Chapter Seven

Rosalie Hale became a completely different person within the next few heartbeats.

The cloud that cloaked her movements and the pain that burned within her eyes evaporated. Like the brightest sunshine, a smile lit up her face and her entire demeanor took on dance like qualities.

It was a little... discombobulating.

Emmett entered the room, took in the change to his love's face, and then rushed at Sunny. It was like if a linebacker was coming at her at a hundred miles an hour! He picked her up and swung her around in a hug that, though she was sure he was trying, was a little painful. She squeaked and, within a second of the sound leaving her lips, Rosalie wrenched Emmett's arms away and Sunny would have fallen (back onto the very soft couch so she would have been fine) but the golden girl caught her.

It all happened very fast, within a minute.

Honestly, she felt a bit like a doll, her body being tossed about as if she weighed nothing. It wasn't entirely unpleasant - the last time she'd felt small or fragile, she'd also been just learning how to read.

Sunny's heart caught up to the movements and started racing and Rosalie admonished, "Emmett, you can't frighten her like that!"

But, even as she was scolding, she was beaming.

It was like the birth of a star... where there had been deeply compressed darkness, there was a radiating golden energy and light that set everything else aflame.

Entering through the front door, Carlisle and a new vampire who Sunny assumed to be the one called Esme looked around, curious. When they took in Sunny being held protectively by Rosalie and Emmett on his back across the room, still smiling like he'd won the Olympics, their eyebrows lifted.

"Sunny has decided that she would like Rose and Emmett to adopt the baby," offered Edward.

Rosalie seemed too happy to speak.

Carlisle smiled and Esme gasped happily, coming forward with her arms open. Rosalie moved aside only enough to let her. Sunny returned the hug, feeling like she was hugging a marble pillar, and Esme said into her neck, "Then from now on Sunny Jones, you are not just a guest, you are family!"

As Esme leaned back, unrestrained compassion warming her golden eyes, Rosalie's head turned in the direction of the front door. The smile wavered.

"Ah, yes, the young Seth Clearwater has arrived," said Carlisle, still beaming.

A sound like an irritated hornet's nest hissed out of Rosalie's throat and the starlight dimmed. Sunny shrunk away from the fierce sound.

Edward quietly groaned, "Rose, control yourself!"

"You're telling me she's going out with the dogs?"

"That d… shapeshifter is taking her on a date. Or, did you think she was dressed in a swim costume for comfort?" he asked scathingly.

Her gold brows furrowed and she looked at Sunny, searching her face. Sunny could have been offended but the instantaneous joy that had lifted every cell of the vampire's body… it was clear she was worried.

Not worried about me though- she's just worried about the baby, she thought, then Sunny guiltily shot a glance at Edward.

He made a face as if to say, you're not wrong.

"I…"

It was completely fair for Rosalie to only care about the baby. She didn't know Sunny. Anything she did know had been learned through the fog of deepening depression as she was once again faced with a fate she herself could never hope to have.

Sunny's attention was drawn by the knock at the front door. When it truly hit her that Seth was standing on the other side of it, she felt an avalanche of nerves chill her to the bones.

Did she really look good in the swim suit?

Did the sunhat look good or was it too big?

What if her toes looked weird in these sandals?

Alice appeared at the top of the stairs, face eager. Emmett disappeared from the floor and reappeared, lounging on the couch. Edward walked off to the kitchen. Esme clasped her hands under her chin, looking from face to face with a big, happy smile.

Carlisle opened the door, his be-sweatered doctory-ness in direct opposition to the person on the doorstep.

Seth was in faded swim trunks and a loose band t-shirt. He was barefoot and grinning, the grin growing into a toothy smile when he saw Sunny over Carlisle's shoulder.

"Good morning!"

She flushed, feeling very overdressed, "Good morning! Too!"

Sunny forgot to move and a heavy period of silence passed painfully, Carlisle looking from Seth to her and back again.

Undaunted, he rocked back on his heels, "All ready to go?"

