All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.

This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.

The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.

AN: Sorry it's taken so long -extra work hours and lack of sleep get in the way of creativity. Now that that's out of the way, let me explain something that may seem like an error and that's Gabe and Vivi's age in combination to their grade level...I've decided they started school early which is why they're a year younger than most eleven graders. In other words, they started first grade, along with Marc, when they were four...anyway, don't concern yourselves with the logistics, just go with it.

So, kids mentioned in this chapter and ages are as follows: Andrey and Alyx, nine years old. Xavier, four. Erick, two. Emmie, eleven going on twelve. Zak and Abby, ten. Gabe, fourteen going on fifteen.

Chapter Sixty-Two (14-15 yrs old)
End of April
Forks Elementary School Science Fair –Grade Four Division

It was complete and total chaos, kids and adults running every which way as gobs of baking soda and vinegar splattered grass, tables and people.

Alyx and Andrey looked at each other, their shock slowly morphing into looks of amusement. Neither had anticipated the explosion of their rocket, which had reached an amazing fifty feet up in the air before becoming cardboard and plastic shrapnel.

"That was awesome," Alyx's blue eyes gleamed as he watched everyone running like the sky was falling on them, "Totally wicked."

Andrey nodded, holding a simple switch remote in one hand, the other reaching up to ruffle his shaggy hair as he noticed Mr. Benson looking around the field in search of something –or someone, "We should take off. I'm thinking Mr. Benson is going to want our heads on a platter."

Following his twin's line of sight, Alyx grimaced as he realized this latest stunt was going to land them in detention for the rest of the school year, "Ah shit. Let's scram."

They both turned simultaneously to head towards the bleachers where their mother was, along with parents who had little kids not allowed among the displays. Xavier was in mama's arms, still crying over the loud boom that had accompanied the explosion, Erick standing between mama's knees, laughing with glee as he bounced his knees, little hands clapping in approval.

Moving around a display concerning soil erosion, they almost made it to the bleacher steps before Mr. Benson's booming voice sounded behind them, "Hold it!"

Freezing in mid-step, Alyx and Andrey slowly turned to face their fourth grade teacher, identical dimpled smiles on their faces, "Yes Mr. Benson?"

The tall African-American fourth grade teacher quirked an eyebrow, shaking his finger at them, "That's not going to work on me so please, but those smiles away and explain what happened."

Alyx pursed his lips as he looked over at his brother, the oldest by three minutes, who was digging the toe of his Converse sneaker into the green turf, hands behind his back hiding the remote control Brad had helped put together.

"Well?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Alyx looked up at Mr. Benson, to date the toughest teacher they've ever had. Then again, he was the only male teacher they've ever had, which was probably the reason he was the toughest, "We didn't know the fair was going to take this long…or that it would be so hot."

Oscar Benson knew why their baking soda and vinegar rocket had exploded but was interested in seeing if these two hellions had learned something from this whole mess, "Explain the process of your experiment and your hypothesis concerning results."

Andrey kicked at a clump of dirt he had dug out, letting out a breath before looking at Mr. Benson, "Our experiment was to mix different amounts of baking soda and vinegar to see what rocket launching heights could be reached."

Mr. Benson looked over at Alyx with that cocked eyebrow look, his wire rimmed glasses slightly askew on his face, "Your experiment was meant to explore what area of science?"

"Chemistry."

When Mr. Benson arched his other eyebrow, Alyx further explained with a sigh, "Chemical composition and reactions when mixed."

"And what went wrong with your experiment?"

By this point, two of the other fourth grade teachers serving as judges for the fourth grade division had come to stand with Mr. Benson, one of them sporting a big wet spot on her blouse that smelled strongly of vinegar.

Andrey shifted his weight nervously, looking over his shoulder to where his mama was, able to see the smile on her face. Turning back to his teacher, he took a deep breath to answer, "We did our experiment outside but it wasn't as hot as today. I think because the vinegar and baking soda got hot while we were out here, the reaction was even bigger when mixed."

"Why?"

"Their compositions changed because of the heat."

"That is correct. It's why your rocket reached fifty feet of height."

"However," Mrs. Winters stepped forward, pushing her glasses up her nose, the sour expression on her face softening when Alyx and Andrey turned their attention to her, dimpled smiles in place, "It doesn't explain why the rocket exploded."

"Uhm," Andrey hunched his shoulders, blue eyes wide in that patented 'I didn't mean to' look that always got him and his brother out of trouble with the female teachers…most of the time, "We put a tube inside our rocket with a divider to keep the vinegar and baking soda from mixing. The, uh, the divider is controlled by our remote and, well, I kinda accidentally flipped it."

"With the heat and all, the pressure in the tube increased when the stuff mixed and without an outlet," Alyx picked up the explanation without missing a beat, "The pressure caused the whole thing to explode."

All three teachers nodded, the youngest of them smiling in obvious surprise, "Impressive."

