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: Yes, this is a long chapter but that's because it's been a long time since my last update. It's going to cover two of my favorite boys -Gabe and Marc. Hope you enjoy it and, just so you know, there's a bit of lemons in this chapter -expected being I'm now dealing with hormonal teenagers. I, in no way, condone sex between teenagers but as a writer, I do not nor can I control my characters. They tell me what to write not the other way around.

Anyway, I'm working on the next chapter already and will try to finish and post it soon.

Please leave reviews -I'm a little hinky concerning the length and contents of this chapter and would like the constructive criticism and opinions of those who read.

Thank you!

Chapter Sixty-Three (15 yrs)
October, Saturday

One of the dangers of large families was kids getting lost in the shuffle, however, Leah never worried about this despite having eight children –and a husband –constantly vying for her attention.

It helped to live in a close knit community like La Push where her family –including her old pack brothers and their families –were constantly involved in her children's everyday life. There was also the fact she actively nurtured her relationship with each one of her eight kids by taking them out for an all day one-on-one date –the kids called it 'day with mama.'

Rick did the same thing, especially with his girls, being he spent full moon nights with the boys once a month, but it was Leah they enjoyed spending hours of one-on-one time with –not because they preferred her over their father but because for every child, any child, their mama was the foremost important person in their lives.

For this reason, Leah had gotten to know the state of Washington very well, knew majority of the museums and play parks around the state, depending on each child's interest –the agriculture museums in Yakima and Grays Harbor to the geology museum in Spokane (Emmie's choices), the maritime museums in Seattle, Mukilteo and Bellingham along with the Aquarium in Port Townsend (Zak's favorites), the children's museums , including a puppet one, found in Olympia and Bremerton (Xavier's preference) and the Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum, which Tyra liked to visit, as well as the Native American History Museums found in Neah Bay, Ariel and Squaxin Island, among other places.

Alyx and Andrey, who insisted in spending their 'day with mama' together since they were twins, preferred the go-kart race track, batting cages or laser tag arcade over museums or parks, always enjoying seeing their mother having fun right along with them. Erick, being just two years old, loved having his mama to himself anywhere she wanted, whether it be the mall, grocery store, park or children's library, it didn't matter to him.

As for Gabriel, his preferences had changed from parks and arcades to learning of his interest in flying, which had them visit practically every aviation and aerospace museum and park in the state.

A 'day with mama' was the excuse Leah used to have some alone time with Gabriel, the fifteen year old suggesting pancakes for breakfast at Pete's Pancake House before they headed to Spokane where the Fairchild Heritage Museum and Air Park was located.

They had left early that Saturday morning, arriving at the pancake house an hour and a half later and were now waiting for their breakfast, blueberry pancakes with bacon for him and macadamia pancakes with a side of fruit for her, both of them ordering pineapple and banana smoothies.

"You know, ma, I was thinking, after high school, I'm gonna see about going into the Air Force Academy," Gabe set his arms on the table as he leaned forward to take a sip of his smoothie, the smell of pancakes and bacon teasing his nose as the waiter stopped beside their table to set their breakfast plates before them, "The academy is in Colorado but after I'm done, I could get stationed at Fairchild Base or the Lewis-McChord Base."

"Sounds like you've thought it through," Leah spread butter on her two plate sized pancakes before taking the maple syrup from the varying options offered, "You realize you'll have to give several years to the military after finishing the academy, right?"

Gabe nodded as he stuffed a forkful of pancakes and bacon into his mouth, having already drowned his own two pancakes in syrup, chewing for a good half minute before swallowing, "I don't mind. The thing is…well, I don't know how it'll work, what with the full moon and stuff."

Letting out a sigh, she reached across the table to cover his hand, "Don't let that hold you back –if you can't do the academy, there are plenty of schools you could get your training at."

"Yeah…I looked up the FAA," Gabe turned his hand to squeeze his mama's hand before letting go so she could go back to eating her breakfast, "They have an academy as well, although I don't know about becoming an airline pilot...but flying is flying, right?"

Leah smiled across the table at him, the early morning sun coming through the window to slant across her face, "Right."

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Leah off-handedly mentioned Vivi to her son, "If you head off to Colorado for the academy, Vivi could go to Juilliard."

Gabe shook his head, not looking at his mama as he cut up his pancakes, already halfway through them but still feeling hungry, "No –she'll go to the Seattle school."

"Gabriel –"

"Is this why you brought me," Gabe looked across the table at his mother, blue eyes iced over with that stubborn look she recognized very well, "Because it wasn't my turn."

Letting out a sigh, she realized this wasn't the way to broach the subject, thinking for a few seconds before finding a different route, "So while you're in Colorado, Vivi's going to be left behind to wait for you?"

"It's not like she's going to be sitting around and twiddling her thumbs," Gabe finished the last of his pancakes, wiping his mouth with his napkin as soon as he set the fork he had been using down, "She wants to dance and that's what she'll be doing –in Seattle."

Letting out another sigh, she gave him a soft smile, "I just hope…I just want you to treat Vivi with a little compassion…and understanding…and respect."

It was the way she said that last word that had Gabe stop mid-swallow, bringing down his glass to set it on the table as he gave his mother a strange and somewhat guarded look, "Are you trying to give me the sex talk?"

Leah tried her best not to blush –goodness gracious; it wasn't like she hadn't expected to have to be here at some point, it just seemed to be too soon. Where had the years gone?

