IMPORTANT! If you read the last chapter before the update, please know that Annie's treatment was supposed to be two days from the time of her confession from Seth, but I changed it to be the day after because it just worked better that way.

I'll admit it. This chapter is basically a filler. I'm mostly putting this story on hold (kind of, not really) for the time being because I have midterms coming up for the next two weeks - so if I don't update next Saturday, you all know why.

Finally, shoutout to SethLuvr who was my 100th reviewer! Thank you to all of my reviewers!

Chapter 14:

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." – Proverbs 4:23

Stratford Residence, Forks, Washington:

I dreamt about Seth that night. He was starting to have a front and center position in almost all of my dreams, but I wasn't sure if that was a result of the imprint, my rampantly running emotions, of the fact that I had fallen asleep breathing in every ounce of him. It was probably a combination of all three.

I was dozing in a huge and comfortable bed that wasn't my own, and was awoken by the succulent smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Despite the fact that I seriously wanted to, I didn't move toward the smell. Somehow, I knew it would come to me.

I blinked as I examined the room, my eyes still bleary with sleep. I didn't feel afraid at waking up in some place that was unfamiliar; instead, I yawned and leaned back against my pillows. There was shuffling outside the door and hushed conversation; I smiled at the sound.

The door was quickly pushed open to reveal a joyful Seth, his broad smile nearly blinding as he held a tray full of breakfast food in his hands.

Two thin arms were wrapped around his neck, and a small figure was dangling from his back, giggling hysterically. She dropped off of Seth's back and ran to the bed, hopping up onto it to sit beside me. Her curly hair bounced as it fell onto her shoulders, covering up her tan skin.

"Mommy! Daddy and I made you breakfast!"

For some reason, the fact that this little girl was calling me mommy didn't surprise me in the least. I smiled, pulling her close and brushing a bit of hair out of her dark gray eyes. "You did?" I asked, feigning surprise as I smoothed out my blankets so Seth could place the tray over my lap. "That was very sweet of you. What's the occasion?"

Seth shrugged, leaning forward to place a light kiss on my forehead. "No reason. I just figured that with how exhausted you've been lately, you could use a nice surprise." He gently placed a hand over my rounded and obviously pregnant belly.

I chuckled softly, placing my own hands over his. "Yes, the little one has been keeping me exhausted." I leaned over to the small girl who was waiting patiently next to me and asked, "Do you want to share the pancakes with me?"

She clapped her hands together happily, nodding. "But daddy can't have any because he'd eat them all!"

I started to laugh at Seth's insulted expression, but for some strange reason the sound sounded hollow and far off, as if I was quickly moving through a tunnel. The scene changed, colors and sounds blurring together in a rush of cold and darkness until I wasn't in the warm and inviting bed anymore. Instead, I was in a small room; it was dark and cold, smelling of rust and metal and something bitterly sweet.

"Hello?" I called out, my voice sounding unfamiliar to my ears. It was melodic and tinkling, like bells. "Is anyone there?"

I turned, seeing that a mirror had appeared on the far wall that only moments ago had been completely bare. I walked forward, hesitant but curious, and finally saw my own reflection.

I was still my own reflection that I saw in the mirror, but at the same time I was completely different than what I had been before. My skin was pale as it was before, but healthy and free of blemishes. My hair had regained its former luster, now bright and wavy and clean. I touched my cheek with my hand, feeling my own cold skin curiously. I glanced up at the mirror a second time to make sure it wasn't just a trick, and saw my eyes.

I gasped, stumbling backwards. What? My eyes were – no it couldn't be possible! No, no, no! I moved forward again and leaned my face closer though my eyesight was perfect. My eyes, once a storm cloud gray, were now a bright and bloody red.

A harsh snarl made me swing around, my body going into a defensive stance. I hissed, unable to stop myself as I saw the large sandy wolf that was crouched several yards away, ready to pounce.

Seth.

For some reason I smiled, straightening up as my body relaxed itself. I cocked my head to the side as I watched him, amused. The hurt in his eyes was obvious, but there was also determination. I smiled wider.

