Here's a chapter for you all.

I do not own Twilight, blah, blah, blah..

"Embry," I whispered, hearing my quiet voice shake. I couldn't move just then, frozen by the sight of him, his wonderful, perfect, beautiful tired face. He looked at me with wide, disbelieving eyes that almost looked like they were ready to pop right out of his sockets. I forced my feet to move me forwards, and he moved at the same time. It happened faster than I could see, but suddenly my feet were off the ground and I was pressed to his chest.

I put my arms around his neck, digging my face into his shoulder.

"I'm Amanda Woods!" I blurted out without thinking. He didn't seem to notice that I said anything, but maybe that was a good thing. Wait till I knew what came out of my mouth. My fingers tangled themselves into the soft hair by his neck and I felt his hands go to my hair, too.

"I didn't think you'd come back," he breathed in my ear, his voice breaking in happiness.

"Of course I'd come back," I mumbled back.

He pulled be back a little, roughly, and looked into my eyes for a moment before he kissed me carefully. I smiled against his lips and kissed back. I felt the stupid wall I'd imagined to be there tumble own easily, and Embry seemed to notice it, too. He winced in happiness before he pulled back again.

"You're back," he exclaimed enthusiastically before I had time to claim his lips again.

"Yeah, thought we already settled that," I replied before kissing him again. He pushed me back another time, earning an unhappy growl from me. He grinned as he looked at my face.

"Yes, but you're here!" He was smiling wider than ever.

"Yeah," I agreed. "And I'm sorry." Might as well start now, I had a lot of explaining to do. Embry frowned like he didn't really understand what I was saying, but then it dawned on him.

"I'm sorry," he corrected.

"I am," I insisted. This was not something I would let him take the blame for. This one was one me, and only me. "I'm not sure what was going on in my head, I'm so, so sorry," I started.

"It's nothing to be sorry for," he tried cutting me off, but I kept talking.

"I didn't really realize that I was the only one standing in the way for us. I completely overreacted instead of looking at the simple facts." That's what Rachel had said. A little dejected I realized she had been right again. Darn. "That I love you," I said, pausing to see his reaction. He lit up like a candle, looking like he might explode with happiness. "and that you love me." I couldn't help it. My voice sounded a little uncertain at the end.

"I do," he assured me. I smiled.

"It's just, when I started thinking about everything, I kind of thought it was too complicated. And then, for some unexplainable and idiotic reason, I decided it would be better to go away. Like that would ease the confusion, it just made everything worse, and not just for me –"

"You have to breathe in between monologues, Maia," he reminded me in a laugh.

"Right. But then I understood it, because I don't think I really made all the choices consciously, it was like my mind was already determined that love is a bad thing, and it was just waiting for an opportunity to escape it –"

"You're doing it again," he cut me off.

"Is it really that important to you that I don't get to finish my sentences?" I asked him with a chuckle.

"Honestly, yes, because all that matters to me is that you're here," he told me sincerely. If I hadn't been feeling so hectic at the moment I might have blushed at that

"I'll shorten it down for you. I made a mistake, and it's entirely my fault, and nothing is on you, and I drove all the way back here to make it up and maybe possibly get a new chance," I breathed out, biting my lip.

Embry was shaking his head in amusement before he kissed me again. I melted against him as the last remains of the wall disappeared in thin air. It felt like they'd never been there before.

"You'll always have a new chance," he mumbled against my lips. "Only next time I won't let you disappear from me. It was horrible," he whined.

"I know, I'm so, so sorry, I'll never ever over think stuff again. Not like that."

"Can I apologize now?" he asked me, pulling away a few inches to look at my face. I shook my head.

"No. I told you, it's only my fault. You have nothing to apologize for."

"Not even if it makes me feel better?"

"Not even then." I squirmed a little in his arms, uncomfortable now that I started to think about it. I saw his questioning and a little hurt expression. "Mind if we sit down?"

"Why?"

"I don't know if you've ever tried it, but having your legs dangle in the air over a longer amount of time isn't exactly comfortable," I told him matter-of-factly, smiling a little. He looked down, as if to check I was telling the truth.

"Oh," he replied with a grin.