Mr. Benson himself did not show the pride he was feeling for those two, instead telling them to sit with their mother and not move from there until the judging was complete.

It was twenty minutes later when the winners were announced. Surprisingly, Alyx and Andrey got first place despite the resulting chaos.

They also got a week of detention…which wasn't a surprise to anyone.


May 2nd

Gabe leaned against the open door to Xavier and Erick's room, a small smile on his face he wasn't aware of as he watched his mama.

She had Ricky –a moniker used by his siblings while mama and Dad called him by his given name –in her arms, his sobs slowing down to the occasional sniffle followed by a hiccup as she swayed side to side, humming a familiar lullaby that brought to mind memories of warm hugs and long cuddles, kitty kisses, buzzes and giggles.

With a sniffle, Ricky's eyes finally stayed closed, chubby cheeks streaked with tears, Gabe feeling a tiny stab of jealousy. His mama had always been the best at making him feel better whenever he had been sick or sad or even mad. Hugs and cuddles from her had always made his world right when something turned it upside down and inside out, even now when he was five days away from being fifteen.

Leah smiled as she looked over at Gabe, catching an odd look on his face before he grinned at her, "Hi mama."

"Hi baby. How was school?"

He shrugged, straightening up and walking into the blue and red bedroom, studying his little brother's flushed face with a worried frown on his own, "What's wrong with Ricky?"

"His molars are coming out," Leah kissed her baby's warm forehead before gently placing him in his crib; "He's got a slight fever so I gave him some baby Tylenol. Hopefully, he'll sleep for a while."

"You should get him a bone to chew on."

Leah laughed softly, lightly slapping Gabe's arm before moving to sit in the rocking chair situated in a corner between Xavier's railed bed and Ricky's crib. There was a rocking chair in every one of their rooms, even his, all four made by Dad for their mama, all four identical to the one his Dad's mother had back in Loutsa before their pack had been attacked.

"I put a couple of his teething rings in the freezer," Lea gave her first born a smile before opening her arms in invitation, the soon to be fifteen year old not hesitating as he moved across the play rug to sit on his mama's lap, legs stretched out along hers as he settled his back to her front, his head comfortable on her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

He knew if his friends from the football team were ever to see him like this, he would never live it down –he already dealt with the occasional 'mama's boy' derisions meant to make him feel like crap, all without success. In all truthfulness, despite caring somewhat over his 'cool' factor among his peers, he didn't give two flips if anyone thought or said he was a mama's boy –because he was and nothing, no jeering insults or mocking words, was going to keep him from enjoying the special way his mama always made him feel, "A Popsicle will probably work better."

Chuckling, she rested her cheek against the top of his head –at five feet six inches, he was still shorter than her but she knew it wasn't going to be long before she would be looking up into her son's face, "So what are your plans for this summer?"

Gabe rubbed the carved details of the chair's arm with his index finger as he tried for a nonchalant tone of voice, "The Dry Hill permits are due on the twentieth this month."

Leah closed her eyes, holding him just a little tighter as words from the permit he'd given them swam behind her lids: …will not be held responsible in case of property damage or personal injury which may lead to disability or death...

"Gabriel…"

"Please mama," Gabe tilted his head back to give her a pleading look, his light blue eyes locked on her own brown-green ones, "Please let me go. I promise I'll be as careful as I can. And if I do break something, the full moon's gonna be the Wednesday after we get back."

Leah wrinkled her nose, giving him a narrow eyed look, "What if you break your neck?"

Gabe scoffed at that, "Come on, ma. A little credit, please. I may not be a genius like Emmie but I'm smart enough not to land on my head."

Leah pressed a kiss against his temple to keep him from seeing her smile, the idea of her baby getting hurt having her heart beating fast –watching him play football was already hard enough on her, "What about Vivi? Don't you want to spend time with her without Marc chaperoning?"

Gabe gave her an odd look, wondering if it was just his wishful thinking making it sound like she was okay with him being alone with Vivi, "She's going to be spending most of her time at the dance school this summer. Her dance teacher is putting on some West Side Story show for the end of July and auditions are next weekend. She really wants the lead so she's using all her free time to practice. Once school's over, I'll be lucky if I get to see her at all."

The bitterness in his voice had her a bit curious, "Gabriel, are you jealous of Vivi's dancing?"

Gabe lifted a shoulder, eyes trained on the silver and pearl bracelet she wore –an anniversary gift from his Dad, "I don't really care –I mean, she likes it and all and that's fine…she looks good doing it too but…"

Seconds trickled into a minute, Leah finally prompting him to continue, "But?"

"I just…did you know she wants to go to Juilliard?"

"She's mentioned it to me once or twice."

Gabe frowned as he slowly spun his mama's bracelet around her wrist, "She said next year, she's going to start working on her audition pieces. Nika's going to help her with the choreography."