"In a roundabout way…yes."

Gabe frowned as he dropped his eyes to the table then looked out the window, feeling equally embarrassed to be talking about this with his mama, "Well, no need. Dad's already beaten you to it."

"He has?"

"Yeah," Gabe played with a packet of sugar, shifting on the bench without looking at her, "He started giving me the talk when I was thirteen and hasn't stopped since."

"Thirteen?"

"That's when I…"

Leah bit back her smile, knowing what he wasn't saying because she and Rick kept each other informed of their children's lives but she couldn't help from gently teasing him, "When you had your first wet dream?"

"Ma," Gabe's blue eyes flew up to give her a look of shock before he looked around the restaurant, face slightly flushed as he looked back at her, "Is this really necessary? I mean, I'm sure Dad told you about this –he tells you everything."

"Yes, he does," Leah leaned back into her seat, having already eaten three fourths of her pancakes, "But I just thought you might have questions I could answer."

"What kind of questions? I mean, Dad's told me everything –well, the stuff they don't tell you in health class."

"What exactly did he tell you?"

Gabe bit the inside of his cheek as he fiddled with the straw in his empty glass, giving his mama a rather sheepish smile, "You know…stuff like being respectful of girls, not to pressure them and stuff. To make sure I'm ready and so is she and that I should always be careful…use protection if I'm gonna do it so I don't end up with an STD or getting a girl pregnant...that, they did tell us in health class."

"That's good advice."

He shrugged, slouching down a bit as he looked over at her with a teasing glint in his light blue eyes, "He said just because its fun I didn't have to do it."

Leah's brown-green eyes widened as she stared at him in shock, "He told you it was fun?"

Gabe laughed, answering in the affirmative when the waiter came to take their used plates and glasses, asking if they wanted another smoothie.

Turning to look at his mother, he continued to tease once the waiter left, "He didn't have too, ma…I'm the oldest of eight, after all. If it wasn't fun, I'm sure you would have stopped with Emmie, if not me."

Leah buried her face in her hands, Gabe's laughter having her laugh despite the embarrassment flooding through her. Taking a stuttering breath, she let it out slowly before dropping her hands to look at him, "You're a smart-ass."

"Yeah," Gabe grinned at her as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table as the waiter returned with their smoothies, "Dad says I get it from you."

Leah laughed, reaching up to brush her hair off her face, the clip she'd used to hold it back having slipped its grasp being her sable brown hair was straight without enough grip for hair ties or clips, "Sure you do."

Gabe's smirk slipped away one bit at a time as he gave his mother a slightly quizzical look, taking a sip of his smoothie before asking in a unusually shy tone, "Can I…can I ask you a question? I mean…it's kind of…well, personal. And embarrassing…being you're my mom and all."

"Being I'm your mom and all, you should be asking me any and all personally embarrassing questions to," Leah gave him an encouraging smile as she slipped her straw into the thick yellow smoothie in her tall glass, leaning forward to take a sip but not before saying, "I promise I won't get mad or embarrassed."

Gabe's smile was slightly bashful as he turned his glass in small circles, "Well, as long as you don't get mad…"

Leah chuckled softly but she didn't say anything, letting the silence settle comfortable between them as he stared out the window, biting his bottom lip for a few seconds before looking over at her.

"What's it like? The first time, I mean."

Leah stared at him as she thought back, her memories of Sam before Rick a blur, not forgotten or erased but sort of fogged over, the sharp emotions no longer carrying any power to hurt her, "The first time…it should be special –for both of you. It should…mean something…because you'll carry it with you the rest of your life."

"Was your first time special?"

Dropping her eyes to her half full smoothie, she toyed with the straw for a bit, "At the time, I thought so. Of course, had I known what the future held –had I known your father would be a part of that future, I would have waited...as long as necessary."

Gabe nodded, rubbing a finger against the wooden top of the booth table, "How old were you?"

Leah took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out. Why was it her teenage self didn't think about someday having this conversation with her own child? Now, here she was, wishing she could give him a different answer, never once thinking of lying to him, "I was…sixteen."

Gabe's eyebrows rose up in obvious surprise, "Sixteen? Like…a year older than me?"

"He was eighteen," Leah said not at all sure if it was a defense or a tactic in hoping to influence her son towards better choices than her own.

"Eighteen," Gabe shifted in his seat, clearing his throat as he looked from his mother's eyes down to the table where he was tracing the water rings with his index finger, "Is that…is that a good age?"

"Gabriel," she reached out to touch his hand, long fingers closing over his in a warm grasp, "There's no such thing as a good or bad age for your first time…there's just…how do I explain this?"

Gabe lifted a shoulder as several seconds piled onto each other to create a minute, then two, "Just say it however it comes out, mama."

"No regrets," Leah let out a long breath, giving him a tender smile, "You don't want any regrets, Gabriel, for yourself or for her. You don't want to look back and think to yourself what an idiot you were. You don't want to think how it should have been better, it should have meant something. You don't want to feel like shit because you realize it was all a mistake, because you realize all the promises you attached to that moment, to that girl…you can't keep them."

Gabe wouldn't look at his mother as he played with the slip of paper that had covered his straw, shifting in his seat as he concentrated on wrapping the paper around his index finger, his voice low, "Is that how he felt?"

Leah leaned back into her seat, wrapping long fingers around the cold glass still containing half of her smoothie, "Yeah…that's how he felt."

"Did he tell you that?"