He made his way into the living room, collapsing in the couch. I giggled as I fell on top of him, since he still hadn't let go of me. I moved so I sat more comfortably on his lap, smiling. He smiled back, innocently, and asked:

"Can I apologize now?"

"You're starting to annoy me," I informed him.

"I will keep annoying you till I get it my way," he replied. I focused my eyes on his, sternly, concentrating on not blinking. I knew I probably wouldn't win; I'd lost before. But hey, you can't blame a girl for trying.

My eyes soon started to sting, and I looked away with a groan.

"Don't take it so hard, you're getting better," Embry assured me and patted my back soothingly.

"I will beat you," I told him certainly, and he just smiled. "Fine. Say whatever you want to say."

"Good. Okay, I'm sorry, too, because I made everything even more complicated than it already was for you." I started to shake my head, but he glared at me, so I stopped. "I knew that you were over thinking it, but I figured if I just… you know, if I was there all the time you'd get over it."

"It could have worked if I hadn't –"

"I'm talking," he interrupted me with a crooked grin. "Anyway, what I'm saying is that I'm sorry I pushed you too far. I should have just given you some space, like I kind of knew you needed, but I didn't want to because I'm kind of selfish when it comes to you, and when I started that I just couldn't make myself stop because I was sort of determined to make it work –"

"Breathe," I reminded him with a chuckle.

" – but when I kissed you I realized I was just making everything a hundred times worse, so I decided it would be better to give you the space you needed. Honestly, I was half counting on you to change your mind before you guys started driving, but I saw that it wouldn't happen, and after you left, I couldn't do anything, and it was all my fault, and –"

"Jeesh, you're much worse than me," I exclaimed, battling my hand up to cover his mouth. I felt him smile under it before he moved it away and brought me closer for a kiss. I welcomed it happily, sighing in contentment as I brought my arms up around his neck again.

Abruptly he pushed me back (again) by putting a hand on my shoulder, and I whined and pouted.

"What –" I started.

"Did you say you drove all the way here?" he asked me, raising both of his eye brows. I frowned.

"Did I say that?"

"Yeah, with the new chance-thing," he reminded me.

"Oh. I guess I did say that," I mused. I met his questioning gaze. "What?"

"So you did drive here?"

"What else, run?" I joked lamely.

"You drove."

"Yes."

"You drove," he repeated, like he wanted to double-check. Or, triple-check, maybe.

"Yes, what's wrong with me driving?"

"I'm thinking about your safety!" he exclaimed, like that was obvious. I raised one eye brow skeptically at him, and suddenly he was distracted. "How do you do just one at a time?" he asked me, trying to only lift one of his brows at a time.

"You can't do it? It's not hard," I told him, doing it again.

"Really? I don't get it…" he said with a shrug. "Anyway, have you ever seen yourself drive?"

"Can't say I have, no," I shook my head.

"So you're unaware of how much you're speeding," he checked. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not driving faster than anyone else. I follow the law."

"You're driving way too fast," he argued.

"Am not!" I insisted.

"Are too!"

"Am not!" I retorted, glaring into his eyes, challenging him for another staring-contest. He obliged eagerly. This time I held out longer, but at last I lost again. Frustrated, I slapped him in the shoulder with a huff.

"So, does this mean I won again?" he asked.

"No, you're just imagining it."

"Right."

"Do you have a phone I can borrow?" I asked to change the subject.

"Why?"

"I kind of have to call dad. He sort of doesn't know where I am… what?" I asked at his disapproving expression.

"You drove all night – you – and no one even knew where you were?" he asked, making it sound like something stupid. I raised one eye brow at him, crossing my arms.

"Don't complain, if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been here till Monday. I'm three days early." He beamed at that reminder.

"I'm happy about that," he assured me. "Just that –"

"Phone?"

"I'm –"

"Phone?" I demanded again, holding my hand out. He sighed and shook his head before he fished out his own phone from a pocket. I threw him a sweet smile and got up, but he kept my hand in his.

"Can't you call him here?" he asked, grinning hopefully at me.

"You'll distract me," I replied. When he didn't let go I rolled my eyes at him with a smile and sat down at the arm rest of the sofa with my back towards him.

"Thanks," he said happily, playing with the fingers of my free hand as I dialed dad's number. I frowned at the phone.

"How old is this thing?" I asked in a mutter.