"That's great!"

Her enthusiasm was met with silence so heavy, Leah could feel its weight pressing in, "Gabriel."

"I don't want her to go."

Leah looked at his profile, silently waiting for him to turn and look at her but he wouldn't, "Why not?"

His surprise at her question had him looking into his mama's caring eyes, his blue ones wide in obvious dismay, "Juilliard is in New York!"

"So?"

"That's on the other side of the world!"

Leah couldn't hold back her chuckle at how disgusted he sounded, "No, baby. It's on the other side of the States, just five hours away by plane."

Frowning, he crossed his arms over his chest in a sullen gesture reminiscent of his toddler days, "It's still too far away from La Push."

"Baby," Leah reached up to sweep his hair off his forehead, thinking he was in need of a haircut, "You have to let Vivi chase her dreams."

"I will," Gabe wrinkled his nose, bottom lip poking out in an unconscious pout, "Seattle has a dance company too, you know."

"But she wants to go to Juilliard."

"No," Gabe shook his head, moving out of his mama's embrace to stand up, the finality in his voice letting her know he was done with this topic, "She wants to dance. She can dance in Seattle."

She could tell by the look in his blue eyes –cold and hard as ice –along with the set of his jaw there was no use arguing with him. She knew her son's capabilities at reaching new levels of stubbornness was limitless –something he took after his father who, in turn, insisted it was something he'd inherited from her –and didn't plan on continuing with this conversation and push it over the brink of a full blown argument.

"Would you like to help me with dinner?"

Letting out a breath, he gave his ma a smile and a nod, "Sure. What are we having?"

Leah pushed herself up, pulling Gabe into her side as they made their way down the hall towards the kitchen, "What do you say to baked chicken casserole?"

"I say yum!"

They worked together well, Gabriel handing his mama what she needed from the refrigerator and cupboards, all the while talking about school, his last date with Vivi, football practice, something funny Vivi had said during their lunch break, the surprise pop quiz in math class, Vivi looking pretty in a powder blue peasant blouse with black jeans and boots, Dante dropping the frog they were dissecting during biology class because he was joking around, Vivi being his partner for the end of year Spanish project.

Something inside Leah clenched with every mention of Vivi's name, a bittersweet feeling following soon after as she looked at her baby –the first of her sweet miracles –in realization he was growing up in so many ways.

In that moment, as he told her about Vivi's idea to put together a Spain inspired meal as their end of year project, Leah prayed fervently. She prayed to God, to the universe, to fate, to the ancestors, and to Zeus for good measure, he would never experience the pain of a broken heart, unfulfilled promises and splintered dreams.

"Mama?"

"Yes baby?"

"Are you gonna let me do Dry Hill?"

Leah didn't say anything, concentrating on her task of cubing the chicken breasts before placing them in the hot skillet to brown. Washing her hands, she dried them then turned to look into her son's hopeful eyes, "I'll talk with your Dad –if he agrees, we'll mail the paperwork on Monday."

"Yes," Gabe let out an excited shout, wrapping his arms around his ma's waist and lifting her off the floor, "Thanks ma!"

"Gabriel," Leah was shocked, to say the least, as he placed her back on her feet, "Don't do that again. You could hurt yourself."

"Oh, please," Gabriel gave his mama a mischievous smile as he looked her up and down, "You weigh, what –a hundred and fifty pounds?"

The insult on her face was well-worth it to him when she blurted out, "I'll have you know I weigh one thirty five!"

Gabe laughed, Leah flushing as she realized she'd just told Gabriel something even Rick didn't know.

"No need to worry, ma," Gabe kissed her cheek, skipping back when she swatted his arm, "I bench press one-twenty. What's fifteen more pounds?"

"You little jerk," Leah couldn't help laughing at the teasing smile he gave her, "You tell anyone and I'll ground you for life."

"I will take it to my grave."

"Shut up," Leah shoved him lightly before pointing at the sink, "Now wash those vegetables."

"Yes ma'am!"


May, Last Week of School

Three more days and her freshman year of high school was going to be behind her, something she looked forward to very much. It had been a challenging year for her –not academically but socially. She'd found out fast middle school pettiness was nothing compared to what high school kids were capable of –she was more than grateful her Daddy was one of her teachers and that he let her eat her lunch in his classroom with him because if it weren't for him, Emmie was sure she'd be spending her lunch hour finding creative ways to avoid the empty-headed jerks who thought it funny to tease and push her around.

Academically, on the other hand, she had discovered within the first five months of the year she needed to supplement her education herself, having risen to the challenge of a tougher curriculum and surpassed it before any of her teachers knew what to do to catch up to her. The only other teacher who continued to challenger her, aside from her Daddy, was her science teacher, who had her doing extra projects not in the freshman course curriculum.

