Zachery stops up and smiles to the Cullen's as they are all standing there on the front porch, welcoming him to Forks.
"Zach, this is my husband, Edward, and our daughter Renesmee. Also Edward's family here today too," Bella introduces them all by name, "Carlisle and Esme, Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rosalie, and Renesmee's boyfriend Jacob."
Zachery looks at them all when their names are said, and he smiles and nods to them.
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you. Bella has told me a lot about you so it's nice have a face to the name. I'm Zachery Torres, but only Zach's cool."
"Leah, I don't know if Jake's going to let you go after all this time. You've proven to be a very trustworthy and good Beta and companion. Besides, where you're going if Jake approves your application?"
"I don't know, little brother, but my only wish is to get as far as possible from all this supernatural things. All that drama , hurt and everything. But I'm never going to leave you, it's just an extended vacation. Maybe I'll head to college or something."
"Have you applied for a college yet?" their mum asks her daughter.
"Yes, I did."
"To where?" both her mum and brother ask, sounding excited.
"To everywhere in California," she replies, "University of California Berkeley, University of California in L.A., and almost every other State University in California. I am going, neither Jacob says yes or no." She pauses and looks from her brother to her mother. "And besides, why should he deny me going? Am I not a free woman? There have been no leeches around since the Cullen's left, though those three are still here because of Jacob, and we know they're…friendly, and we have two packs who run all the time on our extended territory."
Sue sighs.
"You're right, honey. We're just worried about you, and we don't want you to leave for college or anything, but of course. It's time, it's due for you both actually, to get out of here and explore the rest of the world. Your dad would be very proud of both of you."
She starts crying, but not the sad and sappy type, the more happy and nostalgic type. Both Leah and Seth step forward and give her a long and tight hug.
"I know you'll get in," Seth says to his sister over their mother's shoulder. "I hope I can leave soon too. I want to settle down, go to school, finish my education and become a vet. And I want to find a girl, not necessarily do the imprint thing, but just have a normal crush. Then I will marry her, come back here or somewhere close, we will get a house and we will live together. I hope I'll never end up divorcing her."
They all laugh.
"You're so sentimental, Seth!" Leah scoffs and ruffles his hair with her hand. He groans and slaps her hand away, still grinning. "And you're so grumpy too, which is so cute!" she continues.
Seth backs off with his hands in a defence position. "Come on, let's see how cute I am," he yells and grins. He knows that even though his sister is smaller and sometimes tougher than he, he's bigger, taller and stronger. At least in the wolf form.
"No!" Sue interrupts them before the play fight can start, "I forbid you to play fight in this house. You can destroy my beloved house."
"So we can fight outside then?" Leah raises an eyebrow. Sue glares at her.
"No," the mother of two says sternly. "Not ever. Now, Seth, you go ahead with your sister to the Cullen's so she can talk with Jacob. And both of you behave. When you come back, you will both help me out with the cooking for tomorrow's camp fire. It might your sister's last in a long time."
"Zachery? That's an unusual name."
Jacob shakes his massive, warm hand while smiling to this new human.
"Yeah, I know, but it's not that unusual, most people just cut their names shorter, like I. That's why you can call me Zach."
"Jacob Black." An expression of recognition flees over Zachery's face.
"Aha, you're the mysterious boyfriend," he says. "I've heard a lot about you. Glad we could meet."
"Indeed. How do you know the Cullen's?" Jacob's curiosity is visible in his face.
"I've known Isabella since kindergarten. We grow up in the same street and then my family moved to California, but we kept in touch. And we've been updating each other ever since about how our lives going. I've never met the other Cullen's before yesterday evening. Though Isabella told me that only her and her husband and Renesmee are living there now."
"Oh yeah, I see. The rest of them are here on vacation."
"In April?" Zachery doesn't sound like he believes Jacob.
"Yeah, it's a weird family."
Renesmee slaps him for that comment and they both grin. Then, out from the woods of all things in the world, comes to people. Zachery sees them and he immediately understands that these two are also from the reservation La Push. They're Indians, having the same skin colour as Jacob. And approximately the same clothing taste too: shorts and t-shirts, but barefoot.
"Leah, Seth," Jacob turns to great his friends, and Zachery back off, thinking this must be an important and private conversation. The way the looks on their faces are, tells him enough.
"I'm going to head back to the house," he tells Renesmee who nods.
"I'll go with you," she says and they turn to go to the front porch.
"Why do you call my mum for Isabella?"
"Isn't that her name?"
"It is, but she prefers Bella, just like you preferring only Zach."
Zachery shrugs. "I've just known her as Isabella in all this time, and I don't prefer someone saying Zach to me, but no one cares enough to use a millisecond more to pronounce my whole name, so I just have given in. I'd like it if people start speaking to me as Zachery, rather than only Zach. But okay, I'll try to say Bella from now on."