Edward came from around the corner with a green cooler big enough to fit a pack of soda cans - or… some cups of Sunny's food. He said, "Pack this tightly so it doesn't roll around. Make sure every hour she gets fed."

Seth screwed up his face, holding the cooler at arms length, "Uh…"

"Forget to feed her and she gets sick, Seth."

Eyes focusing back on Sunny, looking her up and down, he relaxed and held the cooler normally, "Yeah, I'll remember."

Sunny made her way over to him but could feel Rosalie following closely behind. Only once she reached his side did the blonde stop and, as they left the door, Sunny looked back apologetically at her agonized expression. In the same hour that she'd learned of her heart's desire being granted, it was being taken away.

Rosalie stood in the doorway, face unguardedly distraught.

Seth drove a Jeep, to Sunny's delight, and she used that to lift her out of the fog.

"Nice Jeep!"

He raised his eyebrows, "You like it?"

She bobbed her head, "Yeah! I've always liked the look of the half door Jeeps. Mine," she pointed to hers sitting where she'd parked it, "has the full doors which are a pain to remove." He'd taken his canvas cloth topped half doors off, which made for a breezy drive. It was exciting to have the misty air swirling around them, though she quickly took off her hat and held it in her lap. It wouldn't find its way back onto her head.

He half looked at the road, driving with one hand on the wheel, the rest of his attention on her, "So when did you get your Jeep? Where?"

"Um, I got it when I turned seventeen, after a year of working at a vet's office to save up for it. The guy who sold it to me was so confused because he also had a cute little mini cooper - but I never wanted anything but a Jeep!"

"How come?"

"Jeeps can go anywhere!"

He looked doubtful, "With those tires?"

Seth was right. Sunny had little, cheap tires on her Jeep that wouldn't have been able to leave a nicely paved road. She laughed, "Right, well… I meant theoretically."

"If you could go anywhere with no restrictions, where would you go?"

"Alaska!"

He barked a laugh, "Whoa! Really?"

"Yeah! I've always wanted to see a caribou - not a stuffed one, a live one. A whole herd of them, thundering over the snow."

"How come?"

She blushed, "Cause…"

Seth caught the hesitation and widened his eyes, "How come?"

"Well, because of the movie Polar Express, actually."

They pulled onto the highway and talking became pretty all but impossible in the whirlwind of misty late morning air. By the time they reached the parking lot of First Beach, she was feeling a little chilled and the shoulder closest to the half removed door was damp. He turned off the engine and, before she knew it, had jumped out and dashed to her door. He held out a hand to help her down and she nervously took it.

"Oh, you're very warm!"

He shrugged, "It's a wolf thing." Then, he seemed to notice she was colder than he because he reached into the backseat and pulled out a hoodie.

Sunny blinked. The miraculous boyfriend hoodie?

Was... was he a boyfriend? Or was it a guy friend hoodie?

Complications!

Sunny smiled tightly, not accepting the hoodie.

"A wolf thing?"

He lowered the hoodie but she noticed he didn't put it back in the Jeep. He grabbed her cooler and explained good naturedly, "You know how the vamps all feel about as warm as ice? We wolves are temp'ed the opposite direction. Whatever the average temp for a regular person is-"

"98 degrees," she supplied.

"Well then we are usually a hundred and three then - five degrees higher is what Carlisle said once."

When they started for the path down to the Beach, he took ahold of her hand and didn't let go. Sunny marveled at the feeling, his hand giant and a little rough. It was toe-curlingly wonderful. In response to the surge of emotions, the little butterfly in her stomach beat into a frenzy. He carried her green cooler, though from the angle he held it at, it was clear he thought the contents were gross.

To be fair... they were.

Down on the beach, past the tricky field of logs they had to climb over, someone had set up a tent pavilion and, several yards away, a seven foot tall teepee of driftwood. The backside of the pavillion had a panel staked down to the ground, the surf side of the structure tied onto heavy looking iron rings several yards in front. She could see a picnic table half under the shade, laden with two giant coolers and a half dozen reusable canvas tote bags overflowing with chips and buns.

