at least I could guarantee her safety. Because I would do anything for her. Give up everything I have, my wolf, my life, just to make her happy.

Fuck! Seth is going to kill me…

AVA'S POV

I love the feeling of riding on Scar's bike, but knowing we were driving back to La Push, I insisted on driving. Not that the thought of being strapped to Scar's back didn't really turn me on, it was just a little too chilly to spend more than three hours in the open air.

"Do you need me to carry anything else out to the car?" Scar chuckled. We had packed the back of my Volkswagen as full as I think it could possibly be with presents, wrapped in baseball wrapping paper for Liam's first birthday party.

"Don't be a sour sport," I said, sticking my tongue out at him and slamming the trunk closed. "Liam's my only nephew. I have to spoil him, it's like the law."

"And you're sure Abby's going to be okay with us just showing up?" he asked.

I scoffed at him. "Of course." What a silly question. I'd kind of lied to my big sister a little and told Abby we weren't going to be able to come to the party. Both Scar and I did have tests to study for but how could I miss this? I don't' think I'd heard her cry that much since she found out she was pregnant with Liam and left to go to Oklahoma. I felt bad for lying, but I wanted to surprise them and I knew any other way, she'd expect it.

I climbed into the driver's seat of the car while Scar opened the passenger door and stood. "She's coming, right?" he asked, looking back at the entrance.

"Are you kidding? She gets to see Quil, I'm pretty sure she's coming," I answered just as Claire flung the door open, her overnight bag in one hand and her phone in the other. She shut the gate behind her, turning to lock it and then smiling as she walked towards the car.

"I'm so excited!" Claire yelped out with a little more of a bounce in her step.

Scar chuckled. "She's like a kid, I swear."

"Oh hush you! I'm excited to see Quilly and to surprise Abby and Seth! And it's my nephew's birthday too!" Claire said, throwing her bag at Scar.

"He's my nephew and your cousin," I clarified as she punched my shoulder.

"I say he's my nephew, so he's my nephew. You can share," she giggled. I just shook my head and waited for her to crawl in the backseat. The three of us "big city" kids made great traveling companions. We weren't picky about the music we wanted to listen too, no one had a teeny tiny bladder, and we were all happy for our Starbucks stop. We played license plate bingo and I Spy and before I knew it, I was pulling onto Clearwater Drive, the cabin in sight.

The driveway was lined with cars, some familiar, some not. The Black's Hummer was there and Aunt Tess's and Uncle Rob's red pickup, along with Leah's BMW convertible. It was a comforting sight and I couldn't help but feel the goosebumps begin, feeling good to be home again.

"Hey, Ava, Scar! I thought you guys weren't going to be able to make it," Jake said, giving Scar a very manly hug before lifting me a little off the ground to hug me.

"I couldn't miss my nephew's first birthday party," I said as Jake put me down. "I wanted to surprise Abby."

"Well, I'm pretty sure you will succeed at that. Seth said she's forbidden anyone from saying your name for today," AJ joked. "I think they'll all be happy to see you guys. Nice jersey, by the way." He pointed at my OU baseball jersey, just as I ran through the front door.

Liam was sitting on the floor of the living room, his back turned to me and his little tufts of black hair sticking out of his baseball cap. A few of the other kids were sitting around Ashley, who was telling them all a story. Griffin, Keegan, Liam and Hawke sat in row next to each other, like their own little private club. Somehow, I had managed to sneak in without anyone seeing me and I tiptoed behind Liam and scooped him up, swinging him.

"Aaaa!" he squealed.

Ashley hopped up from her seat. "Ava! You're home!" She wrapped her arms around my legs as Liam grabbed hold of my neck in a tight hug.

"I missed you too, sweet boy," I said, holding him tight and inhaling his powdery scent.

"What's all the r—"Abby stopped in her tracks and looked at me. "Ava?" she yelped, putting down the tray of lemonade and rushing to me, hugging me and Liam and Ashley, all together in a hug. "I'm so glad you came," she let out a little sob.

I chuckled. "Geez, you'd think you hadn't seen me in ages."

"It's not that, I just didn't think you were going to be able to come," Abby pulled away and wiped a few tears from her cheeks. Liam loosened his grip on my neck and gave me a slobbery "kiss" on my cheek. "See, even Liam knows something was different. You wanna show Auntie Ava what you can do?"

