Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Suggested Listening: "Pieces" by Cider Sky, "Gravity" by Embrace, "Blow It All Away" by Sia

The first thing I registered as my eyelids fluttered open – before they could adjust to the unfiltered light pouring through the windows, dulled by what was certainly a thick layer of gray clouds – was the cool, early October breeze coming through open screen as it danced across my face.

But in the next moment, the coolness brought with it a familiar warmth, ushering the heat toward me as I felt it beneath my hands and entangled between my limbs. A thin, cotton sheet was the only thing separating me from searing flesh. With each moment it grew as my senses came alive with the rest of my body.

His scent was next, the woodsy sweetness invading my nostrils the first time I stirred, curling into the smell as I drew in a long, deep breath. It filled my stomach with a familiar flutter, an exhilarating feeling that curled its way through my body until it reached my mouth, physically tangible in the form of a slight, wry smile.

I had yet to open my eyes as I buried my nose in the skin over his ribs. Smiling, I brushed it over the subtle dips as I let my fingers crawl over his stomach, allowing each one to explore the flesh just below his belly button before I stretched my arm around the curve of his hip.

Finally opening my eyes, the dull morning light flooded my sight as I peered up, watching his chest rise and fall with easy, even breaths as he slept. Without hesitation, I pressed my smiling lips against his chest. Leaving a soft, open-mouthed kiss in its wake, I could taste the saltiness of his skin on my lips.

This was what I enjoyed most, the seconds just after I awoke and the moments before he did. It gave me a just enough time to take it all in, to be thankful to whatever twisted, unpredictable god put us both on the course that landed us in this moment — that brought us right here, in this too-small bed, wrapped up in each other.

And these were the moments that gave me just enough time to commit to memory every piece of what it was I loved about Embry Call.

My hurried confession to him days earlier hadn't been an afterthought and now – especially in these quiet moments just after the dawn – I realized how close I'd come to throwing it away, how close I'd come to casting it all aside as I let my fear get the better of me again.

But I wasn't afraid – not anymore. While I still didn't know what the future held for us, I'd made my choice just like Embry had. It was a selfish choice but I didn't care. While I knew he could still imprint – while I knew there were no guarantees – I was willing to take all the time I could. I would let him love me, and I'd love him with everything I had until our minutes ran out. I'd do it because the possibility of limited moments with him were worth so much more than a lifetime without them.

Without him.

And lately, there were moments of which I couldn't get enough.

My smile spread as I shifted beside him, lifting up one elbow just enough to push my body off the bed. Hitching one leg across his waist, I silently rose up on my knees so I was straddling his still sleeping body, the sheet falling around my hips as I did. His breathing lessened and was more erratic as I tried my best not to jostle him, a grin pulling at the corner of my mouth as I leaned forward on my hands, pressing my mouth again his clavicle once, twice, three times.

A small groan rumbled inside Embry's throat as his body released a fluid jolt beneath mine. Leaning down farther so my chest was flush with his and to keep from being inadvertently dumped on the floor, I rested my chin on his sternum as I watched one hand drift lazily to his face as he rubbed his eyes. A moment later, he let his hand fall to the pillow as his eyes opened just a crack. The bleary look of sleep on his face was instantly overshadowed by his grin.

"What time is it?" he croaked as I felt the fingers on his other hand absentmindedly stroke my bare hip. "No, wait – hold that thought. Knowing you, it's way too damn early and we just need to go back to sleep."

Pressing my cheek against his chest, I could faintly make out the thumping of his heart as my finger drew small circles on his bicep. "It's early, and I got a lot of stuff to do today," I murmured, using my fingernail to write my name across his skin.

"So don't," he retorted quietly, his long, calloused fingers now traveling down the length of my outer thigh.

"I have to," I argued begrudgingly, my breath deflected as it fanned out across his skin. "It's past eight. We can't sleep the whole day away."

With another groan, I suddenly found both of Embry's hands planted firmly on my hips as he slid me easily up his torso so my face was even with his. Smiling, I instinctively leaned down and pressed my mouth to his, tasting the sweetness of his lips with a slow, explorative kiss. I felt my body start to heat from within, awakening my senses further with an agonizing slowness as his fingers left trails down my spine. A moment later, I was enveloped by warmth from the outside as well when he wrapped his arms completely around my body, effectively trapping me against his chest.

"It's Sunday," he countered as he pulled away just an inch, a shiver fanning through my body as his lips still brushed against mine. "It's the day of rest. We're not supposed to do anything today."

"Tell that to Charlie," I replied teasingly as I stretched my neck to kiss the tip of his nose. "You should see the to-do list he left me."

Embry grunted in disapproval as I watched him, his eyes closing petulantly as he did. "The only thing you have to do today is stay right here." This time, I felt his hand at the nape of my neck, his fingers twisting gently through my hair. "Because this?" His eyes snapped open as a smirk erupted on his mouth, his other hand motioning to where I was perched on top of him. "This is not fair. Waking me up like this and then telling me you have to leave is not fair."

