Hey everyone. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far. I'm not very happy with this chapter, but I hope you guys like it. Thank you all so much for your reviews and adds. If I didn't get back to you personally, I'm sorry, but I appreciate them all the same! Thanks again, and please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight.

Chapter 20

Emily and I sat on either side of Robin on the sofa while she just stared at Embry who had settled his large frame on the surprisingly solid coffee table in front of her. Sam sat in one of the armchairs in his living room, watching the scene unfold in front of him. I was trying to gage Robin's reaction, but her face was completely blank as she looked at Embry. I looked at Embry and saw his pained expression as he too couldn't find any trace of emotion on Robin's face. Slowly, he reached out and took her right hand as it rested limply in her lap.

"Robin, please say something," Embry said and finally she blinked before she pulled her hand from Embry's and stood as she took a deep breath.

"I need a minute," she said, not looking at Embry, before she raced upstairs and I assumed into the bathroom when I heard a door slam shut. Embry sighed heavily before he put his elbows on his legs and raised his hands to his head, covering his face with a heavy sigh.

"It's okay, Embry," I said as I reached out and put my left hand on his shoulder. He raised his head from his hands and looked at me. "At least she stayed in the house and didn't run out the door screaming. That has to mean something good, right?" I asked trying to lighten the mood, but all I managed to do was make him groan quietly before he put his head back in his hands.

"What exactly happened tonight and where's Paul?" Sam asked and I looked at him as pulled my hand from Embry's shoulder. We hadn't really said much to Sam or Emily why we were there other than my whispered 'Embry's going to tell her' and it was obvious that Sam was tired of waiting and wanted a few answers.

"Long story short," I said dryly, "a guy got grabby, Paul got pissed, guy said something very uncalled for, and Paul broke his face."

"Wait, Paul broke a guy's face?" Emily asked and I sighed softly as I looked at her.

"He punched him so hard I heard something crack over the music and I was standing four feet away," I said and Emily sighed as she looked at Sam. My eyes followed hers and I fidgeted with my skirt as I looked at the older man. "Embry pulled him off and dragged him outside, and when Robin and I got out there I asked him where Paul was and he pointed to what was left of Paul's tux on the ground. No real way to explain that away without finally telling her the truth."

From the moment we left the dance, I was silently worrying about Paul and I wanted to ask Sam if he would phase and to connect with him and find out if he was okay, but I wasn't sure how to ask. So, I just stayed quiet. I looked down at the corsage that was still settled around my wrist before I played with it a bit and sighed once more. After a few minutes of silence in the room, I stood and everyone looked at me.

"I'm going to check on Robin," I said and all I got were nods in response before I lifted my skirt slightly and went upstairs. I knocked on the bathroom door, but Robin didn't answer. However, I didn't let that stop me and I went inside. Robin was sitting on side of the tub and looked up at me as I walked into the small room and closed the door behind me. "Hey," I said and she sighed.

"Hey," she said back before she returned her eyes to the floor. I walked over and closed the toilet lid before I sat down across from her and looked at her. "How long have you known about this?" she asked after a beat.

"Since the summer," I said and she looked at me once more. "I couldn't tell you about it before because it's a Quileute tribal secret. However, trust me when I say it's been killing me that I haven't been able to talk to you about it ever since you met Embry. I've been trying to get him to tell you for weeks, but he's been scared."

"Scared?" she asked with a frown.

"Robin, he loves you," I said softly. "He's been scared about what you would think of him when you found out and what you would do. Right now, he's downstairs worrying himself to death thinking you're going to go down there and tell him that you never want to see him again. That's what he's scared of; loosing you would kill him."

"I'd never do that. I love him too, Mari, but," Robin paused to swallow hard, "but . . . because of this whole imprinting thing, isn't he, like, forced to care about me?" I shook my head negatively and reached out to take her hand.

"No, it's more like his genetics pointing him in the right direction," I said. "I thought the same thing when Paul explained it to me, but it's not anything like that. When the guys imprint, they find their soul mate. They find the ying to their yang, the chocolate to their peanut butter, the caramel to their ap-," I made to continue but Robin pulled her hands from mine and covered my mouth with her hands.