Leah shook her head, rubbing a finger against the side of the glass, collecting moisture with every swipe as she looked across the table into her baby's ice blue eyes, so much like his father's and yet, so much like her own in the dark emotion she could see there, "No…after I phased…I was able to see what he was thinking, what he was feeling, how sorry he was to have been forced by…fate…circumstances…his very nature…for being forced to take back everything he said to me."

"He apologized?"

"He tried to," she lifted a shoulder as she let out a soft sigh, shifting in her seat, "For four years, he tried to apologize but I never let him. Instead, I took my pain…his pain…and shoved it back at him –did my best to hurt him. I finally had to get away from him, from the person I had become. It was the best decision I ever made…it led me to your father and now, I have a life I could have never imagined having."

Gabe stared quietly at his mother, studying her face for any remaining pain before looking into her brown-green eyes, seeing a peace there that slightly mollified the anger churning inside him, anger on behalf of his mother, "Who was he?"

Leah gave him a soft smile as she reached across the table to cover his hand with hers, "There's no need for you to know. What's past is past, there's no purpose to bringing it all back. I've forgiven him –and he's forgiven what I did to him. We're friends…family."

"He was one of the first pack members, wasn't he?"

"Yes," Leah slid the glass to the side to lean forward and cover both his hands with hers, giving them a slight shake, "We shared a mind, a common goal. Let it go, Gabriel. I find it sweet to see you rise up on my behalf but its all water under the bridge now."

Gabe nodded, dropping his eyes to their joined hands, a few seconds passing before he turned his hands in his mothers, squeezing them as he looked up at her with a tender gaze that almost had Leah crying, "I can't stand the idea of you being hurt, mama…it's just…just that…that…you're my mom. You're the reason I'm here, the reason why I live."

Lifting his hands, she leaned down to press a kiss against his knuckles before freeing one hand to reach across the table to touch his jaw, "Thank you. I hope you apply that same fervent need to protect with others, not just me."

Gabe nodded, giving her a rather shy smile as he dropped his eyes to their clasped hands, the feel of his mama's fingers through his hair making him realize he needed a haircut, and soon.

"One thing I would like you to learn from my experience, Gabe," Leah moved her hand down his squared jaw to lift his chin so she could look into his eyes, "Is that forgiveness should never be denied. Heartbreak happens, promises aren't always kept, regrets will catch up to you but if you hold it all in, if you hold it against others, if you hold back forgiveness when you've been hurt or betrayed…you hurt yourself even more. It changes you –and not for the better."

Gabe nodded, giving her a small smile that slowly grew as he teased her, effectively breaking the heavy mood between them, "Are you saying I have to forgive Alyx and Andrey for snooping around my room?"

Leah's eyes widened as she recalled the Playboy magazine under his mattress, "Alyx and Andrey snoop around your room?"

Gabe gave her a teasing smile as he leaned back into the seat, letting go of her hands to pick up his smoothie, "Either that or you found the magazine when you changed the bed sheets."

Leah stared at him with a somewhat shocked look, "You knew about me finding your magazine?"

Gabe shrugged, his face flushing slightly, "You put it back right side up…I had it upside down."

"Gabriel," Leah gave him a narrow eyed look, studying his face as she reprimanded him, "Most boys would be embarrassed if their mothers found a Playboy magazine under their mattress."

"I'm fifteen years old, ma," Gabe lifted a shoulder in a shrug, unable to look at his mother as he tried to be nonchalant about it, "I'm naturally curious…and I never hide anything from you. Besides, the magazine isn't mine."

"It isn't?"

Gabe shook his head, reaching up to push his hair out of his eyes, "Nah. It belongs to one of the guys in the football team…it kind of makes the rounds every week. Tray stuffed it into my backpack after practice last Monday. I just…put it under my mattress until I had to take it back. I haven't even looked through it."

Leah laughed, reaching back to remove the clip before it fell out of her hair, majority of the sable brown silk free around her shoulders, "I'm sure that's not true."

"Fine," Gabe tossed the crumbled wad of paper across the table at his mother, a one sided smile as he admitted, "I peeked…once."

Leah tucked her hair behind her ear with a chuckle, slipping her clip into her purse before looking over at him, "You say you're curious…are you and Vivi…"

"What," Gabe looked at his mom, several seconds passing before he understood what the pointed look he was getting meant, "What!? No! No, we're not…I mean…we kiss…and hold hands…and sometimes…sometimes I…hug her…but we're not…we don't…"

Leah wanted to laugh at the look of panic on her son's face but knew she shouldn't, instead taking a deep breath before asking, "You kiss? Like, kiss with tongue?"

"Ma," he hissed, his face flushing under his tan, which he'd acquired over the summer from being at the skate and bike park as well as racing his bike from early morning until night fall, "Yeah…I mean…we just…just, like…back before summer break, we…oh god, kill me now."

She couldn't hold it in anymore, her laughter rich as Gabe crossed his arms on the table and dropped his head with a groan of misery, "Oh sweetie. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh but…okay, okay. I'm done."

Gabe shook his head, not looking up as his mother kept trying to control her laughter without success, "No, you're not. It's bad enough Dad sees all my thoughts and shit –now, you're laughing at me."

"I'm not laughing at you, baby, I'm just," Leah took a couple of deep breaths, finally getting control of herself, "I'm just…I just think…you're at a very…confusing part of your life. Being a teenager isn't easy…especially when you start noticing the opposite sex. They're pretty…some are funny…not many are smart…and they make it hard for you."

