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: My Dear Readers, I know it has been so long, even longer than I month and I apologize. I am having a difficulty juggling my day shift hours and my free hours...especially when I work more than I play. I promise I have not given up on this story -it is not possible for me to do so because I have so many loyal readers and because the story is complete in my head therefore, it must be completed on screen. Please forgive me for the tardiness of this post and I hope to hear your honest opinion on this chapter...it is getting closer to a twist in the story of Gabriel and I have having a difficult time the closer I get to it.

Have patience and know I will not forget you even if I step away for a while -the next chapter is already in mind and I hope to have the time and diligence to complete it sooner than this one.

Enjoy the chapter and please, please leave a review -let me know my apology has been accepted. Thank you.

Chapter Seventy-One (15 yrs old)

Sunday, April 13th

Marc let out a yawn as he fought back the post-coital stupor –it wouldn't be good to get caught buck naked in his girlfriend's twin size bed…with her right beside him.

Betty had begged off going to church with her grandparents, which meant she was on her own being her mother was at a five day conference in New York that started on Friday so she'd called Marc and invited him over for breakfast…which turned into more than pancakes and crispy bacon.

"We should get up," Marc mumbled sleepily, placing a kiss on her bare shoulder as he moved his arm out from under the flower printed sheet stretched tight over her breasts, "Your grandfather finds me here, he'll beat me to death with his Bible."

She laughed, moving in the small space she had within his arms to stretch out on her back, running a hand through his tousled hair, "There's a voters' meeting after the service which means a potluck before the meeting. They won't be home until sometime before three."

Marc looked over at her alarm clock, the green numbers reading eleven twenty-three. Giving her a slightly wicked smile, he tugged at the sheet, his hand covering her right breast as soon as it was revealed.

"Well, in that case, let's make the best of the time we have left," he placed a row of small kisses down her jaw line, pushing his thigh between hers as he played with her breast, thumb and finger plucking at the tight strawberry pink nipple.

She let out a sound that made him think of a purring kitten, the feel of her slim curves rubbing up against him getting him fully aroused in half a second.

Since their spring break when they gave in to one another in the middle of the sun drenched meadow of wildflowers, they've gone at each other like the sex crazed teenagers they were, neither able nor willing to keep their hands off each other.

In the month they've been sexually active, they've managed several trysts at 'their' meadow, a quick romp out in the woods behind Forks High during their lunch break, two hot and sweaty sessions in the back seat of Marc's Camaro and an unplanned hard fuck in the driver's seat of his car, Betty astride with her skirt up around her waist and his pants around his ankles.

Their hormones had been given an outlet and there was no interest in finding any other venue of release.

He moved his mouth down her throat, her skin delicate against the surface of his lips. Keeping his jaw clenched, his mouth skimmed over her collarbones and down her chest, the scent of her blood right under warm skin having his mouth filling up with venom.

It was getting harder every time but it didn't stop him from taking what she offered. Being with her like this was teaching him a lot about his self-control…of course, in the process of learning to control his predatory instincts, he was learning he liked being the one in control and Betty, with her sweet and giving nature, was making it easy for him to control this aspect of their evolving relationship.

He was starting to get addicted to this –to her. The feel of her skin under his hands and the taste of it on his lips and tongue always had him wanting more…more of her, more of this, more of them together like this. The way she felt under his hands, the taste of her skin, the smell of her arousal…he enjoyed being with her, in her, above her, under her –it really didn't matter, he enjoyed having her any way she'd let him.

With the tip of his tongue, he drew a line down the middle of her flat stomach as he stroked his hands down her thighs to her knees to pull them apart, settling himself between them as he moved lower. Stopping at her bellybutton, he dipped his tongue into it, making sure the razor sharp edge of his teeth didn't come into contact with her soft skin.

She let out a soft moan in response to his fingers moving up the inside of her thighs while his mouth moved over the skin stretching across her pelvis. Moving his fingers into the folds of her core, he encountered a hot slickness, evidence of her readiness for him.

Shifting up her slim body, he took her hands in his and laced their fingers together before placing their joined hands over her head as he slid into her in one smooth stroke. Betty let out a soft moan, wrapping her long legs around his hips as they began to move in tandem rhythm learned through practice.

She could feel the intensity of her desire gathering a little below her bellybutton, could feel him as he pushed deep into her, their chests pressed tight against each other, the vibrations of their fast beating hearts rippling through them.

He stared into her dark eyes as she looked up at him, the friction between their moist bodies heightening the intensity of their desire as he increased his speed. She lifted her head off the pillow, her teeth tugging at his bottom lip before she slipped her tongue into his mouth, fingernails digging into the backs of his hands as he took control of the kiss. Pushing her head back into the pillow, he plundered her mouth, his body doing the same to hers.

It came at them hard and fast, with very little warning, Marc breaking off the kiss to turn his head and bite down into his arm as she did the one thing that always threatened to break his control –threw her head back as she closed her eyes, inadvertently exposing the long delicate line of her throat to him.