With a sigh and a smile, I rose up on my knees and leaned forward once again, effectively silencing him with another swift kiss. This time though I let my lips drift from his mouth, tracing the outline of his jaw as my mouth made a trail toward his ear and my hand explored the dips and curve of the muscles in his shoulder. As I nipped at Embry's earlobe with my teeth, his breath hitched and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my throat.

"No one said I was leaving right this second," I whispered into his ear as I felt goosebumps erupt beneath my fingers.

Embry's breathing quickly became labored as I heard the distinct smacking of his tongue sweeping over his lips. "Good, because yeah...this is totally not..."

With a flick of my tongue to his ear, I slid my free hand down his body and reached between his legs, silencing him with a squeeze. Muscles tensing beneath me, Embry gasped and I grinned against his neck.

"Not fair," he squeaked breathlessly.

Shifting my body, I leaned back, partially sitting up on my knees. My smile widened as I let my hands travel gradually across the planes of his chest, watching the look of reverie on Embry's features the entire time I did. He was shaking his head in wonder, eyes following me intently as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth.

Embry's fingers curled around my thighs, grasping the skin hungrily as my hands braced against his chest. Rising up just enough, I rocked back with my hips and lowered myself on to him in one swift, fluid movement.

His face scrunched in fierce concentration, Embry's mouth fell open slightly at the same moment I felt every inch of him fill me completely. My fingers dug into his chest as I let the heat spread slowly, filling the rest of me as it did.

"Fuck, Bella," Embry groaned the same instant I moved my hips against his, a small, satisfied smile pulling at the corner of my mouth.

This time though Embry didn't wait as he pulled me down against his chest, his mouth seeking out mine hungrily as his hips flexed and I rocked back against them. My fingers raked across his scalp as I breathed in the already heady smell of sweat forming in the air.

I pulled away, letting my mouth ghost across the side of his face as his hands splayed across my back. "Still think this isn't fair?" I whispered enticingly into his skin.

Embry's response was a violent shudder beneath my hands as a feral growl worked its way up his throat. Before I could register the shift, Embry sat up in one agile movement, holding my body flush against his chest with one arm. My mouth fell open and my breath left me in a rough exhale as he pushed harder into me and I clung to him, his motions eliciting a familiar burn deep inside my body.

I barely noticed as Embry opened his mouth to respond, stopping him as my lips covered his and swallowed the words. I trembled as a pair of hands pulled me impossibly closer, as all the pieces came together in one single moment.

It was a moment that made me forget if only for a second, everything that led up to it and everything that was sure to follow.

"So have you talked to Paul or Rachel lately?"

I snuck a quick glance over my shoulder to where Embry was padding from his bedroom, pulling a t-shirt over his head and running his fingers through his hair to smooth the disheveled strands. He cocked his head in my direction curiously as he veered toward the kitchen.

"I just saw Paul yesterday," Embry replied, skidding to a stop in front of the refrigerator and casting me one more cursory glance before swinging the door open and peering in to survey its contents. "Why?"

I shrugged, turning away from him as I let my gaze sweep distractedly over the living room of his small home. To an outsider, it would be easy to assume Embry lived alone or was simply taking care of the house while its owner was away. Aside from the standard furniture though – a tiny television and its stand pushed into the corner near the window and an armchair placed near the opposite side – anyone who knew better could tell the house definitely had more of a woman's touch than any home Embry would call his own.

A crocheted afghan was thrown over the back of the armchair and there was a large plant placed in front of the window. A romance novel was resting on the coffee table and was open with its pages facing down, saving someone's place for a later date despite the fact a thin layer of dust clung to the curling, paperback covers. Pictures hung on the wall, some of people I had never met and others that looked more like school portraits – photos of a little boy with caramel skin, unruly black hair and a goofy grin pulled back to reveal a missing front tooth.

Ignoring the automatic smile spreading across my mouth, I came back to the present as I remembered my question. "I was just wondering how they were doing with the whole imprint thing," I asked quietly, turning slightly so I could watch Embry.

Embry was popping the lid off a container of leftover macaroni and cheese as he shrugged nonchalantly. "From Paul's end? Pretty typical. His mind used to be a steady stream of sex and snark – now it's sex, snark and Rachel."

My fingers brushed my mouth as it released a chuckle. "So it hasn't really changed him too much?"

Sticking a fork in the food and stirring it, Embry smirked before shaking his head. "No, not really. He's still the same old Paul, just with a different focus than before." Bringing the container up to his nose, Embry raised his eyebrows as he gave it a quick sniff. Shrugging one more time, he stabbed a huge bite of noodles with his fork before shoving it in his mouth. "I think they're going on a date though."

My eyes widened, surprised at the sudden bit of news. "Really?"