Gabe shook his head as he muttered under his breath, unfortunately his mother's sharp hearing picking up his words, "You have no idea."

Gabe lifted his head to glare at his mother as she busted out laughing again, shaking his head as he slid out of the booth and headed towards the front door, "That's it, I'm done."

"No, wait," Leah quickly dropped enough money on the table to cover their bill and tip, slinging her purse over her shoulder as she rushed after her son, still not able to stop laughing, "Gabriel!"


Earlier in the year, during the summer break in July

Heading down the road through Forks towards the reservation, he noticed a familiar figure walking the opposite way, quickly checking his mirrors before executing a perfect U-turn and slowing down once he reached her, lowering the passenger side window and leaning forward, "Hey! Want a ride?"

She stopped to look into the car, giving him a smile as she pushed her hair back over her shoulder, "I'm headed home from the library and it's out of your way."

"I don't care," Marc grinned as he pushed the door open for her, "Get in."

Slipping into the seat, she set the books on her lap before closing the door and doing her seat belt, "You sure it's not gonna be a problem?"

"Of course not," he smiled over at her as he set the Camaro back on drive, "Haven't seen you in forever."

"It feels that way, uh," Betty smiled at him, biting the inside of her cheek as she looked out the window at the passing scenery, not needing to give him directions to her grandparents' place, which was where she and her mother lived –well, mostly she because her mother spent most of her time traveling as a guest lecturer to different universities in the States, "So how have you been?"

"Oh, you know," Marc lifted a shoulder as he kept under the speed limit, cruising along, "Baseball, filling out college applications –the usual senior year of high school stuff. You?"

Betty bit her bottom lip as she looked down at the books on her lap, a total of three having to do with various areas concerning psychology, "Same…well, except for baseball. We have a couple out of town meets scheduled in March."

Marc nodded as he turned right onto the street she lived in, coasting along until he came to a gentle stop at the curbside in front of her grandparents' house, the driveway empty, "Still seeing Carter?"

Betty looked over at him, wondering if she was imagining the tinge of jealousy she'd heard in his voice, "Sometimes…I mean…every once in a while, he'll call me up and we'll go to a movie or something but…it's not serious or anything…not like you and Melanie."

Marc looked over at her in surprise at what she'd just said, "What?"

Betty lifted a shoulder as she undid her seat belt, "Don't worry about it…it's not like you need to tell me everything –"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Betty let out a heavy breath before looking at him, her brown eyes filled with hurt and betrayal, "I thought we were best friends."

"We are."

"Then why didn't you tell me you and Melanie are together," Betty let out another breath as she shook her head, her blond hair swishing against the soft wool of her sweater, "Forget it."

"No, wait," he reached across her and grabbed the armrest to shut the door she had opened, "First, no. Melanie and I are not a couple. I haven't seen her since back in February when I took her to the dinner and dance thing over at the rez center, which, by the way, I was planning on taking you but since you had a date with Carter, I settled for Melanie. And two, why would it matter? You didn't tell me Carter asked you out or that you'd said yes."

"Why would I tell you," Betty glared at him, pushing his shoulder to give herself some space since he was way too close for her own comfort, "You never tell me about asking all those bimbos out –blondes certainly seem to be your preference."

Marc stared at her, realizing for the first time perhaps he wasn't the only one with this gnawing jealousy inside, "Are you angry because I've never asked you out?"

Betty scoffed, looking away so he wouldn't see the blush creeping up her face or the tears gathering at her eyes, "Oh, please. I don't need you to ask me out –I'm dating Carter, remember?"

"Carter's a douchebag."

Betty's mouth tightened but she didn't say anything, instead reaching for the door handle, a soft gasp escaping her when Marc grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, his other hand sliding into her hair to grip the back of her head as his mouth closed over hers.

Reaching up to push him away, she tried to take a breath but that only gave him access to push his tongue into her mouth, her eyes closing as she fisted his t-shirt in her hand. No longer pushing him away but pulling him closer, kissing him back with all the pent up anger, disillusionment, desire and jealousy she'd harbored since laying eyes on him outside the library freshman year.

Marc himself was working hard at keeping his head but it wasn't easy. The soft feel of her mouth against his and the way she tasted had his blood buzzing in a pleasant way he knew would increase, eventually needing an outlet. Letting go of her arm to cup her face, he stroked the tip of his fingers against the soft skin of her throat, feeling the fast tempo of her pulse under them.

Pulling back, he gulped in air, dark eyes roaming her flushed face as eyelashes fluttered before opening to reveal equally dark eyes, "You could have asked me."

Betty was still trying to gather her thoughts, all of which had been scattered to the four winds when he kissed her, "What?"

Running his fingers through her hair, he was mildly glad the window to his car was open, the smell of honeysuckle having his mouth water. Swallowing the saliva and venom in his mouth, he stroked his thumb over her flushed cheek before dropping his hands and leaning back into his seat, needing the space in the worst way, "You could have asked me out. I would have said yes."

"Why didn't you ask me," Betty asked without thinking, her breathing slowly returning to normal as she looked across the small space at him, her mouth feeling swollen and slightly bruised but oh, she could still taste him! She'd never before tasted anything so…sweet…so addicting.

"I would have," Marc looked out the front window, hands on the steering wheel to keep from reaching out for her again, "I was going to…but then, you said yes to Carter so..."

