Disclaimer: So yeah, still not Stephenie Meyer.
Disclaimer Deuce: You know I should really get back in to having more music in my stories I was going to do that this chapter but I didn't really get the full song in and I was done before I put a different one in, oh well.
Embry's POV
"But in the meantime there are those who wanna
Talk this and that
So I suppose it gets to a point
Feelings gotta get hurt
And get dirty with the people spreading the dirt" I thought to myself as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I rolled out of bed covers still clinging to me until l landed on my hands and feet my face inches from the floor. I pushed hard on my hands propelling myself up to my feet. I tiredly stumbled down stairs to the computer. It was habit now, for a couple weeks I'd gotten E-mails from D, three to four times a day.
We'd become close friends, and now we e-mailed almost constantly at night, learning this and that about each other. The more I got to know her the more I feared the obvious conclusion… I was beginning to develop feelings for a girl I've never even seen. The unfortunate part of this conclusion was it was getting harder and harder to hide my lies. I wanted to tell her the truth.
"Hey D, by the way I'm a giant transforming wolf? What? No not like transformers… I mean I change more like a werewolf. What? No of course I'm not a werewolf! No I won't kill anyone; I've never killed anyone before… well besides vampires. Wait, yeah, there are vampires out there. Oh yeah I know some vampires, I live with some. Oh No of course I still want you to come up, they won't kill you."
Maybe there was a good reason why telling an outsider was forbidden. I stumbled when I accidently told her I was a sophomore AND my age. I was twenty. Luckily that put me at a sophomore in college, when I told her a sophomore she asked what College I was going to. Since I was reading this in e-mail she couldn't see my horror. I told her the only place I could think of "SCSU" I said for the abbreviation of the Local college. She was confused telling me she also went there… but had no clue why I lived in Minnesota. She went to "SCSU… South Carolina State University. I went to St. Cloud State University"
That had been my worst slip up but there had been others. I'd mentioned Leah a couple times… that was never pretty. I tried not to but Leah was my ONLY experience in dating… The first girl I kissed was Leah… The first boy she kissed was when she was 14. She was three years older than me. In this battlefield of relationships I was definitely losing. My problem is whenever we talked about relationship experience Leah was all I COULD talk about… She hated it but I couldn't do any differently.
More than anything what made this special is she had no idea what I looked like. She was attracted to me. Before I started phasing no one was attracted to me, and now women finally found my other qualities endearing. Bullshit. Women can be as two dimensional as the lowest scum of a guy. She was different. I wanted to share my identity with her. I wanted her to know me better but at nearly turn she resisted. I knew what it meant, her ex had done an awful lot more to her then she'd ever say.
It was nearly scary how close we'd gotten over time. I treated her as a close confidant but at the same time I couldn't get rid of the gnawing feeling that I should tell her more. Every time I opened an e-mail I couldn't wait to see what she had to tell me. I looked in my inbox seeing another message from her.
"Hey there hot stuff
Daamn I want to meet you. I jus get hot thinking about it.
I wish I knew who you were, cause I'd totally come up to
Minnesota and jump your bones. I'm havin' sooo much
Fun! You should come down here and I'll show you a
good time!" I blinked and reread the e-mail three or four times. She's drunk… definitely drunk… Or on something. I smiled, sure she'd flirted with me in recent E-mails but this was quite more than that.
"Umm… Hi D
I'm going to assume you were very drunk when you
wrote the note to me. I'm also going to assume you
had a good time. Umm yeah, well I'm going to class
now… I guess you'll get back to me later… I can't wait
to hear what you have to say about that, Embry" I wrote grinning. That will be an interesting explanation.
"Ironman" Jack Elzam's POV
I wasn't looking forward to the confrontation that was assured to happen with my next candidate and Nate Schmidt so I left Schmidt back at base, taking Lisa Williams with me. I wasn't quite sure if she respected me by now so I thought I'd stop tip toeing around it and flat out ask.
"Ms. Williams, Do you respect me and trust me as a leader?" I asked bluntly. She was always blunt with me and I assumed this would be no different.
"I don't think you have the motivation to be the leader this team needs. I lost both my parents to vampires. I won't be content until the Vampire plague is wiped clean off the face of this world."
"Oh, good, that's all." I said calmly.
"That's all? How can that be good?" she asked angrily.
"Simple… because you don't doubt my abilities to lead, just my motivation. If that is your only problem with me then you'll soon have no problem with me."
"You seem rather confident." She smirked.
"Just because I'm not prone to irrational outbursts doesn't mean I don't experience anger." I said calmly. Her anger surfaced.
"You need to learn to control your anger, if your enemy can so easily goad you in to rage you'll quickly become sloppy and die."
"So you obviously know everything?" She sneered at me.
"Just enough… Enough about manipulating people who are easily angered."
