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AN: Sorry to take so long to update. Please Read and Review!

Chapter Eighteen

Explanation

My mouth dropped open as I stared at little Kieran as he uttered those words "mama" and then it clicked, all of the pieces fell into place. And as I studied the little three year old I could see it now- he looked like Dimitria, really looked like her. He had her face structure, and her big blue-green eyes.

"You have a kid." I was surprised at how composed my voice sounded.

Dimitria leaned forward from her seat on the couch, and snatched Kieran up, pulling him to her chest, and hugging him tight, as if I had the intentions of stealing him away. For what? I had no clue, maybe she thought I wanted him as proof to wave in Brady's face. Or it could have just been some crazy mom reaction.

I gave her a look- hopefully one that would calm her insane thoughts.

She appeared to relax after a minute, loosening her hold on Kieran, but not letting him out of her arms. "Sorry," Her voice was breathless, like she had ran a marathon. "Knee-jerk reaction, I suppose. It's just that when people find out that Kieran's mine, they tend to want some sort of up close proof. You have no idea how many times they practically examined his features closely comparing us."

I didn't have anything to say to that, so I just nodded slowly. "You have a kid, a three year old son. . .so you were like what thirteen when you got pregnant?" I tried to keep that tone out of my voice, the one that automatically said- you're a slut.

"I was fourteen actually. Kieran just turned three a few days ago," her tone was defensive as she stared at me cautiously. "Look, Hannah, I don't owe you an explanation, not really. But since I sort of trust you not to go off and blab to the whole school. . . if you want to hear my story, I will tell it to you."

I didn't answer for a second, and then glanced at the boy. He was pulling on Dimitria's hair, muttering to himself in baby words and smiling. "He's Quileute," I pointed out.

Dimitria sighed and looked up at the ceiling as if asking it to give her patience, or to silence me. "Yes, I'm aware of that."

I fidgeted. "Fine. Go on with your story then, I'll try and shut up."

A corner of her mouth twitched, but then she kept her expression emotionless. "I was thirteen when I started to. . .rebel, I guess you could say. Up until then I was the 'perfect daughter'- an only child, so I was spoiled beyond belief. My father was a lawyer, a big one, my mother was an interior decorator, and she usually played host for the guests dad would bring over when he felt it was time to top the neighbors status by having a big party. We were like the perfect family, but it was all an act. We weren't perfect, not at all. Right before my thirteen birthday I discovered my father was having an affair with his secretary, I caught them in our living room one night while mom was at the gym trying to get in shape for their fifteenth wedding anniversary," Dimitria kept her expression impassive, but her voice quivered slightly. "I was torn between keeping quiet and letting our façade continue on, or to tell and face the unknown. In the end I told my mother. She didn't believe me, of course, but then dad told her. I thought for sure they would get a divorce- that's the thing normal people usually do when things like that happened. But not my family, no, they acted as if it didn't happen. Completely ignored that it happened."

"I'm sorry," I said after a minute of silence, and not knowing how to respond to her confession.

Dimitria shrugged and ruffled Kieran's light brown hair. He had his eyes closed leaning against her shoulder. "After my thirteenth birthday I decided that I wasn't going to ignore what happened, and pretend that I was living in a fairy-tale anymore. I started purposely failing my school work, going out and cutting class with the bad kids, and ignoring my parents demands. I dyed my hair black, wore clothes that my mother disapproved of, befriended people my father deliberately told me not to. By the time I was fourteen I was out of control. They didn't know what to do with me. And if I was like some animal that they got tired of, they sent me away- here, mom thought it would be best if I spent some time with her sister-"

I knew I shouldn't have, but I interrupted anyway. "You were here, before?"

"Yeah, I even seen you a few times, freshman year, believe it or not. But I only attended for a few months. It was then that I heard of this party at First Beach. At first I didn't want to go, but then I don't know- I felt like I needed to, I was going insane. Don't get me wrong, I love my aunt, her husband, and Kim, but try going from doing whatever you wanted with no one caring, really caring, to having them care constantly. I needed to get away from that, even if it was for one night. So I snuck out when everyone was asleep and went to the party. I-I-I didn't intend to do anything, just wanted to check out the scene, but then I started to feel bad about leaving the house so I took a walk on the beach. . .I met this really nice guy, like really nice, sort of on the quiet side, but I liked him, not enough to date him, but just to fool around, have some fun."

Dimitria looked at the wall, her eyes were glassy, it was like she was in her own personal world. "The next week, after ignoring him completely, he told me that he was in love with me- I didn't know, he told me that he had this huge crush on me the whole time, way before I hooked up with him that night on the beach. I told him to get lost- that I was just having fun, and that he was pathetic for thinking it could be more than that. He backed off, but I still caught him looking at me from time to time. A month later, I was pregnant- it was his."

I bit my lip. "Did you tell him?"

She looked down at her son, and kissed his head softly. "No. No, I didn't. I knew what he would have done, he would have wanted to stay with me and support me through it, because that's just the kinda guy he was. I didn't want that though, not after the way I treated him, he didn't deserve it, plus I had no romantic feelings for him. I told my parents and they let me come back home. I stayed with them until the beginning of my Junior year. I caught my mom telling one of her friends that her and my father adopted a child- Kieran. They were that ashamed of me that they couldn't even tell people that I had a baby. I asked my aunt, Kim's mom if I could come back and live with them until I finished high school. She didn't even hesitate, and let me and Kieran back in with open arms," her voice was choked, and she wouldn't look at me.