"You mean," Betty blinked as she looked down at her lap, the books she had been holding now down on the floorboard beside her feet, "The dinner and dance thing…it wasn't going to be a just friends thing?"

Marc shook his head, tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel, still working hard at fighting back the monster he carried inside him, finally looking at her when he'd succeeded in subduing it, "No. I was…I had planned…for it to be our first date."

"Oh."


Present Day, October, Third Friday

"Hello Mr. Dahlin. I'm here to pick up Betty."

The old man who had opened the front door gave him a narrow eyed look before moving back to let him into the house, "Go ahead and take a seat, young man. She's still getting ready."

Marc nodded as he moved into the simply furnished living room, sitting down in the middle of the long couch as Mr. Dahlin, Betty's grandfather, shuffled towards a leather armchair situated a few feet away from the burning fireplace, "So, young man. What's your name?"

Marc gave the man a smile as he answered, "Marc de Lune."

Pale blue eyes studied him as he picked up the opened book he'd set aside, "Marc…you can call me Pastor Dahlin."

Marc stared at the white haired man with a bit of surprise, "You're a pastor?"

"Was," he nodded as he settled the book on his lap, Marc able to see it was a Bible, "I served as pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran for over fifty years. Do you go to church?"

"Uh," Marc shifted in his seat, reaching up to rub the back of his neck as he cleared his throat, "No, sir. We, uh…we were baptized in the Catholic Church but…we don't…we don't attend, no."

"I see," he nodded as he looked down at his Bible, letting seconds of tense silence pass as he silently read, flipping a page before looking up at him, "How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen," Marc gave his watch –a black leather Fossil brand his aunt had given to him for his last birthday –a quick look, wondering what was taking Betty so long, "I turn eighteen in March."

"Mhm," Pastor Dahlin nodded as he looked down at his Bible, muttering loud enough for Marc to hear, "You look older than seventeen."

Marc didn't know if he was suppose to respond to that so he said nothing, letting out a quiet sigh of relief when he heard Betty coming down the stairs, standing up as she came around the couch, "Hey…ready to go?"

Betty smiled up at him, Marc's eyes taking in every detail from the soft make-up she was wearing to her loose blond hair all the way down to the knee length dark pink dress and mid-calf black books, a wide black belt around her small waist, "Sorry I kept you waiting. And yes, I'm ready."

Marc looked over at her grandfather, stretching out his hand in offer, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Pastor Dahlin. I'll have her home by eleven."

Betty looked up at Marc, "Grand-daddy said eleven thirty would be fine."

The old man took Marc's offered hand, pulling himself onto his feet, feeling a grudging respect when Marc didn't stumble at the sudden pull to his arm, "Your granddad and I, we go a long way back…I married him and his first wife, baptized their daughter. I'm sure he'll do me the favor of finding you if you don't have her back by eleven thirty."

"Grand-daddy," gently scolding her grandfather, she kissed his wrinkled cheek, "Be nice. I'll be home on time."

"Okay, okay," he walked the two young ones to the door, watching with approval as Marc helped Betty put on her black leather jacket, "Where are you two going?"

"The movies," Marc answered as he held the door open for Betty, letting her go out first before following, "We'll have dinner before."

The old man nodded, watching as his granddaughter and her date headed down the walkway, Marc opening the passenger door of his yellow Camaro for her, closing it once she was inside and moving around the front to get to the driver's side, thinking if anything, the boy had manners.

Betty looked over at Marc as she clicked her seat belt in place, "So where are we going?"

"Ever heard of Nova Era," Marc asked with a quirky little smile that had Betty's heart beating a bit faster as she looked over at him.

"Nova Era? Isn't that an eighteen and over club at Port Angeles?"

"Yep."

She let out a disbelieving chuckle, "You just told my grandfather we're going to the movies!"

"Well, yeah," he winked at her as he got onto the highway to Port Angeles, "I wasn't going to tell your grandfather, the pastor, that I'm taking you dancing at a club."

Betty laughed, her face heating up when he reached across to take her hand, entwining their fingers together before letting them rest on her thigh, "How are you getting us in? It is eighteen and over, after all."

"I happen to know one of the bouncers," Marc grinned as she laughed, rubbing his thumb against her knuckles, "Called him up and he said he'll get us in as long as we promise not to take drinks from anyone."

She watched his profile as he drove, giving him a teasing smile when he glanced at her, "Rumor around school has it you're a bad boy."

"And you believe it?"

"Well," she dragged out the word as she covered their joined hands with her free one, "Tonight's plans certainly don't exonerate you."

Marc laughed as he smoothly changed lanes, the exit he was looking for coming up, "Well, then. I guess we'll find out tonight if I am a bad boy or not."

Laughter and conversation was easy between them as he made his way through Port Angeles, parking at an all night diner within walking distance of the club he'd mentioned. Their dinner was simple –chicken salad for her and a double meat cheeseburger for him with fries to share and a milkshake each.

By the time they headed towards the club, it was sometime between eight and eight thirty, Marc's arm around Betty's shoulder keeping her warm, being he'd suggested leaving her leather jacket in the car since they weren't entering the club through the front where the coat check was.

"Why are we going into the alley," Betty asked, Marc shushing her playfully as he used his iPhone to send a text, explaining along the way, "Brady's gonna let us in through the side exit where the bathrooms are."

"We're gonna get in serious trouble if we get caught," Betty slipped her arm around his waist, two middle fingers sliding into his belt loop, still feeling shy even though they've been a couple since the beginning of the school year.