"You think you can manipulate me?" she scoffed at me.
"How do you know I haven't already?" I asked. She stopped and thought about it.
"You don't know because you've been too busy being mad." She tried to argue but stopped short.
"I haven't by the way. I haven't taken advantage of your enraged state, but from this point on I will so I suggest you make an effort to calm down because if I can control you, an enemy might be able to as well."
"Why aren't you having this talk with Nate Schmidt?"
"Because above all else he's willing to admit when he's made a mistake and when there's something more important occurring he will swallow his pride and do what he's told. He might fight it but as long as he respects me as a leader I don't have to fear his job performance. You on the other hand, I'm not sure about." It seemed she was considering my words. I stepped through the door in to the small room. There sitting in the chair was "Tiny" Tim Briggs.
"Tim Briggs?" I called out knowing it was him. He stood up slowly, and kept standing up as a tower of muscle until he reached his full height.
"Yeah?" He bellowed standing over me. If I hadn't had my years of military and hand to hand combat training I'd probably be intimidated.
"We're here to recruit you in to a special force devoted to protecting the world." Tim gave a deep belly laugh.
"That's pretty specific isn't it?" he said sarcastically.
"And I'm supposed to just go along hearing that? Leave my whole life behind, and from the sounds of it, never see them again."
"Certain precautions need to be taken but under the correct circumstances you will be able to visit them."
"So you want me to leave my home, my future, my chances of seeing the people I love for no assurance of pay, and a large chance of death without even knowing what I'm doing."
"Your pay will be substantial and all needs will be taken care of… but yes. You would spend the near future studying and fighting daily to perfect your craft."
"This truly is a global crisis?"
"Yes… a crisis that has been turned a blind eye on for the last two millennia. Now we have the technology to deal with it." He nodded his head.
"I assume I can still get my life in order while we're in preparation?" I nodded.
"Then I'm in." Good… He came along much easier than I thought he would. Two left… unfortunately the one I'm saving for last I don't know if I can convince him to join us. He's not military, I can't play towards his sense of duty. He's a first generation American so I can barely play to his patriotism. I have little to no intel on him because he has nothing military related in the U.S. and most of his life was spent in a small village in Japan. All the intel I have on him is a video of him soundly defeating three people who were all wielding Kendo sticks like he was. Truthfully I had more information on his family heritage than him. I was putting off his recruitment till the end because it would be by far most difficult. At least the next one was an easy sell, from my reading on him all I'd need to do was have Lisa ask him and he'd go all gooey eyed and say yes.
Mike's POV
Alice and Jasper were gone from school and weren't at the Cullen's when I went to visit. Where could they be? Why? No one else is missing school. I thought to myself. Embry and I had been getting closer as of late. We drummed together all the time, for some reason they had two drum sets in their basement. One was obviously Embry's but the other one… the one I played seemed to be unused completely. It was as if they had this drum set for me. That's crazy Mike, stop being so damn suspicious. Truthfully I always felt suspicious when things starting going my way. Besides my family I trusted nothing to last longer than a short time.
What about Rina? I asked myself. Yeah, my blind spot. I didn't want to trust her. I didn't want to let her in but I couldn't help it. I couldn't force myself to put up walls. It was so hard for me to see her, be so close to her and need her so much but simply not have her. I'd never have her. Maybe if I had many other friends I'd turn and walk away… maybe if she was mean like most other girls, it was easier to be mean about it than deal with the feelings. She values my friendship. It's these traits that only make it harder. I watch her and see she's just an arm's length away, but she might as well be a mile, because I can't reach her, and I never will. I wish I could let go of her, but she was my best friend, even if I wasn't hers. I swallowed hard and forced myself to focus on the drum set.
Rosalie's POV
"What do you mean you're on your way now?"
"I mean what I say, I'm stopping by for a visit, you've never been so opposed to me stopping by, besides I thought Alice would have told you by now." Tanya coming here now was exactly what I didn't need to happen. She had a way of making trouble.
"Alice is out with Jasper."
"Like mating like rabbits or hunting?"
"Who knows maybe both?" I said causally.
"You're not talking normally. What's up?"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit."
"It's nothing, I just don't think you should stop by, maybe on your way back to wherever you're going."
"Ohh that's cold even for you Rose, just because my heart stopped beating a while ago doesn't mean it still hurts."
"I'm serious!"
"I'm already in Stearns County, I can't wait to see what has you so protected and hidden."
"It's nothing."
"Yeah, whatever, see you soon love." Great just great! Just what we need Tanya coming in and raising hell. I played through my options and none of them really kept Tanya from seeing Mike besides tackling her and brawling with her away from the house. Unfortunately it wasn't the most rational answer but the only one that seemed to ensure that she wouldn't meet Mike, unless she won. I heard her approach in the distance and the door opened and she silently appeared in front of me with a smile.