Embry nodded as he swallowed. "I think Rachel just got sick and tired of Paul bugging her about it for the past week. He kept dropping by the Clearwaters unannounced and said he was gonna keep doing it till she at least agreed to dinner."

I rolled my eyes. It was typical Paul to throw patience out the window in most normal situations. His case with Rachel was no exception. He knew as well as everyone else Rachel wasn't going to simply bend and succumb to the imprint, so if he sat idly by Rachel would be content to let him for as long as she could get away with it.

But in this case, his persistence seemed to have paid off.

"Doesn't really surprise me though," Embry continued, shoving another huge bite in his mouth. "It was only a matter of time before she gave in."

"So it's that easy? Just like that and she's okay with it?"

Embry's shoulders rose and fell as he processed the words. "Not necessarily. An imprint doesn't have to be romantic. She might go on a date with him, be repelled by his table manners and decide there's no way in hell she could spend the rest of her life with someone who stopped picking up social cues in the fourth grade and uses his knife as a toothpick."

This time I laughed, and Embry shot me a saccharine grin before taking another bite. "You're horrible," I chuckled.

"Not horrible," he retorted, "just telling the truth. But hey – some girls are into the whole neanderthal thing, so whatever works." Sighing, Embry peered into the empty container before turning and taking a step to his right before placing it in the sink. "You ready to go?"

Nodding, I drug myself to the edge of the couch and stood, smoothing my shirt as I watched Embry casually approach me. "You really sure you want to spend your Sunday helping me do housework?"

"Only if you promise I don't have to do the dishes." As he reached me, Embry let his hands slide up my arms until they cupped my cheeks. Leaning forward, he left a quick, relaxed kiss on my lips before pulling away and mimicking the action on the tip of my nose. "And if it gets you done quicker and means we get to spend more of the day together not doing housework, I'm all for it."

Bringing my hands up and covering his with mine, I leaned into his touch and let the warmth of his palm soak into my cheek. "Be careful what you wish for – I'm pretty sure Charlie may have left mowing on the list," I urged as I raised an eyebrow, knowing full well excursions with any fast-moving blade were never left on my list of things to do.

Sweeping the pad of his thumb over my cheekbone, Embry shot me a subtle wink before letting his hands drop lazily back to his sides. "It's done," he murmured.

I followed Embry on to the front porch, the mild yet damp air invading my lungs as I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. "I really hope the sun comes out today," I sighed, still gazing forlornly at the thick, grey cloud cover as I descended the steps. "I kinda wanted to get the Mustang washed..."

But just as I faced forward to make sure I wasn't about to trip over a stray tree branch or something any normal person would deem harmless, I realized Embry had already stopped in front of me, his body rigid and completely unmoving.

Only a single word fell from his lips.

"Shit."

The word jarred me as my hand shot out and landed on the small of his back. Grabbing hold of his forearm with the other, I peered around his body, not bothering to follow his gaze to where it was focused and certainly not paying any mind to the approaching sound of a car motor. "What? 'Shit' what, Em?" I asked, chancing a glance at his concentrated expression. "What's wrong?"

Embry groaned the same time I registered the sound of crunching gravel beneath car tires. This time I let my eyes follow his stare as I noticed a dilapidated, tan sedan creeping down the driveway toward where we both stood. My mouth fell open slightly and my fingers curled around Embry's arm as I watched the car approach, making a sharp turn to the right before parking next to the Mustang. Squinting, I tried to see through the windshield as the car came to a stop. The only thing I could make out was a feminine frame sitting behind the steering wheel and a strikingly familiar pair of dark, piercing eyes peering directly into mine.

It suddenly registered the moment the car's engine came to a stop – the same moment my stomach lurched with a sudden wave of nervous anxiety.

My mouth was dry as I swept my tongue across the back of my lips, giving Embry's arm an unconscious squeeze. "Em...who is that?"

Embry took a deep breath and released it slowly, almost as if he was cleansing his body of its own unease.

"It's my mom."

My heart stuttered for just a moment, a response I should have anticipated for a moment like this. Regardless, I wasn't sure I was supposed to be nervous, but I couldn't help the sudden barrage of questions and insecurities running rampant through my mind. Did she know about me? What would she think about me being with Embry? Would she like me?

Sensing my hesitance, Embry took a step forward and twisted his body slightly, peering down at me as one corner of his lip curled up in a half-smile. "Gimme your keys?"

Tearing my eyes from the car in front of me, I pushed a trembling hand into my pocket before my fingers wrapped around the cool metal of the key ring. Pulling them out, I swiftly dropped them into Embry's outstretched hand. Before turning, he let his eyes sweep past my face and over the rest of me, pausing for one extra moment just below my neck as his mouth fell open slightly and his eyes clouded. I watched him and almost spoke up before the words finally fell from his mouth. "Alright, let's go." He tossed the keys to his opposite hand before reaching down and taking mine as I suddenly felt myself being pulled toward the Mustang.