Even so, the principal had talked to both her parents to advice their acceptance into advance courses for her sophomore year, considering her parents refused to skip her another school year. That meant she was going to skip sophomore geometry –an entire year studying angles and shapes? What was this, kindergarten? –and go right into junior advance Physics. It also meant she would be taking anatomy and physiology, which was a senior course, along with advance World History, advance English Literature, Government and Economics and the waste of all classes –physical education combined with sex education.

Shaking her head as she opened the door leading into the gym so she could get to the front of the high school campus–it was the best shortcut to avoid the picnic tables where the football players hung out, except her brother, who usually hung out wherever Vivi could be found –she refocused her thoughts to the excitement of another school year finished.

Embry was going to be picking her up today for their ice cream date –she was looking forward to showing him her essay on altering flora DNA for the purpose of strengthening survival in hostile environments. Her natural science teacher, Mr. Astern, had not only given her an A+ but had asked for permission to send a copy to a friend of his who was co-editor of the Nature Journal.

The idea of her paper being published for certified scientists to read made her want to squeal in excitement. She knew to become an expert in the fields of study she was interested in, being published was very important –to be published at the age of twelve when she'd yet to get a PhD would be…it would be unexplainable.

The other thing that had her excited about the coming summer vacation was camp –she was not only scheduled for a week of science camp up in Auburn, where she would get to see her best friend Cass, but she was also going to attend math camp the week after in Seattle along with Cass –it was going to be an absolute blast!

"Well, will you look at that –if it isn't little Miss Know-It-All."

Emmie grimaced as Taylor Netting and Troy Moore walked in through the doors she had been walking towards, both jocks grinning as they walked her way. Sometimes she wondered what possessed her brother to call those two idiots friends.

"What are you doing in the gym, nerdling," Troy stopped in front of her, Taylor standing beside him, both of them blocking her path to the doors, "I remember you saying something about sports being a waste of time."

Gritting her teeth, she kept her head high, not just because she refused to let them see how sometimes they scared her, but because it was the only way to maintain eye contact, "And I stand by that. However, walking across the gym has nothing to do with sports and everything to do with getting from point A to point B, something quite obvious if you weren't sophomoric."

Troy's eyebrows dipped down between his eyes as he frowned at her, "I am a sophomore."

Emmie stared at him through the lenses of her glasses –she had begun to wear them all the time, having realized it was easier to avoid tripping over feet mysteriously in her path if she could use her depth perception, "Really?"

His face flushed as he realized what she'd said was not what he'd thought, "You're a smart mouthed brat."

"You've used that insult before," Emmie cocked her head to the side in the way her older brother hated because it made her seem like she thought she was superior to him, "If you want to be effective in your intimidation tactics, you should try broadening your inane repertoire so you don't come off as redundant –constant repetition loses its meaning, after all."

The bewilderment in both their faces had Emmie smiling –albeit, a small smile because they were, after all, still in the way of where she wanted to go.

Face flushing darker, he glared down at the pint sized geek, his one word insult coming out in a snarl, "Freakazoid."

Letting out a sigh that spelled out disappointment, she reached up to push her glasses up her straight noise, "That's all you can come up with? You're not really all that sagacious, are you?"

He looked at his friend Taylor, who gave him a shrug before turning his attention back to her, "I'll show you sag –whatever the fuck that is."

Emmie gasped when he lifted her off the floor and headed towards the bleachers, "What are you doing?! Put me down!"

"Let's see your brain get you out of this one," Troy headed to the top of the bleachers, Taylor moving to the side where the levers were to activate the retrieval of the wooden benches.

"Put me down," Emmie kicked out at him but the distance guaranteed he only let out a grunt, not much force behind her swinging legs, "You stupid philistine!"

Plunking her on the very top bleacher, he hopped down the last few steps as the bleachers slowly folded in within themselves, grabbing the edge of the next one to swing himself down, landing six feet down in a crouch before straightening up to look up at her, "Have fun up there, geek. I sure hope you're smart enough to find your way down."

Emmie glared down at the laughing teenage boys, cheeks flushed as they headed to the gym doors, refusing to beg them to come back and let her down.

"Oh, one more thing," Troy turned to look her way as Taylor pushed the glass door open, "I'm not a Philistine, stupid. I'm Catholic."

Emmie stared opened mouthed at him as he slipped out, her brain momentarily still before it began to pick up speed. The awe at the depth of his stupidity morphed into anger, fists clenched as she fought back the urge to curse. She felt the kind of language her brother –well, brothers, being Alyx and Andrey were picking up a word or two from Gabe –liked to use denoted a lack of creativity…then again, if there was any time when cursing was warranted, this was it.

"Stupid fuckers."

Letting out a rush of air to let go of her anger, she slid her backpack off her shoulders, pulling the zipper open before taking out her science book, crossing her legs and opening the text book to the geology chapter. Might was well get some reading done while she waited.

Embry would eventually come looking for her –of this, she had no doubt.


