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: This was fast! Despite only getting two reviews, I thought I'd not make you all wait so long, especially when it flowed out with such ease. I have a feeling there will be some negative fall out for this chapter -I hope, though, that I don't lose readers.
As a writer, I don't have any control of my characters. I don't tell them what to do, how to be or who to love -they tell me. I simply write.
Please, enjoy as you read and review. Review. REVIEW!
Chapter Eighty-Two (16 yrs old)
March 3, Saturday
"Hi!"
Emmie looked up from the physics problem she was working on, smiling as her cousin stepped into the bright kitchen, closing the door behind her, "Lili! When did you get back?"
"Yesterday," Lili smiled, doe brown eyes shining brightly as they hugged. Removing her jacket, she hung it on the back of a kitchen chair before sitting down, Emmie returning to her seat, "How was your cross-country meet?"
Emmie laughed, easily crossing her long legs Indian style on the seat, "It was great! I came under twenty-six minutes and placed second. How was Los Angeles?"
"It was great," Lili's smile widened, eyes dancing as she crossed her arms over the table, "It's sunny and bright and everyone is so thin and beautiful!"
Emmie gave her a smile, knowing full well of Lili's body image issues, "Thin isn't the only thing that's beautiful –you are too, you know."
Lili shrugged, a hand tugging at the oversized sweater she wore, "Yeah, well…anyway, that party thing Bailey went to back in January –three department stores are going to showcase my spring collection this year –we closed the deal on Wednesday."
"Oh, wow," Emmie jumped up from her seat, pulling Lili out of hers and giving her an exuberant hug, "I'm so proud of you!"
Lili laughed as she returned the hug, blinking back tears as she pulled back, realizing with a bit of a twinge Emmie had grown another inch while she was still barely past five feet, "When did you get so tall?"
Emmie shrugged as she moved towards the pantry, taking a package of their favorite macadamia cookies and placing them on the table, along with two glasses full of milk, "I stopped keeping track of my height growth around the same time Gabe started showing signs of phasing."
"Why?"
"I didn't want to accidentally get data mixed up –keeping track of Gabe's symptoms was way more important than figuring out how many inches I can grow in the span of a month."
Lili couldn't hold back a laugh, sitting back down as Emmie returned to the table with napkins, "I highly doubt you would get any data mixed up –I just think Gabe's thing was more interesting to you."
"I don't think I'm unique in that respect," Emmie grinned as she sat back down, once again tucking her long legs lotus style, "I mean, what scientist wouldn't give his microscope to study the progression of a shape-shifter?"
Giggling, she watched as Emmie set out two cookies for each of them, biting her bottom lip as she fingered the edge of her napkin as her eyes focused on the math book opened on the table, "I thought you already took Quantum Physics."
"Yeah," Emmie bit into her cookie, looking over at the worksheet she'd been working on, "I took it last semester. I'm taking Advanced Physics this semester."
"So this is just for fun?"
Emmie laughed, glad she had swallowed the mouthful of cookie or she'd be choking on it, "No. This is Gabe's homework."
"Why are you doing Gabe's homework?"
She could see the disbelief and obvious disapproval in Lili's slanted eyes. Normally, Emmie didn't condone cheating but with her brother occasionally falling into periods of time where he didn't care about anything, this was the best way she knew how to help. The twins were good at pushing and prodding him into joining the land of the living, and Tyra seemed to have him wrapped around her little finger; she simply sought him out for help with something or other, which seemed to work. Zak, although usually quiet and reserved, was the one he talked to, probably because their little brother was a great listener. As for Xavier and Erick, one simply kept him company during those quiet spells and the other just barreled right through them and climbed all over him, demanding play time until Gabe caved, usually with a laugh.
As for her…well, she was a genius and if she could help her brother make it through those spells, which were thankfully getting shorter and shorter, she had no problem doing this for him, "I don't do his homework all the time –maybe at the beginning, after Vivi left. Now, it's just when he's having a bad day like today –he got a call from some jewelry store where he'd ordered some custom designed ring for her."
"An engagement ring," Lili's eyes were wide with shock and sympathy for her older cousin, letting out a sigh of relief as Emmie shook her head along with further explanation, "It was some sort of promise ring. Anyway, he's going to graduate this year, even though he'll have to wait until he's eighteen to apply to the Academy."
"He's still set on joining the Air Force?"
"It's not the Air Force he's set on," Emmie lifted her knees up to wrap her arms around them, toes curling over the edge of the seat; "It's the flying. Zak actually did some research on the Naval Academy in Annapolis –he thinks it would be a better fit for Gabe, but again, he has to wait until he's eighteen."
"Okay, I know the Academy is Air Force. Is the Naval Academy for Navy?"
"And Marines."
"Ah," Lili's face brightened with understanding, "Yeah, I can see how it would be a better fit for Gabe."
Emmie nodded, eyes dropping to Lili's napkin, "Why haven't you eaten your cookies? I know macadamias are your favorite as well."
