AN: I know this story seems like it's about to get depressing, but stick with me on this. I have an end goal lol. As always, leave reviews to let me know what you think ;)

Previously:

Your blood count was nearly one percent venom. Because of how special and unique you are, we have no idea when you will be done with this process or even what you will be when it is over. We are all hoping that you are Changing at half a percent and that your body isn't doubling the amount of venom in your system each time you are knocked out...but we don't think that you'll be able to have children once too much venom gets in your system.

"I...I think I need some air, granddad." I said, having had too much of this discussion. At best, I would be a full vampire in four years. At worst, I would be dead within two and a half months. But both of those were pure guesses. The only thing that we needed was more time to figure this all out since I was one of a kind. Unfortunately, we weren't sure how much more time I had.

"Alright, sweetie." Carlisle said. "I knew this would be a lot to take in. Which is why I suggested that I speak with you alone about this. I know the family means well, but they can be a little overbearing, am I right?"

I smiled weakly at my great-grandfather. "Thank you for that. I don't think I can see them right now..." Which blew my getaway plan. I doubted that I'd be able to sneak past them if they were all waiting for me downstairs. "Hey, didn't this used to be my mom's room for a little while?" I asked, a new idea forming.

"It was hers before it was yours, yes." Carlisle said, looking confused.

"Good." I said, remembering a story told over Christmas eggnog last year about a daredevil hybrid who would sneak out of the Cullen house to go see her werewolf best friend, ei my father. There was a rickety white fence that went all the way up the back of the house on the side near this room.

"What are you up to?" My granddad asked, seeing the glint in my eyes.

"If you turn around right now, you won't have anything to conceal in your thoughts when you see Edward." I warned, knowing that it was stupid and foolish to sneak out the window, but knowing that I would never escape for even a moment if I had to go downstairs.

"I know nothing." Carlisle winked at me and headed towards the bedroom door.

"Thank you, granddad. I love you." I said, bending down to make sure my shoes were tied properly. "I'll be back for dinner."

"I heard nothing." Carlisle chuckled as he closed the door.

I pulled open the window as quickly as I could and shimmied down the fence. That one percent of extra vampire-ness sure did help me when climbing down that shaky thing. I'm surprised that it didn't get fixed or replaced along with everything else in this house when Alice and Esme remodel every year.

Once both of my feet were on the ground, I was at a loss. I really wanted to talk to Sammy, but things had been awkward with my imprint since my birthday party and because of that, we were kind of avoiding each other. I decided to go see cousin Robin, but backed out of that when I realized the second that Aunt Rachel saw me, she'd call her brother and then the family would come get me.

Instead, what I ended up doing was running. It was cathartic to be in control again. I hated that my body had decided to rebel against me. It was time to fight back. I wasn't going to let my impending doom get me down. I didn't end of getting very far, though.

I was just past the little cottage where Grandpa Edward and Grandma Bella used to live when my nose picked up a familiar scent. Usually I had to be phased or much closer to recognize it, but I guess that one percent of vampire venom was kicking in strongly.

"I know you're there, Sammy. What were you doing...following me? Did my parents tell you to watch me?" I huffed out, slowing my run to a jog and circling back to the cottage. The black wolf peered his head around the corner of the cottage, looking every bit like a puppy caught peeing on the carpet. He edged closer to me, the awkwardness causing him to stop a few feet from me.

"It's okay, I think I'm ready to talk." I said and Sammy-wolf moved so that he was sitting at my feet. I squatted so that I could be face-to-face with him. It felt better this way, easier after what happened at my party, and so I decided to tell him everything. "But, can you keep this in your own head?" I asked, knowing that as a potential Alpha, he had the ability to keep the other wolves from his head just like I could.

A big wolfie grin told me that it was just the two of us.

"I'm going to be a vampire." I said plainly, wanting to know how he'd respond. "I'm going through the Transformation right now."

Sammy looked confused as he tried to convey his thoughts to me without the use of his words. He chomped his teeth down and then raised a canine eyebrow as best as he could. It would have been funny if I hadn't been in such a grumpy mood already.

"No, no. I didn't get bitten." I answered, knowing what he meant. "I keep passing out because my body is trying to make me more vampire. I'm close to physical maturity," I tried not to blush as I said that, "and I guess I was supposed to be more vampire than human all along. I figure that's why I phase, so that I can slowly become more like my true self."

