Chapter 11: the Freaky Gene

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight

Tawa stayed with us for two more weeks at the end of the high school semester, so I decided that it was time for my nephew to return to his home in Hawaii. His rehabilitation period was over as far as I was concerned. Lessons learned, painful lessons, but still …

I held the phone, a big smile on my face. "Becca ... Uh-huh, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You won't recognize your son. He's been doing great, so I don't think he'll give you any more grief. Have Kapono set up the airline tickets, and we'll send him out to you.

We chatted about this and that for awhile, and then ran out ofnews. "No problem, Sis. Well, aloha to you too."

Even after all that had happened, the kids didn't want Tawa to go home—especially, Carlie. After the announcement, she cornered me in the Taj as I was changing a tire on Liam's ten-speed.

"Why does he have to leave, Daddy?"

I put down the wrench I was holding to give her my full attention. "You have to understand, sweetheart, he has a home in Hawaii. Aunt Becca and Uncle Kapono miss him. He's been away from them for a long time."

She crossed her arms and pouted. "But I don't want him to go."

I leaned down to be on eye-level with her. "I know, but he needs to go home. He misses his mom and dad, and all his friends."

Carlie began sniffling, so I picked her up. Pressing my forehead to hers, I said, "I'll ask Becca if he can come visit sometime, okay?"

She wiped a tear away. "Okay …"

Tawa never did come to visit yet, but during that time, he and Carlie emailed back and forth. He finished high school, spent four years in the army, and two years in junior college.

In the meantime, Carlie obviously grew older, and one day when she was fourteen, she complained of feeling sick. For weeks she'd been whining that her stump was hurting, and frequently took off her prosthesis. Bella had checked her leg, thinking maybe she was having a growth spurt and needed a new, larger prosthesis. Turned out she didn't need one at all. It never dawned on me what was happening. Jeez, when I look back, I realize what an idiot I was.

Then—D-day. Carlie was outside, had taken off her artificial leg, and Ephraim, being a major pain, picked it up and ran away with it. Carlie was absolutely furious, and pop—she shifted, just like that! Ephraim and Liam had already phased years ago, so I don't understand why I hadn't figured on the same for my daughter. Head-palm, big time…

She scampered off into the forest, not unnerved in the least at this event.

Who's this now? A three-legged wolf?

Carlie stood her ground. Hi, Uncle Paul.

Liam stepped up to her side. Carlie? Is that you?

Leah cautiously sniffed at the newcomer. Oh, gawd, I guess I should've known I wouldn't always be the only she-wolf in the pack. You stay here with Em and Paul. I'll go dig up some duds for ya. Don't want these guys ogling ya.

She loped off back to the Clearwater's.

Bella was beside herself, and she slammed her hairbrush on the counter. "You're telling me that Carlie has joined the pack?"

"Yep!" More P poppin'. "That's what I'm saying, all right."

Speaking of poppin'—that little crease between her brows appeared suddenly. "So her leg was bothering her because …"

"Yeah, it's growing back. Wolf genes, remember?"

"Oh my gosh. You better hold me up. I think I may faint. You know I'm good with weird, but a limb-regenerating? That is one for the Dr. Who books."

"Ya think?"

In the next two days, the artificial leg was set up in the corner of her room to let nature take its course. Carlie used crutches to get around.

The first time she walked unaided by a mechanical device, she said, "Oh, my gosh. This feels really weird. I guess I'll have to learn how to walk all over again, huh?"

Leaning on a crutch, she grinned with a hint of mischief. "Don't tell Tawa. I want to surprise him."

Rebecca called me one night out of the blue. "Hey, hi, Becca. How's it going? Yep, everything's fine here too. You don't say? That's great news."

Bella crept up behind me. "What's great news?"

I covered the screen on the phone with my palm. "Becca says that Tawa will be finishing up his degree at WSU."

"Really …"

I removed my hand, talking into the phone once more, and winked at Bella. "Yeah, you too. Tell Tawa to drop by and see us. Okay, aloha!"

Carlie was nearly sixteen now, and one week before the college semester started, Tawa came to visit. She barreled out of the house when his roommate dropped him off, and literally flung herself at him.

He looked confused at how speedily she greeted him, and doubly confused when she lifted her pant leg. "Look, Tawa, no more metal."

Then it happened. They stared at each other, and man, oh man, I knew the "look" that crossed their faces all too well. It was no wonder Carlie loved him all these years. They were both wolves, destined to be together as mates. Jeez, there's no accounting for freaky imprinting.

Tawa finished school at the top of his class, found a job, and six months later they were married here on the rez.

Carlie was a happy newlywed. Well, they both were. And to think, what started out as a door laced with sorrow, had eventually opened, and on the other side loomed a promise of a life filled with joy.

The End

Epilogue:

Whaaat? "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Two pink lines means a baby wolf is on the way. And wipe that silly grin off your face."

"Jeez, Bells, I can't help it if that makes me happy. I have no control over my lips … But wait—I do have control over this."

I grabbed her, pressing her close to me, and nuzzled the side of her neck. Then my lips traveled north like a heat-seeking missile, the target being her sweet mouth. They lingered there until we had to break for air, she fanned herself, and blurted, "Well, when you put it that way …"

I was floating on clouds until Bella pulled me back to earth. "Don't get too carried away, Jake. We still need to let the boys know they'll be having a new brother or sister."

"Sure, sure."

I went to their bedroom door and poked my head inside. Hey, guys, we need to huddle in the living room."

"What for?" Liam asked.

"Come see."

When they were seated on the couch, Bella and I stood side by side. I beamed at her, and said, "I have an announcement to make."

Ephraim's eyes brightened, "Allll-riiiight. Is Lani coming to live with us now?" He'd seen her pictures and was hoping.

"You should be so lucky, but no."

Liam added, "Good, because I don't want to be forced to move into the dorm."

Bella gently brushed me aside. "What your father wants to say is this time there IS a bun in the oven."

The boys flopped back on the sofa cushions, with Ephraim moaning, "Aww, man, not again …"

"Ditto," Liam affirmed.

"Yep, one big happy family." I smiled. "What say we go into the kitchen and have some sundaes—with sprintles on top."

Liam complained, "Yeah, Dad. That'll solve everything, won't it?"

Ephraim shrugged. "It worked last time."

"I think I'll move in with Aunt Becca in Hawaii," Liam muttered under his breath. "How old is Lani now?"

Bella and I walked behind them, with her giggling every step of the way.

The End—Really