"Embry," I protested quietly as I trotted to keep up with him. Nerves were one thing, but I wasn't about to be rude by simply taking off. "Shouldn't we say hi or something?"

Embry shook his head without so much as a glance back at me. "No, really, that's okay – my mom's kind of a pain in the ass when she comes back from Neah Bay."

I blinked at Embry's back in disbelief, his uncharacteristic dismissal of his mother more than a little surprising as he practically towed me to my car. I didn't have time to protest further though before I heard the sound of a car door slam.

"So you're just gonna run off without so much as a hello to your mother?"

By this point, we'd made it as far as the Mustang's hood before Embry stopped abruptly, releasing a sigh that probably was only audible to me. His fingers slowly dropped mine before he let his arm fall to his side, turning to face the source of the voice. "Hey, Mom."

I was only a moment behind him when I turned as well, allowing myself a chance to finally see the woman behind the eyes that had been my focus, eyes identical to ones in which I was so used to getting lost.

Bathed by what little light we were afforded through the thick cloud cover and partially obscured behind the other car was a middle-aged Native American woman. She held a purse, a canvas tote and two grocery bags in her hands, and she was definitely assessing the situation with a careful and skeptical glance while I appraised her in return.

Her skin was the same shade of copper as Embry's, although not as smooth. From where I stood I could see the wrinkles forming by the corners of her eyes and near her mouth. High and defined cheekbones were hooded with eyes dark like onyx, outlined by thick and pronounced eyebrows. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and strands outlined her face, speckled with faint traces of grey.

Taking her in for a moment, I almost lost my breath at the sheer magnificence of the woman's ethnic features. She was a stunning mix of youthful beauty and wisdom.

The woman cocked one of her eyebrows, her magnetic gaze taking me in for a moment before shifting to Embry as she readjusted the bags on her shoulder. "Didn't mean to crash the party," she murmured, the eyebrow rising impossibly higher.

For no explainable reason other than her unconfirmed insinuation, my cheeks caught fire as my eyes fell to the ground. Curling my arms tightly across my body, I was mortified to my very core and almost certain I could feel the redness in my face spreading down my neck and fanning across my chest.

"You're not crashing anything," Embry muttered as I watched him uncomfortably shift his weight from one foot to the other. "We were just on our way out."

The beautifully sullen woman cocked her eyebrow again, and it was becoming easy to see from whom Embry had inherited that trademark expression. After a moment she chuckled, shaking her head as she deposited the shopping bags on the car hood. I watched her curiously and as politely as I could as she took the few necessary steps before rounding her car and approaching us.

"Damn, boy, I swear you forget all your manners when I'm around," she remarked, her eyes now trained on me. It took everything I had not to avoid her intense stare as she came closer, her jaw tight and her features concentrating as she did. "And I know I taught you better than that. Who's your friend?" This time, her expectant gaze shifted to her son.

Following her eyes, my hand raised to my chest and my fingers distractedly traced the chain of my pendant, which was inadvertently tucked under the collar of my shirt. Embry's gaze shifted toward me swiftly before refocusing on his mother. "Mom, this is Bella Swan."

His mother chose that moment to once again seek me out with those keen, weathered eyes. "Bella Swan? Chief Swan's daughter?"

Managing a shy smile, I nodded as I held her gaze. "Yes, ma'am."

She released another sideways glance at Embry before bringing her eyes back to me skeptically. "Aren't you the one who used to date Jacob Black?"

My gut sank at the same distinction I'd spent the past several weeks trying to shed as I heard Embry huff quietly beside me. "Mom..." His tone was laced with warning.

His mother only pressed her lips into a thin line, hesitating for a moment before she spoke again. "It was an innocent question, Embry," she assured pointedly and quickly, still watching me as she did. "He's talked about you before, Bella, but I didn't realize you two were close."

"Yes, ma'am," I repeated awkwardly, the automatic response falling from my lips before I had a chance to rethink the words.

Her eyebrow went up again and she released a throaty chuckle as her lips flirted with a smile. "Okay, the 'ma'am' stuff has gotta stop," she admitted with a slight shake of her head. After a few moments, she stepped forward and extended her hand. "I'm Tiffany Call."

My anxious ministrations on the pendant chain managed to dislodge it from my shirt, the gem falling down my chest as I released it, reaching my hand toward Embry's mother in return. "It's nice to meet you," I acknowledged genuinely as she accepted the gesture, offering a polite smile as she shook my hand weakly.

When I went to withdraw my hand, Tiffany held my fingers for a moment, surprising me. I could feel the remaining color bleed from my face as the awkwardness of the moment set it. However, it didn't take long for me to realize the feeling was not mutual. In fact, her concentration seemed to be elsewhere, her focus burning into the same spot Embry's had moments before he hurriedly pulled me off the porch toward the car.

Her mouth fell open but no sound came out as she continued to stare. The seconds passed by, one by one in silence before I shot a quick glance at Embry, who was watching the entire scene from my side. His expression was stoic and unyielding as his eyes followed his mother.