Saying the words aloud brought up the other part of why I was so devastated. Sammy put his paw on mine and as I stared up into his dark eyes, I felt myself losing it.

"You did this to me! I was fine with how I was and I could have changed to be more like my family and I would have been fine, but you had to go and change all of that!" I could feel the tears down my cheeks, but I ignored them. "If you hadn't...at the party...I just...I didn't want a family other than the one I had and now I can't have them and it's all your fault!"

I knew it wasn't his fault, but getting angry at Sammy for what changed between us at the party was easier than being sad about potentially not getting to have children of my own someday. Unfortunately, yelling at a wolf felt wrong. And the more I yelled, the more that I realized how untrue it was. This wasn't anyone's fault. It was just nature taking its course.

Sammy, like a good imprint, sat there and took it as I cried my eyes out because that was what I needed from him. I wrapped my arms around his furry neck and buried my head into the crook there. "I'm sorry, Sammy. I didn't mean it." I apologized when my tears slowed down. "I'm just upset about what's wrong with me."

Sammy whined. 'There's nothing wrong with you.' I could practically hear him saying.

"Yes, there is." I replied to his thoughts. "I'm only 99% human now. I'm slowly, or at least we hope slowly, becoming more vampire than human. That's why I keep going in these mini-comas. I don't know what to do, Sammy. I don't want to Change now that I'm finally comfortable with who I am..." I admitted for the first time out loud. It felt good to get this all off of my chest.

"I mean, it was hard enough being a phasing vampire and now I'm going to lose my humanity completely?" I took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of my wolf. "The Council was already on my case. Who knows what they'll do. I'll probably have to move off the Rez when I'm done Changing. I know that when it's all said and done, my family will be happy since it means that I'll be around forever, but I'm not sure that I want it to happen like this. There's so much life that I have yet to live. As a human. With you. I know that things are weird between us, and I'm sorry about that, but it scared me, Sammy. I'm not ready to face my future, but it seems like I'm going to have to be. I don't have a lot of time..."

I felt Sammy-wolf trying to get me to look at him, so I let go of my grip on his neck and faced him again. His big wolfie eyes were glistening and I wondered if he was about to cry. I had only ever seen one wolf cry and that was Seth during the battle when he was greatly injured. I didn't see why Sammy would want to cry now, though. He wasn't hurt physically.

Sammy-wolf put one paw on top of the other and tapped it twice at where his wrist was. It took me a few times of him doing this before I realized what he was talking about. Time.

"Carlisle has no idea how long this Transformation will take." I admitted. "I'm too special for my own good. It could be anywhere between two and a half months to four years, he thinks. All we can do is wait."

Sammy-wolf nodded and we went back to silence, my body pressed against his fur for warmth as it got cooler and I realized that no one had changed me out of my track uniform (my aunts must have been really worried to not care about my wardrobe). It was getting dark out, but neither of us really cared. I felt better getting it all off of my chest and I knew that Sammy was just happy that I was finally talking to him again since I had been avoiding him since the party.

I would have stayed here all night but I knew that I would get Sammy in trouble with his parents and I didn't really want to worry my own any more than I already had. I stood up and my imprint got on all fours along with my two.

"I'm going to be fine." I told Sammy-wolf, looking at him with intensity as I brushed off the dirt from my shorts.

He grinned wolfishly and let out a little bark. Apparently I was missing out on the joke, but I was glad to see that he was happy again. If I didn't have a long time left being human, I wanted to have as much fun with my imprint as I could. Who knew if me being more vampire would change our imprint or not? Either way, I was not going to pretend that I didn't love him anymore. I had wasted too much time running from my feelings already. I was ready to accept my fate, come what may.

I grinned back at Sammy, giving him a wink as I asked him if he wanted to race back to the Cullen Mansion.

Instead of grunting or acknowledging the race like I figured he would, Sammy-wolf put his muzzle against my face and licked my cheek before taking off towards the house. That was the second time that he had (sort of) kissed me and one of us had run off. Only, this time, I wasn't going to let him get away with it lightly. I chased after my imprint, laughing as he slowed down so I could keep up, the night air refreshing against my skin as I ran.

"Just you wait until I can keep up with you!" I taunted, a smile on my lips as I entered the backyard.

For the first time in a while, I felt like things would be okay. I was still afraid of what my future had in store for me, but I was ready to face it. I had my family and my friends and my imprint. No matter what happened with me, that would never change.