Regret seeped into me as I trekked through the dewy underbrush to my own house. I wish I'd gotten to spend time with Jacob this morning instead of his witchy sister but he deserved a good night's sleep. An image of his face with his eyes half lidded in pleasure sent a shiver through me but I pushed the thought away before I talked myself into going back and doing whatever it took to get him to make that face again. Besides, he'd made it clear that he hadn't wanted us to go that far yet and the only reason it had was because he had been inebriated. I was in no rush to go through the awkward conversational aftermath with him.

The first thing I did after walking through the back door was to throw everything for homemade chicken soup into a pot on the stove and get it simmering. The next stop was the shower. The smell of bonfire and stale beer was soaked into my skin and hair and I couldn't wait to wash it down the drain. I sighed in relief as the water slid over me, easing my hangover just enough to start feeling human again. By the time I had run a comb through my hair and put on my favorite jeans and a clean shirt, the chicken soup was ready. I packed it into an airtight container and then a handled grocery bag for the 20-minute walk over to Sam and Emily's.

As soon as she opened the door, however, I knew that the chicken soup wasn't necessary. It was 9 am but a pajama-clad Emily was holding a pint of Ben & Jerry's with a spoon in it. Her face lit up in a huge grin when she saw me. "I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling me in.

"Hi…," I replied dazedly, completely thrown by this cheery Emily who was not at all sick.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing to the bag as we walked down the hall, her taking big bites of ice cream.

"Uh… chicken noodle soup. Sam said you had the stomach flu and that's why you didn't come to the party last night." Obviously, that wasn't the case but I took it out of the bag to put it on her kitchen counter anyway.

Her spoon clattered on the counter. "Is there celery in it?" She asked, her eyes fixated on the see-through container.

"Yeah, do you not like celery?" I replied cautiously as I watched Emily's face go as green as the vegetable. Without another word, she whirled around to the sink and promptly threw up half a carton of Chunky Monkey.

"Holy shit, Em!" I exclaimed, rushing to hold back her hair.

She waved me off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just get it out of my sight please," she pleaded, still hunched over the sink like she was waiting for more of her sugary breakfast to reappear.

Panicking, I grabbed the container and ran out the back door and around the side of the house where I dumped all it's contents into the compost pile.

When I returned, Emily was splashing water on her face. "I didn't mean for you to toss it out, you could have put it in the fridge," she laughed, weakly, dabbing her neck with a kitchen towel to catch the falling droplets.

My face reddened slightly since that obviously would have been the easier and saner conclusion.

We stared at each other across the kitchen for a moment before she spoke, "So, I think I'm pregnant."

I gave her my best 'well-duh' expression. "Ya think? I've never seen anybody scarf down ice cream like that and then go all exorcist not two seconds later."

"Apparently, I'm not a huge fan of celery at the moment," she said wryly, "but that was really sweet of you to bring that over Anni. I'm sorry you thought I meant for you to dump it out. Sam would have loved it."

"Speaking of Sam… does he really think you have the flu?"

Emily paled slightly, "He doesn't know yet. I haven't told him because I'm not sure and all he's talked about since the honeymoon is a baby. It's always been our plan to start a family right away and I don't want to get his hopes up and then have it not be true."

I don't know why she looked so serious. "Well, that's easily fixable! Let's just go down to the grocery store and pick up a stick for you to pee on."

Emily bit her lip, "Well, that's kind of the thing. See, Sam's cousin works at the pharmacy there and I wouldn't want him to say anything to Sam before I can tell him myself. Greg's kind of a loudmouth."

I quickly put two and two together and groaned, "You want me to go pick up a pregnancy test by myself?" Just the thought of it was mortifying.

Emily dashed across the sunlit kitchen and grabbed me hand, "Oh Anni, would you? Greg doesn't know you, so he won't have any reason to mention it to anybody."

I cringed but Emily was using her wide, pleading eyes that dared anybody to tell her no and not feel like the most heartless person in the world for it. "Ugh! Fine!" Besides, anybody I knew was still sleeping off the party.