Confused, I retrained my gaze on Tiffany as she closed her lips, swallowing roughly as she shifted her eyes upward and forced another smile, causing the aged lines around her mouth to deepen. "That's a very pretty pendant, Bella," she spoke, the words quiet and steady as she finally released my hand.

Blinking at her, the tension lifted in one swift wave as my abandoned fingers instinctively sought out the piece of jewelry at my throat. "Thank you," I squeaked in acknowledgement.

"Did Embry give that you?" Her wide eyes bounced once again between her son and me.

It was my turn to swallow before I automatically nodded in response.

As soon as she registered my reply, I didn't miss Tiffany's cordial expression falter, a brief wave of something – an emotion that could only be likened to grief, to regret – flash across her features. However, her eyes rapidly blinked it all back as she nodded, the expression of indifference quickly returning to her as she pushed the rapid change back where it came from.

The forced smile she gave me caused a shiver to lace up my spine.

"Well, you are one lucky girl, Bella," she finally spoke as she took a step back, immediately followed by another. "That's a pretty special piece of jewelry right there."

Smiling impulsively as I remembered back to my birthday – the night Embry gave it to me in hopes the gift would do more than just commemorate the passing of another year – my head bobbed in agreement as I momentarily forgot her reaction and how it was still grating at my insides. "Thank you – that's what I've been told."

Tiffany nodded aimlessly, her thoughts somewhere else as she took in my words. "Well, it's true." She paused for just a second, silently contemplating her next words. "Just please don't forget that..."

"Mom..." Embry's voice was a whispered plea from beside me as the one word permeated the air surrounding us and was lost just as quickly.

Tiffany smiled at her son as she stopped her retreat. "It was a long weekend, Embry. I'm going to catch a few hours of sleep before work tonight. You and Bella have fun. I'll see you sometime this week...hopefully." The smile fell from her lips slightly as she looked at me, nodding her farewell. "It was nice meeting you, Bella." With that, she turned her back, retrieving her bags from her car before starting toward the house.

"It was nice meeting you, too," I muttered to her retreating form.

Embry didn't utter a word as we climbed into the Mustang. Even as we pulled onto the main road, I didn't break the silence. As the familiar surroundings of La Push faded into the dense forest occupying the land between the reservation and Forks, I decided not to ask questions about the obvious reaction the pendant around my neck had sparked in his mother.

But like always, I didn't have to ask.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

Bringing my gaze up from my hands, I peered at Embry who was focusing attentively on the wet road ahead of the car. His eyes were glassy as they shifted toward me for just a moment before darting back toward the road. Frowning, I reached across the center console and let my hand find a home on his thigh as I squeezed it reassuringly. "For what?" I murmured comfortingly.

Embry balled the hand not on the car's steering wheel into a fist before he brought it aimlessly to his mouth. "For my mom," he grumbled in response.

I let my palm rub aimless circles across the denim covering his leg. "Why? She seems really nice."

Embry paused as his fingers curled tighter around the steering wheel. "Yeah, she can be, but...the comment she made? About the necklace? I am sorry about that, Bella. She just doesn't know you, so it's easy for her to..."

"Em..." I interrupted him with a comforting squeeze to his thigh. "It's okay." Taking a deep breath, I watched Embry's face visibly relax as he swallowed, moving his free hand to the wheel before letting the opposite one drop to his lap. It took only a moment for it to seek out mine as his blazing fingers completely encased my hand.

"Did she have a pendant like this once, too?" I ventured hesitantly.

Another thick swallow caused Embry's Adam's apple to bob. After a few agonizingly long seconds, he tore his eyes from the road and sought out mine. Insistence and uncertainty sparked within them.

"It was her pendant, Bells."

My mouth fell open without my permission at his unexpected confession. I instantly rummaged through my mind for something – any clue Embry had given me to indicate that's where the pendant came from – but every direction my thoughts went came up short. The only thing I could remember was his response as he stood behind me in Emily's craft room on a day that seemed so long ago, the memory of warm fingers brushing against the skin of my neck still fresh in my mind.

"Ask me again someday and I'll tell you where it came from."

But I'd never asked, and he'd never told me.

But now I knew, and Tiffany Call's reaction suddenly made a little more sense.

"Embry, did she know you took it and gave it to me?" I asked in breathless disbelief, the pendant suddenly feeling heavier around my neck.

Embry's face screwed up in confusion as he shot a skeptical glance in my direction. "Took it? Bella, I didn't take anything. My mom gave me that pendant a long time ago." His stare lingered for an extra moment, gauging my initial reaction before he refocused his eyes on the road.

"Gave it to you?" I asked quietly, urging him for more explanation.

Embry nodded. "She gave it to me a couple years ago on my 16th birthday." He drew in a deep breath of air but kept his gaze ahead of him. "It was given to her once, too, and she had it for a really long time, but she never wore it. She always had it in a jewelry box she kept hidden in the bottom drawer of her dresser. But that year, she took it out and she gave it to me." He paused again, chewing nervously on the inside of his lip.