The taste of his blood wasn't as satisfying as hers probably would have been but it still somewhat helped with the overwhelming need for blood sex seemed to bring out in him.

As soon as he sealed the bite marks on his forearm, he rolled off her, keeping as much distance between them as possible in the single bed, an absolute necessity until the buzzing in his head faded and he could think clearly again. He didn't move when she turned into his side, taking in a deep breath through his mouth to avoid inhaling the vanilla scent of her hair.

"I love you."

Her whisper was soft and warm against his cooling chest as she drew tiny hearts along the corded muscle of his upper arm. Taking in another breath, he lifted his hand and slid his fingers through her tangled hair, turning his head to kiss her forehead as he responded to her declaration with one of his own, "I love you too."

And he did…he really did…even if he never said it first.


April 19th

There was something about working with wood that helped Rick feel a bit more connected to the family he had lost. He could almost hear his brother Kristos teasing him over his missed calling as a carpenter, could hear his father proudly explaining how Rick's penchant for learning made him into one of those few people who could learn to do just about anything.

He set aside the block plane, brushing off the leftover wood shavings from the piece of oak he was working on, taking the one fourth inch chisel to start in on the detail he'd thought up for the edge.

Gabe walked into what had once been Jacob Black's garage and was now used by his father as a workshop in exchange for upkeep to Billy's property, since the elder had moved in with Rachel and Paul about six months ago.

He watched his Dad for a whole minute before looking around the free standing garage, noticing the two worktables on opposite sides as well as the table saw across from the opened doors. There were tools hanging on the right side wall, behind the worktable his father was using at the moment. Gabe recognized a few as presents he and his siblings had given for Father's days, birthdays and Christmases past.

It always intrigued him what his Dad could do with wood –aside from the rocking chairs, one in each of their rooms, he'd also made the kitchen table they now currently had, along with the eight matching chairs as well as the coffee table and matching side tables in the living room. Piece by piece, Dad was giving mama furniture designed with her in mind –tiger lilies carved deep into the grain of the red hued wood because they were her favorite flower.

"Hey Dad."

Rick looked up from his careful carving of Greek letters along the edge of the long shelf, grinning as Gabe dropped his gym bag beside the opened doors to the garage, "Hey kyrio. How was football practice this morning?"

Gabe shrugged as he walked further into the large space, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "Alright. We have our last practice next weekend then start up again the weekend before school starts in August."

"Are you planning on trying for the quarterback position next year?"

"Nah," he stopped at the other side of the worktable his dad was using, studying the markings along the edge of two completed shelves, "I like the cornerback position –I'm good at it. What are you making?"

"Shelves –for your sister," Rick wiped the surface of the current shelf he was working on, using the soft cloth to wipe out the curves and crevices as Gabe gave his Dad one of those 'duh' looks he was so well known for, "There's no more room on her walls for shelves, Dad."

"I'm building her a lab in the backyard –for her birthday," Rick cocked an eyebrow at his son, stuffing the cloth into the back pocket of his jeans before picking up the chisel again, "It won't be big, more of a shed, really, but she'll have all the room she needs for her specimens along with wall to wall work benches for her equipment."

The corner of Gabe's mouth lifted into a one sided smile as he looked over the carvings, able to grasp a phrase here and there despite not being diligent in learning Greek the way his sisters were, "Mom decided she couldn't live with Tiny in the house anymore, right?"

"Tiny wasn't the problem," Rick edged the curved metal tip into the wood, the cut smooth as he moved along with the grain, "Your mom stumbled on Teddy while putting clean laundry away –she had Emmie take the terrarium to Embry's right then and there."

"And since you want her to balance out her time and not spend it all with Embry, you decided to build her a laboratory…for her birthday," Gabe nodded as he looked over the table again before giving his Dad a pointed look, "You realize we're never getting her out of there, right?"

"Just like everything else, she'll learn to balance," Rick completed the last carving, setting aside the chisel and pulling out the rag from his back pocket to wipe out the left over shavings, "So what are you up to today?"

Gabe shrugged, moving away from the table to explore the rest of the garage, seeing some leftover stuff from back when it had been used for fixing up cars, "Nothing, really…I scheduled the test for my driver's permit for the day after my birthday."

"Good," Rick gave his eldest son a smile as he set the carved shelf aside and picked up a new one –he'd already measured, cut and sanded all the needed shelves, it was just a matter of carving in the details, "Your mom told me you're pretty good at staying focused when she lets you drive the mini-van."

"It's kind of embarrassing," Gabe grinned as he moved around the work table across from the one his Dad was using, tilting his head at the dust covered tarp in the far back corner, wondering what was under it, "I mean, it's a mom mobile."

"You're lucky she's not driving a twelve passenger van," Rick teased back as he took the carpenter pencil from his back pocket to draw in the next line of Greek characters.

