AN: I am so sorry I haven't updated in a while, I'm going to put this story first in my line up. I based the end of Cady and Seth's talk on how well Bella and Jake interacted at the prepatory meeting for the battle with the newborns. I'm being vague so I don't give anything away you'll get it when you read the chapter. & Happy New Year!

Chapter 11: Discussions

Drake didn't join us at the dinner table that night, probably scared to face our fuming mother. Mom spent all dinner not saying a word, and forcefully cutting up the chicken then stabbing at it with her fork. No one brought up Drake, even though I really wanted to know exactly why he had gotten into a fight. After our tense family dinner we all disbanded to our different areas of the house.

Putting away the last dish into the cabinet, I was really hoping for tomorrow to be a better day.

-()-()-()-

Tuesday was awkward and today just sucked. I found out on our ride home the other day that Drake was grounded for the remainder of the week. That made all three Palmer children contained to the house.

Mom must be really annoyed about that. There weren't many places in the house where you can be alone, and Mom really needs some time to herself. It would be a good way for her to calm down. To take a moment or two alone to sort out her day and revel in all the good things that took place.

One of my favorite parts of the day was the few minutes after school that I had Seth all to myself. He would meet me at my locker and we'd walk outside to the pick-up area, all the while talking and/or holding hands. On the colder days he'd wrap his overly hot arms around me to keep me warm.

I wish I could spend my whole day like that, held snugly against his side.

I smiled a little, remembering the moment not too long ago. Briget gave me a weird look as she sat on top of her bed.

"OK, now I know you're not thinking about Drake, Cady," Briget said.

I rolled my eyes and focused back onto our discussion, as I sat in Briget's swirly desk chair.

"So, did you have any thoughts? Or were you too busy thinking about Seth?" Cady said, pushing out a piece of Eclipse gum from its pack.

"Can I have a piece?" I asked sweetly.

Briget smiled and threw a piece over to me.

"Thank you," I said, popping it into my mouth.

"So did your friend's little sister say anything else?" I asked

"No. Alexa only caught the tail-end of the 'fight'" Briget said, adding air quotes with her fingers. "Two of Drake's friends were trying to pull Drake back, but he got out of their grips and got one more punch in on the other guy before one of the teachers came."

"Two boys?" I asked.

"Yup," Briget said.

By the rate of our progress (which was basically zero), I was really hoping that this would just blow over so Briget and I didn't have to keep playing detective – which neither of us were really good at. Also, as high-schoolers we really wouldn't be much help. If Drake were to get in more fights, Briget and I would probably have to talk to him about it; which is something we weren't really planning on doing.

I sighed and slouched in the chair. "Can we just hope that this blows over?"

"Sure, that sounds good. All this thinking is giving me a headache."

I snorted and spun the chair 'round.

"So… how much longer are you grounded?" Briget asked.

"A little over forty eight hours, are you still grounded?" I said.

Briget shook her head. "No, yesterday was my last day. I just don't want to do anything to tick Mom off."

"Lucky," I mumbled and spun the chair once more. "Well tell me about any updates on Drake, OK?"

"Alright," Briget said.

I flashed a small smile, before leaving her room.

Just three more days, three more days until I get Seth all to myself and where we can talk about anything we want.

-()-()-()-

(3 days later)

Leah picked me up at noon on Saturday. I hadn't felt like asking Mom, I really liked my head where it was atop my neck.

"I can't wait for Seth to get his driver's license," Leah said as I got into the car, "then I wouldn't have to do any of this shuttling shit."

"Oh, you know you love me," I said buckling in.

Leah eyed me and I laughed.

"Well I'm going to take the driver's test at the end of the month," I said, "and when I pass it my mom is going to get me a car."

"Good," Leah said, cranking up the radio – ending our little conversation.

-()-()-()-

Seth was waiting outside of his house when Leah pulled up. Seth quickly walked over as I got out of the car.

"Hey Seth," I greeted.

"Hey Cady," Seth said. "Let's go on inside." Seth led me to the house as Leah laughed, walking toward the backyard.