Turning my hand around in his, I laced my fingers through his and squeezed. "Who gave it to her?"

A moment passed as he let his eyes fall for just a second before they darted back up, first to me and then the pane of glass in front of him. "Honestly? I don't know – she never told me that. She just said it was given to her and it was important, and when she gave it to me, she told me it was especially important that I hang on to it – that I keep it until I..." It was his turn to squeeze my fingers. "...until I found a woman worthy of giving it to — one who would always know what it meant to her and would know that I'd always be there for her." He peered at me again, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "And that no matter what, I'd always love her."

My heart twisted and somehow managed to simultaneously leap into my throat as soon as Embry's words left his lips. Until that moment, I'd never really given a second thought to the significance of the little piece of charoite that hung from a simple silver chain around my neck, as much a part of my everyday life as the clothes I wore and the air I breathed. Before it had simply been a gift, a token of strength Embry had given me in a time when I was struggling to find it myself.

But now I was realizing it wasn't just important to me and it had meant more to others beyond myself. It was important to Embry and at one time, it had been important to the only other woman in Embry's life. And it wasn't just a gift – he'd given it as a pledge.

He'd given it as yet another promise to me.

Leaning my head against the back of the passenger seat, I let out a long, languid breath as I watched Embry turn the steering wheel as we pulled off the main highway into Forks. "Do you think she's upset you gave it to me?"

Embry blinked as he released my hand, reaching up to absentmindedly push the hair from his eyes. "I don't think she's upset, Bells. I mean, me and my mom don't see eye to eye on a lot of things but it's like I said – she doesn't know you, and she always made sure I understood it was my choice." This time, he let his hand fall back to mine, gently taking it between his fingers before lifting it to his mouth and pressing a soft kiss to the back of my knuckles. "At least I hope she's not," he continued, his breath hot on my skin as the spark of disappointment resonated in his tone, revealing at least part of the reason he'd tried to get us out of there so suddenly.

He knew I was worthy of the necklace. His mother, however, did not – at least not yet – and even I could tell it was all he wanted.

But Embry knowing was all I needed.

Taking a deep breath as a protective and delirious warmth curled through my veins, I caught his eye just long enough to give him a reassuring smile.

"I love you, Embry Call," I murmured softly, projecting every ounce of sincerity I could into the words. "And you love me, and that's enough. It will always be enough."

The smile playing on his lips was set free as he snuck an affectionate glance in my direction, chuckling as he brought my fingers to his lips one last time.

The two of us were silent as we drove through Forks. The only sound came from the Mustang's blinker when Embry switched it on as he turned the car onto my street. I knew Charlie was working so I wasn't expecting to see his cruiser in the driveway. I was, however, surprised to see another vehicle sitting in its place, a Chevy pickup I didn't recognize.

Casting a curious glance at Embry, his brow furrowed as he too studied the truck and the front yard surrounding it. It took a moment before a wave of recollection washed over his features.

"What the hell is Leah doing here?"

We pulled into the driveway a moment later and I didn't wait for Embry to shut off the car before I swung open the door and clambered out of the Mustang. I'd barely turned around before I was greeted with a perpetually snappy voice I'd recognize anywhere.

"Jesus Christ, did you two stop to bang at every single mile marker or what? About damn time you got here."

Slamming shut the passenger side door of the Mustang, I cocked an eyebrow in the general direction of my front porch, one that was unexpectedly occupied by Leah Clearwater, someone I definitely hadn't expected to be waiting for us on the steps of my home in Forks, let alone at all. Yet there she was, her steely gaze searching us out unabashedly the moment the Mustang pulled into view as she sat on the top step, picking absentmindedly at her fingernails.

Embry shot me a hasty glance over the top of the car before he shut his door as well. He started toward the porch and I followed him, watching Leah as she rolled her eyes at the silence.

"Hey," I greeted, flashing her a smile from my spot behind Embry. "What are you doing here?"

"Watching your fucking bushes wilt," Leah responded pointedly, staring at me blankly for a moment before she chuckled. "Honestly? I couldn't handle being around Rachel's cheery, imprinted ass anymore so I took off. Wasn't sure where else to go and since you weren't at his house..." She gave Embry a look of mock indignation.

"Is she still staying at your place?" I asked curiously as we reached the steps.

"Yup," Leah said matter-of-factly, kicking a pebble off the porch with her shoe. "She's still saying she can't stay at Billy's house with no one else there. Too many bad memories or some shit like that..."

I sighed as Embry and I exchanged a glance. He smiled as his eyes bounced toward the front door. "I'm gonna go inside and find that list. Maybe there's something I can get started on," he spoke up, shoving his hands in his pockets as he started up the stairs.

