Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga.

Embry had been gone for three days.

I spent the first two in a complete state of panic.

I had been in the store alone loads of times before, of course. It was just knowing that Embry wasn't a phone call away that scared me.

And the fact that mom was sick wasn't helping either.

She'd been ill for a while now. Ever since that first dehydration scare, she had never been the same.

Of course we took her to a doctor, but there was nothing they could do.

Mom had lost the will to continue living. And sooner or later...

But I refused to think about that.

Dad leaving us was bad enough. If mom were to go too...

"Kelly?" I jumped I hadn't noticed the bell ring.

"Harry? What're you doing here?" He smiled, and I frowned at the bags under his eyes. Harry was even more worried about mom than I was. I guess it was because he spent more time with her. While I was at work, she showed him the weaknesses she refused to show me.

Harry was growing up way too quickly.

"I couldn't find ma's meds, did you move them or something?" I frowned. I usually didn't move things without telling someone beforehand. It saved a lot of searching and yelling later on.

"No, I don't think so." Harry sighed. "Why?" He glanced at me.

"I think she's hiding them," he whispered.

"You think mom's hiding her medicine?" I couldn't hide the incredulous tone in my voice. Harry shrugged.

"Well, I can't find it anywhere! And this is the second time this week that her medicine magically disappeared." I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

"Just...Go look some more. I'll buy another package on my way home." Harry shrugged again, looking as defeated as I felt.

"Yeah, whatever, see you later then Kells."

"Bye," I muttered as the door slammed shut.

"Kelly?" I didn't flinch this time. I was used to Paul popping out of nowhere now. The silence still kind of creeped me out, but as I said, I was used to it.

"Hey Paul." I glanced at my watch. "You're late. Again." He smiled sheepishly, walking towards me slowly.

"Was that your brother?" My eyes narrowed at his almost jealous tone. Paul had been taking this whole imprinting thing extremely seriously. He had reminded me of it every morning for the last two days.

I was surprised he hadn't mentioned it yet.

"Yes, why?" He shrugged.

"Just wondering... You know since we're imprints, shouldn't I meet your family? Formally?" I was about to yell at him for mentioning imprinting, but the thought of my family brought me up short.

"No," I snapped, closing the subject. Paul opened his mouth to protest, but the look on my face must have shut him up.

He was getting better at this imprint thing.

If it was real.

I would never admit it this to Paul, but this imprinting stuff still seemed sketchy to me.

It all seemed like something out of a fairy tale.

Sure I thought I remembered a giant wolf, and an awkward conversation that led to me slapping Paul.

But whenever I remembered something, anything, it was always iffy. And the only evidence of that any of it actually happened was my cast. And knowing me, I could've broken my fingers doing anything.

"Kelly?" I looked up at Paul, he was frowning at me. "Are you okay?" I rolled my eyes, getting up.

"I'm fine." I slipped my apron over my head, heading towards the door.

"Kelly." He grabbed my arm before I could escape. I sighed again, waiting. "Y-you can tell me, you know." I shuddered. It was still weird being around the nice Paul.

"Nothing's wrong with me, really." I smiled and he let me go. "Bye Paul."

"Bye." I walked to the pharmacy quickly. I hated leaving Harry alone with mom. If something were to happen while I wasn't there…

Once I left the pharmacy, I practically ran home.

But I stopped short when I saw who was at the end of the block.

He smirked when he saw me. My eyes narrowed.

"I thought you're supposed to be watching the store." I side stepped him, looking for a way to get to my backdoor.

Knowing Paul, he probably planned on following me home. To meet my family, "formally".

I rolled my eyes, walking into a nearby alleyway. He was smarter than I gave him credit for.

Paul shrugged, following me. Just like I suspected he would.

"Embry called." I stopped.

"Embry?" I turned to look at Paul, suspicious.

Paul stared at me in silence. I looked away, uncomfortable.

"Yeah." I looked back at Paul again, he sounded angry. But his expression was almost forcefully neutral "He says hi." I turned away, biting my lip.

"Oh." I started walking again. Was Paul mad at me? Should I care if he was?

I guess I was too preoccupied by my thoughts, because I walked straight for my front door.

I unlocked the door and everything, before turning and seeing Paul, still behind me.

I jumped; my hand flying to my heart.

"Paul," I hissed. He looked surprised at my reaction. But that surprise quickly turned to amusement.

I scowled.

"Did you honestly forget about me?" He raised an eyebrow at me. I glanced over my shoulder quickly, Harry was watching from the hallway.

I sighed.

"Look, Paul." I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "I'm really...Sorry. But you can't come in." Paul smiled.

"Why not?" I glared at him.

"Hey man, she says you can't come in." Paul's eyes narrowed at my brother, his hands started trembling.

I took a half step in front of Harry protectively.

"Paul," I muttered, looking up at him from under my eyelashes like he had done to me days before. He staggered a step back, his eyes narrowing at me.

I walked towards him, backing him away from the door and my brother.

"Now is really not a good time, and," I paused, looking down and biting my lip. I heard Paul's sharp intake of breath and bit back a smile. "I would hate for you to get in trouble with Embry. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I glanced up at him again. It didn't look like he was breathing. "Paul?"

"Yeah, uh, see you tomorrow." He didn't look up as he jogged down the street.

I shrugged. That worked out way better than I thought it would.

I really had to start writing down a list of Paul's weaknesses...

"What was that about?" Harry was waiting by the door when I came back in. I shook my head at him, already walking towards mom's room and pulling her medicine from inside my jacket.

"Is he your boyfriend?" I froze, and Harry burst out laughing. I hit the side of his head playfully.

"No." But he was still laughing. I growled.

"Jeez Kells, it's just a joke. Someone's defensive." I ignored him, going to open mom's door.

"Mom?" She rolled over in her bed to look at me. She smiled.

"Hey darlin'." I smiled.

"I've got your medicine. Harry said he couldn't find it before, so I got you some more." She made a face at me then at the pills I held out to her.

"Kelly, I'm fine. Stop wasting money on that stuff." I knelt beside her bed.

"Mother, please, for me. For us." I held them out to her again, but she turned away.

"I just don't want you to leave us, leave Harry, like dad did..." She turned around again, her eyes searching for Harry, but he had left.

She took the pills from me, sitting up.

"You know Kelly, I can't live forever." I nodded, tears blurring my vision. "And when I go, because I will, someone has to take care of your brother." I nodded again.

"I know, and I will. I just don't want to lose you yet." She didn't answer for a while.

"Kelly, I love you and your brother, but you're both growing up, you don't need me anymore." She smiled."You have to stop being so dependant." I laughed.

"Okay, okay." I got up, gently pushing her back down against her pillows.

"You need to sleep." She sighed.

"Fine, fine, make the old lady take a nap..." I smiled, turning the lights off and closing the door.

I was not that dependant... Was I?

The phone rang then, distracting me.

"Kells, it's for you!"

"Hello?"

"Kelly, it's Paul. Embry's back, but he's hurt. Badly. He's asking for you."

I wasn't supposed to do this… But while I wasn't studying... I started writing !

Bad, bad me… Anyway, I must go study now…

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