Not 20 minutes later, I returned to find Emily wearing a path across the living room floor. "Thank God, I drank a huge glass of water and I've had to pee so bad for the last 10 minutes!" She ran across the room toward me, took the small brown bag out of my hands, and kissed my cheek before rushing toward the bathroom calling, "You're the best!" over her shoulder.

I took up her post of pacing across the floor while she used the test but only a minute later she was calling my name. When I entered the small ocean-themed bathroom, I found her bent over the counter with one hand holding her hair out of the way while she watched the stick intently. "Well?" I asked.

"It takes two minutes. Shh," she told me, not moving her eyes even a millimeter.

I almost laughed at her shushing me since I seriously doubted a little noise would impact the accuracy of the test but instead I just joined her.

We hovered over the counter and watched the small stick like two eagles tracking a mouse as a pink line appeared in the first window. My heart fluttered a little, caught up in the moment. "Does that mean you're pregnant?" I asked in the quietest whisper I could manage.

"No, that just means the test is working. If I'm pregnant there will be a line in the second window too," she whispered back, just as quiet.

The second pink line faded in as gently as morning mist but it might as well been a heard of elephants the way that both our jaws hit the floor. "Oh my God, I'm going to have a baby," Emily said in a shocked voice. We looked up at each other for a moment, both stunned into silence and then Emily gave me the most rapturous grin I'd ever seen on anyone. I suddenly understood the phrase 'pregnancy glow' as the look on her face could light up the forest in the middle of the night. "I'm going to have a baby!" She shouted, happily.

I threw my arms around her and we jumped around like two little kids who just found out they were going to Disneyland. But our joy was short-lived since Emily quickly broke away from me mumbling, "I think I'm going to be sick again," before promptly falling to her knees and hurling into the toilet. It was probably the only time she'd ever been glad that Sam had left the seat up.


Emily wasn't sure when she was going to tell Sam because she wanted to come up with something special for the moment but I assured her that her secret was safe with me before I left.

My body was buzzing with excitement for the two of them but I couldn't help that my thoughts wandered to what it would feel like to find out I was pregnant with Jacob's child. Images of little boys with strong profiles and little girls with long, straight hair filled my head all the way home. Not any time in the near future, of course, but one day... after college... when we were married... and had jobs... and our own house.

My phone was on the kitchen counter where I had left it in my hurry to get the soup to a sick Emily but now it had an unread text message.

JAKE: CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT YOU. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AT DINNER TONIGHT. P.S. RACHEL'S COMING AND SHE'S BRINGING PAUL. SORRY!

Confusion settled over me before I remembered that the Sunday dinner had been changed to Saturday night to accommodate a drum and healing circle/potluck happening tomorrow. Since I'd spent all day with Emily I had exactly one hour to pull together a meal that would shut up even Rachel's big mouth. Luckily, I had one whole chicken, a can of Embry's beer, and just enough time to make beer can chicken in the BBQ if Jake hurried over to man the grill. I quickly texted him my dilemma and before I could even finish rubbing the spices on the chicken skin, he was breezing in the door, bringing with him the fresh scent of forest. "The grill is warming up," he said coming to stand beside me.

"You're a life saver!" I declared, pausing for just long enough to give him a grateful smile and a quick kiss before turning my attention back to the BBQ rub.

After a moment Jake cleared his throat, "Is it totally wrong that watching you massage that chicken is turning me on?" I gave him a stunned look as he reached down to adjust his erection to a more comfortable position in his shorts. He gave an embarrassed shrug, "I guess I just remember how those hands feel." He moved one of own his hands to stroke it's way down my spine and buried his nose in my neck, inhaling the smell of my shampoo. I couldn't help but close my eyes and sway toward his touch before regaining my senses.

"Wait!" I cried, flustered. "Dinner first, flirting later!"

"Sure, sure" he said, giving me his signature Jacob grin. He grabbed some beers out of the fridge. "Come on, bird, let me buy you a drink."