"Okay," she said with a laugh, "I get it." I smiled under her hands before she pulled them away, still laughing. "That sort of explains everything then, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Explains what?" I asked.

"Why he's so perfect," she said with a smile and I laughed.

"Embry is not perfect," I said and her smile grew at my face. "He chews with his mouth open sometimes, oh and don't even get me started on the bad jokes Quil and him throw back and forth sometimes." I shuddered and made a face, making her laugh again. "However, he is very loyal and sweet." She smiled and nodded her head as she tucked her hair behind her ears. "You think he's perfect because he's perfect for you, just like I think Paul is perfect despite the fact that sometimes his temper gets the better of him and he acts before he thinks."

"What happened by the way?" Robin asked. "Embry and I were dancing when all of a sudden he's pulling me through the crowd and then pulling Paul of some guy. Who was he hitting?"

"I'll start from the beginning," I said, deciding to give Robin the full version. "I went to the bathroom and when I came out, I ran into some guy who couldn't take his eyes off my chest and who wouldn't take no for an answer. I'd never met him, but I had seen him around school. He said his name was Kyle and tried to get me to dance with him and 'have a good time.' Paul-"

"Wait," Robin said, interrupting me and I stopped. "Did this guy have blonde hair, brown eyes, and a 'you know you want me' smirk on his face when he talked?" I frowned as I nodded.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.

"He's my asshole of an ex," she said.

"The guy that . . .," I said trailing off and she nodded. I scoffed a laugh and shook my head. I shouldn't have been surprised that Kyle was her ex that used her and left her. He was totally that guy that would peak in high school and do nothing afterwards. "Well, he said something pretty nasty, and Paul laid into him. Paul punched him hard in the face a couple of times before Embry came and dragged him outside."

"Which was where he literally blew up into a giant wolf because he was so angry," she finished for me and I nodded. "Have you seen all of their wolf forms?" she asked me quietly.

"Almost all of them," I said honestly.

"Do you know what Embry looks like?"

"He's dark gray with black spots," I said remembering him from the times I had seen him outside the house. "He's a little leaner than some of the others because he's faster than a lot of them."

"Do you think he'll show me?" Robin asked.

"I think he will; if you ask," I said and Robin nodded as she stood. I stood with her and the two of us made our way downstairs. Embry was quick to his feet and turned around to look at Robin as she stepped off the last stair behind me. Sam and Emily weren't in the room anymore, but I didn't ask where they were since I heard noises coming from the kitchen. I could tell by the look on Embry's face that he wanted to go to Robin's side, but he kept his distance and remained standing in the center of the room because he didn't know how to approach her.

Robin took one look at him and raced around the furniture before she threw herself in his arms. Embry stumbled back a bit in surprise, but kept his footing before he threw his arms around her and lifted her from the floor as he buried his face in her neck while she wrapped her arms around his. I smiled at them and let out a relieved sigh as he slowly lowered her to the floor and pushed her hair from her face.

"I'm sorry I just left like that," she said quickly as she shook her head. "I was just . . . overwhelmed."

"It's okay," he said softly. "I understand." She hugged him again and Embry put his arms around her once more before he raised his head to look at me. I smiled once more and he gave me his crooked smile before he mouthed the words 'thank you' to me and I shook my head as I still smiled.

"Will you show me what you look like?" Robin asked and Embry looked down at her as she raised her head and looked up at him.

"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yeah. I want to see what you look like," she said and Embry nodded.

"Okay," he said and he took her hand before he started to lead her outside. As they passed me, Robin grabbed my hand with her free hand and dragged me along with them. We walked down the porch steps before Embry let go of Robin's hand. The half moon was bright and shining down on us in the front of Emily and Sam's house, and we could see each other clearly. "I'm going to phase in the woods, and I'll come out in a minute." Robin frowned but nodded.

"Embry," I said quickly as he turned away and he stopped to look at me. "Would you . . .," I trailed off because before I could even finish my question he gave me a small smile and nodded his head before he disappeared into the woods.

"Why is he changing in the woods?" she asked as she looked at me and I smiled.

"He has to strip down before he phases otherwise he'll rip his clothes to shreds like Paul did his," I said and she made an 'o' shape with her mouth before she grinned and looked to the trees.