"So what's this mystery all about?"
"Nothing… but you really should leave."
"If there's nothing to hide then I can stay for a little while and talk. We never have our nice talks like we used to Rose."
"Okay fine, let's go out then have a chat." I said trying to urge her out the door while I heard Embry and Mike playing down in the basement.
"Huh… Two drum sets? Who could be on the second? I thought you and Embry were the only two with any desire to try drumming." Tanya said moving towards the basement. I blocked her way.
"So there it is isn't it?" She said trying to get past me.
"There what is?"
"Whatever it is that you're trying to hide."
"I told you I'm not trying to hide anything." I heard the door turning behind me. I turned and Mike came up the stairs stopping dead in his tracks inches away from me. His body tightened up he went completely rigid and his eyes widened. I could hear his heart rate skyrocket. His arms which quite nearly grazed mine snapped to his sides. His eyes wandered for only a moment noticing Tanya behind me before awkwardly stepped past me towards the other room. Embry came bounding up the stairs after him.
"Oh, Hey Tanya." He said causally as he followed Mike. I turned back to Tanya who turned her head reaching to see around the corner where Embry and Mike ran off to.
"So… He's the secret… I think he's kind of cute."
"No Tanya, he's not another one of your conquests." I said venomously.
"Ahh you jumped to defense so quickly. You like him!" she giggled.
"No I don't."
"Come on now Rosalie! It's not fair you can't have him and Emmett!"
"I don't have him!" I argued quietly knowing he was less than 20 feet away.
"By that reaction, yeah… you do, especially since he doesn't know about the nightlife." Nice way to say we're vampires.
"But let's give that poor boy a chance to recover, what did you say his name is?"
"I didn't."
"Oh… you really do like him!" she giggled again.
"Okay, yeah let's go for a run." I said urging her out the door.
Mike's POV
I waited until I was sure I heard the door closing behind them. I sighed.
"Seriously? Is everyone you know just drop dead gorgeous?" Embry laughed.
"No… I might know a person or two that are butt ugly…" We began killing zombies, which I wasn't the best as to begin with but now that I was distracted. Who is that girl? How does Rosalie know her? Why did it seem like Rosalie was trying to keep her from me? Jealousy? Protecting me? What was she protecting me from?
"Ahh! Come on Mike, we only made it to the fourth round that time!" I heard the door opening behind to front. Embry sat oblivious next to me. Maybe if he focused and paid attention to the little details he would have heard it over the sound of zombies. Embry was pretty cool but didn't notice the little things I did from my martial arts training. I don't let little things slip my notice.
"Hi! You must be Mike." She said with a big smile almost as if she appeared there next to me. I don't understand how that was possible though, I was paying attention to where they were. You're just thinking too much, you heard wrong.
"uh… yeah. I'm Mike." I said standing up. I extended my hand to shake hers and she shook it softly. I shook back firm but it felt odd, like she was trying to be soft. Whatever Mike you're delusional again.
"Hi Mike. I'm Tanya." She said with a big smile that made me force myself not to smile in return.
"So how do you know the Cullens?" I asked awkwardly trying to make small talk. Truthfully I was trying not to stare at her, then I was trying not to look like I was trying not to stare at her so I looked away. Then realized I should probably look at her, but that made me awkward because I never was comfortable looking at people I was talking to.
"Oh We're family."
"We're?" I asked. Rosalie stepped in.
"She's our cousin, she lives in Alaska." Rosalie said off handedly. I nodded.
"So what are you playing?" Tanya asked me.
"Ahh… COD." I said awkwardly.
"COD?" Tanya asked.
"Well Technically it's COD MW2" Embry corrected.
"COD M2W?" Tanya asked giggling.
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2"
"Well it was very nice meeting you Mike, I really hope we get to see each other again." Tanya said before getting up to head out the door.
"You're leaving already?" I asked trying not to sound disappointed.
"Yes, I was just passing through, maybe we'll see each other again soon, I like to come through here often." She said smiling at me. I tried to keep myself from smiling but failed.
"Sure, that'd be great."
"Ironman" Jack Elzam's POV
I had brought "Tiny" Tim Briggs and waited for the sparks to fly, making sure to move everything flammable. I bet myself less than five minutes from when they met fists would be flying.
"What are you looking at?" Schmidt asked not backing down as Briggs walked by. Briggs was astonished by the little man who wasn't giving up an inch.
"Step aside fun size." He said laughing at Schmidt.
"Better small and useful then big and an ogre." Schmidt said straight to Briggs.
"What did you say?" Briggs said trying to intimidate Schmidt. Yeah… that's not going to work.
"Did I stutter? Let me say this a bit clearer since you are obviously missing the cognitive reasoning to make sense of it… Ugg, I are stupid ogre. Ugh. Go kill with club, ugg ugg." Schmidt said straight to him. I turned my back looking at my watch. 3 minutes 9 seconds, longer than I thought. Lisa entered the room looking past me at the fight that was occurring behind my back. I took a beer out of the fridge and popped it open and started to drink it.