His plan, once all the shelves were secured up on the walls of the one room shed slash laboratory, was to tell the story of the evolution of science in Classical Antiquity, from pre-Socratic Greek philosophers such as Thales (the first to postulate non-supernatural explanations for natural phenomena), Pythagoras of Samos (first to postulate the Earth is spherical in shape), Leucippus (introduced atomism), Democritus (who expounded on atomism) and of course, Plato and Aristotle.

"Yeah, 'cause a van that can fit ten isn't as bad," Gabe's sarcasm had Rick let out a chuckle as he looked over to where his son was currently approaching the bulging tarp, "Did mama tell you about my graduation gift? You know…instead of a car…"

"Yes, she mentioned you want a motorcycle," Rick looked up from the piece of paper where he had written out what he'd planned to carve into the edges of the shelves, giving his son a narrowed eyed look, "She also mentioned having agreed on us paying for half of it."

"Yeah," Gabe looked over his shoulder at his Dad, "I've got enough saved but not for a new one."

"What about a bike needing repairs? You think you can afford it as well as whatever parts needing replacing?"

He lifted a shoulder in a shrug, turning to fully face his father, "Maybe…depending on how much the labor will cost."

"You can always ask your Uncle Sam or Embry to teach you –they might agree giving you free labor as long as you cover the cost of whatever is needed."

"The question now is where I can find a cheap bike needing repairs."

Rick's smile grew as he cocked an eyebrow, pointing towards the tarp, "Look under there –I think Billy might be amenable to selling it at a reasonable price."

"Holy shit!"

Rick laughed at his son's reaction to the contents under the tarp, "Holy shit is right. What do you think?"

"Are you serious," Gabe looked over the black and metal chromed motorcycle, able to see it had been years since it had been used or even serviced, "You think Billy will sell it to me? Why the hell does he even have it?"

Rick's smile grew as he set the chisel aside before leaning forward as he placed his hands on the top of his workbench –he'd never felt the need to censor his boys' language unless, of course, they were in mixed company. The good thing, they all seemed to naturally hold back on the filthy language whenever their mother, grandmother or sisters were around –sometimes their aunts too.

Then again, whenever they were angry and seemed to have a problem finding their tongue, Leah gave them permission to let loose –one of the reasons why the boys thought her to be the coolest mother to ever walk the earth.

"It used to be Jacob's –his son. It hasn't been used in over ten years and even then, from what Billy told me, Jacob put it together from parts as well."

"You think he'll sell it to me cheap?"

Rick watched his son as he lifted the lightweight bike from its side, carefully inspecting the visible damage time and lack of care had rendered, "I think that would depend on your negotiating skills."

"So if I can get him down to, say, two hundred dollars," Gabe looked over at his father as he tried to open up the kickstand but it wouldn't budge, "Would you and mama be willing to pay all –"

"No," Rick shook his head as he got back to his carving, wanting to finish the shelves that day, "We will pay half, as we've agreed. Besides, you'll still have more than enough left over for parts and repairs."

"Right," Gabe let out a disappointed sigh as he gave up on the kickstand, carefully laying it back on its side before taking the tarp to cover the Harley Sprint motorcycle again, "I suppose when you think of it that way…"

Chuckling, he continued working on the shelve while Gabe kept wandering around the room, touching this, moving that, occasionally stopping and looking towards Rick before he went back to poking around.

Setting the chisel aside, Rick pulled out the rag and wiped away the left over curls of wood as he watched his son, "What's on your mind, kyrio?"

Gabe gave him a wide eyed look, hand freezing halfway to a piece of oak on the work table, "Uh…nothing."

Rick cocked an eyebrow, setting the completed shelf on top of the finished stack, "Come on, Gabriel. You've never been shy expressing your thoughts so why start now?"

Stuffing his fisted hands into the pockets of his cargo style jeans, he rocked back onto his heels as he pursed his lips, "Well, uhm…it's kind of sorta like a personal question."

"When have I ever prohibited any of you from asking personal questions?"

Gabe gave a single shoulder shrug, feeling decidedly uncomfortable as he tried to verbalize his question, "Well, uhm…I was, uhm…wondering if, uhm…if you, uh –when you, uh –when you first had, uh…when you knew you were ready to…you know…do it."

Rick wanted to laugh but held back, knowing from the sick look on Gabe's face his son was already having a hard time with the evolving conversation, "Are you asking because you want to know if you're ready?"

Biting the inside of his cheek, blue eyes dropped to the floor, intensely studying the worn toe of his black and white Converse sneaker, "Uhm…yeah –I mean uhm…"

"Let me ask you something," Rick moved around until he stood across his son, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the waist high edge of the work table, "Do you know if she's ready?"

Gabe could feel the heat of embarrassment climb up his neck, "We, uh…we haven't talked about it."

Rick gave a thoughtful nod, studying his son's face before speaking up, "Then I suggest you two talk about it because if she's not ready, whether you are or not is a moot point."

