I know, I know, I know. It's been a while. The internet at my house has been on the fritz and the only axcess I've had is at my grandma's twice a week, but I can't update there because my stories aren't saved on her computer. So I've been trying the last two months (before my computer fried) to get internet on my dad's laptop. And I finally did. :]

Lo and behold, my excuse.

Now, back to buisness.

This chapter is painfully short, and I apologize. My chapters have been getting shorter and shorter lately because a.) now that Kate and Garrett have met, the passage of time is a lot quicker and the story has to come from both points of view, and I'm sticking to the odd chapters: Garrett, even chapters: Kate. And b.) I've just been trying to pass time durring this boring summer, so my dedication is less than my will to not be bored.

Anywho. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Garrett!

Day six: Carlisle came home.

When I heard the tires of his car move from pavement to gravel, my vision became icily clear, just like it did right before a hunt. I became completely still, one hundred percent aware of every single sight and sound around me. But I didn't need them—I was only concerned with the car racing up the drive.

Never taking the road myself, I guess I was kind of surprised to hear all the turns Carlisle had to make while driving. Once I heard the first crunch of gravel, I calculated his arrival to be less than a second. But that was based on the assumption that it was a strait drive. In the end, it took about ten seconds. I should stop assuming.

When I heard two car doors open and shut, I stayed where I was on the couch, willing myself to blend in, if not disappear altogether. It was easier to do in a houseful of vampires than it is on a street surrounded by humans.

But not absolutely successful. Carlisle scanned the room after the female with him walked through the door. He met the eyes of every immortal around him, but when his eyes locked on mine, he looked surprised, like he didn't expect me to come.

I didn't let my face falter—I kept his gaze until he walked into the dining room, where his family was waiting, Denali coven included.

Can you say, "awkward"?

"I hear you're a war veteran," a voice behind me mused.

I turned to see dark-haired Peter standing casually behind me. It was weird to see him without his mate—they seemed to go everywhere together, not quite fitting into the house of vampires. It was oddly like a high school, the two of them being the freaks.

"You heard correctly," I answered.

"Before or after?"

I knew what he meant. "Before. It was when I was changed."

"Ah," he said, understanding. "So were you involved in the Mexican war?"

He was referring to the vampire war over human population that happened almost two hundred years ago. "Not exactly. I was more of an outside ally." Not a complete lie—I did keep up-to-date with the latest war news, but I wasn't involved.

"Ah."

And the topic dropped.

"Which war were you in, then?" he asked, trying to get the conversation started again.

"Revolutionary," I answered simply, avoiding too many questions.

He nodded.

"What about you?" I asked more out of courtesy rather than actual curiosity.

"I never really got a chance. I enlisted for the Civil War—Confederacy—but never got a chance to even get a uniform."

This story sounded familiar.

"I was more or less forced into the Mexican War by three females. It was either that or they kill my Ma—"

"I'm sorry," I interrupted almost rudely. It didn't matter, anyway. "It sounds really devastating." I tried to be sympathetic. Tried, but it didn't work.

"I know I must be bothering you," Peter apologized sheepishly, "but I really don't get any male conversation here, see."

I nodded. It was a quick, jerky movement, but still fell under the "nodding" category.

"I have to go," I said with a blank look on my face. I turned and walked out the back door.

It was too freaky of a coincidence that Peter's story would be almost identical to Ashley's. But was it all meant to be this way, or am I just being overly paranoid?

This chapter turned out a little odd, but I added it because I would feel guilty for not mentioning Ashley once more. He will come up again in future chapters, but I wanted to make sure we all didn't forget about him before that.

I already have the next chapter written, but I don't want to publish it so quickly. You just read this one, so where's the anticipation if I just hand you the next? Haha.

I have a month and five days before school starts back up for me, so I'll try to get as many chapters in here before football games take up my life. :]

Keep on keeping on!

=]