"Two and a half years, still as good as new," Embry said proudly. I glanced at him for a short second, but decided not to answer that.

Dad answered after only two rings.

"Hello?" he said in a frustrated voice. Hm. I either woke him up, or he'd just seen my note. I didn't know which one to hope for.

"Hi, dad," I answered, waiting for the thunderstorm I probably would get from him now.

"Madeline?" he asked, his voice raising in anger.

"Yeah."

"Maddy, what do you think you're doing? Sneaking out like that. Do you have any idea –" Oh yeah, he'd seen it. And he was pissed. " – how scared I got when you weren't here? Harriet was going to wake you so you could play tennis, what do you think we thought when you weren't there?"

"That I was out jogging?"

"Not funny," he replied, his voice flat as if he was trying to hold back his anger.

"I know. But you wouldn't listen to me," I tried reasoning with him, even though I knew it was pointless. Once he'd made up his mind about something it was impossible to change it for him. But, like someone smart ones said, a thing is only impossible until someone does it.

"What could possibly be so important that you would risk giving me a heart attack?" he hissed.

"Embry," I answered easily. I felt Embry's hand tighten around mine, and I looked at him and smiled.

"You can't just leave like that, not even for a boy. You have responsibilities, Madeline. Other than your boyfriend."

"I know."

"You can't put him in front of your family when you've only known him for three weeks. It's ridiculous, Madeline."

"But when my family won't listen to me I kind of have to do what I have to do," I said. I felt more confident with Embry holding my hand. Instead of just backing off I held my place in this. "Aren't you supposed to work hard for what you want? There's always sacrifices."

"And you mean that you could 'sacrifice' your family?" dad asked in a raging voice.

"You said that, not me." Dad paused, probably thinking back to remember if he had said that. Then he brushed it off, getting angry again. I heard he was about to say something again, so I hurriedly cut him off. "The car, what do you want me to do about it?"

"The car?" he repeated, baffled.

"Will you come get it or do you want me to drive it back?"

"I'll… get it, but don't change the subject," he started again, annoyed. "We're not finished discussing this –"

"Dad, listen to me, okay?" I cut him off, irritated now. "You can be really cranky about this if you'd like, but that will only turn back on you. If I can't get along with you just because of this tiny little disagreement, then I don't want to spend my holidays with you anymore. You know that, right? I live with mum, not you." Dad didn't say anything, so I continued. "So if you want us to have a good relationship, take this like a man and not like mum would. I want to be friends with you, but I'm not a little girl you can boss around. Do you understand that?"

"I know you're not a little girl," dad started.

"And I need you to respect me and my choices," I cut him off again.

"Of course I respect you, honey," he told me softly. The change in his voice from earlier was extreme. I smiled smugly for myself. Just because this place was filled with discussion-winning, stubborn people didn't mean I couldn't make other people see my side of things.

"Great. So you'll get the car here, then?" I checked.

"Yes. Is it okay if we stay a few days, too?" he asked, hopefully.

"I guess so. You'd have to ask Horton, it's not my house."

"Great. We'll stay here till Monday, though." He sounded content now, back to normal, the fight forgotten. Talk about adjusting.

"How will you get here?"

"We'll manage," he replied.

"Great. Can't wait to see you, dad," I told him warmly with a smile. I was so good.

"You too. And happy birthday, honey. I'll bring your gift with me."

"You got me a gift?" I asked eagerly.

"Of course I did," he answered, sounding like he was grinning.

"Great!"

He laughed a little. "We'll see you Monday, honey."

I hung up, smiling like an idiot as I handed the phone to Embry. I was surprised to see his glare again, and threw my arms in the air in a dejected manner.

"What is it now?" I asked.

"You didn't tell me it was your birthday," he accused.

"What, are you gonna get a gift? Because if I knew that I most definitely would have told you."

"You need to sleep," he pointed out.

"I'm fine, I had coffee on the way," I assured him with another grin.

"I figured," he muttered, dragging me off the armrest. I plumped down on the couch at my back, tilting my head back to look at him.

"I was going to tell you," I assured him. He looked at me darkly. "I was getting to it!" I defended. He tried raising only one of his eye brows, but it ended up as a hilarious grimace. I laughed. "You're not very good at that," I giggled.

"How do you do it?" he asked me with a sheepish smile.