"You can't defeat me," I told him in a singsong voice. "You wouldn't defeat me."

His position didn't change at my words. There was a flash of pain in his eyes, but no sign of hesitation.

"I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to," I warned. "I will kill you."

Neither of us moved.

"You would rather die than hurt me," I snapped, my voice snarky and cocky. "We both know you will never be able to take it all the way through. It would kill you."

He growled lowly, the sound coming from somewhere deep in his throat.

And then… he pounced.

oOo

In a tiny crook in between the branch of a particularly tall pine tree, the vampire, who went by the name of Kendrick, sat completely unmoving as he watched the little female wolf toy toss and turn in her sleep.

He had managed to avoid the wolves for some time, or at least throw them off the trail by bouncing and leaping through the highest parts of the trees, far higher than their noses could reach. It was almost as if it was too easy. He had taken the same trail both back and forth; never going somewhere he hadn't been before, so his smell was covered by the most perfect red herring – his own scent. While they were busy chasing a dead end and trying to figure out where he had gone, he was heading in the opposite direction. None of them had been any the wiser.

Honestly, if the wolves were stupid enough to fall for his simple trick, then that was their problem.

There was a movement from the girl's upstairs bedroom and a ruffle of the curtains as one of the wolves climbed out of the window and landed agilely on his feet. From his perch far away from the house, Kendrick watched amusedly as the wolf regretfully took one last look at the girl's bedroom window before jogging towards the highway in the light rain.

He waited, watching to see if the wolf would catch his scent, but he didn't. At one point the mutt stopped and glanced toward the trees as if he could feel that he was being watched, but eventually continued on his unhappy way. Kendrick wasn't sure if it was his own genius plans, the rain washing away any excess smell, or the wolf's mental distractions, but he was grateful all the same. He still had time to do what he needed to do.

The window had been left open a bit to allow a bit of the fresh and cold air into the room. Kendrick breathed in the air; her scent was strong and sweet smelling, mingled with the over-whelming smell of wet dog. He made a face. Disgusting.

Her curtains ruffled slightly from the wind, hiding everything but a shadow of her body from his view. He waited, just in case. There was no telling when that stupid mutt would be back, so he believed it would be best to just take his time and be patient.

After all, there was no rush. He had eternity.

For several hours he stayed in his crouched position in the branches, long after her breathing had become deep and even – a sign of a deep sleep. Good.

Hopping down onto the ground, not making a noise, he ran and climbed up the side of the house, using his momentum to push him through the window. The smell of wolf was potent in the room.

The girl was lying on her side in the center of her bed, arm stretched out and curled around a pillow. Her hair was splayed across the sheets, but her soft features were contorted into a frown, as if she was having a nightmare.

He chuckled to himself. A nightmare – how fitting.

Kendrick reached out and pushed a stray curl out of her face, his fingers lightly touching the bare skin of her cheek. She sighed and instinctively turned her head away from his cold touch. She shivered.

He shook his head. There was something about this girl, something within her spirit that he could sense. He was so curious about her, about her connection to the shape-shifters, about what had attracted the wolf to her. She was quite plain, nothing out of the ordinary; not a person that would catch your eye walking down the street. But still there was something, something about her.

Kendrick made his way around her room, examining the pictures and trinkets that were scattered across her desk and bookshelf. He dragged his fingers along the wood of her furniture, brushing his hands along the clothes hanging out of her open closet; this would surely get the wolves riled up. He smirked, running his hands along an old photo album. She was a very simple girl, but elegant and extravagant in her own way, despite her horrible sickness.

She would make a wonderful vampire.

Soon.

A small whimper shook him out of his reverie. She had shifted in her bed, tightly clutching her pillow. Her face scrunched up as several tears escaped her eyes, and she let out a strangled, "No."

Kendrick was gone before she opened her eyes less than ten seconds later.

By the time I woke up in the early hours of the next morning, Seth was already long gone. I already guessed that he wouldn't be able to stay the entire night. If he wanted to come to the hospital with us then he would have to head home and shower, and hopefully have a long conversation with his mother.