"Guess we better not get caught, then," he grinned at her, placing a kiss on her cheek as a door several feet ahead and to the left of the alley swung open, a tall broad shouldered guy in all black –black slacks, black t-shirt and black shoes –holding it open as they approached.

Even though she'd never met him, she knew he was from the reservation just by the way he looked –russet hued skin, dark hair and deep pools of black ink for eyes. Not to sound racist or anything, but majority of the Quileute guys looked similar –well, except for Marc's cousin Gabriel and his younger brothers. The blue eyes –and blond hair of the youngest one –had them all stand out in the most obvious way among the other Quileute boys in the reservation.

Marc bumped fists with him as he ushered Betty ahead of him, "Thanks, Brady."

"Yeah, yeah," Brady gave the alley the once over before closing the door, turning his frown on Marc, "Next time you want to break the law, don't have Bailey ask me to help."

Marc's grin was downright dangerous, Betty biting her bottom lip to keep from sighing, her young body flooding with hormones as he responded to Brady's admonishment, "Why wouldn't I? You'd say no otherwise."

"Damn right I'd say no," Brady made sure the door was closed before pointing at them, "I want to see you two with nothing but bottled water."

"I'm not that bad," Marc rolled his eyes as they moved down the narrow hallway, Betty's hand in his. The bathrooms were on their left, two unmarked doors to their right and a door ahead, the throbbing of the music increasing the closer they got.

It didn't take much for Marc to coax Betty onto the crowded dance floor once they walked into the black lighted club, multicolored laser lights making patterns on the walls in time with the beat of the music, currently playing Far East Movement's Like a G6.

"This place is awesome," Betty yelled as she moved to the rhythm of the song, her adrenaline spiking with the combined stimulation of the music, the crowd and Marc's hands on her waist as he danced behind her. Despite how close he was to her –his chest brushing against her shoulder blades –their dancing was quite tame compared to everyone else on the floor.

Marc didn't answer, relaxing as he enjoyed the music even though it wasn't his preferred genre, but most especially enjoying having Betty close enough for him to feel the warm energy of her body and smell the honeysuckle scent of her hair.

They spent the next hour and a half dancing, going to the bar twice for water, both laughing and enjoying each others' company, both aware of the attention the other was getting from the opposite sex of those around them.

It was in the middle of a Black Eyed Peas' song when Marc lowered his head to speak into Betty's ear, "Time for us to leave."

Betty was really enjoying herself, her voice letting out a bit of a whine as she looked up at him, "Do we have too?"

Marc nodded with a grin, showing her his watch even though he knew she couldn't see the dark face of the time piece in the club's dim lighting, "Yeah. It takes about an hour to get back to Forks."

She didn't argue, knowing her grandfather would follow through with his threat to call Sherriff Swan, "Okay, let's go."

They made it out the front door, Brady standing right outside and watching them until they reached Marc's car, looking away when Marc leaned forward to kiss Betty before opening the passenger door to the yellow Camaro. The return trip was as comfortable as the first time around, their locked hands resting on his thigh while he drove one-handed down the open highway, making good time despite going at speed limit.

Once arriving at the street she lived in, he parked on the side of the dimly lit curb several houses down from hers, the purring engine fading into silence at the turn of the key, the hi-tech radio staying on since it was programmed to turn off when the doors opened.

"Had fun?"

Betty smiled at him, able to see him looking her way, despite the dark interior of the car, "Yeah, I did. How'd you hear of that place?"

She wasn't saying it out loud but Marc knew what she actually wanted to know was if he'd taken other girls there before, "Bailey and some of her cheerleader friends went a couple of weeks back and told me about it. She's the one who hooked me up with Brady –being that's how she and her friends got in."

Betty nodded, looking over at the clock on the radio to hide the smile threatening to erupt, "I thought Bailey didn't do girl stuff –you know, clubs and dancing and girls' night."

Marc chuckled, fiddling with his phone for a few seconds before setting it on the dashboard and undoing his seat belt, "Bailey's kind of…changed over the past year or so. She actually wears skirts now, even puts on make-up and does her hair. Brad says she's one of the popular girls at the tribal school and she takes the role very seriously."

Betty giggled, shifting in the soft leather seat as she undid her own seat belt, "It always surprises me how popularity can change a person –sometimes for the worst."

"Yup," Marc turned sideways, reaching to switch the radio station to something softer, "So, your turn or mine?"

Betty could feel her face heating up; the strange yet exhilarating tightening in her lower abdomen almost had her gasping as she whispered, "Yours."

Lowering his window half-way, he leaned across to do the same with hers. Looking at her, he smiled before leaning forward, a small hand touching his chest as their lips touched, delicately exploring before fusing into a kiss –a kiss filled with the passion and desire of young untried bodies.

It had been like this for the past few months, both gaining a little more confidence each time as they allowed each other a bit more freedom, not just their mouths but their hands and thoughts and words as well.

Dropping his hand to the side of her seat, he pushed one of the buttons, which slowly inclined her seat back until it couldn't go anymore. The cotton of his black t-shirt felt soft under her hands as she moved them up his chest to circle around his neck, the hand he'd used to lower the seat moving to rest against her thigh.

It didn't take long for things to heat up, especially on the nights Marc initiated their make-out sessions –yes, they took turns initiating, something Marc had suggested so Betty could be a little more in control over what they did and how far they went –at least on the nights when it was her turn.