Navigating the logs to reach the beach always took concentration, but with Seth supporting most of her weight, she didn't slip even with the handicap of her strappy shoes. When they finally reached the sand, she sighed heavily, looking at the sandals and debating.

"What's wrong?"

She gestured, "Alice might be a little upset if I take these off." She'd already taken off the hat. Piece by piece, her outfit was being dismantled.

Seth's toes wiggled into the sand and he said cheekily, "The sand feels so nice today…"

Sunny laughed, unabashedly.

He lit up at her reaction.

Without another word, she took off the sandals and hung them on a log branch. She'd have to remember to get them. They swung a little in the ocean breeze and the two of them walked across the sands towards the large group of people.

Close enough now to see people's faces, she realized something that made her smile die a little.

Every single person was russet skinned, dark haired, and very different from her. For one thing, all the boys were tall, muscled, and - she assumed - werewolves. For another, all the girls were long limbed, graceful, and beautiful - even the one with a massive scar pulling down the side of her face. Only one of the girls had short hair, the rest had waist length obsidian waterfalls that whipped in the breeze like they were in a commercial. Lastly, none of them wore coordinated outfits like hers. Half the guys weren't even wearing swim trunks, just cut off shorts. The girls all wore t-shirts and workout bottoms.

Sunny was, without a doubt, a giant, throbbing red, sore thumb sticking way way out of place. A dainty teacup surrounded by beautiful, sturdy, vintage and timeless cast iron skillets. She inwardly snorted. She'd never have thought she'd feel dainty... but they all looked strong, undentable, and timeless.

"Hey everybody!" said Seth cheerfully.

One of the tallest men, and one of the sternest looking, turned away from talking with the scar faced girl. He raised his eyebrows when he caught sight of her, then stared dubiously at Seth.

The rest did much the same.

"This is Sunny," he said when they said nothing.

Sunny, for all the world, expected the whole crowd to laugh. To turn away and ignore her. To do what every athletic, good looking crowd did when she was placed in the vicinity.

But… they didn't.

Every face lit with joy, every face opened up, and she found herself being passed around for hugs as if she was an long missed friend. The introductions flew by!

"I'm Quil!"

"Hey, I'm Embry!"

"Anything Seth has said about Paul, who is me, is a lie!"

"I'm Jared and don't believe Paul."

"I'm Rachel, Paul's wife, and Jared is exaggerating… mostly."

"Knock it off, you three. Nice to meet you, Sunny, I'm Sam."

"I'm Kim - Jared's wife."

"I'm Emily, Sam's wife"

"I'm Leah, Seth's sister."

That one, the only short haired girl, caught Sunny by surprise. As she looked, she could see the resemblance - but Leah wasn't as warm as the others. She looked at Sunny with a smile, but in the depth of her eyes, there was… something.

"I'm Claire!" said a younger girl, only about ten. She pointed at the one called Quil, "Quil is my best friend! Only mine!" Sunny nodded, a little startled by the fervent claim - but she remembered having crushes on older boys when she was ten. Claire was brave to admit it though…

Then Sunny realized.

Imprint.

She looked between Claire and Quil, trying to control her face but feeling winded. Seth touched her shoulder, silently reassuring.

The next two looked younger than even Seth.

"I'm Brady!"

"Collin! Is me!"

Finally, the last pair, a man in a camping chair and an older but still beautiful woman.

"And I'm Billy Black." He smiled kindly, the wrinkles on his face softened by the shade of the pavilion.

Lastly, the older woman hugged her, then held her by her shoulders, "Nice to meet you Sunny, I'm Seth's mom - Sue Clearwater."

Sunny stared around, abashed, but even more stunned that she was meeting Seth's mother and sister. They all smiled, staring between her and Seth, the couples occasionally nudging each other. Paul and Rachel especially, his grin overly wide.

