OK. I apologize, again, for not getting up a chapter yesterday, but there was a reason. I had to find my muse. Yup, I just couldn't bring myself to write yesterday. I've come to the conclusion that this story is getting too long. So this story has got, now, Twenty-one chapters. I think we need to do something about that. No, I'm not quitting the story — have faith in me! — but I'm splitting it up into books. These books will stay on the same story, so you don't have to go anywhere else but here to read them. But it will just give me clarity and separation. So, this is the last chapter of the first book, which won't be labeled, and the second book will start with a little break between the stories, I guess. It'll be labeled by a '- - -' so you know, now. OK? Long author's note, sorry about that. Here's the last chapter of Book One!

-- -- -- --

So...She's Bald

"You're free to go."

Four simple, simple words. And yet, they totally did their job. They set me free.

"I...really?"

"Yup." Doctor Tamblin was my new best friend. Not because her boobage had suddenly shrunken/deflated, but because she had just said the words that, in my language, said, "You can go home." There's no place like home, there's no place like home. Mom and Dad were done rocking the boat, so they were happy, too.

"Yay! Did you hear that, Annabelle? You're going home!"

"No Mom, because I just went momentarily deaf. I didn't hear a word the doctor said."

Leah snickered. Yes, she had decided to stay. She and Seth were sitting opposite my parents, on the other side of my bed. Leah was, actually, really, really fun to be around. When she wasn't getting PO'ed at you. It was embarrassing, because, really, she was the first real friend I'd ever had. Yesterday we'd done wheelchair rides down the hall. Yesterday, I had still been wheelchair bound because I was still wobbly. Today? I was going home. The question? To which home was I going to?

"Anna, that's no way to talk to your mother."

"When can we leave?" I didn't need to hear my father defend Mom.

"Just as soon as I..."

"Check me out? Is that what it's called?"

"I'm not sure. But sure, I'm going to go check you out —"

"— WOW, Mr. Winston. That sounded a little bit —"

"Aw, shut up, Leah!" I wasn't sure if Seth liked Leah and I hanging out, or if he was getting sort of ticked by our new friendship. Anyway, our hands were still interlocked as he sat next to the bed. I used my free hand to rub the new peach-fuzz growing on his head. I refused to let him shave his off like I'd done mine. I needed to get used to my baldness. He needed to grow his back in. In the four weeks I'd been here since his hair was shorn, it had grown a little. About half of an inch, actually. Of course, his hair had grown faster than mine. Mine had grown a quarter of an inch before I shaved it again. I had slow hair. It probably would never grow back to the length it had been.

Leah gave Seth a little punch in the shoulder. Well, he made it look little. In reality, she was punching him hard. And he was taking it easily. Leah's punch would have easily snapped through my arm... That frightened me, but at least it was good to hang around people all stronger than me. Lots of protection. Too bad they couldn't protect me from tumors or cancer...

"Think you can walk?" Seth asked, concerned.

"Walk? I can sprint."

"Lets not," put in my Dad, alarmed at my eagerness.

"Oh, let the girl run!" My mom and my dad. Disagreeing. Maybe they would stop their little car rendevous if they got into a fight.

"She doesn't need to...not yet."

"I guess you're right..." Damn!

Seth gave me his other hand and helped me out of bed. I was overly excited that I didn't have to be helped into a wheelchair — no, I stood on my own two feet. In the last couple days, I had experienced double vision, but today Seth's body only had a faint shadow of it's invisible counterpart. I smiled, thankful for that. It could be terribly disorienting.

Leah smiled. "No more wheelchair races, I guess."

"Guess not," I replied, feigning grief.

She put her hand over her heart. "The good ol' days, gone..."

We both laughed, and Seth rolled his eyes, but he was laughing a little. Or at least I thought he was.

Walking down the hall, I could hear my parents murmuring, to soft for me to hear.

"Hon?" my mom finally called.

"Mmm?"

"You...can you have Seth and Leah take you home?" Oh...my...god. Crossing the line, Mom, crossing the line.

"Why?"

"We need to work out...arrangements."

"Oh? What kind?"

"Oh...you...y'know...arrangements..."

"Very descriptive. Bravo, nice adjectives!"

"Oh, shush."

I sighed. "Fine. Then I'm going quadding with them."

"Wh — whoa, what?"

"I deserve some fun, right?"

"Sure," interjected my dad. Wow, he was...agreeing with — oh...jackrabbits.

"B-but —" My mom exchanged a look with my dad, then comprehension flickered across her face. "Fine," she mumbled dejectedly.

So my parents walked up to the desk at the front of the hospital, and I didn't miss the fact that their hands were twined almost as tightly as Seth and I were. Great. Just perfect.

"Well, you heard the girl! Lets get going," said Leah, grabbing my free hand and tugging me along.

"C'mon, Seth!" I said, towing him after, creating a train — werewolf, human, werewolf. I was surprised I didn't break.