As far as Zak was concerned, summer break was meant to be surfed, day in and day out. He always made sure to get out there when the sun peeked over the tops of the pine trees, tainting the dark blue sky with tendrils of pink and gold.

The water was always cold despite the wet suit he wore but he never let something as pedantic as cold water stop him from catching the early morning tide…letting the salt water crash over his bare feet, he reached back for the long strip of nylon tied to the zipper of his black and red semi-dry wetsuit and pulled it all the way up, his other hand holding on to the board under his arm.

He had won one of the five Billabong boards last summer, having placed second of his age group in the Jetty Surf Kontest. After the first place winner chose his board from the selection of colors, Zak had been more than glad the gangly kid hadn't taken the red one.

It gleamed in the early morning light, Zak having gotten up at the crack of dawn to wax it good, the feel of the surf board's lines under his hands making him think of the way the ocean moved under him when he rode her waves –the way she carried him up and then, when he started getting cocky, tossed him down just to remind him who was the boss of their relationship.

It might sound strange, but Zak's love affair with the ocean was something he nurtured every chance he got –not only surfing but also swimming. He was going to start taking scuba diving lessons this year –thanks to a gift certificate he'd gotten for his birthday from Uncle Lian –and was looking forward to diving into the heart of the ocean…to discovering and exploring her secrets.

He wanted to know everything about her.

It was mid-morning when he heard his name, a far off shout of a familiar voice as he sat astride his board, bobbing up and down as a wave made its way towards him.

Not taking his eyes off the rolling waves, he turned his board as he stretched out on it, paddling towards shore until he felt the curve of the wave roll under him. Standing up with ease, he kept his feet staggered, knees bent and arms out for balance, laughing as the wave swelled under him.

Letting her carry him for a few more seconds, he twisted his board to the side, the water rippling against the cutting edge of his board as he moved along the side of the wave, this time using her swelling moods to get what he wanted from her –a perfect ride.

As the wave heaved, folding within itself, Zak dived off his lightweight board and into the water, the strap around his ankle keeping it from getting tossed by the roiling waters.

As soon as his feet touched sand he stood up, taking his board in both hands as he tossed back his dark hair, blue eyes twinkling when he caught sight of his best friend a few feet away from the crashing surf, "Didn't know you were coming today."

She shrugged, her nut colored hair falling down her shoulders in bouncing curls and waves, "It was a last minute thing. Your mom said you've been out here since sunrise."

"Before," Zak grinned, bending down to free his ankle, finger combing his shaggy hair back as he walked to where she was, "Best time to catch some serious waves –nighttime too but mama would flip before she'd let me surf at night."

Abby giggled as she held out one of the pails with a shovel in it to him, the other pail in her opposite hand, "Here."

Zak's grin grew as he took the pail from her, "What's this?"

Giving him a raised brow look, her mouth kicked up on one side into the smile she'd inherited from her Daddy, "It's a pail. It's also known as a bucket."

Laughing, Zak set the bucket down and reached behind him to tug at the nylon strip attached to the zipper of his black and red wet suit, "I know what it is, Einstein. What are we doing with them?"

Abby chuckled, reaching up to push a stray curl out of her face, green eyes bright as she tilted her head to the side, "Your mama's in the mood for clam chowder. I told her we'd dig up clams for her."

"Right," pulling his arms out of the clinging sleeves, he yanked the rest of the semi-dry suit down to his waist, "It's been rainy the past few evenings. Mama always craves clam chowder when it's rainy weather."

"Can we find any here?"

Zak shook his head as he picked up his bucket, surf board tucked under his other arm, "Best clam digging is over at Hidden Beach. There's some pretty decent waves there too –want me to teach you to surf?"

Abby laughed at the offer, one he's been making every summer she came to La Push, "No thanks. I like having my feet on solid ground."

She fell in step beside him as he headed towards the forest line, the trees running parallel to the beach.

"You really should try it," Zak easily found the narrow trail that would lead them towards Hidden Beach, Abby close behind him; "It's a thrill."

"I get enough thrill rock climbing with my Daddy."

Laughing, their easy banter continued throughout the fifteen minute hike through the forest, the sun hot against their faces when they stepped out onto the soft sand of Hidden Beach, sandwiched between several miles of forest on one side and crystal blue water on the other, James Island visible in the horizon.

"This place is beautiful," Abby's voice had a tone of awe as she stepped further onto the beach, the shifting sand under her sandaled feet a complete opposite to the pebbled surf of First and Second Beach, "Why have we not been here before?"

Zak shrugged, leaning his board against a broad trunked tree before joining Abby, the sun's rays warming his upper body and starting the process of darkening his skin. He and his siblings were lighter colored than their mother yet darker than their father but whenever they spend hours out in the sun, the tan they got could very well pass them off as full blooded Quileutes.