"ah… Schmidt and Briggs are fighting." Lisa pointed out. I reached in the fridge and grabbed a second beer handing it to her. She shrugged and took it cracking it opening and drinking with me.
"Yeah… they are…" I said still not facing the fight behind me.
"They are really kicking the crap out of each other." I nodded.
"Either winning?" I said offhanded as I worked on my beer hoping to finish it before I'd need to intervene.
"Looks like Schmidt got Briggs in to an arm bar." Lisa observed.
"He's not going to let go is he?" I asked with a sigh. Nope, I wouldn't finish my beer.
"Sure doesn't look like it." I shook my head placing my beer on the counter and jumped over the bar to a small weapons arsenal. They scoffed at me when I requested a bar in the complex. Said I was treating alcoholism with alcohol. I politely told them that no one was an alcoholic on my team and a team that gets dizzy drunk together watches out for each other. I picked the m9 Beretta and a Tactical combat knife. Both I attached to my belt and turned to face the fight that had ensued behind me.
"What are those for?" Lisa asked.
"Proving a point." I said making my way to stand over Schmidt who was in the process of screwing up Briggs for the near future.
"Release him now Nate." I ordered.
"No, he hasn't submitted yet, I need to win." And this is why I brought the weapons. I thought before I stomped on Nate Schmidt's own shoulder pushing him down and forcing him to break his grip. He rolled up to his feet and threw an angry haymaker at me. Stupid move. I thought to myself as I moved in and easily blocked away his hay maker with my left arm and reached across my body with my right arm grabbing the m9 and throwing my elbow in to his chest. I slipped my Beretta in to my left hand as his face came down mouth open gasping for air. My right hand wrapped around the back of his head and I shoved the barrel of the m9 in to his mouth.
"You see this? This is an m9 Beretta. You just lost."
"I know what you're thinking, 'It's not fair!' 'We weren't fighting with weapons.' Blah blah blah! We're not going to fight in this pretend world where people play by the rules. Why? Because vampires don't play by the rules. In the real world you're already dead." I pulled the tactical knife out of my belt and put it up against his throat.
"And you." I said looking in the wall mirror behind Nate Schmidt. Jeff Briggs was laughing. I dropped the knife and caught it with the blade backwards instead of forward. I spun quickly with a strike to the side of his face. He started to drop and then I put the blade to his Adam's apple.
"You're no better." I said with my attention at Briggs.
"You two are allies, who the hell cares which one of you would win in a fight? It doesn't matter because you'll be fighting together. And Schmidt, if you would have broken his arm, shoulder, whatever he'd be out for some time recuperating it. Let's say he misses a month of active training. Then we're on the field and Briggs here misses something and you die. He could have saved your life but one he was still mad at you for breaking his arm, and two he didn't know how to react because he didn't have the practice in it, so you just killed yourself." I said to Schmidt.
"And Briggs, who are you doing favors by picking fights with your allies? Trying to feel out whose the top dog? Well let me make it very clear to you. IT'S ME. I am the alpha around here so shut the hell up and work with us." I removed my knife from Brigg's throat and gun from Schmidt's mouth.
"Come on team. We've got training to do, we're about do hunt monsters that most people think are uncatchable, trackable, and unkillable. We're going to prove them wrong. We're going to hunt Vampires."
Embry's POV
"Oh my God I'm so embarrassed! I can't believe I
wrote all of that. Please forget it. It was my roommate
Blaze's twenty third birthday party and I got kind of
drunk! Please don't mention it!" I smiled thinking about her drunk e-mail. It was quite revealing about her and how she felt about me. I'd be lying if I said up to this point I wasn't suppressing my feelings for her. I just wasn't ready yet but it hurt to keep pushing them aside and it was pretty apparent she felt the same way. I sighed, if it was her wish to ignore it, I'd ablidge.
"Don't worry about it D, we can just pretend it
never happened. I hope you had a good time
with Blaze. Maybe next time you get that drunk
you'll take a video, I'm sure I'd love to see it.
one last thing… Jump your bones? People still
say that?" I wrote laughing to myself.
I know I'm updating again on a Thursday, don't get used to it though! I give myself till Friday every week to update. I'm just getting a bit ahead of myself (so I can take a day or two off from writing, and yes it takes me that long to write a chapter) getting this chapter started was difficult, as getting every chapter started is. The first thousand words are always the hardest. I'd like to thank my long time reviewers who have stuck with me, and my recent reviewers for showing interest, as always any ideas you have are more than welcome. Remember to give high fives, knucks, rolls of twenty dollar bills and all reviews to the review area. Catch you on the flipside.