Finally, Sam clapped his hands, "Right! Now that all but one of us is here we can start playing!"

Billy reached down beside his chair, fumbled a little with a brand new looking soccer ball, then tossed it over - only, it didn't quite get as far as it needed to. Effortlessly, Seth stuck his foot out and volleyed the ball right into Sam's hands.

Sunny folded her hands under her chin.

Please no, please don't, please no…

Seth grinned at her, "Cheer me on?"

Sunny nodded so hard, she just about lost her glasses. The relief she felt over not being asked if she wanted to play just about took her knees out. She'd played softball and volleyball, but not expertly. She was a hiker, a walker, an explorer... not a sporty point maker. As the boys squabbled over who was on whose team, a few of the girls unfurled two massive blankets and took seat, enjoying the cloudy daylight. Sunny was grateful it wasn't a super sunny day. She would have fried in second if it was. Claire went walking down the beach, clearly hunting for something more interesting.

Sunny saw her window and took it.

She had as much eagerness to join in the women talk as she did to play soccer.

"Know anything about those?" she asked Claire when she caught up to her.

Looking up from her crouch, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth, she squinted a little suspiciously at Sunny, "Huh?"

Sunny nudged a shell sticking up through the sand, "Know what this came from?"

Almost an hour later, Sunny and Claire were elbow deep in a hole they'd dug in the sand, both of them on their knees, when the soccer ball smashed into the mound of sand along the back of their hole. Clumps of sand sprayed into their torsos and they both shrieked laughingly.

They protested together, "Hey!"

Seth and Quil jogged over, both looking amused.

"Hey, sorry about Jared's aim!" said Quil.

Seth was a little sweaty, seemingly grateful for the break, "What are you two doing anyway?"

"Making a crab trap!" said Claire excitedly.

"A crab trap?" asked Quil, interested in whatever interested his "best friend".

Behind them, the rest of the group still playing soccer started catcalling and Seth stooped down, picked the ball up and out of the hole, then spun in a circle. Like a shot putter, he sent the soccer ball at the group like it was a cannonball. Easily, Jared caught the rocket and play resumed.

Suddenly, Sunny realized that these wolf boys weren't playing normal soccer. For one thing, the sticks stuck in the sand that were the goal posts were about as wide apart a whole soccer field. For another, the two goals were two, maybe three football fields apart. But, they kicked the ball hard enough to send it rocketing back and forth and the goalie leapt higher than she would have thought possible.

She hadn't been paying any attention at all.

"I thought you were a vegetarian?" asked Seth.

"Pescatarian, mostly" she corrected him. When he just stared, she added, "I eat fish. I don't eat any meat from mammals - but I do like cheese and milk and eggs..."

Quil and Claire exchanged looks then asked simultaneously, "Wait, no hotdogs?"

She shook her head.

"Oh, but that's what we always eat for bonfire nights," said Claire.

Seth seemed excessively worried, "I can go get you something else from town if you need?"

Sunny frowned, "No, it's okay! Do you know if anyone has a fishing pole?"

"You fish? But you don't eat hamburgers?" asked Claire, mystified.

"Fish are… well, dumb. If you could read a fish's mind, it would be pretty boring. Whereas, if you could read that eagles mind," she pointed way over head to the bald eagle coasting on the ocean breeze, "you would be entertained for hours."

"What is that eagle thinking about then?"

She studied it, the white head pointed into the wind, wing feathers relaxed and flared, to best coast on the wind. After another moment, she said, "I would say he's thinking the weather is nice. Look at his wings, how they're spread just like sails. He's flying for fun right now - but I'm sure if he happened to see a really tasty catch, he'd dive, but he's not too worried about it."

Claire looked suitably impressed.

"So all you need is a fishing pole?" asked Seth.

Sunny squinted at the water, "I've never actually been fishing but it can't be that hard?"