I cocked an eyebrow as Abby took Liam from my arms and stood him up. He wrapped his hands around her fingers and his feet lifted off the ground one at a time in tiny steps until he reached me and then, as Abby released his hands, Liam stood in front of me, clapping his little hands.

"Look at you, birthday boy!" I leaned down and picked him back up as he threw his arms around my neck again. I had to bite my lip, I could feel it quivering. I was missing out on him, on my family.

"He can't quite do it on his own yet but he's getting there. I think he's jealous of Griffin and Keegan since they can already walk," Abby smiled and patted Liam's back. "We missed you," she almost whispered. "But enough of that. This is a birthday party, no more tears."

She put her thumbs under my eyes and wiped the tears I hadn't realized I'd cried. "Sca!" Liam squealed and reached his arms behind me. "Sca!"

"Scar!" Griffin jumped up from his seat and ran to Scar, who instantly scooped him up in his arms.

"Hey buddy," Scar grinned, flipping him upside down to put his feet on the floor. "You been good?"

"Uh-huh," Griffin nodded. "I gonna be big bradder."

Scar chuckled. "Really?" he ruffled his hair. Liam was getting anxious in my arms and reached forward.

"Sca! Sca!" Liam said. I passed Liam to a waiting Scar who instantly hugged him.

"Nessie is pregnant? Why didn't I know this?" I asked, the pain of being out of the loop, away from home sinking in again.

"They were keeping it low key," she kept her smile.

"Does this mean we'll be expecting a new little Clearwater anytime soon?" I asked.

"Uh, no. I'm sure if you ask Seth, we should start trying tomorrow but I want Liam to be able to be a baby a little longer," she answered and kept her eyes on Liam. Her attention turned back to me. "Thank you so much for coming, I…"

"I know," I said, taking her hand and squeezing it. I knew she was glad I was here, I was glad I was here. Hell, the one-year old toddler in Scar's arm was glad I was here. "You need any help in the kitchen?"

"But of course," Abby giggled, pulling me into the kitchen with her. I could hear Nessie and Rachel talking, Shanna, Emily, and Leah too. "Look who I found," Abby grinned, presenting me to the other ladies.

"Ava! You're here!" Nessie hopped up from the kitchen table.

"I hear congratulations are in order," I said as she hugged me and released me. "You look great." She really did, perfectly dressed in a purple maternity top that just barely showed a small bump in her abdomen.

"We're glad you made it," Rachel said from the table. They all looked happy, a part of something I would never get to belong to. Being imprints or the she-wolf, nothing I would ever be.

"Where's Seth?" I asked. The ladies were all sitting around the table, putting popcorn into bags for the kids and there didn't seem to be a single Y-chromosome in the kitchen area.

"He and Alex and Charlie are in the back grilling the hot dogs," Leah answered with a dreamy look on her face. I felt like of all the people I knew, Leah and I were the most alike. Not to brag, but I did like to think I was a bit of a bad ass and if that were so, my bad assness could only be trumped by the one and only Leah Clearwater. Seeing her with a dreamy look on her face kind of depressed me a little. She had fallen in love, with a guy she didn't imprint on, and no one even really said anything about it. But Scar and I would never be because fate hadn't chosen me for him. It seemed so unfair. "You should go say hi. Anytime you guys come over to the house, Alex is always working or dealing with his mother. He's always saying how he wants to get to know my family more. You should go out and chat with them."

There was something in me that lit up at knowing I was part of Leah's family. Even though we held no blood relation, I was glad she considered me to be part of that special circle. I nodded to her as Remy came running into the kitchen, out of breath. "Momma, I told Daddy I want a baby like Griffin and he told me I had to come talk to you. Can we get a baby too so I can be a big brother?" I chuckled and knew that was definitely my cue to leave.

I opened the back door and caught sight of Seth and the guys right away. They'd been joined by Jake and Quil, who had Claire sitting in his lap like he hadn't seen her two days ago. "I don't know. If it were me, I'd put my money on the Sooners," Seth said.

"Nah, you only say that because of Abby," Charlie shook his head. "My money's on the Ducks."

"Yeah, right, Charlie. When's the last time Oregon won a National Championship?" Seth rebutted and I laughed, knowing that Seth probably couldn't even spell Oklahoma before he met us. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my mangy old sister-in-law," Seth grinned catching sight of me.

"Who you calling mangy?" I asked with my hands on my hips.

"Well don't just stand there, come give me a hug. The house has been too damn quiet without you," Seth put the tongs down and I almost skipped into his arms. "This is a great surprise! I hope you brought stuff to stay the night, cuz you know Abby's not going to let you leave."