Gabe stared at his father, understanding what he was saying but still not sure whether he had an answer to his question, "So, uhm…what if she says she's ready? Then what?"

"Then you have several questions to answer."

"Which are?"

Rick pushed away from the table, moving towards the back right corner of the large garage where he kept a small refrigerator stocked with drinks, "First –are you aware of the consequences of sex?"

"Uh, yeah," Gabe forced himself not to make a face, knowing his father would not tolerate disrespect, "Pregnancy…STDs…although it's not really a possibility since neither one of us has ever…done it."

Rick nodded as he tossed a bottle of juice towards his son, Gabriel easily catching it, "Those are the physical consequences. What about the emotional ones?"

The blank look on Gabriel's face had Rick pointing at him before he popped the top of his soda can, "And there you have it. If you don't understand the emotional consequences of sex, then you're not ready."

Gabe let out a heavy sigh, his frustration more than obvious as he set the unopened bottle on the work table behind him, "How the hell am I suppose to understand if it's not explained to me?"

Rick nodded, taking one of the bar stools he kept around and handed it to Gabe before taking the second one for himself and setting it a few feet beside his son's, "You're right –and I think you're old enough to understand the ramifications."

Gabriel gave a nod, picking up his bottled juice and twisting the top open as his Dad stared at a spot on the sawdust covered floor, probably putting his thoughts in order.

"When it comes to sex, a boy is physically ready as soon as they hit puberty. As you well know, post-pubescent boys experience eleven to twenty erections a day –it doesn't take much to get an erection so on that level, you're ready for sex."

Gabe knew his face was probably a dull red at this point –neither his mom nor dad were evasive, although a little uncomfortable, concerning conversations on sex but for some reason, Gabe always got squeamish whenever the topic came up. It was probably Emmie's fault since she had no qualm discussing the topic in that analytically scientific way she had when sharing information.

"But it's not just about being physically ready –psychologically, sex can do a lot of damage if you're not ready. You'll end up with a negative view of sex –"

"Negative how?"

"That sex for the sake of sex is good –that girls are meant for only one thing –that sex is only about making you feel good."

"Oh."

Rick took a sip of his drink, eyes trained on the view outside the opened garage door, "Now, when it comes to being emotionally ready…when you have sex, you give a little bit of yourself away. You are connected to that person for the rest of your life –the more sex partners you have, the less there will be for the one person you decide to spend the rest of your life with."

"How many partners did you have?"

Rick tapped his fingers against the side of his soda can, uncomfortable at telling the truth but knowing to lie was to damage the relationship he had with his son, "I'm sharing this with you so you won't make the same mistakes I made."

"Okay."

Nodding, he took another swallow from his drink, wishing for a moment it were something stronger, "Before my first wife, I was a very selfish young man. The first time I had sex, I was seventeen. It wasn't planned and I definitely didn't stop to think whether I was ready for it or not."

He tipped the soda can back, finishing the fizzy liquid in two gulps then setting the empty can on the work table behind them, "Once you start having sex, it's almost impossible to stop. Not only that but everything changes when you add sex into the equation –a relaxed relationship becomes fraught with tension and emotions intensify. Something you could easily forgive can become a stumbling block once sex is part of the picture."

"Do you regret mama not being your first?"

Rick let out a long breath, reaching over to grip the back of Gabe's neck as he looked into his blue eyes, "I love your mother, Gabriel –heart, mind, body and soul, but I cannot –will not –regret what I had with Ileana. She began the long process of making me into a better man, a process your mother will tell you is still in progress."

"She says you've done most of the work yourself," Gabriel reached up to grab his father's forearm, giving him a smile, which spread into a grin as Rick scoffed, "Yeah, right. Your mom refuses to take credit for it but she's the one doing most of the work –I'm simply being flexible and open minded."

"Flexible and open minded?"

"Yes," Rick gave his son's neck one last squeeze before letting go, "When it comes to the opposite sex, it's best to be flexible and open minded –it's the only way you'll survive."


April 23rd
Seattle, WA

He was exhausted, having gone three hours over on his twenty four hour shift as the on call obstetrician. Normally, it wouldn't have been such a big deal, except for the five normal deliveries within the span of six hours, two of his scheduled cesarean patients, one trauma incident involving a pregnant woman with an abusive husband and a code delivery at the main entrance, which went fast considering the woman was on her sixth baby so it pretty much slipped out without much effort.

Unlocking the front door, he stepped into the dark apartment, eyebrows lowering as he quietly closed the door behind him, easily picking up sound from the living room, "Baby, what are you doing sitting in the dark?"

Lyn took in a stuttering breath, wiping her hands over her cheeks as Collin kicked off his shoes and dropped his gym bag on the armchair before maneuvering around the long coffee table to sit beside her, "I just…I just needed to –to find my center."

"In the dark?"

Lyn nodded, resting her head on his broad shoulder as soon as he had his arm around her, another stuttering sigh escaping her, "It's not as good as the bottom of the ocean but it's enough to get some balance again."