Leah snickered as he passed her, purposely knocking her elbow into his shin, which prompted him to knee her in the bicep. "Aww, is Swan turning you all domestic, Call? That's cute. Do you wear an apron when you do her laundry, too?"

"Fuck off, Leah," Embry spat out, but his shoulders shook with laughter as he opened the door to the house and let himself in.

Sighing, I walked up the first three stairs before collapsing on the porch next to Leah. "So what's wrong then? Can only handle so much optimism in one day?"

Leah scowled as she propped her elbows against her knees. "Fuck yes," she ground out between clenched teeth. "You know, probably the thing I hate most about imprinting – despite the obvious taking away all your choice and free will and its life-ruining tendencies and shit like that – is how disgustingly happy it makes people. Like life is suddenly all puppies and unicorns and fucking rainbows. Seriously – it's not natural to be that god damn chipper all the time."

"So it sounds like the imprint's really gotten to Rachel?" I asked quietly, lacing my fingers together in my lap.

Leah groaned. "Well, no – I'm probably making it sound worse than it is because my tolerance for other people's happiness is pretty shit-tastic, but she does talk about Paul quite a lot and every single time she does, her face lights up like a god damn Christmas tree. She can't see it and probably doesn't even know she's doing it, but it's there. Did Call tell you she agreed to go on a date with him?" she rambled, throwing a more than disgusted glance in my direction.

I nodded. "Yeah, he mentioned it."

"Stupid fucking Rachel," Leah muttered at no one in particular. "Just once I'd like to see an imprint tell one of the guys to go fuck themselves, you know? They say imprints get a choice whether they want to accept it, but I've never seen it. Just once I'd like to see them shrug it off and opt out of this mess."

"You really think they can do that?" I questioned, my face screwing up in genuine curiosity as I glanced at Leah out of my peripheral vision.

Leah's boisterous laugh caused me to jump. "I have no idea, but it sure is an interesting theory."

Smiling, I let my eyes drop to the ground below us before shifting my gaze back to Leah. "So is that really why you're here?"

Leah's mouth twisted in contemplation as she stared off into space. "Part of it – Rachel really is driving me crazy, and I can't really phase or go running to get away from it since Paul's on patrol right now." She sighed defeatedly before meeting my stare. "That, and I guess I kinda wanted to make sure you were getting through all this imprint bullshit as unscathed as possible."

I felt an automatic grin pull at the corner of my mouth in response to Leah's concern which, no matter how many times I knew she'd try to deny it in the next few minutes, I also knew was genuine. "It freaked me out a little at first," I admitted quietly, "but Embry and I worked through it."

"Good deal," Leah replied, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "You're not an imprint, Swan, so you're riding by the seat of your pants hoping some random bitch doesn't come along and ruin it, and I won't lie – it's been driving me batshit crazy knowing how you were probably freaking out about this because that's what you like to do – freak out." She paused to take a deep breath before eyeing me incredulously. "Are you freaking out?"

Remembering the brief moment of weakness that could easily be defined as freaking out, I shook my head. "No – at least not anymore."

"Good," Leah replied pointedly. "Keep it that way. Don't go fucking it up now with all your over-thinking and crazy talk, okay?" She looked at me imploringly, awaiting my response with wide, insistent eyes.

I offered her a certain, comforting smile in return. "I know, Leah – I got all the over-thinking out of my system, but we're good now, I promise." Leaning to my right, I nudged her with my shoulder. "But I'm touched that you care," I teased.

"Ugh," Leah moaned at the sky. "Yeah, I care. So sue me for actually wanting this little deal with you and Call to work out just so I can see the looks on everyone's face when it doesn't turn sour – for more reasons than imprinting, too." Shaking her head, Leah jumped swiftly to her feet before I had a chance to respond, making the leap down the stairs in one lithe, effortless bound. "So what's on this to-do list Call was talking about? You gotta give me something to do, Swan. I swear to God – I need at least four hours without Paul's ass or smile inadvertently sneaking its way into a conversation. I get to see enough of that in person without hearing about it every ten minutes in my own fucking house."

Resting my chin on my closed fist, I grinned at Leah. At this rate, my chores were going to be done before lunchtime. "You like grocery shopping?" I ventured tentatively, raising a curious eyebrow in her direction.

"Just call me Rachael Ray, Swan – give me a list and I'll make all your culinary dreams come true."

"Are you going home after we get done?"

I glanced at Embry expectantly over my shoulder as I wedged a big, red plastic bucket under the kitchen faucet. Although Leah was still at the grocery store, Embry and I had managed to power our way through a majority of the chore list in under an hour and a half. I did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen and started a couple loads of laundry, while Embry went to work with the broom and dust rag, veering off course only a couple times when I assigned him a couple odd jobs like changing the light bulb in the upstairs hallway – the one Charlie couldn't reach without getting out a ladder.

As I now watched him concentrating way too hard on ripping apart a bagel at my kitchen table, it still made me shake my head in pleasurable disbelief how after everything – after all the changes and missteps we'd taken in our relationship – we'd managed to find this comfortable, unquestionable spot in each other's lives. It still surprised me how easily – how seamlessly– we fit together.