"I don't know, I just do it. Try again."

He tensed his whole face as he tried and it looked like he was in real pain when he did.

"Not like that," I laughed. "Here, I'll help you."

I put my fingers on his right eye brow and he grinned at me, surprised.

"That'll help?" he asked skeptically.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "We'll see. Try now." He did, and both of them flew up like nothing held them back, and I drew my hand back with a grimace. "I didn't know your eye brow-muscles were also affected when you became a werewolf," I said, and he broke into laughter.

"I didn't either," he laughed at me, dragging me to him and ruffling my hair. I huffed before I leaned into him, relaxing with my head on his chest. "Hey, I know what I'll get you for your birthday," he exclaimed, and I tilted my head up to look at him. "A new phone," he grinned.

I chuckled. "That's a little too much –"

"Nope. I broke yours, the least I can do is get you a new one," he insisted.

I giggled and rolled my eyes. "Fine."

I heard footsteps in the stairs, and turned to look who was coming. Emily made her entrance elegantly. She was one of those people who looked good no matter where or when. Lucky woman.

"Hi, Maia," she greeted me when she saw me. "Weren't expecting you today."

"I wasn't expecting me either," I told her.

She smiled. "Good to have you back. Wanna help me make breakfast? The guys are coming over soon," she told me with a roll of her eyes.

"Sure," I replied and tried to get up.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping or something," Embry hinted me, holding me back.

"I don't need to yet," I said, glaring at him till he let go. I gave him a happy smile and went to the kitchen, him close behind me.

Needless to say that we put huge amounts of food on the table. It was even more than I'd thought necessary, and I'd thought a lot. I looked at Embry in wonder when he looked at it skeptically, like he wasn't sure it would be enough.

"I'm so glad I'm not you," I told Emily teasingly. She rolled her eyes and smiled – half of her face smiled – as she sat down.

"They'll be here soon, I hope," she mumbled.

"Where are they?"

"Out doing wolf-business," she answered, wriggling her eye brows. I nodded with a small smile. I should have guessed that, of course. I was new to this stuff, so I guess I was excused.

The guys started filing in soon after that, digging in before everyone was there despite Emily's warnings. She sighed, giving up and gliding down on my left side. Embry was on my right. He was pushing food into his mouth at the same time as he was staring at me openly, but it didn't look disgusting, like it would with any other guy. Embry did it in a way that looked cute.

I knew that Rachel had arrived when her strong arms wrapped around my shoulders from behind. I choked at my food, gripping at her hands to get her to let go.

"I knew it! I said you'd come back, right Paul?" she yelled, her tone a mix of smugness and ecstasy, shaking me violently.

"You know you're killing her, right?" I heard Paul's voice from somewhere.

"She deserves it," Rachel mumbled as she let me go.

"Jeesh, you always make everything so intense, Rachel," I scolded her while straightening my shirt. I looked up to see Embry glare in Rachel's direction and she smirked back. She sat down on the opposite side of the table as me, smiling widely at me. "What is it now?" I asked.

"Don't you have something to say to me?"

I pretended to think about it for a short second. "You have issues?"

Someone barked out a laugh, but I wasn't sure who.

Rachel narrowed her eyes for a moment and shook her head.

"No, not that one."

"Um…"

"Just tell her she's right, she won't stop before you do," Paul advised me.

Rachel nodded hugely next to him, and I sighed in defeat.

"Fine. You were right."

She grinned approvingly at me. "I knew you'd come around," she said happily before she started eating. A little later Kim and Jared came in too. Kim grinned widely in my direction, her white teeth almost blinding me.

Kim and Jared were a strange couple to look at. Kim was tiny. Much shorter than me and her body was like an eight-year-olds – thin and not exactly curved. Jared was her complete opposite, tall and muscular, like all the pack-guys were. The height-difference was so big it was almost funny.

I looked at Embry and wondered if it looked that weird when I stood next to him, too. I was taller than Kim – who wasn't? – but still.

I also overheard someone talk about a bonfire tonight, and I eagerly agreed to come. Since I hadn't paid attention the last time and stuff. I wanted to hear the legends.

"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" Embry asked me when I said I'd come.

"It's a great idea," I smiled.

"In that case, you have to sleep some before we go there."