-- -- -- --

Yes. Quads.

"Why does Embry have seven quads?" I asked curiously as Seth hopped onto the back of the ATV.

"Something about his Uncle, proving something about success to his mom. He sends Em tons of stuff. Do you want to sit in the front like last time? Maybe the back would be better, in case we dump it again..."

"Fronts fine," I said lightly. I just wanted him to start it. "Can I dr—"

"No," he said in a dismissive tone.

"Why can't I drive?"

"Know what? How about you get on the back. Maybe it would be easier..." He was really nervous. I couldn't argue when he was so anxious about this. Settling into the back, I wrapped my arms around him, soaking up the warmth. Yet again, it had rained. Horrible, rain was horrible. And I was cold because of it, so I squeezed tighter. Seth let out a breath, so I took this chance to wrap myself more closely around him. He tried to suck back in, but stopped.

"This is nice," he commented.

I laughed. "It is. You're warm."

"Can you love birds keep it down and ride?" Leah yelled from her quad, revving it up. It was, obviously, still in neutral.

I stuck my tongue out, and Seth caught it with two big fingers.

"Aha, what do we have here?" he asked.

"Ufin." Nothing was not a good word to say when you had your tongue caught between two warm fingers. Waaaarm.

"Your tongue is very cute," he added, letting me go.

"Ugh, your fingers taste funny."

He laughed his deep laugh. "Sorry, it's not caviar..."

"Ew. Fish eggs..."

And then he was there, with my dreaded, overly, helmet.

"God, do I really need it?"

"Yes. Especially since the doctors told you to take it easy, and I don't consider this kicking back and relaxing." He placed it lightly over my head. Then he lifted the visor. "See? Not that bad." He angled his head and pecked me lightly on the lips.

"I have no aversion to the visor...it's the helmet that bugs me. Because when I do this," I paused to clunk my helmet into his head, "I can't reach you anyway."

"A little deprivation is good for you, Anna."

I shrugged. "Sure."

He switched the yellow quad into gear, smiling wildly. That was when we heard the truck.

"Embry!" Seth called. "Wanna ride?"

Embry grinned, going into the little ramshackle shed and pulling out a massive quad.

"Say hello, Anna, to the Grizzly."

"The grizzly?"

"No, no, no...the Grizzly."

"...thats what I said."

"No, you said," he paused, clearing his throat, then in a cheap rendition of my voice — "the grizzly."

"Yeah —"

"Don't argue with him, Anna. You can't win," Seth sighed.

"OK, OK...wow," I gasped as we lurched forward. My head clunked into the back of his. "Sorry..." I murmured.

"Are you OK?"

"Fine," I sighed. "Stupid helmet..."

-- -- -- --

So...He's a Fuzzy Werewolf

"Yay! We didn't crash...yet." Her voice came from behind me, like a chorus of bells in the middle of spring in the afternoon warmth during — wow, I needed to get a grip. She was my girlfriend, and I had to accept that she was mine. She always had been. I'd learned, just recently, that she'd never had a boyfriend.

"And we won't. I'm being careful this time. One last jump?"

"Sure. We'll crash on this one."

"Fine, we can go back right now —"

"No!" Anna practically shouted. I grinned, turning around to see her, pulling my hand closed on the break.

"Say we won't crash."

"Fine. We won't crash."

"Good," I said, gassing it. We sped forward, towards the dirt mound ahead. Leah cheered. I felt a stab of annoyance. Thinking it'd be nice for them to be friends had been a little mistake. I mean, I loved my sister, and they'd have to be friends someday, but why now, when I was still getting to know my future wife. Wow, that sounded bad. But still!

We didn't hit funny, but we didn't land square, either. The ATV wobbled as it touched on the two side wheels, and I shifted quickly over to the left to even it out. We squared after that, riding smoothly.

"Ready to go?"

"Sure," she mumbled. "I just don't want to walk in on anyone."

"Oh... I get ya."

"Isn't that supposed to be us that they're walking in on?"

Whoa. That was a little...unexpected.

"I guess, but I don't think we should...not right now."

"Oh, I know, I was just speaking metaphorically."

"Oh, OK."

Embry hooted with laugher, and Leah joined in. "Someone's hormone driven, and it's not Leah!" he laughed.

Leah shut up immediately. Embry had gone over the line. She punched him, hard, in the shoulder, making him wince, and then stormed off. Embry sighed, knowing exactly what he had done. "Catch you later, I have to go apologize to your sister."

"See ya," Anna and I chorused.

"What was that all —"

"I'll explain later," I promised, driving her back to the shed.

"Promise?"

"Do you need one?"

"I guess not," she said, taking off her helmet and leaning in. "Ah," she sighed. "Much better."

And it was.

-- -- -- --

So...all done with book one! Comments, questions, concerns, compliments? I love them all!

So review! Not that the button is getting stiff or anything — you guys are so good with reviewing anyway. And I thank you for that. So thanks!

Love, Allie