I felt strange; not good, but not bad either. I was a bit queasy after the dream I had, but I refused to think on it too much at the moment, knowing that if I did, I would just end up making myself panic. I shuddered against the cold, feeling almost… violated.

Something crumpled under my back as I stretched. I reached under me to see a slightly rumpled piece of paper filled with Seth's rushed script. My lips twitched into a smile, immediately feeling better since I knew that the previous night hadn't been a dream.

I sat up and flipped open the paper.

Annie, it read.

I'm sorry that I didn't wake you up when I left; you looked so relaxed that I couldn't bear to wake you. I feel terrible that I had to leave you by yourself after what happened last night, but I had a few things that I needed to take care of before the day ends. Mostly a bunch of apologies that are long overdue and I seriously need to go and check in with my mom; also, by the time I get back to your house, I should be clean again, so that's a plus.

I feel as if I have so much to tell you, but I don't know where to start. I guess I could begin my saying thank you for being honest with me; that's all I ever really wanted.

I also know that we've both had a lot of information thrust onto us in the last few days and I know it's all extremely difficult to deal with, but I promise you that I'm going to attempt to make this as easy to swallow as humanly possible. It's the least I could do. I know it can be scary and terrifying, but all of it isn't as bad once you get used to it.

I'll be at your house sometime before 8 AM to go with you to Port Angeles, I'll do my best to help you with whatever pain you have to suffer through. If I could take your pain away and put it on myself instead, I would do so in a heartbeat. I know I won't be able to do much, though, but I'll do what I can; even if that means just holding your hand.

I love you.

~ Seth

Warmth filled my heart at Seth's words. Is this what it felt like to be truly happy? Is this what it felt like to have someone who cared for you so much that he was willing to give up everything just to make sure you didn't have to go through any pain?

If it was… Well. Maybe this imprinting thing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And maybe, just maybe… the possibility was open for Seth and I to – one day – become a little more than friends.

Eli's expression was one of disbelief. "Do you mean to tell me that after all the shit that's happened over the last few weeks, after all the pain you've suffered through over that… that guy, you mean to tell me that you told him you have cancer and invited him to go to Port Angeles with us?"

"Um, yes?"

Honestly, Eli was taking the news better than I expected him to take it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took several deep breaths to calm his temper. "What the hell is going on with you, Annie?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feigning a confused expression.

His eyes narrowed. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," he shot back. "Ever since we moved her, you've been acting… weird. I don't know what happened at the bonfire that night, but I know it had something to do with Seth Clearwater. That's why you wouldn't tell me about it, right?"

"The bonfire issue was…" I hesitated before saying, "Solved. What happened is irrelevant now."

Eli gaped. "Irrelevant? Annie, you've been walking around here like somebody died. Charlotte and I have been stepping on eggshells around you because you're … zombie-like, and we're afraid that the slightest thing is going to just set you off. This isn't healthy! I was this close to bringing you to the hospital because I thought you were depressed!"

Depressed? Not really the best word to describe how I was feeling. Confused? Definitely. But depressed… not so much.

I stayed quiet as Eli rushed on. "I read the books and the articles that when you were first diagnosed, Annie. I know that depression is a side effect of cancer –"

I snorted.

"- and that doesn't mean that it's like any other illness. You're putting yourself into these horrible situations that are just causing you more pain, and is that really what you want at the moment? Seriously?"

"I'm not depressed," I protested. "And I'm not putting myself into bad situations. Seth hasn't done anything; it was just a huge misunderstanding, but it's been resolved."

"How could it have possibly been resolved? You haven't been out of the house in weeks and you haven't talked to the Clearwater's since the bonfire."

I bit my lip. It wasn't like I could actually tell my brother that I had run outside to talk to Wolf-Seth, and then we snuck our way into the house to my bedroom where we talked things through until he snuck back out sometime in the middle of the night through my bedroom window. "It's complicated."

He scoffed, threateningly crossing his arms over his chest. "Complicated!"