"Yes, sir, I did."

"How are your classes, Ava?" Alex asked, sipping a bottle of water.

I shrugged. "Right now everything is real general, how to separate an egg, fold whipping cream, that sort of thing."

"Ah, man. Does that mean no awesome feast for dinner?" Paul joked.

"Hey, I'm taking care of you. Hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, what else could you ask for?" Seth said back, pointing to the grill. I took in the guys sitting around and it made me smile. Never in my life did I think I would be comfortable, hanging around a group of huge men, talking about football and food. But I was, this was what home felt like. If anyone outside of the pack saw this scene, they'd probably wonder what the hell a crazy white girl was doing surrounded by all these gorgeous, muscled Native men. This was home. "There's the birthday boy!"

Scar walked towards us with Liam in his arms and Griffin and Keegan close behind him. "Dada!" Liam squealed then hugged Scar again. "Sca!"

"Did you find Scar, little guy?" Seth put his stuff down again and walked over to Liam and Scar. Seth patted Scar's back with a grin. "I think he missed you."

"I think so," Scar said back. I'd never really noticed how close Liam and Scar were, but it made sense. Liam had known Scar as long as he'd known me. He had always been at the house, he'd been with us in Oklahoma right after he was born, and I guess our close relationship in turn made the two of them close.

My thoughts were interrupted as Abby called to Seth to bring in the food. It was amusing watching the guys carry in the numerous trays of meat and all of them eyeing it like they hadn't eaten in days. As per the usual arrangement, women and children went first, as well as the elderly people. Then, after everyone else sat down, the wolves were released to fix their plates and it was literally like a stampede. Plates piled high with hot dogs. Even the retired wolves could eat more than a small army.

"No!" Liam yelled at Abby who furrowed her brow.

"No, sir," she said seriously. It took me a minute to see what was going on but it looked like Abby was trying to take Liam from Scar and birthday boy was having none of it, his arms still tight around Scar.

"It's okay, Abbs. I'll put him in his chair and sit next to him. It's no big deal," Scar said and even I could hear Liam giggle knowing he'd won.

"Okay, but you, young man, need to listen to Mommy and Daddy," Abby said seriously.

It really was amazing to watch Scar with Liam, like the little brother he'd never had. Scar helped him eat his hot dog, then he and Ashley helped him blow out the candles on his birthday cake, which Liam managed to smear all of his face. And then when it came to presents, Liam loved his gift from Scar, a Mariner's jersey and baseball cap, perfect for his toddler head. I had to admit I was a little jealous. I hadn't thought of anything near that creative to go with the theme. I bought a baseball picture frame and a Little Tykes toy that he could push around to help him walk. He liked them but he seemed to hold on tighter to Scar's gift.

Finally, at the end of the night, it was Scar's arms he fell asleep in. All of the little wolf pack kids seemed to congregate around him, more so than any of the other young wolves. Not to mention, Ashley who hung on Scar's every word. And that moment cemented itself in my mind, Liam was fast asleep in his arms as Scar stared down at him. It made me swallow hard. I hadn't thought much of Scar as a father, but seeing him now did things to me I didn't know were possible. And while the sight made my heart skip, it also broke a little. One day, Scar would have lots of beautiful wolf babies that he would love and care for and spoil. But I wouldn't be the mother…I wouldn't be the wife that he doted on…I wouldn't share a bed with him or a home or anything. I was lucky I had what I had now.

Just when I thought I might lose the tears held behind my eyes, a hand on my shoulder broke me out of my sad stupor. "Wanna play?" Claire asked, handing me the extra Wii controller. Most of the guests had left when the birthday boy passed out but Claire and Quil stayed behind. Ashley had hopped upstairs to bed while Seth and Abby cleaned up. "You know I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Bring it," I said taking the controller. "Tennis?"

"Hell yeah," Claire said with a wicked smile. "Quit staring at Mr. Wall-of-muscle and play me."

I blushed, knowing I'd gotten caught. "I'm not staring, just observing."

"Uh-huh, whatever helps you sleep at night, sweetie. I just gotta say I wouldn't blame you if deflowered that virgin," Claire clicked on the Wii controller to finish setting up the game.

"It's not like that, Claire," I said, trying to speak as softly as I could.

"It's not like it would be a bad thing if it were like that," she responded.