Panting in an attempt to get some air into her lungs, she could feel heat everywhere he touched, his mouth moving down her throat, one hand tangled in her hair, the other moving under her skirt and up her thigh. Her hands moved down to his waist, fingers curling around the leather belt he wore along with dark blue jeans. The desire to touch him welled up inside her, stronger than before but her own insecurities always had her holding back.

"You can touch me," his whisper brushed against her hot skin, his nose tracing her exposed collarbone as he stroked her outer thigh, enjoying the feel of silky skin under his fingertips, "If you want to."

His long fingers curved around her knee, exploring its curvature before sliding back up, this time drawing circles on her inner thigh with his thumb with every gained inch. The feel of her tugging at his shirt had his stomach muscles quivering, his fingers flexing against her upper thigh as he covered her mouth with his again.

After months of this, Marc had become addicted to the taste of her mouth, and although the half opened windows kept the sports car well ventilated, his head was still swimming with the intoxicating scent of honeysuckle, green apples and something much more subtle he'd come to recognize as uniquely Betty.

When her warm hand touched his lower back, skin against skin, Marc couldn't hold back the shiver making its way up his back, Betty breaking the kiss to look into his nearly black eyes, her own brown ones swallowed up by the pitch black of her dilated pupils.

"It feels good," he whispered in explanation, their noses brushing before he caught her top lip between his, tongue darting out across it before he moved to the bottom one, sucking on it once, twice, three times. Betty let out a soft moan before touching his top lip with her own tongue, all the invitation Marc needed to invade her mouth, carefully yet thoroughly exploring every secret it held.

He groaned as she moved her hands to his flat stomach, her fingernails gently dragging against the taut skin, his already simmering blood erupting into flames. She wasn't sure what was happening but the intensity she felt from him doubled, her own body trembling in response, the power of flooding hormones and exhilarating emotions almost overwhelming her yet, under all of it, she sensed a bit of fear and recognized it as such.

She wasn't ready for this.

Breaking away from the kiss, she gasped out his name, her breath stuttering to a stop at the feel of his thumb rubbing circles against her, face flushing when she realized her panties were wet and even more embarrassing, he knew it too.

"Marc…" digging her fingers into his narrow waist, she buried her face into his neck, "Please…"

That was so not what she had meant to say.

"Does it feel good," he whispered into her ear, his free hand playing with her hair as he continued to touch her.

Betty bit down on her bottom lip, giving him a shy nod, her legs opening a little further without conscious thought of doing so.

Marc was intrigued with the flush on her face and neck, as well as the heat against his hand. Having the space to move, he replaced his thumb with his fingers, pressing them against her soft center before delving under the elastic of the cotton panties she wore, all the while keeping his eyes on her face. Her own eyes were shut tight, soft gasps escaping her parted lips, which were swollen from his kisses.

"I like the way you feel," Marc whispered, watching as her eyes flew open, face flushing a deeper red at the feel of his fingers moving deeper between her folds, her hips jerking when a fingertip touched the hard little bud hidden in there, "So soft, like silk –like rose petals."

Breathing hard as he pushed his hand deeper to explore the rest of her secrets, she moaned as her legs opened wider, everything but the way her body hummed and throbbed losing meaning.

All that really mattered at the moment was the tightening right below her belly button, realizing that knowing what this was and experiencing it for the first time were two completely different things and even though she'd touched herself before –out of curious exploration, for the most part –it had been nothing compared to the way he was making her feel at the moment. All she needed was a push –a nudge, really –off the cliff's edge.

Marc wanted to give her that, wanted to watch her let go, wanted to be the one to give her the pleasure of falling apart. Contrary to the rumors at school, he'd never gotten this far with a girl before, even the easy ones like Melanie –or Chloe, one of the blond cheerleaders he'd dated back in his sophomore year –so he was very much interested in every minute response to what he was doing, keeping his dark eyes on her face, highly aware of every move her soft body made.

Dropping his eyes to her chest, he was fascinated with the way the fabric of her dress stretched over the curve of her breasts, twin points poking out from each making him wonder what they looked like, his eyes moving back up to her face as he slowly pushed the tip of one finger into her, swallowing hard at the wet tightness he encountered, pulling it out just as slow.

He himself was hurting something awful, his jeans uncomfortably tight but all he could really focus on at the moment was the way she kept saying please, her fingernails digging into his biceps as she moved the lower part of her body in tandem with his exploring fingers.

The chime of his cell phone's alarm –which he'd set for ten minutes before eleven thirty –was drowned out by their heavy breathing, Betty burying her face into his chest as her body tensed, chests brushing as her thighs closed, holding his hand prisoner between them.

Seconds passed before she relaxed, practically melting into the leather seat as Marc brushed her hair back, placing tiny kisses along her hairline as he removed his hand, not exactly sure what to do with the evidence of her release on his fingers, finally wiping them on the hem of his t-shirt.

"Feel good," he asked in a whisper, his lips brushing against her ear which caused a shiver to wrack her sensitized body.

Betty nodded, feeling overly shy as she looked up into his eyes for a brief second before looking down, "Yeah, it…it was…"

He kissed her nose, a smile on his lips as he moved back to his seat, grimacing at the multitude of twinges his body was exhibiting –back, shoulders, legs –all from being in one position too long. As for his groin…well, that was expected after what had just taken place.