After Jacob and the chicken were out the door, I put some seasoned red potatoes in the oven to roast and threw together a vegetable salad and a fruit salad. With 15 minutes left to spare I joined Jacob on the deck. He was just lowering the lid after checking on it when he saw me. "It smells really good. What did you rub it with?"

"I honestly don't remember. I just grabbed some stuff out of the spice cabinet," I admitted, sheepishly.

"Well, you better hope nobody asks you to make it again." He crossed to the table and sat down. I moved toward the other chair but he grabbed me around the waist. "Huh uh. I have a better seat for you," and pulled me onto his lap but I turned slightly to the side and leaned against the arm of the chair so I could see his face. The early summer sun was still bright in the sky and it caused the gold flecks in his brown eyes to sparkle dangerously. It was the closest we'd been since the events of the night before and the air became heavy with the static of unsaid things. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hey there," I whispered back as I watched his eyes flicker briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.

"So, about last night…" he started but I cut him off.

"Jake, please don't say you're sorry or that we rushed things. It's like the broken record of us and I'm getting a little tired of it."

He looked taken aback, "What do you want me to say? That's not at all what I had planned when I walked into my bedroom last night but there was this look on your face and the way you smelled…" his face took on a faraway look before shook his head to clear it. "My body just responded and it was like I could only think with my little head and that's not at all how I want it to be with you."

I sighed, "So you want us to keep our emotions in check and have everything planned out in advance?"

"No! I just want to make sure that you're ready for this," Jacob said, vehemently, and then a little more softly he added, "I just want to be sure you can forgive me for leaving."

I searched his eyes. He was worried that I still didn't trust him and in that moment it felt ridiculous to think that I ever didn't. This man that had saved my life on more than one occasion and had done so much even in his absence to safeguard me from getting hurt. Like I'd been punched in the chest, the wall around my heart crumbled completely and I realized I was looking into the face of a man that I loved and would love for the rest of my life.

I took his face in my hands and looked him in the eyes. "You're completely forgiven and I'm ready for whatever happens next. I've been ready since the moment I saw you and it was stupid of me to ever think I wasn't."

I watched Jake's expression change from one of concern to one of joy as I spoke. "Really?"

I laughed, "Yeah, really. Are you?"

Jacob stopped smiling and looked at me with such intensity that it would have warmed me even in a snowstorm. "Yes," he said with such certainty that it left no doubt in my mind. Jacob's lips meeting mine in a hungry kiss stopped my sigh of relief.

"Just don't leave again," I said, as his lips found a sensitive spot on my neck.

"Not without you," he whispered in my ear.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as our kisses deepened and his encircled me and pressed our bodies as close as my sideways position on his lap allowed like it would never be close enough. My breasts smashed roughly against his rock hard chest and I could feel his arousal straining against the back of my thigh.

It felt like only a second had passed but it must have been more when we heard a manly throat being cleared and we jumped apart guiltily. Billy was in the kitchen doorway and right behind him, my own Dad stood with a dark glower on his face. "That's quite enough you two. Don't need to be putting on a show on for the neighbors."

What neighbors? I thought with a furrowed brow. If there were any eyes to watch us in our backyard, they belonged to squirrels but I didn't push it. "Sorry, Dad." I said, jumping up from Jacob's lap as quickly as possible.

Billy rolled his chair out on the deck. "Can I talk to you Jacob?" It was clear from the tone of his voice that he meant for it to be a private conversation.

"Dad? Will you help me carry some stuff to the table?" I asked, trying to keep the tremble of a girl that had just been thoroughly kissed out of my voice.

"Sure," he said but I noticed the glare of disapproval that he threw Jacob's way before following me. Embry, Charlie, Rachel, and Paul were standing in the dining room chatting and I greeted them with a falsely enthusiastic smile. I didn't know why I felt so unnerved by being caught by our dads. We had only been kissing but they were acting like it was a criminal offense. I tried to shake it off as I carried plates to the table but as soon as Billy came back in, I grabbed the platter for the chicken and hurried out to the deck.

Jacob was standing there looking slightly stunned.

"What was that about?" I asked, breathlessly.