"Yes it would. I'm not his imprint," I took my first serve on the Wii.

"You think I only love Quil because of the imprint? Sure that's what made him stick around for so long but I like to think he actually loves me for me and not some fucked up gaze. I know that's why I love him, because he's the best man I've ever known. Because I can see our children in his eyes, my future doesn't exist without him. When you look at Do-Do bird over there, can you see that?" Claire skillfully slammed the ball over the net.

I didn't answer her. I didn't think I could. I would never mention how I felt about him to anyone, it hurt too much to know it could never happen. And it would hurt even more if I was dumb enough to believe it could, only to have my heart broken into a million pieces.

"Just something to think about, Ava," she said again before thoroughly beating my ass at tennis. I didn't tell her that I couldn't see my future with anyone else but him. But that night, when I went to bed, for the first time, I cried myself to sleep, thinking of the future I'd never have.

SCAR'S POV

"Scar, I love you," Ava moaned as I settled between her legs. "I need you."

I leaned down and gently touched her lips with mine. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known, and I've never wanted anyone like I want you," I whispered, running my nose along her bare collarbone. "I love you." I pushed my body into her and she arched her back to meet my force.

"Scar!" she groaned and I pushed in harder. "Scar!" I could feel her hands on my shoulders. "Scar!"

"Ava," I felt my body getting closer to letting go.

"Wake up! You're going to be late for class," my beauty's voice said. What? "You have to get up now, you're going to be late."

My eyes fluttered open and it hit me that it was all a dream, every touch and kiss wasn't even real. Unfortunately, the tent pitched in my pants was. "Um, yeah, I'm up," my scratchy voice said. I couldn't get out of bed until she left, there was no way I was going to let her see me about to blow like that. Not yet.

As it turned out though, I ended up making it to class just in time, thanks to Ava's wake up call. I went through all the motions of the day, finishing up just before noon and walking through the Student Union to get back to my bike. Even though school had been in session for a few months, everywhere you looked there were signs, "Welcome Freshman!" Today, I had forgotten, was the student organizations' fair, in case you hadn't gotten to sign up earlier in the semester. I knew my life was going to be complicated enough, so I didn't feel bad just waltzing past them all and leaving.

I walked a few steps, wishing I had my iPod but I was just happy to be finished for the day.

"Hey! Hey you!" a voice said from behind me. I turned and looked to see a pretty tan girl jobbing after me and stopping just as she caught up to me. "Hi, I'm Anita. Are you Native American?"

"Uh, yeah," I answered, giving her a very confused look.

She put her hand on her chest and tried to catch her breath. "Oh, good. I would've hated it if I chased you down and you were, well, not," she kept breathing hard. "Sorry, you just, you walk really fast. I'm Anita, again, by the way. Anita Renoir, I'm Couer d'Alene."

"Okay," I had no idea what this chick wanted or where she was going with this.

"I'm the president of the Native American Students Association," she said, this time finally making a little sense. "We're recruiting members and I saw you walk by and I thought for sure you were Native."

"Yeah, I'm half-Quileute but my mom was white," I explained.

"Come back to our booth, let me give you some information. We'd love to have you join us," Anita said, finally standing up and no longer short of breath.

"I don't know," I said uncertainly.

"Come on, you're a freshman, right?" she asked and I nodded. "You probably don't know a lot of people here on campus, and even more likely, you don't know many natives on campus. Just come back to the booth. I'll give you a run through of some of us our stuff and then you can decide."

What did I have to lose? So I agreed and walked with her back to the student union where another very large Native American boy stood, his hair in two braids, his arms crossed across his chest in a very unwelcoming manner.

"Would you relax, Sarge? You're gonna scare off all the potential members," Anita said sternly. "This is my boyfriend, Sarge. He's Potawatomi."

"From Kansas," Sarge said, looking me over. "And you are?"

I put my hand out, trying to remember all the manners I'd learned, "Oscar Monroe, Quileute, from Washington."

Sarge took my hand in his. "Nice to meet you. It's a good thing Anita tracked you down, I can tell you're going to be a force to be reckoned with."

Completely unsure of what that meant, I looked back to Anita who had pulled out a few pamphlets. "Basically, we have meetings every two weeks, we try to stay socially active, which means finding out about the things going on in the Native American community. We volunteer on reservations occasionally, have seminars on problems plaguing reservations, that kind of thing."