He pulled her tight into his side, kissing the crown of her head before asking, "What's got you out of balance, baby?"

Taking another deep breath –she kept doing it so she wouldn't start crying again –she wrapped her arms around his narrow waist, rubbing her face against the soft cotton of his t-shirt, "Petey Marnier died right before I finished my shift –I'd just gotten the lab results from earlier today and it looked like his white blood cell count was improving but…I've been treating him for pneumonia the past week and he just…he wasn't strong enough to make it through, even with the antibiotics."

Tears soaked into his t-shirt, his own heart aching at the pain she went through every time she had a young patient with cancer, knowing it was the reason why she hadn't gone into pediatric oncology despite an invitation to join a prestigious practice solely focused on children with cancer. She did, however, remain as primary pediatrician to any of her patients who were diagnosed.

"Baby…"

"His mother…" she interrupted his effort to offer comfort, her fingers digging into his side as she let out a choking sob, "Collin, she –I watched her break…it was…it's not fair –he was just eight years old…still his mother's baby."

Collin hated seeing her hurting like this, hated the pain in her voice but knew if he could, he would never change her tender heart for anything so he simply did what he could –he gently rocked her, rubbing a big hand down her back as he listen to her cry, every once in a while words stuttering out of her in broken sentences.

"I don't k-know how they d-do it…they c-carry their b-babies for n-nine months a-and fall in l-love with them l-long before they g-get to hold them…"

Kissing the top of her head, he hugged her tighter, feeling the dull pain of her fingers digging into his side as she held him equally tight, her voice breaking, "T-to watch th-them grow up…t-take their f-first steps, w-watch them s-smile…h-hear them laugh…"

Dropping a hand to her thighs, he pulled her into his lap, smiling sadly as she curled herself into a tight little ball, as if she were seeking refuge against the breaking pain, seeking the strength of his big, broad body to keep her from falling apart.

Lyn loved her job, well he knew –and she should being she was a damn good pediatrician –but at times he felt her heart, the very giving, open and tender heart he'd spent most of their time together protecting from others, was too soft. Even so, he could hear something in her voice, her words, that told him there was more to this than the grief of losing one of her favorite little patients –for the life of him, though, he couldn't figure out what.

"I d-don't think I can do it," she whispered, her sobs having quieted down to the occasional shuddering hiccup, "To love so completely and then…then to have to let go."

"She's a better person having had him for eight years," Collin murmured as he ran his fingers through her loose hair, the ash blond strands feeling like silk between his fingers, "Think of all she would have missed had she not had him in the first place –the first time she felt him move inside her, the effort and hard work to bring him into the world and get to hold him, the first time he smiled at her, his first steps, his laugh…when he called her mama…she was his first and only love…and he was the very definition of what love is…and she had that –for eight years…despite the pain, she doesn't regret it. She never will."

She rested quietly against his broad torso, placing a small hand on his bicep as she quietly asked, "Would you regret it? Having children, I mean."

"Never," Collin pressed a kiss against her forehead before lifting his head to rest his chin on her head, effectively tucking her into him as he wrapped his arms around her curled up body, "Whenever it happens, if ever it happens, I would love our children no matter."

"Even if they told us, from the very beginning, they wouldn't have long to live?"

"More so then. We would be blessed; no matter how brief the time might be…we would be better people because we'd learn to love unconditionally, no restrictions, no holding back."

Lyn nodded, having found the balance she had been desperately searching for before her husband arrived, moving slightly to be able to look into his dark eyes, able to see the love and sincerity in them despite the darkness of their living room, "You're right."

Collin gave her a one sided smile as he leaned in to kiss her mouth, gently teasing her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, "As I always am."

Chuckling, she pulled back slightly, biting her bottom lip as she stared at his face, her heart expanding with the love she felt for him as she took in a deep breath before giving him news she'd confirmed earlier that very day.

"Collin?"

"Yes baby?"

The silence stretched from seconds into a minute then two, Lyn letting out a breath in a rush along with two life changing words:

"I'm pregnant."


Last Saturday in April

"It's because I'm fat."

"What," Leah let out a surprised laugh as she looked over at her cousin, who was sitting at the kitchen table, looking downright pathetic, "Okay, first of all, you're not fat and second, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Rick can't keep his hands off you," a sigh escaped her as she set an elbow on the table, chin resting on her fist, dark brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "You two have been married for fifteen years and he's still groping you every time he has a chance."

Leah laughed as she rolled out the dough for a cherry pie, "You're exaggerating –he did not grope me."

"He grabbed your ass," Emily pointed out, having witnessed the interaction between her cousin and Rick not even ten minutes ago before he walked out to the backyard to work on Emmie's birthday gift, "Fifteen years of marriage, eight kids later and he's still grabbing your ass!"

She couldn't help laughing, carefully draping the inch thick pastry over the pie dish, "He gave me a pat on the bottom –it's his way of telling me everything's alright with the kids. What does that have to do with you thinking you're fat, anyway?"