"I'm glad it felt good," Marc smiled at her as she returned her seat to its upright position, taking her hand in his and lacing their fingers together, "I like making you feel good."

Betty blushed, dropping her eyes to her lap, feeling even hotter at the sight of her skirt bunched high around her legs. Pulling down the hem to her knees, she nibbled on her bottom lip, looking sideways at him, "What about you?"

"Me?"

"Well, I, uh…" her eyes momentarily dropped to his lap where his currently uncomfortable situation was prominently making its presence known, "I can…you know…do something."

Marc couldn't believe he was actually blushing after what had just happened but there was no mistake –his face was feeling hot and he knew had there been light, it would also be red, "No –no. You don't need to –"

The alarm on his phone interrupted him, the seventeen year old feeling oddly relieved and disappointed at the same time, "I need to get you home."

"But Marc," Betty let go of his hand to shift sideways on her seat, "That can't be comfortable."

"It'll go away…eventually," he averted his eyes, too embarrassed to look at her, which was why he didn't notice her reaching out to him until it was too late, "No, Betty, wait!"

They both froze in place, Marc's eyes shut tight as he bit back a groan, his head falling back against the headrest as the rest of his body finally relaxed. Betty bit her lip to keep herself from smiling, pulling back her hand as she kept her eyes trained out the window, giving Marc time to…do whatever he needed.

Seconds ticked by until it became a full minute before Marc quietly opened his door and stepped out of the car. Shutting the door, he stood where he was for a full minute before coming around and opening the door for her, something she'd gotten used to him doing.

Stepping out, she took her jacket draped over the back of the seat, neither one looking at the other as he closed the door, walking side by side up the sidewalk to her front porch.

Looking out of the corner of her eye at him, she nibbled on the inside of her bottom lip before getting the courage to ask, "Feel better?"

She thought him so cute when his face flushed a dull red, arms crossed over his chest as he shuffled his feet, dark hair falling over his forehead when he gave a short nod, "Yeah, uhm…you should go inside before your grandfather calls mine."

"Okay," Betty said with a nod, dropping her eyes to the floor, her breath catching when he placed an awkward kiss on her cheek, saying good night before turning to walk away, "Marc."

One foot on the walkway, the other on the last step, he turned to look at her, "Yeah?"

"Are you mad at me?"

"What," the surprise he felt at her question was written all over his face, Betty able to see because of the porch light her grandmother had left on, "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I…" she blushed, unable to look at him as her voice dropped to a whisper, "Because I touched you."

Despite the embarrassment he was feeling –not because she touched him but because he'd gone off within seconds of her touching him –he knew she needed assurance from him, "No, no. I'm not mad at you for that –I'm not mad at you, period."

Betty wrinkled her nose, smiling when he moved up the steps to pull her into a hug, her own arms wrapping around his waist, holding her jacket in one hand, "Okay…just wanted to make sure…that we were okay, I mean."

"Of course we are," he smiled into her brown eyes, softly kissing her mouth before pulling back to give her a teasing smile, "Now go inside before your granddad calls the cops on me."

Betty giggled, giving him a quick squeeze before stepping back and opening the front door, looking over her shoulder as he headed down the porch steps, "Have a good night."

Marc couldn't help the grin spreading across his face, he was feeling too good to stop himself, "I will…I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay."

Getting home ten minutes before his own midnight curfew, he turned off the porch light Tia Rosa had left on for him, moving through the dark living room to get to the kitchen for a drink of water. Once done there, he headed up stairs, making sure to be quiet so as not to wake his sister, aunt or cousins –he knew not waking Uncle Seth would be damn near impossible.

Once in his room, he looked over at the small bed where Carlos slept, silently laughing at the sight of old Einstein spread curled at the foot of the toddler bed, a worn out teddy bear tucked under one limb, Carlos hugging his own teddy bear close.

Taking his pajama bottoms, he headed into the bathroom, turning on the shower before stripping as he thought about Betty. She was turning out to be the best thing to ever happen to him, aside from his sister and aunt –not to mention Uncle Seth and every one attached to him –and he knew she was going to get more important to him as their relationship progressed.

There was no use lying to himself –the blond brown-eyed girl that had once been his best friend back in second grade, always willing to share her animal crackers with him, was quickly finding her place in his heart now, and even though he reserved his steadfast loyalty and love to those he called family, she was slowly tapping into those emotions to make room for herself.

He laughed when he was with her, couldn't help it, and she made him feel like he was on top of the world, able to conquer all including the dark side of his own nature. With her, he felt he could be the man his father had wanted him to be –he could be sacrificing and loving and giving without demanding or expecting anything in return.

With her, he could be a completely different man from the one that continually haunted his dreams –the one who cared for nothing but his own satisfaction.

Thinking back on how he'd felt when he touched her, he couldn't help the way his body reacted to the memory, curiosity getting the best of him as he sniffed his fingers, picking up a faint scent of burnt honey.

Swallowing back the over abundance of saliva in his mouth, he scrubbed himself clean, took care of business otherwise he wasn't going to sleep, then got out, dried and dressed in pajama bottoms before heading back to his room, tossing his clothes into the laundry hamper on the way out of the bathroom.

Grabbing his iPhone from his desk, he climbed into bed with a yawn, smiling at the notice of a text message from Betty.

Thx 4 2nite

Smiling, he quickly texted her back: no prob. sweet dreams

A minute passed before he received a reply: I'll dream of u

Chuckling under his breath, he replied in return: see u there