Once we were seated comfortably (i.e. I snuggled into his side) in the living room I asked him what was up between him and his sister. I'd noticed that he was a little tense as he basically pulled me into the house.

"She threatened to, um, tell embarrassing stories about me if she had to give you another ride," Seth said.

I smiled up at Seth. "No more worries then Seth. I'm going to take the driver's test at the end of the month."

"Really? That's cool," Seth said.

"Yeah. So, I've been thinking about how I need to learn more about you and the guys. Maybe you can tell me about some of the other things besides the whole turning into wolves."

"What do you want to know?" Seth asked.

"How many…. Cold Ones exist, nearby?" Looking up into Seth's face I could see the surprise and hesitance there. He obviously was just protecting me, but I wanted to know – I needed to know.

"It's just the Cullen's and the random nomad," Seth said slowly.

Dr. Cullen's family…? Recalling the one time I went to the hospital a couple years ago, and saw the doctor, I could now put a name to his strangeness. Handsome Dr. Cullen was a vampire.

"Who protects us when we're all in school?" I questioned, noting that every member of the pack went to high school with the exception of Sam.

"Sam, and anybody who can get away with missing a day of school," Seth answered.

"Is that the usual, two people on patrol?"

"Yeah, but you usually try to get three people."

"OK," I said. "So you just have someone for each direction? You all must be pretty fast then."

"Yes, we are very fast and strong. We also have extremely good hearing and a heightened sense of smell compared to a normal human."

"Huh…" I said, thinking about the things I've said while I thought the guys couldn't hear. "So privacy is kind of hard to get with the pack?"

Seth shifted in his seat. "Yeah, it is, but it isn't that bad."

I narrowed my eyes at Seth, sensing he wasn't telling me the full truth. He shifted once again in his seat.

"Withholding is tantamount to lying," I said.

Seth gave me a confused look. "Withholding something is basically the same as lying, i.e. you're not telling the truth to me."

Seth sighed. "Alright, along with the super senses we have this other thing. When were in wolf form we share our minds with anyone else in wolf form. You can hear and occasionally see what another is thinking about.

"For the most part it is annoying, sharing everything with everyone. But it is really useful when we have to hunt," Seth explained.

"So, you read each other's' mind?" I asked.

"Yes," Seth answered.

"And all your pack mates hear and see what you think about?"

"Yes."

"So if you… thought about me – in any way – they'd know about it?"

"Yes, but we can control our thoughts pretty w-"

I interrupted him. "Oh, you better, Seth Clearwater I don't need the guys to think I'm a pedophile."

"Well, first of all I'm fifteen," Seth said.

"And I am seventeen. That is a two year difference, other people would think strangely of us together," I said.

Seth gave me an inquisitive look and I instantly blushed. Seth didn't need to know about any of my optimistic daydreams of us together.

"So, do you think I could see you as a wolf?" I questioned, trying to get Seth's thoughts off of us together.

"You want to what?" Seth said, surprised.

"Can I see you in your wolf form?" I said.

"Are you sure about that Cady?"

"I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't sure," I said.

"OK, you can, as long as you're sure about it."

I smiled up at Seth. "I am. I want to see this other side of you. Now, are we going to go outside?" I said, sitting up and getting off the couch.

"No, you are going to stay inside," Seth said, standing up. "You can wait for me at the back door if you want."

"Alright," I said falling into step beside Seth as he walked out of the living room and down the hall, to the back of the house.

"You can stay right here and once I leave start counting up to… twenty," Seth instructed.

"Should I use Mississippi's?" I asked.

"Sure," He said. "And you're sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, I really do, Seth," I said reassuringly.

He looked at me for a moment, and then gave me a short nod before heading out the back door.

I started counting then.

"One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi, four-Mississippi, five-Mississippi, six-Mississippi… seventeen-Mississippi, eighteen-Mississippi, nineteen-Mississippi, twenty." I smiled. "Ready or not, here I come."

I slowly pushed open the back door and stepped onto the back porch. My eyes instantly found the large wolf standing near the middle of the yard. It had a tan coloring, with a dark shade of brown as its undercoat. He was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. He was so big, but I only felt a sense of calm around him.