"It's kind of a tribe secret," Zak headed towards the surf, the wet sand under his feet vibrating with the force of the crashing waves, "There's a lot of people here at the rez who believe it should be kept a secret. We get enough tourists coming to First and Second Beach."

Abby removed her sandals, the crashing surf eagerly covering her bare feet and dampening the hem of her denim Capri pants, which she wore with a light weight quarter sleeve mint green top, "Do they have tribe meetings and stuff here?"

"Yep," Zak took the shovel in the bucket and began to dig, "The tribal school also brings out their students out here to do canoe races and stuff."

"That's fascinating," Abby's back was to his as she too dug her shovel into the wet sand, the retreating waves flooding the two feet deep holes when they returned, "I would love to get to see it."

Zak chuckled as he dug his fourth hole, finally hitting something solid. Crouching down, he dug his hand into the foot deep hole, fingers encountering the smooth surface of what was surely a Pacific razor clam.

Digging his fingers past the round edges, he got a grip on it and pulled it out with a sucking sound announcing the release of the mollusk. Visually measuring it to be four inches long and two inches wide, he rinsed the wet sand off before placing it in the bucket, looking over his shoulder to see Abby doing the same.

It amused him to see his best friend, a city girl by birth, let the small town girl in her come out to play. He supposed the summers spent between her grandparents in Montana and the other set in Idaho, not to mention the two weeks in small town Forks and by default La Push, taught her the simple things in life one didn't learn when growing in the concrete and steel embrace of a city like Seattle.

He could remember summer days spent chasing lightning bugs out in his backyard with her, the grass cool under their bare feet. There were rainy days, when they went out anyway to jump in puddles and catch raindrops on their tongues. Hot days spent on the beach, Zak surfing while she watched, cheering him on whenever he managed to stay on his board for longer than ten seconds. Sticky fingers as they ate their ice cream cones while walking along the roads without any particular destination in mind with nothing to fear because no matter where in the reservation they were, there was always someone looking out for them.

The two weeks in the summer they got to hang out together –every morning, she got dropped off at his place by Daisy and Brandon, whom she stayed with –were always the best days of his year and even though they kept in touch with e-mail and the occasional telephone call throughout the rest of the year, Zak always looked forward to those two weeks.

Every since they were infants, with her two months younger than him, they'd clicked, somehow having a connection between the two which made it so easy for him to relax and be himself with her because she never asked for more than who he was. It was easy and comfortable for him to be around her, never needing to talk unless he had something to share, always willing to listen because she always had something of interest to say.

"I got my bucket half-full," Abby called out as she rubbed the back of her wrist against her itchy nose, "How many more do we need?"

"That should be enough. My bucket's half full too," Zak straightened, rolling his shoulders as he looked out at the crashing waves, able to estimate the time to being close to noon by the position of the sun, "We need to fill them with seawater so they stay fresh until mama uses them."

"You think she'll make sourdough bread," Abby tipped her bucket into the coming tide, scooping up enough of the salt water to cover the clams.

"Can't have clam chowder without sourdough bread," Zak teased as he did the same, the water rinsing their hands of the clinging wet sand, "She'll probably have us go to the bakery to get some of Aunt Emily's –it's really good."

"Better than your mom's?"

"Why do you think she sends us to the bakery?"

They laughed, Abby taking both buckets once she had her sandals on while Zak took the shovels in one hand as they moved to the forest trail and his surf board, "You staying for dinner?"

Abby nodded as she watched him easily tuck the surf board under his arm, "Your mom invited me."

"Of course she did."

"She thinks I'm your girlfriend."

He stopped to look into her green eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching until they both smiled which was followed by chuckles then full out laughter. Starting up their trip through the woods, she bumped his shoulder playfully as she grinned up at him, "I told her you were too enamored with the ocean to have a girlfriend."

Zak nodded at that, chuckles still bubbling out of him as he stepped over a fallen branch, the forest ground feeling gritty yet velvety soft under his feet, "Yup…the ocean's got my heart…unless I find my mermaid, that is. I would love my mermaid."

Abby laughed as they broke through the forest line onto First Beach, the colored pebbles shifting under her feet, "Of course you would –she's part fish, after all, and I know how much fish fascinate you."

"It's not just fish," Zak shifted his grip on the red surf board as they crossed the beach to head towards his house, "Anything having to do with the ocean –you can spent thousands of years exploring the ocean and never discover all its secrets."

"But you want to give it a try, uh?"

"Yep," Zak gave a nod as they plodded down the street, stopping when Abby placed the buckets on the sidewalk to stretch her cramped fingers, "I'm looking into marine science –you know, for college."

"You'll be great at it," Abby gave him an encouraging smile as they cross the street then turned a corner, his house still a couple of blocks away, "Daddy says when we have passion for what we do, great things get accomplished."


"I want to kiss you."

"I thought we were kissing."