Being with Embry was comfortable. It was natural. It was right. Even in moments like this, caught up in ritual and routine, every second – no matter how mundane – was too much yet completely not enough.

And even now, it left me breathless how much I adored him – how much I loved this person I never expected to, this man who could make my world stop with just a simple smile.

Embry broke me out of my reverie with a chuckle, despite the fact he didn't look up from his bagel. "Do you want me to?"

"Of course not!" I exclaimed, turning away from him as I focused on the task in front of me, turning the hot water on in order to fill the bucket. For the most part, the clouds outside were showing mercy in the form of no rain and I planned to take advantage of it by giving my car a quick bath.

A few silent moments passed as the bucket filled. Once the water hit the level I wanted, I quickly shut off the faucet before wrapping both hands tightly around the handle and lugging it gracelessly from the sink. Embry eyed me skeptically, more than likely betting with himself as to how far I'd make it before I tripped and water went everywhere. Much to his silent dismay, I made it to the front entryway without incident.

I smiled triumphantly as I sat the bucket next to the door. "Charlie's going to Hoquiam tonight after his shift – something about a retirement party for a cop buddy he has up there." I reached up and retrieved my jacket from the coat hook in the foyer before returning my expectant stare to Embry, who had stood up from the kitchen table and was now chewing thoughtfully on his bagel as he watched me.

"I was actually kind of thinking we could stay in here tonight," I ventured on as I slid into my jacket. "We could rent a couple movies from the gas station, get a pizza or something." I paused as I fiddled with the jacket's zipper, waiting for Embry's reaction to my plan.

Embry leaned lazily against the doorframe as he cocked an eyebrow. "A night in with Charlie's big screen? I'm totally game." His grin practically enveloped his face.

I laughed, the sound resonating in the small entryway. "What are you gonna do while I'm outside?" I asked quietly.

Embry shrugged as he swallowed a bite of bagel. "Are you hungry? I think I could manage making some sandwiches or something. That way we have something to eat when you get done."

I smiled at him as I bent over and awkwardly picked up the bucket. "That sounds amazing," I replied. "You wanna come out and help me when you're done making those?"

Taking a step forward, Embry reached up, taking my chin between his thumb and index finger. In one swift movement, he leaned forward and left a quick, tender kiss on my mouth. "I can do that," he whispered as he pulled away, leaning back against the wall as he hid his smirk behind another bite.

Once I finally made it outside, I sat the bucket next to the Mustang before trotting quickly to the garage. Humming to myself, I retrieved from Charlie's utility shelves a large sponge and a couple of old, clean towels mostly used to absorb motor oil and other vehicle excrement. With those things in hand, I moved to the side of the garage and retrieved the garden hose, grunting as I pulled on it in an effort to drag it toward my car.

After everything was where it needed to be, I continued humming to myself as I rinsed off the car, the small droplets of water from the hose leaving my skin cool as I brushed them off with my hand. Once finished, I bent over and picked up the submerged sponge from the bucket, attacking the car with the warm, soapy mixture.

As I worked, the hum quickly turned into a song as I started singing to no one in particular, bouncing to the rhythm of my own tune, my voice horribly off-key. I didn't care – no one was around and Embry was still in the house. I started singing louder.

I was happy. I was buoyant.

I was so lost in my little song and dance I didn't hear the sound of gravel crunching under footsteps as they approached me from behind.

"Bella?"

It was an automatic, instinctive response when my mouth snapped shut and I froze, completely unable to move. It was only a moment longer before I felt the color leave my face and in the same second, that one word caused my heart to stop beating.

So many different thoughts and emotions attacked my senses at once, yet I was completely numb. I couldn't feel a thing. All I could feel was my world completely tilt off its axis in a single moment.

I recognized that word.

I knew that voice.

Damn it, I knew that voice.

I didn't want to turn around, but I had to. My body was forcing me to without waiting for my heart and my head to give it permission, and a smaller part of me – a part I had silenced and forced into a far corner of my being – needed to know. As I eventually faced the approaching voice, my body turning in slow motion, all my air left me in one swift, ragged breath as I felt a healed wound inside me tear open to the very core.

He looked exactly the same, yet so different. His hair was longer and scruffy stubble covered his jawline. He looked older and his features appeared as if they had matured overnight. He exuded wisdom, like he had gone off to see the world and came back possessing knowledge he didn't know existed.

And here he was looking at me – smiling at me – like the final piece of the puzzle to his life was falling into place.

Like absolutely nothing had changed.

"Jacob."

AN: So yeah...THAT just happened... Thoughts?

A big thanks goes out to everyone who was oh so kind and left me a review on the last chapter, and a cheesy wave to any new readers I've gained along the way! So happy you found my story. Now everyone sit back, relax and prepare for a buttload more angst. ;)