"Dimitria. . ." My words trailed off, I couldn't think of a single comforting thing to say. I wasn't good with this, I had no clue what to say. I'd never had friends, ones that have heart-to-heart conversations and to told me their most deepest secrets.

Dimitria placed a sleeping Kieran next to her on the other cushion and wiped her eyes. "You don't have to say anything, Hannah. I'm sorry for dumping all that on you, I just wanted you to understand, why I act the way I do. Why I'm standoffish with people. . .why I hurt Brady," she sniffled.

"I have cancer," I blurted out, and her head snapped up in my direction. "I mean, I did. I'm in reemission. I had leukemia, at the beginning of my Junior year."

Her face turned to a look of sympathy for a minute, then it turned cautious. "I'm sorry, that must have been horrible to have to go through, but why are you telling me this? I'm assuming Kim doesn't know, considering she's never mentioned it."

"Only my mom and Brady know. . .and now you. I don't want people to know, I don't like making big deals out of things, and I don't need their pity."

"I know what you mean. . .well not exactly, but with the whole not wanting people to look at you differently, I do."

"So do I know who Kieran's father is?. . .You said he went to our school, so I'm guessing he still does. . ."

Dimitria slid off the couch, slowly so not to wake a sleeping Kieran and began to pace the length of the room. A few times she paused mid-step and looked in my direction, opening her mouth, but then she'd start walking again. I gave her time, it was probably hard to admit something like that. Plus, I hadn't proved to be completely trust-worthy yet.

Finally she stopped walking right in front of me, running her hand through her blonde hair. "You can't say anything, Hannah. Not to anyone. Only Kim knows who the father is, no one else. Promise you won't tell," she demanded, her eyes fierce.

"I won't tell," I repeated.

She took a deep breath. "I remember when Kim confessed that she had a crush on Jared Thail, and then I found out you were like practically in love with Paul. Sometimes I wonder how ironic it is that we're all in a crazy way sort of connected, you know. It's like some messed up love story. You, and Kim loving Jared Thail, and Paul Walker. Jared ignores Kim for the longest time, and Paul played that horrible prank on you. And then when you seem to hate Paul he acts all in love with you, and same thing with Kim and Jared, except she never hated him. And then the thing with your brother acting all in love with me. . ."

I was about to ask what any of this had to do with the baby's father, but then she started talking again.

"You know Paul and Jared used to sit at that table with Cameron and Cameron's half brother, Evan?" She asked.

"Yeah, I remember. I actually sat with them a few times when me and Paul. . .well you know."

"It's Evan. He's the father."

The Pack's POV

Paul and Jacob flanked Sam as he tried to calm down the two new wolves that phased less an hour ago. Apparently they were arguing over some video game, and then all of the sudden they started throwing punches and before they knew it, they had phased into wolves. Almost completely destroying the house.

Paul knew they were lucky that he was patrolling at that time. Them knowing Paul, they had calmed down just enough for him to explain the mechanics of being a shape-shifter, but then they started freaking out, and Sam needed to be called.

Now their thoughts were going at super-speed.

Jacob whined, his ears going back. 'God, Cameron, stop thinking for a second. . . you too, Evan, I can't even hear myself think'

Of course they didn't listen though.

Paul internally sighed. 'It's going to be a long night.'

Then the five of them felt the presence of another wolf as it phased- Brady.

They could see in his mind as he raced past trees and the beach.

'Brady, where are you going?' Sam demanded.

It wasn't his patrol time, and he was acting too careless- almost crossing a busy road as they all watched from his mind.

'I need to talk to Dimitria. . .apologize or something. I can't have her hating me. . .I love her.'

Evan stopped thinking for a second at the mention of Dimitria. . . And then before he control himself, his mind filled with images. . .Images of him and her. . .from years ago. . . On the beach together.

Hannah's POV

I was speechless.

The only noise in the room was Kieran's soft snores, and the background sound of the television.

And then the door burst open.

Both Dimitria and I jumped, as Kim ran in, wide-eyed, and slammed the door behind her.

We stared at her, as she leaned her back against the door, her hand was to her mouth, and she appeared to be crying.

"What's wrong?" Dimitria demanded, already rushing over to her.

Kim shook her head, and then gave us both a guarded looks. "Do you. . . both. . .know?" She choked.

"Know what?" I asked, standing on suddenly shaky legs.

Kim shook her head again, dragging in a ragged breath. "Forget it. I-I-I'm going to bed. If anyone-e-e calls. . . don't answer it." And then she started making her way to the staircase.

"Wait a sec, how was your date with Jared?" Dimitria demanded to know, her hands placed on her hips now, a weird look on her face.

At that second a howl- a raw, bone-chilling, vibrating sound went through the house from the forest. Another joined in, sounding just as haunted, and then another.

Kim was staring out the window, from the third stair wide-eyed, and then she looked at us. "Don't ever, ever say that name again," she whispered before rushing the rest of the way up the stairs, her footsteps pounding with the beat of my heart.

I opened my mouth to say something, but then there was a knocking sound. . .coming from the front door.

ANN: Hoped you liked it. I hope to update soon! Please Review! Thanks- Anya!