"No," Gabe shook his head, swallowing hard as he gently pulled at her bottom lip with his thumb, "I mean really really kiss you."

"Oh," Vivi got what he meant, a pink blush spreading over her high cheekbones, "I…I don't know how."

"Neither do I," Gabe dipped his thumb into the corner of her mouth, "I suppose…we can learn together."

Her blush deepened as she placed a trembling hand against his chest, the other one a fist resting against her thigh, "We're supposed to be studying."

Leaning in again, he touched his lips to her, the tip of his tongue touching her bottom lip briefly before pulling back, "We are studying."

He felt her smile against his lips, their noses brushing as he tilted his head to the side, unable to help himself from lightly tugging at her bottom lip with his teeth.

Vivi's heart was beating fast, the thrumming of hummingbird wings resonating in her ears as she closed her eyes, the wet feel of his tongue against the seam of her lips causing a shiver to run down her back.

Pulling back, Gabe cupped her face in his hands, silently studying every minute detail of her face –high cheekbones, perfectly arched eyebrows a shade darker than her gold red hair, golden tipped eyelashes, the corners of her eyes tipped upward. A heart shaped face with a delicate jaw and slightly squared chin, her straight nose small, top lip shaped like twin hills while the bottom one had a slight pout to it.

"I think you're suppose to open your mouth," Gabe whispered as he moved his fingers along her jaw, gently tracing the rim of her shell-shaped ears as he stared into her gold brown eyes, noticing for the first time the flecks of yellow near the dark circle of her pupils.

Face flushing, she moved her hands up to wrap long fingers around his wrists, not pulling them away, simply resting them there as his fast pulse thrummed under her sensitive fingertips, "How do you know?"

Vivi knew the idea of his smile tasting sweet was ridiculous but nonetheless, that's the thought that flitted through her head when he answered with that smile of his pressed against her lips, "I googled it."

Vivi laughed, dropping her head to his shoulder as she moved her hands up to wrap her arms around his neck, his own arms slipping down until they were loosely around her lower back, "If you had given me a heads up, I would have done the same thing. Now, you'll have to teach me what you learned."

"Well, I didn't learn much, exactly," Gabe breathed in the faint scent of her skin, thinking of wildflowers and early morning dew as he ran his nose up her neck before pulling back to grin down at her, "Doing is learning and I only read about it."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, her eyes full of innocent trust which he didn't recognize as such because, in his mind, she'd never looked at him any other way, "Okay, then. How wide do I have to open my mouth?"

Gabe laughed, lifting his hand up to lightly trace his fingers along her hairline before placing his thumb against her bottom lip as he tilted his head to the side, "Just enough for me to do this."

The feel of his breath against her soft lips, the wet touch of his tongue on hers had Vivi's heartbeat pick up speed, her entire body tightening in the strangest way. His hands moved up her back, fingers rubbing against the soft fabric of her sweater dress while simultaneously pulling her closer to him.

Vivi's arms around his neck tightened as she shyly reciprocated, the tip of her tongue brushing against his top lip before venturing slightly into his mouth, the new tastes and sensations exploding in her own mouth as he did the same, her skin tingling as a hot sensation washed over her.

Seconds ticked by as they got lost in their tentative exploration of each other's mouths, her fingers sliding into his dark hair, his own hands moving down her back to her waist as he leaned in further for a tighter fit. Without conscious thought or decision, Vivi leaned back, Gabe following, until they were laying on her bed, his body covering hers as she moved her hands down his neck to his shoulders.

Gabe shuddered as he pulled his mouth away from hers, both of them breathing hard in an effort to catch their breath as their eyes locked together, their current position bringing to light a whole different set of sensations.

He liked the way she felt under him, soft and pliable, her chest pressed against his, her legs bracketing his hips. Slipping his fingers into her hair –the neat French braid she had now completely loosened to the point of almost falling apart –he smiled at her before pressing a kiss against her swollen lips.

The small kiss led to another, then another until they were both exploring their new found discovery.

The sound of a knock had Vivi jerking as she pushed him off, sitting up as he landed on the floor with a hard –

The sensation of falling had Gabe jerking away, his breathing fast as he pushed himself onto a sitting position on his bed, eyes looking around the dark room until they landed on the clock across the bedroom on Zak's side –it was three thirty five in the morning.

Rubbing his hands over his face to muffle the groan making its way up his chest, he flopped back onto the bed, raking his fingers through his hair before placing his hands behind his head, eyes on the ceiling as he worked at bringing his heart rate back to normal but it wasn't easy.

Although the things he was feeling at the moment were familiar –he'd been having the same dream every night for the past two weeks –he still struggled in getting them under control. It didn't help sharing a room with his younger brother being, as a fifteen year old boy –a normal and healthy fifteen year old boy –he knew exactly how to get rid of this frustration welling up inside him but he wasn't going to do that –ever –with Zak just a few feet away.

