Aw, Come on!

"Hey little girl!" I cooed, holding the yawning bundle in my arms as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. Emily and the twins had finally come home from the hospital and I was holding one of them on the couch. The whole family was there in fact. I rocked Tala back and forth. She didn't cry like usual babies and was my personal favorite.

And that's not only because she's got a unique-type name from her ancestry either.

Ironically, Tala means "wolf" in…some sort of Native American. I'm not entirely sure which nation. Of course, I get mine from the Irish side of the family, but my middle name is Native…

I think…

Does anyone know the origin of "Waneta?" All I know is that it means "shape-shifter" in some language.

Anyways, I love Tala because she's the cutest, sweetest, quietest, smartest baby I've ever met! She's got her mother's face and none of her father—sucks for Sam, ah well—and she just cooes occasionally and tries to tell you she needs a diaper change or a bottle very peacefully in her own little way. I think it's so sweet.

Seth kissed my cheek gently as I brushed Tala's nose with my finger. The arm around my waist was so tight I think it would've bruised if I wasn't what I was. Every time I picked one of the babies up, he'd get so territorial and I had no idea what to do with him.

Kim looked at me empathetically from across the room where Jared was smothering her.

"Seth, loosen up a little." I warned, "We're fifteen, now isn't the time to think about stuff like this."

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I can't, it's not my fault!" He looked apologetic. "I didn't put it there."

I sighed.

Tala made a gurgle sound and reached up.

"You want Momma?" I asked her, "Hmm, she's sleeping right now. How about a bottle?"

She cooed and I took it as a yes.

"Okay then, Seth, go get a bottle and make sure it's not boiling hot." I ordered.

"How do I do that?" He jumped.

"You test it on your skin, you goof, now MARCH!" I looked back down at the baby, "It's okay, Uncle Seth will try to get you a bottle without ruining it."

Kim laughed and Brandon reached up to her.

"Hey, it's Aunt Kim!" She squealed. "How is little Brandon today?"

He didn't do anything, just sighed and fell back to sleep.

"Have you guys seen Alex and Embry around? We haven't been able to find them for two days." I asked quite randomly.

"No idea where Embry is, but I heard Alex went home for the week to get more things because she's officially moving in. I figured Embry went with her, but Alexa's mother wasn't too happy when she left here a couple of mornings ago talking to Sam." Jared told me.

"What happened?" I gasped.

"The only thing that gets parents pissed." Kim spoke up, "They probably had sex or something close to it."

I was a little surprised, I knew Alex and Embry were older than me, but it wasn't something I could see them doing. Ha, like I wanted to see it at all, was this what imprinting did to people? Make them completely lovesick fools who just get into trouble because they have to protect their "loved one?" This was messed up.

"Here." Seth gave me a bottle and I propped Tala's head up.

She suckled eagerly and I took the burp cloth and used it to wipe milk from her chin.

Kids with Seth…

Hmmm…

XXX

"I'm sorry I'm late!" I rushed into the ring and checked my girth. "A family friend just had twins and I've had to help out."

Madelyn nodded quite cheerfully and I wondered why. I pulled down my stirrups and got on, tapping Grant forward when I was ready.

"It's okay! I hope their doing okay!" She smiled, "You going to the show on Saturday?"

I frowned.

"I didn't know there was one…"

"It's hanging on a poster in the tack room, it's actually not too late to sign up. You should go, it'd be fun!"

"What show?"

"Washington State." She told me, picking up a trot.

States…

The last show I had gone to was Garden State in May. I looked at Grant and then at my hands. I hadn't taken actual lessons in a while, was I even ready for this?

The one thing in this world I would never do was put Grant in danger.

"I'll sign up, but I can only do the 2'6" class, I haven't taken a lesson in forever and Grant hasn't gone to a show in a while, I don't want him to stress."

Madelyn nodded.

I had been planning on working mostly on the flat today and it worked out perfectly, because if I was going to show that was what I needed practice on the most.

I clucked o Grant as the trotted down the diagonal, asking for the extension. After two strides of urging, he gave it to me. When we reached the corner, I dropped to a sitting trot and after we reached the other end of the ring again, a medium trot. He did everything with ease, I think I was more out of practice than he was.

Madelyn was already cantering Fire which made perfect sense because she was here before me. I tapped lightly with the inside leg for a counter canter. Right before the corner I asked for a flying change.

It was a stride late, but he gave it in the end.

Jumping was a breeze, I practiced a lot with adding and subtracting strides because it was what Grant needed to learn the most.

I talked to the owner for a bit about the show and entered and, after getting lots of hay in my bra from feeding (because I'm a spaz like that) it was eventually time to go home. I said good-bye and began the walk.

Halfway through the woods, I shifted.

xxx

"I have a horse show on Saturday so I won't be around." I told Billy and Jacob when I got home. "Bed time, 'night."

A/N-

SORRY! Horse shows are KILLER and I'm not even putting this on FanFic! My friend is! I had one huge show last weekend in which my horse (ben) got freaked out after our tent collapsed and, when I went to get my instructor, freaked, reared up, and hit my knee. Not broken, but it was a struggle to walk for a week and a half! This weekend ive got another 1 so every update had either already been typed and my friend is putting up too fast or too slow or is being edited. Im rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy sorry! I hope you all still love me? :'(

Love,

Guys in My Head