"I really don't think I'll need –"

"You're going to need it," he cut me off confidently, smiling smugly at his easy victory. He ignored my every attempt to talk him out of it, so I decided I could compromise.

"Fine. But then you have to sleep, too."

"Deal," he replied quickly, too eagerly.

We left when Rachel started criticizing Kim's hair. I only heard something about a curling iron as we walked out the door, and Embry mumbled something about 'obsessed woman' or something. I wasn't interested enough to ask who he was talking about.

"I take it I'm not driving?" I asked.

"Good guess," he grinned as I handed him the keys.

I snorted at him as he started driving, and he looked at me.

"That's two wrongs. One for speeding and one for not keeping those eyes on the road," I scolded him and pointed forwards.

"Those rules aren't for me," he huffed confidently. I raised one eye brow (enjoying the puzzled look on his face when I did it) questioningly and crossed my arms.

"Oh?"

"I'm not as human as you are. I have better sight and better reactions and better –"

"Watch out!" I shrieked.

Embry's head snapped away from me and he pressed the brakes in as hard as he could. I flew forward, but the seat belt yanked me back as I started laughing. I looked up at Embry, who was panting hard and fast, clutching his chest with his hand.

"Never. Do. That. Again," he told me through grit teeth. I tried speaking through my laughter, choking out words.

"You should have seen your face!" I laughed.

"That was seriously dangerous, Maia," he said sternly, but he softened up a bit. My laughter faded away eventually and he was still catching his breath, trying to get over the shock.

"If that was a kid, he'd be dead by now," I pointed out in a serious voice. "No more speeding for you, mister," I told him, pointing my finger at him.

"Sure," he mumbled, avoiding eye-contact with me. I could see a tiny smile in the corner of his mouth, though, and I sat back in my seat with a smug smile as he started driving again. Much slower now.

He pulled into the drive-way of the house five minutes later. I had only gotten to unfasten my seat belt when he was at my side, lifting my up in his arms.

"Who said you could do that?" I protested, feeling stupid as he carried me bridal style towards the door.

"I did."

"I didn't say I wanted to be carried, you smuck."

"I know, I just love to annoy you," he grinned slyly, and I couldn't help it but to smile back. He was so cute.

My mattress was still on the floor, like it had been when I left, so we just plopped down on it together. He instantly curled his arms around me like he had the last time, and I positioned my head on one of his arms as a pillow and faced him. I smiled.

"What?" he asked and smiled back.

"You smell nice," I noted without thinking and smiled wider.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You smell like Embry."

"You smell nice, too," he told me, brushing some of my hair out of my eyes. I grinned widely. "Now sleep," he ordered jokingly. I stuck my tongue out.

"Fine, be that way."

"I will."

I playfully glared at him, and he brought his fingers carefully to my eyelids and gently pushed them closed. If somebody else did that I would have freaked out, but with Embry it was okay. When my eyes were closed, and with the warmth radiating from Embry, I soon began to feel dozy and tired. Despite myself I drifted into a calm, dreamless sleep.

This chapter was really hard to write. Not sure why, but it was.

I got like 28 reviews for last chapter!! That's extreme!! Beat my record with 7!!

Therefore I felt really crappy when I didn't update yesterday. I felt as though you guys were all being so nice to me, and then I was mean and greedy and stuff when I didn't update and it was so sad.

Anyway, there were some confusions about Maia's last name. I did mantion it in the first chapter, but I had to check myself. So I can't blame anyone for forgetting, I just felt I needed to use the same one if anyone actually did notice.

So, I hope this chapter was happy enough to make up for all the depression in the last few chapters. I'm not gonna lie. It's not gonna be only happy ponies and butterflies and hearts and hearts and hearts till the end, but I can say that Maia and Embry will stay together. No more leaving or anything like that. I wouldn't handle it. Of course, in the end she's still leaving, but..

Not many of you answered to the playlist-thing. I need suggestions!! I've got lots of songs for the depressing parts. It's the kind-of-friends-period I'm struggling with. But any suggestion will do.

One more thing, TeamJake was so sweet to mention me in her A/U, and I would feel a little mean if I didn't do the same. Seriously, she has the coolest story, you really should check it out!! 'New Starts And Big Hairy Things'. Just the name rocks.