"I wouldn't have really minded if he would have just done that right here," she said as she pointed to the grass in front of us and I looked at her with a face.

"Ew," I said and she laughed as she looked at me. "I would have minded. He's like my brother and that is something I do not want to see. Ever." Robin smiled at me before she looked to the trees once more only to gasp and take a step back. "It's okay, Robin," I assured her as the large gray wolf with black spots slowly moved closer. "It's just Embry. He won't hurt you." She nodded before she walked over to where Embry had stopped and looked up at him.

"Your eyes," she whispered as she laughed quietly. "It really is you." She raised a slightly shaking hand to his fur before she smiled and put her face in his neck. Embry turned his head slightly and put his mussel on her back as he let out a huff and hugged her with his head. I went back inside the house then, wanting to give the two of them a moment, and hopefully to wait for Paul to come. As I went inside Emily and Sam were coming out of the kitchen and Emily held out one of the mugs she was carrying to me.

"I made some hot chocolate," she said and I smiled as I took the cup from her.

"Thanks," I said.

"Are they okay?" Sam asked and I nodded.

"Yeah," I said. "Once the shock wore off, she was fine."

"I knew she would be," Emily said and I nodded in agreement before I took a sip of the hot chocolate and sat down at the dining table. Sam kissed Emily's head and went upstairs, leaving the two of us on our own before she sank down in a chair across from me, putting her mug down on the table. "Everything okay?" she asked and I sighed for what felt like the millionth time that night before I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Paul," I said. "He's been gone for almost two hours."

"If something was wrong, Embry would have sensed it the second he phased," Emily said as she reached out and covered my hand with hers.

"I know, I know," I said softly. "It's just sort of hard not to worry. I mean, he's been angry before like when the vampire came around, but not like this. I'd never seen him that angry. It was kind of scary."

"I didn't mean to scare you," a deep voice said from the door and Emily and I jumped as she pulled her hand back. I turned around in my seat and I let out a breath before I quickly stood and rushed over to Paul. I threw my arms around him, much like Robin had done to Embry when she came downstairs, and Paul wrapped me up in his arms. The warmth of his body enveloped me and I sighed heavily as I closed my eyes tight as my arms squeezed a little. I pulled back from him, my hands remaining on his shoulders while his were on my waist.

"Where have you been?" I asked and he sighed as he pulled me away from the door and back to the table where Emily still sat.

"It took me a while to calm down after what that ass said to you," Paul said softly as he had me sit down, "and then Embry told me where you guys were and I came straight here after I went home to get some pants," he finished as he gestured towards his jean cut offs. Emily laughed quietly and I smiled as I looked at her. "So, Embry finally told her, huh?" he asked and I nodded just as the couple walked through the door hand in hand.

"Hey tough guy," Robin said with a grin as she looked at Paul. Whatever fear she had been feeling was completely gone and the Robin I knew and loved was back full force. "How's the hand?"

"Perfectly fine," Paul said with a laugh as he looked at her. "You good?" he asked her and she smiled as she looked up at Embry, who was smiling back at her.

"Perfectly fine," she said, throwing his words back at him, as she returned her eyes to him. Prom may have been a bust, but at that moment everything was back to normal. Well, as normal as dating a shape shifter could get.

The first day back at school after prom had been interesting. I had had four girls that I didn't know come up to me and tell me to thank my boyfriend for finally giving Kyle what he deserved. Kyle had seen me and his one non-swollen eye widened before he turned tail and went the other direction down the hall. Paul had broken Kyle's nose and given him a really nasty black eye that was still healing; and the boy avoided me like the plague. As April turned to May and the 17th drew nearer, both Dad and I found our moods shifting. I wasn't as talkative as usual and Paul, Robin, and everyone else was starting to take notice.

"Mari, why do you look so down today?" Robin asked as we walked out of the school on Friday, the 16th, and made our way to our cars.

"It's been a long day," I said.

"Do you want to go to the diner with me? We can share a basket of cheese fries to melt away the stresses of the day," she said and I forced a small smile and shook my head negatively as I came to a stop next to my car.

"I think I'm just going to go home and take a nap," I said before I opened my car door and tossed my bag into the car, it settling on the front passenger seat. Robin frowned as she looked at me and nodded her head. "I'll see you on Monday."