Jacob shook his head in confusion. "Billy is convinced that I've "deflowered" you," he said using air quotes, "and he's pretty pissed about it. He said we've taken things too fast since I've been home."

"Well, you told him the truth right?"

"Yeah, of course but he didn't believe me."

I reached for his hand but a knock in the window interrupted us. It was my father again and his face was clearly telling us to get inside.

It was, by far, the most tense dinner I'd ever had and that included the first one when Embry had hated me and our father had been so drunk he could barely lift his fork to his mouth. Dad kept stabbing his food with his fork and Billy kept shaking his head and sighing. Luckily, Embry seemed oblivious and Charlie kept complimenting me on my innovative use for beer. Paul and Rachel were too wrapped up in their world to notice anything was wrong. At least, they were until we were almost done and Rachel suddenly turned her sharp eyes on me. "So, Anni, what did you do today?" she asked with a smile that was far too sugary sweet.

"Just hung around…" I said cautiously, trying to figure out what her game was.

"Didn't buy anything interesting?" she smirked.

A fist of icy dread squeezed me as I realized what was going on. I gasped, forgetting I had a piece of cucumber in my mouth, and promptly began chocking on it.

"That's enough, Rachel," Billy interjected as Jacob pounded on my back. "This isn't an appropriate conversation to have at the dinner table."

"Why not?" My Dad said, "If everybody knows, why don't we just get it out in the open? I, for one, would like to know just what your son was thinking taking advantage of my daughter."

I had coughed up the offending vegetable and Jake turned back to the conversation, "I have no idea what you're talking about! What is going on?"

I looked around the table to Paul who looked at Jacob with pity and then to Rachel who had the smug look of a cat who'd gotten the cream. Embry look annoyed to be out of the loop, Charlie looked like he wanted to disappear, and Billy and my Dad looked like they were about to start World War 3 in our dining room. I had to diffuse this situation without letting the three pack members know about Emily so they wouldn't spoil the surprise for Sam if he read their minds.

"It's not what you think. Can we please not talk about this now?" I begged.

Dad slammed his fork onto the table, "It's not we we think?" he asked, incredulously. "Then that wasn't you buying a pregnancy test this morning because Greg Uley seemed convinced that it was when he came into the bar this afternoon."

"What?" Jacob asked, turning wide eyes to me.

Stupid, loudmouth Greg Uley. If I ever met him, I'd punch him.

"Yeah, how did that little test turn out?" Rachel asked, egging on the situation. Paul elbowed her in the ribs but it had no effect. "And why doesn't my little brother know about it?"

I gave her my best glare and said through clenched teeth, "Jacob doesn't need to know about it because it's not his baby." I'd meant that to imply that it wasn't my baby either but from the stunned silence at the table that's not how they took it. Damn. Damn. Damn.

Charlie was the first to speak, clearing his throat first, "I'm just gonna go…" failing to think of any place that he needed to be right then, he just gave up since no one was listening anyway. He made a vague gesture toward the living room. "Excuse me."

Charlie's exit seemed to break the floodgates and pandemonium broke out in the dining room. Everyone was yelling at once, at me and at each other. Everyone except Jacob, who just sat there looking at me like I'd just stabbed him straight in the heart.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to get everyone's attention. When that failed, I stood up and said it again. "Excuse me!" Nobody seemed to care that the subject of their heated discussion had something to say. When I heard Rachel mention my mom, little spots of red fury dotted my vision. All right, enough is enough! I couldn't take one more second of the heartbroken look on Jacob's face or the way Rachel ran her mouth without consequences. I grabbed my half-filled water glass on the table and hurled it at the wall behind Rachel's head. I had expected it to smash but the glass was thicker than it looked and it fell in one piece to the floor with an anti-climactic thud, leaving only a sad, wet spot on the faded blue wallpaper. It did, however, have the desired effect and everyone was looking at me expectantly, except for Rachel who actually looked a little frightened. Good, I thought with a perverse satisfaction.

"OK, listen. There is a baby but it's certainly not mine and Jacob's. I bought the test for a friend." When they all just stared at me, I emphasized, "For a friend! Seriously!"