"I bet he grabs your ass every day," Emily's bottom lip poked out in a pout, obviously not listening to what Leah was saying, "You probably have sex every morning and he tells you how sexy you are every day because you are! Eight kids and you're a perfect size four…if I didn't love you so much, I'd hate you."

She would have laughed but there was something in Emily's voice that had her setting aside the pie dish and picking up a dish towel to wipe her hands as she moved across the kitchen to sit at the table, "What's going on?"

Emily dropped her eyes, fingers fiddling with the edge of the daisy patterned table runner in the center of a long hand crafted rectangular table, "It's been months since Sam and I have…"

She didn't lift her eyes when Leah reached out to cover her hand, a tear finally escaping and slowly rolling down her smooth cheek, "I don't think he finds me desirable anymore."

Leah let out a soft scoff as she squeezed Emily's hand, "I highly doubt that. Don't forget he's tied to you, heart, body and soul."

"Just because he's imprinted on me doesn't mean he's lusting after me," Emily bit her bottom lip, her small hand fisting under Leah's as she let out a shuddering breath, "When we first met…he had to be with me all the time but he hardly ever touched me. It was two months before we slept in the same bed together but even then…there were times he would call out your name in his sleep –"

"Emily," Leah felt the sharp twist of pain on her cousin's behalf, blinking back tears as she watched her wipe at the ones streaming down her face, her voice soft and catching as she shook her head, "I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad…I never blamed you…I never blamed him…"

Letting out a shuddering breath, she turned her hand into Leah's, chocolate brown eyes staring into brown-green ones, "I stayed away from him after he broke off your engagement…I always thought he was sweet but I didn't have feelings for him."

"I know," Leah gave her another reassuring hand squeeze, taking her free hand in hers, "I know all this. There's no need –"

A shake of her head stopped Leah from continuing, Emily sniffing as she made herself continue, "After the accident…I went looking for him because I needed answers. I had bits and pieces of what had happened but when I tried putting it all together, it made no sense to me. When I found him…I couldn't leave him on his own. Even in my own pathetic state –"

"Emily –"

She held up a hand to stop Leah's protest, giving her cousin and best friend a sad smile, "Helping Sam get through what happened to me kept me from focusing too much on my situation, from getting depressed because of my circumstances. We got to know each other –we would spend hours just talking, getting to know each other. I fell in love with him long before he fell in love with me –its why I said yes when he asked me to marry him even though I knew his heart still belonged to you."

She bit her bottom lip, eyes dropping as she muttered under her breath, "Not that anyone else would ask, what with my face looking the way it does."

Leah stood up, pulling her cousin onto her feet and into a hug, "You're beautiful, Emily. You can't doubt Sam's love for you or how much he desires you. Hell, he can't keep his eyes off you whenever you're within watching distance…it's kind of creepy."

She let out a shaking giggle, sniffing back her tears, "That doesn't mean –"

"Emily," Leah did the interrupting this time around, "It takes two to keep the desire burning. So tell me, why are you here telling me this instead of jumping Sam's bones?"

Emily pulled back, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands, "Did you not hear me? I'm fat, I'm always tired what with the bakery and the kids –which leads me to constant worrying over Bailey's attitude, not to mention all the upheaval what with her showing signs of phasing and then Bradley getting ready to head off to Oregon for college and Lili –"

"What's the matter with Lili? I thought she was your perfect child."

Emily finally took a breath, sitting back down as Leah did the same, "We got a letter from Alice Cullen –"

"Alice? Why?"

"She came across that magazine, the one featuring Bailey as having won the teen photo shoot contest."

"Oh, right. The same one with the mini expose on Lili's designing of Bailey's wardrobe."

"Yes," Emily let out a deep breath, going back to fiddling with the table runner, "She wants to invest on Lili's designs, help her set up her first fashion show which means taking up all the costs while Lili supplies the talent."

"That's great!" Leah's excitement had Emily smile despite the sheen of tears in her red-rimmed eyes, "Not many twelve year olds would get an opportunity like that."

"Sam doesn't agree," Emily's cheeks inflated then hollowed out as she released a gust of air, "He says he doesn't take charity, especially from the Cullens."

Rolling her eyes, Leah stood up to go back to working with her pie, "Okay, here's what you're going to do. One, tell Sam to get over himself. Alice is an expert when it comes to fashion –she even has her own line, which is quite popular not to mention expensive but totally worth it. If she offered to pony up the money to get Lili started, she's doing it because she knows it will be a successful venture."

She twisted her upper body to point the knife at Emily, "As for the bakery, you don't have to do it all on your own. It's already been three years and you've been in the black for the last two. Now that you're solvent, perhaps you should start looking into hiring some help –if you're willing to hire high school kids part time, I know Vivi's going to want a job soon."

"Let me guess –Rose is getting her a car."