Quil, Seth, and every other shapeshifter turned to look at her as if she'd said she didn't believe in the moon. It caught the attention of the others with less sensitive hearing and Sunny found herself the object of everyone's attention, again.

"You've… never?"

She widened her eyes, "No?"

"Billy!" he shouted, grabbing her hand and hauling her back to the pavilion. The rest of the party converged as well, their soccer game temporarily abandoned.

Upon hearing the news, he grinned like it was Christmas Day. Many of the others were grinning at fond memories or at the blush turning Sunny pink from her head to her toes, "So you're telling me that someone who only eats fish has never been fishing? Well we gotta fix that then!" He looked at Sam, "Mind fetching some poles from my place?"

Sam nodded, then looked at Collin and Brady, "You two, come on."

They both grinned.

All three went around the edge of the back of the pavilion - then, to Sunny's surprise, their clothes were tossed to the sand?

Then, a massive black wolf trotted down the beach, followed by two smaller, bigger pawed wolves. Sunny gasped, hands to her cheeks, and stumbled a step or two back. At the sound of her shock, there was laughter all around and the three wolves turned to look, the two smaller adopting tongue lolling lupine grins. Even the smaller wolves were bigger than ponies and she was absolutely enthralled, as well as scared. The fear was an instinctive fear though and her logic quickly washed it away.

They disappeared faster than her eyes could track and before a few moments had passed, the wind whipping up the beach as everyone waited, they were returning. A bulging bundle of fishing rods were carried in the mouth of one of the smaller ones, a pair of tackle boxes carried by the other. The large one, Sam, obviously was too high up in the hierarchy to be a pack mule.

They dropped their burden off, then disappeared around the staked pavilion screen, reappearing as humans in their cut off jean shorts. They were all grinning.

Old Billie Black was already motioning for the rods, eager to begin.

Before she knew it, she was standing up to her thighs in the surf, almost being knocked over every few seconds by the crashing waves. She had a pole in her hand and was squinting at her bobber as it disappeared occasionally.

Seth was next to her, holding a sharpened stick - a few of the others had poles, but when he'd begun sharpening the stick, the younger boys had cheerfully taken up the idea. He wasn't paying much attention to catching anything though, too focused on Sunny.

"How do I know if-"

Her line tugged and she froze.

"Tug it before-"

Suddenly, it went slack. She reeled the line in but the bobber, hook, and bait were gone. She winced, looked behind her to the shallower water where Billie sat in his chair, helping Claire bait her hook. He looked up at the sound of Seth's snorting attempts to not laugh at Sunny.

Sternly, he looked at Seth, "Put that twig down and actually help her catch something."

Seth obediently did as he was told but he didn't stop chuckling. When he'd helped her tie on a new bobber and baited a new hook, he guided her through casting it out.

She tried, less successful than her first time.

Her hook caught his ear and he yelped.

Sunny gasped, horrified, and he winced as he gingerly pulled the hook free of skin. Blood pulsed down his ear lobe and neck.

"I am so sorry!" she said, fluttering her hands, not knowing how to help him. She took a few steps to the shore, intending on finding him a bandage and antiseptic ointment.

"Hey, where ya goin'?" he asked, confused.

She stalled, equally confused, "You're bleeding? I'm going to get you a bandaid-"

"Wolf thing alert," he said cheerfully. He bent down, taking a palmful of water, and splashed his ear and neck. She winced, knowing that salt water had to burn the wound- then Sunny gasped again, more astonished. The blood washed away, revealing a tiny pinkish spot where the bloody hole had been. As she watched, the pink faded and… then he was back to normal.

"It's such a small wound, super easy to heal."

Sunny realized… there was a lot she didn't know.

"Oh… I am so sorry-"

"Don't be sorry! Wait, what could you be sorry for?" Seth said, having rushed to reassure her before she'd been able to explain.

"I just realized that I probably shouldn't eat this…" she explained, looking at the gloriously fire baked fish filet on the paper plate in her hand. Her mouth watered even as her stomach twisted in anxiety.