Rachel caught on first, "Stomach flu!" she exclaimed, recalling Emily's excuse for not being at the party. "Emily's pregnant and she didn't want Greg to tell Sam!" She looked around the room proud that she'd figured out the secret before anyone else. Sorry Emily, I thought.

"Thank God!" Embry said with relief, "I thought I was going to have to kill you for knocking up my sister, bro." Jacob rewarded him with a glare.

"I thought we were going to have to track down Jimmy Lee and kill him... which we could still do... for fun." Paul added. "No?" he asked innocently, when I glared at him. How could he think I would sleep with Jimmy Lee? Ew.

I collapsed back into my chair and took a look at a shell-shocked Jacob. Our eyes met briefly and he gave me a small half smile before he looked at Billy with alarm. "Dad, are you okay?"

Billy had his head down and his whole body was shaking. For a split second I thought he was having a seizure but then I realized what was going on. "Billy, are you... laughing?"

Billy tossed his head backward and hit his hand repeatedly on the table in response. He was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"Oh ha ha, Dad," Jacob said sarcastically but Billy's laughter had broken the thick tension that had had a hold on the room all night and starting with my Dad, one by one, everyone joined him, including Jacob.

"You all…" I couldn't think of anything mean enough to end with. "You all suck!" But my declaration only seemed to make everyone laugh harder. "Now I have to go call Emily and tell her that all her plans for surprising Sam won't work because she has to tell him right now or risk everyone in La Push getting there first." I stood up, throwing my napkin on my plate and stalked out of the room with as much dignity as I could muster which wasn't much when I tripped over the stupid water glass that had rolled across the floor. I nudged it out of the way with my foot and even though it hit the wall softly, it chose that moment to shatter causing new peals of laughter throughout the room. I made a frustrated sound and continued out the door.

"Aw, don't be mad An," I heard Embry call out behind me but I ignored it.

I found my phone in the kitchen and went on the back deck to get away from the cackling hyenas in the dining room. When I explained the whole night to Emily, she started laughing.

"Not you too," I pouted.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Anni, but it sounds hilarious. Did Billy really use the word 'deflower'?" she said, in between laughter.

"It wasn't hilarious and according to Jacob he did use that word. It was awful and now you have to tell Sam right away."

"Yeah... about that…" she paused and sighed, "I kind of told him as soon as he walked in the door. I didn't mean to but I was so excited that I just blurted it out and then I burst into tears."

"But wasn't he thrilled?" I asked, watching the last of the sun dip behind the trees.

"Yeah, he was! And then I threw up on his shirt and he was still thrilled!"

We were both laughing by the time we said goodbye and I felt much better about the whole situation since it wouldn't affect Emily in a negative way. I was considering going back inside when Jacob came out and sat on the step beside me, handing me an oatmeal raisin cookie. "Well, that wasn't awkward at all," he stated, dryly.

"Awkward? I almost get killed by a vampire in my backyard, your sister comes home and decides she hates me and then imprints on Paul and they become the most obnoxious couple ever, the whole town thinks I'm pregnant and I host the worst dinner party since The Donners. Not exactly the perfect start to our perfect summer," I sighed, turning the cookie around in my fingers.

"Well, think about it this way… it can only get better from here right?" He held his cookie up in front of me. "Cheers?"

"Cheers," I said, as I touched my cookie to his.


Authors Note: Surprised to see my name come up on your alerts? So sorry for being absent for so long! No time and no motivation is a pretty crappy excuse when so many of you were sending me such nice reviews and asking me to keep going. After a week, this chapter isn't exactly the same as I wrote it the first time and I still feel like something is missing but whatever, here it is. Some good news for me is that when I signed on to my inbox I found out from MnemosynMorrigan that this story won for Best Foreign Author in The Freak Awards! Yay! Yay! Yay! My first award! Thanks to the people who voted for it. It's been kind of a crappy few months and that really lifted my spirits when I read that in my inbox. No idea when I'll get the next chapter out as I haven't even started it but I'm trying. I promise! -AJ