"Actually, no," Leah grinned over her shoulder at Emily, "Seth insisted he'd take her, that way she doesn't end up with an overpriced luxury car."

Emily laughed, feeling a hint of something positive welling up inside, "I'll talk to her and see if she's interested in full time work over the summer. I can put her on part time once school starts, if she thinks she can handle school, dance and a job."

"You do that. Concerning Bradley going off to Oregon –it's what happens when you let your kids grow up. If you had no plans on letting him go off to become an adult, then you shouldn't have let him learn to walk and run, not to mention talk. He'll be fine, Emily –he'll go off to college, learn what he wants to learn, make mistakes and learn from those too. Him becoming a responsible and independent adult is testament to you as his mother."

"Since you have all the answers," Emily teased her cousin gently, watching her as she filled the dish with cherries, "What do I do about Bailey?"

"You send her to me," Leah set the bowl aside after scraping all the cherry goop from its sides, taking the knife and cutting strips of inch thick though from what she'd rolled out earlier, "I'll have a talk with her, especially concerning the signs of phasing she's exhibiting. She's probably not as aware of them as you and Sam are but I can give her a heads up, which believe me, she would appreciate."

"Okay…then what?"

Leah gave her a wicked grin as she leaned down to slide the pie into the pre-heated oven, "Go home, put something sexy under your clothes then go to the garage. I hear Sam's working alone these days since there aren't that many cars up for service."

Emily's dark brown eyes widened in shock, "He's at work!"

"Yeah," Leah laughed as she cleaned up the mess on the counters, "And you two can get it on in the backseat of someone else's car."

"Dear god," Emily stared at her, mouth slightly open in surprise before it spread into a grin, "I can see why Rick's still grabbing your ass after fifteen years of marriage."

"Oh, honey," Leah gave her cousin a teasing grin as she shook out the dish towel before draping it over the ledge of the sink, "That wasn't an ass grabbing. When Rick grabs my ass, it doesn't stop there."


First Saturday in May

Vivi let out a squeal as she ran into the crashing waves, looking over her shoulder in time to dodge a flying tackle, laughing as Gabe went head first into the salt water. Skipping backward away from the surf, her laughter hung in the air as he stood up, slicking back wet hair as he looked over at her.

"Are you laughing at me?"

Vivi tried swallowing back her laughter without success, letting out another squeal as he ran towards her. Dashing down the sandy beach, this time around she wasn't as successful at avoiding him.

"Don't you dare," she yelled out, laughing as he easily hoisted her higher up his arms, deftly turning her until her stomach pressed up against his broad shoulder, "Gabriel, put me down!"

"Oh, I'm going to put you down," Gabe kept a firm grip on her slim thighs, his other arm clamped over her calves to keep her kicking feet in place, "You don't think I'll let you go unpunished for laughing at me, do you?"

"I didn't mean to," Vivi laughed then let out a squeal as she felt the cold salt water spraying with every crashing wave. Hands on his shoulders, she pushed herself up to look over her shoulder, not at all conscious of how that simple action had her polka dotted covered breasts at eye level, "Please don't do it! Gabriel, don't you –ahhh!"

Gabe laughed as she landed in the water, having easily tossed her a few feet away from where he stood waist deep in the deep blue ocean. The cold water splashed up against his chest, being they were still close enough to shore, the waves much more impressive further out.

The salt water was cold against his hot skin which was a good thing because he needed cooling off after being inches away from face planting into the lush mounds rising out of the white polka dotted bikini top his girlfriend was wearing, the bottoms cut in a high waist boy shorts style that somehow emphasized her small waist and showcased her long legs –another one of his cousin Lili's designs.

Of course, the moment she rose out of the water, her long gold-red hair dark against the pale blush of her porcelain skin, he no longer felt the cold, his body reacting the way it did with every sensual move she made, consciously or not.

Biting the inside of his cheek, his eyes followed the beads of water as they made their way down the slopes of her breasts, flat stomach and into the waistband of her bottoms. He had to admit, despite the fact her two piece suit was on the conservative side, she was so damn sexy he knew getting out of the water at that very moment would be very embarrassing for him so he stayed put while she made her way to him.

"I can't believe you did that," Vivi was fighting a grin as she reached out to slap his arm, knowing he didn't even feel the sting what with him having all that muscle, "You're such a jerk."

He grabbed her wrist, upsetting her balance and easily catching her before she fell back into the water, "You think I'm a jerk?"

Vivi grinned up at him, small hands resting on his biceps as her heart galloped at full speed, "When you toss me into the cold ocean, you are a jerk."

Gabe's blue eyes danced as he wrapped his arms around her petite frame, holding her tight against him as he looked down into her gold-brown eyes, occasionally catching a glimpse of her cleavage, the small red ruffles attached to the hem of the sweetheart neckline drawing attention to it, "You know I can warm you up in no time."