Which was why he was staring up at his ceiling, trying to go over the football strategies from the handbook Coach had given them at the beginning of the season but, as usual, it only worked marginally.

And as usual, if he didn't focus his thoughts, they wandered to Vivi –ever since that day, he'd wondered what would have happened had his Uncle Seth not come knocking when he did. Granted, it wasn't like much could have happened –yes, he knew about sex and stuff but that hadn't really been on his mind when he and Vivi had been kissing.

No, he'd wanted to be closer to her, to feel her heart beat against his, to touch her soft skin and breathe in the fresh scent of her hair. He'd loved the way her mouth tasted like sunshine and warm honey, the way her smaller and softer body made him feel invincible –like he could conquer anything, defeat any monster, tear down mountains…like he was everything she could ever need or want.

It was a heady feeling.

Now, thanks to his Uncle's new rule of no closed doors, he was never going to find out what could have happened. So here he was, night after night, reliving the whole thing for it to just end with the sensation of falling jerking him awake, not to mention leave him in this painful state of…whatever.

Looking over at the clock, he let out a sigh of frustration, tossing the sheet covering him to the side before getting out of bed. He needed to get some sleep to be able to wake up early enough to head to school for the first practice of the year and there was only one way that was going to happen.

He walked across the dark hallway towards the bathroom, making sure the lock was in place once he closed the door.

As he moved around the bathroom, he briefly wondered if being a fifteen year old girl was as frustrating and confusing as being a fifteen year old boy.

Somehow, he doubted it.


October

Leah hummed under her breath as she finished changing the sheets in the girls' room, gathering the dirty ones from the floor without looking around, finding it easier to do this chore if she didn't pay attention to the contents of the jars and glass aquariums of all sizes on the multitude of shelves bolted to the walls.

She just couldn't understand how her daughter could be so fascinated with all those creepy crawly things –not only that but Tyra herself seemed to not mind them either. Which Leah supposed was a by-product of sharing a room with Emmie since she was one.

Dumping the sheets in the utility room, she took out four clean sets from the linen closet and headed up the stairs to continue in her quest of replacing all bed linens, which wasn't an easy feat what with having nine beds in their house to take care of.

Moving into the twins' room first with some hesitation, she made sure she wasn't stepping into any booby traps before approaching their beds, once again averting her gaze from the terrarium across the room where their pet snake Slinky made its home.

Changing Alyx's sheets resulted in discovering a dirty sock, gum wrappers and a squished Twinkie. Shaking her head with a chuckle, she moved towards the second bed, which was perpendicular to the first.

Andrey's bed resulted in a mud covered shirt, half eaten lollipop and a crumbled sheet of paper with faded writing on it except for the big D minus in red ink at the top. Shaking her head again, she took the dirty sheets, sock and shirt, dumping them out on the hallway, the rest of her discoveries going in the trashcan except for the graded paper –that, she would be discussing with her boy when they got home from school.

Moving into Gabe and Zak's bedroom, she set the stack of clean linens on a rather tidy desk, which only told her neither of her older boys liked using the desk for what it was meant for. She moved across the blue and gray rug and worked on doing Zak's bed first, which was up against the wall with the window, a bookshelf at the end with a small night stand beside it, which in turn was at the foot of Gabe's bed, his own nightstand between his bed and bookshelf.

Tucking the sheets in and replacing the pillow slip, she fluffed the pillow before putting it at the head of the bed, knowing her son was just going to move it to the other end when he went to bed.

Moving to Gabe's bed, she pulled off the comforter, shaking her head at the sight of the crumbled sheet under it. Pulling it off and tossing it on the floor, she yanked out the corners of the fitted sheet, her fingers brushing against something tucked under the mattress at the head of the bed.

Curious, she slipped her hand further in and grasped what she was certain to be a slim book or journal, thinking it sweet her oldest may have a journal but the slick feel of the cover made her wonder if she was being naïve in her assumptions.

As soon as she saw what he had under his mattress, her face felt hot with embarrassment, which was funny being she had a younger brother who had once been fifteen. Biting her lip, she flipped through the Playboy magazine, wondering how her son had gotten a hold of it.

Pulling out the center fold, she tilted her head to the side, studying the model with a bit of a frown before folding it up again and returning the magazine to where she'd found it. She really had no right to say anything to Gabe about this –after all, he was a fifteen year old boy and as such, she understood his curiosity concerning the opposite sex and all it entailed.

Yet, at the same time, she didn't want him to get his information from a Playboy magazine…she supposed she could ask Rick to talk to him but then again, despite how close he and Gabe had gotten the past thirteen years, it didn't rival the close relationship she had with her first born.

Letting out a sigh, she proceeded to make his bed, tucking in corners and replacing pillow slips before picking up the soiled sheets –rather gingerly, mind you –and heading out into the hallway.

As much as she didn't like it, she was going to have to have the talk with her son…and soon.