I walked across the porch and down the stairs to the muddy ground. Seth took a hesitant step forward when I stopped ten feet away from him.

"So, this is what you turn into to protect the tribe."

Seth raised and lowered his head in a slow nod.

A small smile touched my face as I began to walk forward again.

One of my biggest wishes had come true; my beloved books had come alive. No one else in the world could say that, because no one else had Seth as their boyfriend.

I reached out a hand to let my fingers brush against his fur coat right behind his head. Seth turned his head and lightly nudged my arm. I kept my eyes on him as I dragged my hand along Seth's neck to his barrel chest.

I could feel the strong muscles underneath his skin twitch as I began to rub my hand back and forth, feeling the thick hairs tickle my palm. Seth relaxed as I pet him, probably reassured that I wasn't scared of him. As I began to her the wolf-like equivalent of a cat's purr, Seth plopped down onto his bottom. I laughed and moved my hands to scratch just behind his ears. I reached my right hand to scratch right behind his right ear and he dropped to the ground. I laughed again; Seth was the perfect picture of a contempt wolf. It was almost like he was a big puppy-dog.

Seth lifted his head and quirked an ear.

"Does my puppy-dog want a belly rub?" I crooned.

He dropped his head to the ground and huffed. I giggled and walked right up to Seth. Kneeling down on the ground, by his front, I began to rub his dark underbelly.

After a moment I sat my but on the ground, not caring about getting my jeans wet. Seth was just being too funny. I craned my neck to see that Seth's eyes were closed.

"You really like this, don't you?" I asked.

Seth raised his head to give me a look then lowered it to rest on the ground. We stayed like that for a surprisingly long time; me rubbing him like he was just a dog, and Seth feeling like he was heaven by the way his paws were raised and twitching.

Suddenly, Seth rolled over and stood up. I shouted in surprise at his sudden act. Seth looked worriedly at me and I stood up.

"Is something wrong, Seth?" I asked.

He shook his head and backed up into the woods.

"Seth?" I called taking a few steps toward where Seth had gone.

"I'm fine," Seth called from within the woods. "It's cool, everything's fine." He came back pulling on his shirt.

"Are you sure? That seemed really sudden, is something going on?" I questioned.

"No, no, everything's fine," Seth said taking hold of my hand leading back into the house. "One of the guys was able to knock me out of my daze."

"Oh, OK," I said with a smirk. "You really were … entranced by my belly rub."

Seth chuckled and opened up the back door for me. I went inside and walked down the hallway and stopped at the kitchen entrance. I turned around and leaned up against the wall as Seth made his way down the hall.

"I will admit that it was a really nice belly rub," Seth said behind his darkening cheeks.

"Let me guess, you're the only one who's gotten one."

Seth nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"Well most of the time I am," I said. I was really enjoying my time with Seth, I just felt so buoyant, and why wouldn't I be, I had Seth all to myself and we were enjoying each other's company.

"I highly doubt that, everybody's gonna be wrong every once and a while," Seth said, making a face.

I scoffed at him and followed behind him as he turned into the kitchen. "Well, now you've met me."

Seth walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door, sticking his head inside. I walked over and leaned up against the kitchen counter beside him.

"So what, are you saying that you're always right?" Seth said from behind the door.

"Uhh, basically, yeah, I am."

Seth rose from behind the door with a Sprite in his hand. "I don't mean to knock you off you're high horse Cady, but I highly doubt that." He twisted the cap off and took a drink of the Sprite.

"Do you mean wolf?" I jokingly asked.

"Haha, you're just so funny," Seth said, shutting the refrigerator door.

"I'll be here all day," I said, with a smile. I put my arms behind me, onto the smooth plastic of the counter, and lifted myself to sit atop it.

"Well, yeah, that was the plan," Seth said.

I lifted my hand and gave him a little push. "No need to be such a smart ass, Seth."

He took a sip of his soda.

"You are going to be here most of the day, right?"

"Yes."

"So this time I'm right."

I laughed at Seth. "You're just saying that 'cuz I just said I'm always right."

He shrugged and moved to lean against the counter right beside me. "So, besides argue, what else do you want to do today?"