"You're not going to La Push tomorrow? I thought we were going to the beach with the guys," she said. "Embry said-," but I interrupted.

"I'm staying home tomorrow," I said quickly. "I haven't been sleeping well lately, and Dad's feeling under the weather." Robin nodded again as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

"Okay, well, call me then let me know how you're feeling," she said and I nodded before I climbed in the car, started it up, and left the school.

The drive home seemed to take forever, and the house was empty when I got home since Dad was probably working a double shift again today. He'd get home around midnight and go straight to bed like he had been for the last three days. I made sure I locked the door before I stepped out of my tennis shoes, crossed the living room and went upstairs. I tossed my bag next to my desk before I closed my bedroom door and made sure to crack my window for when Paul came around later. I pulled off my sweater and then my jeans, leaving me in a fitted t-shirt and my underwear before I grabbed my pajama shorts from the end of the bed and climbed under the covers.

I sighed as I wrapped my arms around my pillow and closed my eyes as I let my body slowly relax. I was exhausted and I hadn't even done much of anything today other than walking back and forth to class and minimally participating in conversations. I didn't want to think about what the next day would bring, and that Dad wanted to open the small decorative box that we had been avoiding opening for the last year. We'd gotten into a small argument about it, but he had put his foot down and tomorrow morning we were going to open the box.

"Hey," a deep voice said and I opened my eyes to see Paul settling his shirtless frame on the edge of my bed before he reached out and pushed my hair from my face as I laid there and looked up at him. "What's going on with you?" he asked and I sighed before I rolled away from him and to the other side of the bed so my back was to him.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said and I felt him crawl under the covers with me before his left arm was around my waist and he pulled my back against his chest.

"Marisol," he said softly, his breath washing across my skin and making me shiver. He pulled me even closer and I rested my left arm over his. "Tomorrow it'll be one year, won't it?" he asked me softly and the tears I had been holding back for the last week filled my eyes and my fingers pressed further into his skin as my hold tightened. "You have people around you that love you, Marisol, that will be there for you no matter what and that you can talk to about anything. Robin, Emily, Kim, the guys, and me; we're all worried about you."

"I know," I said whispered as a few of the tears escaped my eyes as I turned around and buried my face in his chest. He sighed softly and slid his hand up my back before he gently held the back of my neck.

"Have you talked to your dad?" he asked and I shook my head before I sniffed quietly and sighed.

"Not really, but we're doing something tomorrow," I said against his skin and I could feel his fingers gently message my neck. "It seems like it snuck up on me," I said as I lifted my head and Paul's hand stilled as my tear stained eyes met his concerned gaze. "I'm sorry for being such a Debby Downer, I just . . . I miss her." He sighed and shook his head before he leaned into me and kissed me chastely before he pressed his forehead to mine as his hand slid from my neck to rest on the right side of my face. I raised my hand to his and wrapped my hand around his wrist as I closed my eyes.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said gently and I let go of his wrist before I wrapped my arm around him and moved even closer to him. He raised his head and my face went into his neck while his arm went around me once more. "Do you want me to tell the others and let them know that you're okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I whispered in response and he kissed the top of my head. With him there with me, I felt infinitely better. Wrapped up in his arms was really the only place that the emptiness I had been feeling lately couldn't reach me. The world was right so long as he was with me, and I knew what I had to ask. "Paul, will you come here tomorrow. I don't want to face the day without you."

"I'll be here," he said and I nodded before I kissed his neck and breathed in the scent of his skin.

"Thank you," I said. "I love you, so much," I whispered and his arm tightened around me.

"I love you too, Marisol," he said gently before he kissed the top of my head.

"Please stay with me tonight. I don't want to be alone."

"I'll never leave you, Marisol," he promised; his words with a deeper meaning that we both knew was there. "Never." I closed my eyes and sighed.

The sincerity in his voice filled my head with images of us growing old together and raising a family and all thoughts of the next day were completely gone. I wanted that happily ever after, and despite the fact that I knew just how fleeting life could be, I knew I would have it. Paul was my happily ever after and our life together would be better than any fairy tale. Of that I was sure.