Vivi giggled as they walked out of the water, his arm around her shoulders, hers around his narrow waist, swimming trunks riding low on his hips. She never told anyone, not even Nika who, as her best friend, knew all her secrets except for the one she kept to herself –she loved watching Gabriel move, especially when he wasn't wearing a shirt or when he was all sweaty from football practice.

It always made her feel like she had electric currents running under her skin and this tight feeling in her lower abdomen caused sparks of pleasurable tingles to run up to the tips of her breasts and down to the secret place between her thighs.

"You definitely can warm me up," she stated as they reached the beach towels they'd set out, no one else around them as they were at Hidden Beach, which due to the secrecy of its location, no one outside of the reservation knew where it was, "Although you've been running hotter than usual lately."

"I'm always running hot," Gabe pulled her down into his towel as soon as he sat down, grinning as he stretched out, playfully moving her until she was laying on him, their legs tangled together, her arms crossed over his chest and chin resting on them as his own hands slowly stroked up and down her bare back, "Ma's been taking my temperature every week for the past four months."

Vivi gave him a quizzical look, working hard at not squirming but it wasn't easy when her body was plastered to his from chest to toes…it was especially hard to ignore the way his hard thigh pressed against her own, "Why?"

"She's positive I'll start phasing soon," Gabe watched as she gathered her tangled curls over one shoulder, giving him an unexpected view of her plumbed up breasts, "Emmie's even gotten a graph going –according to her records, my temperature increases by a degree every week."

She let out another giggle, both of them holding still as the vibrations of her amusement moved through them, eyes locked on each other, breaths coming out shallow and fast.

A blush stole across her face, eyes dropping as she wondered if she should move off him but before she could even move, his arms tightened around her as if he'd been able to read her thoughts.

"Vivi…" he stared into her eyes, feeling like he was stepping into a velvet fire, soft yet hot. Keeping an arm around her small waist, he slid his free hand into her drying hair, his thumb stroking the delicate line of her jaw before he lifted his head to claim her lips, his tongue sliding over her bottom lip before slipping between them. With an ease born from practice, they sank into the kiss, the heat between their bodies increasing with each passing second.

Moving his hand down her shoulder, his thumb grazed the side of her breast as he followed the curved line of her body, ending at the crease where her round bottom met the back of her thigh, his long fingers caressing the delicate skin inside her thigh.

Vivi couldn't help the shudder running through her as he drew up his knee, her legs falling to either side as he gripped her hip and pulled her in tighter, her moan at the sensations racing through her shocking them both into stopping, eyes wide as they pulled back a fraction of an inch, their breaths moist against each other's flushed skin.

Dropping his head back onto the soft ground, he relaxed his hand on her hip as she shyly moved off him, avoiding his eyes as she softly whispered, "I'm sorry."

Gabe sat up, shocked at her apology, "Why?"

"I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"You didn't embarrass me," Gabe pulled her into his side, hand resting on the sand beside her hip as he dipped his head in encouragement for her to look at him, "You just surprised me…I didn't know if you…liked it…when I touched you."

Vivi's eyes widened as she looked into his, her swollen lips falling open in surprise, "Seriously? Do you like it when I touch you?"

"Well," Gabe gave her a one sided smile, feeling unusually shy at the turn their conversation was taking, "Yeah, I do."

"Then why wouldn't I like you touching me?"

"Well," Gabe turned the hand he had resting on her drawn up knee so he could see his palm and fingertips, "Your hands are softer than mine…just like the rest of you. I just thought maybe my fingers felt too rough for you."

Vivi's lips lifted into a shy smile as she took his much larger hands in both of hers, her fingertips trailing over his before she placed it on her thigh, "I like the way it feels different to my own hands."

They stared into each others' eyes, time standing still for them both despite the sound of the crashing waves marking the passing seconds. Without thought or plan, their mouths met halfway, her hands slipping up his broad chest and around his neck as he pulled her closer with one hand, the other moving up the smooth curve of her thigh, fingers curling over the curve of her knee as he laid her back down onto the rumpled towel.

Vivi sighed as he tugged at her bottom lip, her breath escaping her in a rush when he moved his mouth down her throat, his hands hot against her cooler skin causing a shiver to run up her back then back down, lifting her hips off the ground without conscious though, Gabe's hand sliding up to cup her rounded bottom.

"I want you," his words came out a bit ragged, his mouth moving over the curve of her shoulder and down her clavicle, his hand exploring the contours of her flat stomach, "I want to see you…all of you…and touch you…everywhere…"

Vivi let out a gasp as she felt his mouth move over the top slopes of her breasts, feeling the tightness of her nipples brushing against the fabric of her bikini top, "Gabriel…not here…I'm not ready."

Hearing those words, he recalled his father's warning, his body trembling slightly with the rush of hormones and emotions as he pulled back, moving his hands to safer territory, "But you do want too…with me…don't you?"

Biting her bottom lip, Vivi nodded, touching her slim fingers to his squared jaw as she stared into his ice blue eyes, "I do…someday…but not today."