She did not want to puke in front of any of them and if eating human food would make her puke, she wouldn't touch the stuff with a ten foot pole.

He raised his eyebrows then suddenly glanced down at the cooler beside her camping chair, tucked as much in shadow as it could be. She'd moved it as quietly as she could have when the fishing and soccer playing had wound down with the setting of the sun. To be honest, she'd been feeling fairly fine. Even when they'd started slicing the fish, preparing them for cooking, her senses hadn't rebelled.

While Seth had eagerly helped light the bonfire, she'd gotten one of her unobtrusive cups and drained it as fast as she'd been able. Now though, with the bonfire having burned past the hottest stage, able to be used for cooking, she realized she was hungry again but didn't know if she'd be able to eat what they did.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she jumped.

An unknown number had messaged her?

"You can eat anything you want for now."

She blinked.

Wha-

"This is Alice."

Ah. Was Alice omniscient? It sure seemed so… but wait, Alice had told her she couldn't see her when she was with the wolves-

"I saw a conversation with Carlisle when you come home and figured you'd appreciate the answer sooner rather than later."

Sunny took a shaky breath, unnerved.

"Never mind I guess," she said.

Seth gave her a half smile, "I'm guessing that was Alice?"

A few heads caught his words and turned, all sporting expressions of varied disapproval. She nodded. Sunny had gotten a feeling and she asked him now, "And how is it you seem so much more comfortable with the vampires than everyone else?"

He took a seat beside her, in the sand, and talked between mouthfuls of hotdog. "I've never… well I guess... I don't know how to explain it, but they give off this cold aura that none of the pack can stand for long. I've never felt it personally but I know what they mean because I've felt what they all have…" he trailed off, seeing her confusion, "I'm not making much sense, am I?"

Leah, sitting nearby, snorted.

He shot her a glare, but there was no heat in it.

"We shapeshifters have a sort of mental link when we're in our other forms and through it, there are no secrets. I've felt through them, but I've never felt it myself."

Her eyes widened and she leaned forward, fascinated, "So you can speak to each other telepathically?"

He nodded.

"What's the reception range? Or can you be anywhere in the world?"

"Jacob vanishes once he's a state over, if that helps?"

Sunny asked, "And can you talk with wolf language too?"

He frowned, "Like… barking?"

She shook her head, "No, like wolves have this whole language. Different sets of their ears, tucking or wagging or curling over their tails, play bows and…" she caught a few looks from around the bonfire and she retreated from her enthusiasm, finishing, "You know, body language?"

"I… I've never really thought about it. You know, cause we mind link, I don't know if we have to talk like actual wolves do."

Embry spoke up, and as he did, Sunny realized they'd captured the attention of not just a few of them but the entire group.

"Now that you mention it, we do actually." He looked over at Quill, "I remember you set up to tackle me the other day, but you did that… crouch-bow thing first. And I did it back, cause I was telling you to bring it on, but I didn't actually think the words."

From the other side, Brady snapped his fingers, "And Sam warned me off last week by twitching his ears backwards!"

Sunny's smile was enchanted as they went back and forth, recalling "wolf speak" with more and more joviality.

Talking out of the side of his mouth, Seth said to just her, "I think you've pointed out something none of us have ever noticed before."

Old Billy Black was laughing at a memory, running his hands over his chin, "Way back in the good old days, I suppose we all did many of the same things - none of us had ever been taught them, just as none of you were."

Sunny was surprised to realize he'd once been what the younger men were. She looked at Seth, wondering how he would age - then she caught herself for being too presumptuous. No need to plan growing old with him on their first date… or their first outing at least. Sunny wasn't sure if this counted as a date, considering it seemed to be a giant family beach trip.

But wasn't that a bigger commitment than just a one-on-one date? She was meeting every member of his family and then some - every friend he seemed to have too! She was left feeling a little winded, not sure of where she stood… with Seth and with the rest of her life.