"I kind of talked to him on the phone last night," I lied. "After you had gone to sleep. We talked things through and everything is okay –"

"No, Annie, everything is not okay! I –" He stopped, leaning forward on the kitchen table with both hands. "I don't know what the hell happened, but I honestly don't care. He hurt you, I know he did, and –"

"It was both of our faults," I defended, attempting to rightfully put some of the blame on myself. "I said a few things I didn't mean and so did he. He told me something… that was really important and I ended up misunderstanding. Then after a while I realized that I was just so tired of secrets that I had to tell him I was sick. I told him last night over the phone. I couldn't keep it from him anymore."

Eli stared at me in disbelief.

"I really want him to be there with me today, Eli," I begged quietly. "Please, I need him to be there. He's so wonderful and I don't want to keep that part of my life away from him anymore. I don't want to keep it from any of them." Even as the words came out of my mouth, I knew they were true. I had become so close to Seth's pack in such a short amount of time, and it felt like a real betrayal to keep such an important part of my life from them.

I was tired of hiding from them.

"You know I love you, right?" Eli asked after a small silence had passed. "More than anything else in the world."

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I know you do, and I love you."

"Seth loves you, too," Eli murmured, almost to himself.

I blinked. "What?"

"I'm not stupid, Annie," he stated softly. "I've only been around the kid a few times but even I can see how much he cares about you. That kid is in love with you." He frowned. "It's the strangest thing. The way he looks at you is just like dad used to look at mom – with this adoration; like you're the most perfect thing in the world."

I blushed. "No, he doesn't."

"He does," Eli disagreed. "You may not see it, but I do. Do you… do you feel the same way?"

My blush deepened. "I don't know; I mean, I feel something for him. He's not just a good guy; he's the best guy. He's kind of crazy and strange, but he's always a gentleman and considerate. I knew that he loved me; he actually told me," I admitted, causing Eli to raise an eyebrow. "But I also know that if I just wanted to stay friends for the rest of my life then that's what he would do. He wouldn't push me into things I'm not ready for, he's always there when I need someone to talk to, and it's like nothing I've ever experienced before."

At Eli's sad smile, my eyes widened. "Not that I don't have you and Charlotte to talk to when I need you because you've both always been there for me. It's –"

" – different with Seth," he finished.

Eli, you have no idea. "Yeah. Different."

"I understand," he stated.

"You do?"

"Of course. You're growing up, and eventually you were going to start…" He made a face. "Showing interest in boys."

"But Seth isn't just any boy," I insisted.

"I know, I know," Eli shook away my words. He sighed. "Dad would kill me if I let any guy get away without giving him a hard time, but I know that mom would want me to give you a break. I'm kind of torn by what to do at the moment."

I stared at him thoughtfully. "I know what mom and dad would think, Eli. What do you think?"

Eli paused, unprepared for my question. "I think that – no, I know that you've been through a lot in the past year and you've changed a lot. Until we moved here it's like you've been floating; just going through the motions, you know? But then you met Seth and you started smiling and laughing again; you're happy and being sarcastic and cracking jokes like you used to, and it makes me happy to see you happy."

I waited for him to continue.

"I may not like it, or him, but you're growing up and you're a smart girl. I know you'll make the right choices. If Seth makes you happy, then…" His voice trailed off.

"Then?" I leaned forward in anticipation.

"Then don't let him go," he stated simply. "I care more about you and Charlotte's happiness more than anything else in the world, so if he makes you happy, who am I to take that away from you and deny you the right to that happiness?"

I smiled, making him smile back at me. "That means a lot, Eli."

He held up a finger. "I'm not done. I do have one word of warning for you."

"Shoot."

Eli hesitated, as if debating how to word his statement. "Be careful who you give your heart to, because a heart is a fragile thing; and a broken one is just as hard to heal as cancer."

I looked down at my hands. Eli's words struck deep. It wasn't that I hadn't thought of the possibility of getting my heart broken, because it was a fear that I lived with for a long time. Instead, it was the fear that, one day, I would hurt Seth beyond repair. But in the back of my head, I just knew that Seth was worth it, and I knew exactly what he would say: "Maybe you should let me make that decision for myself." So instead of arguing with Eli, I said, "Maybe some people are worth risking a broken heart over."

Reviews are food for the soul!