"In a nutshell, we have fun, but we work to make sure our people are taken care of," Sarge said. "You know the problems we have on the rezs. Alcoholism, gambling, poverty, unemployment. We try to curtail some of that or at least bring it to everyone else's attention."

"We do have fun. In fact, our first social gathering of the year is at my house, it's just a get to know kind of mixer. If you're still not sure about joining us, come to the party and you can decide," Anita said with a smile.

"I don't know," my mind immediately went to Ava. "I have a friend—"

"Bring them," Anita cut me off before I could say anything.

"She's not Native," I said back.

"Doesn't matter, bring her anyway. I can tell, just by your eyes, you want to do this," she said confidently and I sorta wished I had a mirror so I could see what exactly in my eyes showed her that. "It's just a party, you'll get to meet some new people. And if you hate it, you never have to show your face again."

"Fine, when and where?" I gave in.

"5647 12th Street, Friday night, at eight. My house is really tiny and orange. You can't miss it," Anita said, handing me a piece of paper with a hand drawn map. "And bring your friend, I promise you'll have fun."

"Okay," I nodded, taking the paper, folding it neatly and putting it in my back pack.

"It was nice to meet you, Oscar," she said, with a bright smile.

"My friends call me Scar," I said back.

"Nice meeting you, Scar," she said. Sarge put his arm around her protectively and I had to control my chuckle. Anita was beautiful, but she just wasn't Ava, and Ava was the only person I was interested in.

I made my way towards my bike, finally heading home to see Ava's car already in her parking spot in the garage. That usually meant she was making dinner, which was great because I was more than famished. I parked my bike, then headed towards the condo. I could hear her singing before I even opened the door.

"Like a virgin, ooh! Touched for the very first time," she sang out and I didn't feel the need to announce my arrival, watching her dance in her short shorts and tank top while she stirred a pot in the kitchen. The sight alone made my pants tighten and her gyrating hips didn't help the situation. "You made me feel, yeah you made me feel…Fuck!" Ava turned to find me watching her. "Dude, you're like a ninja! I had no idea you were there. How long were you watching me?"

"Not long," I lied. "I just walked in. What's gotten you in a happy mood?"

She giggled at me, "I got an A on my test today. You are looking at the Queen of Scrambled Eggs." I raised an eyebrow and bowed a little. "Mock me if you want, but I'll have you know, no one else made an A, hell, half the class didn't even pass. All thanks to my special ingredient." She smiled, obviously quite happy with herself.

"Which is?" I asked.

"Louisiana Hot Sauce, don't tell though or I might have to take you down," she playfully edged towards me, swatting. She lost her balance though and just as she was about to head face-first into the floor, my arms caught her and we both tumbled onto the floor. He head was lying on my chest and neither of us moved. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "That's what I get for bragging."

I couldn't help myself, as I moved a stray curl from around her face. "You deserve to brag," I said back.

Ava smiled at me gently. "It's a good thing I have you to catch me when I fall."

Without missing a beat, I said the first thing that popped into my mind. "Always."

Her cheeks blushed before she frowned. Something had happened because she was suddenly a little sad. "Maybe," she whispered. I knew she didn't intend for me to hear and it hurt, wondering what the hell she meant by that.

"Hey, how would you like to be an honorary member of the Seattle University Native American Students' Association?" I asked, hearing her chuckle. "Okay, well, maybe just accompany me to a party for members of said organization."

"When is it?" she asked, returning to her pot on the stove.

"Friday, it'll be fun," I teased. "And they'll be people from other tribes there. You never know, you just might find out the Cherokees shapeshift into bears."

This time Ava let out a loud laugh. "Not likely. I'm from Oklahoma, remember? I grew up around the Cherokees and not a single one poofed into a bear."

"Yeah, well, not a single Quileute poofed into a wolf that I'd ever seen, until I did," I joked.

"Touche," she laughed.

"Come, please?" I pouted and watched her big green eyes fighting not to give in. "Pretty please with mascarpone cheese on top?"

She giggled. "A man after my own heart!" If she only knew… "Okay, I'll go."

"Great!" I cheered.

In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn't a date. But I couldn't help but celebrate the small victory of knowing we'd spend all evening with her on my arms and in my heart.

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Second AN: So, reviews have been down and that makes me think I'm not doing something right. I don't want to be one of those writers that says "I'm not posting another chapter until I get 20 reviews," but to be honest with you all, I need reviews. I need them to know that I'm doing something right and that the story is still important to you guys, like it is to me. So please, I implore you, REVIEW!