"Uhm," Lili blushed as she looked down at the delicious looking cookies, "I'm not hungry."
"You don't eat cookies because you're hungry," Emmie picked up her half-drunk glass of milk, "That's how you end up eating too many."
Lili fiddled with the edge of the napkin, nibbling on her bottom lip before she haltingly explained, "I'm not eating sweets…I heard one of the models in New York City say sugar was the number one reason why people gain weight, and I already have more than enough."
Setting down her empty glass of milk, Emmie gave her cousin, and best friend, a stern look, "You know I'm smart, right?"
Lili's full lips tilted into a crooked smile as she looked over at her cousin, sensing a teaching lecture heading her way, "You're a genius –it's been established and verified, time and again."
"Good," Emmie dropped her legs to lean forward, reaching out to cover Lili's hands, "You're thirteen years old –your body still has a lot of growing to do. For it to grow healthy, you need to eat healthy. Diet fads are not healthy. Yeah, sugar makes people gain weight because it messes with their blood sugars, which controls the part of the brain that signals hunger, but that's only if all you eat is sugar, whether sweets or simple carbohydrates. You can't let all these skinny models dictate the way you look at yourself, because if you do, you're going to end up hurting yourself. A cookie won't hurt you. You're already pretty conscious of what you eat but if you let yourself obsess over it, you're going to cause serious damage to your body and your psyche."
"It's easy for you to say all this because you're thin," Lili sniffed, trying without success to keep from crying, "You've lost all your baby fat and you're starting to develop –you're beautiful, Emmie. But me –"
"Do you think your mother is beautiful?"
Lili blinked at the sudden change of topic, reaching up to wipe away her tears, "Yes, of course. My mom is…beautiful."
"Have you ever noticed how much you look like her," Emmie grinned at her cousin as she saw the sudden understanding in her doe brown eyes, "Your face is shaped the same, your eyes are the same color and shape –your nose is the only thing resembling Uncle Sam…smaller but still straight. You're beautiful, Lili, because you're the image of your mother…and you've already stated she's beautiful, so please remove that from your list of what you're not."
"I'm not thin."
Emmie let out a sigh of aggravation as she sat back in her chair, "Okay, now you're just ticking me off. I hate repeating myself but, again, you're still growing –"
Little footfalls interrupted what she was going to say, both girls looking towards the living room as four year old Erick emerged from the hallway, stopping dead on his tracks as he stared at his older sister and cousin, blue eyes wide as sandy blond hair in need of a trim fell across his forehead.
"What's up, Ricky," Emmie gave him a smile, able to see he was up to something as he looked over his shoulder towards the hallway before looking back at her to ask, "Where Ty?"
"She went to the ice cream store with Patty," Emmie shifted in her chair to fully face her little brother, "Do you need me to help you with something?"
Looking over his shoulder again then back at her, he shook his head before turning and running across the living room, standing on his toes and opening the front door to make his escape.
"Okay, that was strange," Lili chuckled as the front door closed behind the youngest Laskaris, "I didn't even know he was here. Where are you going?"
Emmie looked over her shoulder as Lili stood to follow her down the hallway, "To see what he did."
"How do you know he did anything?"
"When Ricky has that wide-eyed look on his face, he's done something. Now, it's just a matter of finding out what."
Emmie decided to start on the second floor, both her and Lili checking the boys' rooms and their bathroom before heading down and looking into her parents' room and the bathrooms. Emmie groaned as she looked into Xavier and Ricky's room, seeing nothing out of place.
"Oh, please don't let it be our room," Emmie moaned as she went into the room she shared with Tyra, looking around at the shelves where she kept her ant and worm farms, seeing nothing out of place. Checking her ladybug habitat, she saw the lock was still firmly in place. Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned towards Lili, "Looks like he didn't do any –"
Something caught her attention, Emmie pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she walked across the room towards the small table where Tyra's hamster cage sat, letting out a groan as she noticed what was missing, "Oh, not good. He let out Ty's hamster."
Lili shrugged as she walked over to look under Emmie's bed, "So we find him."
"Not Henry," Emmie ran her fingers through her dark hair, wrinkling her nose as she looked around the floor of her room, "He let out Natasha…and she's pregnant. There's no way we're going to find her before she has her babies."
"What's the big deal?"
"The big deal is mama doesn't know about Natasha," Emmie let out a sigh as she looked towards her closet, not liking the fact there were hundreds of hiding places for one fat hamster, "And she doesn't like rodents."
"Don't newborn hamsters look –"
"Just like rat babies."
First Beach
The sun was melting into the horizon, setting the sky on fire as the ocean soaked up its rays and sent them off to gild the swelling waves. The air was heavy with the scent of salt as the waves pounded against the shore, the sound discordant yet constant, like the beating of a drum or a heart.
Leah vaguely recollected the comfort she had derived from the sound of the crashing waves during those dark months without Rick, remembering the slow ripples across her abdomen as her baby would slowly stretch, as if he too was finding comfort in the sound of the nature's force pounding against the earth.
For that reason, she wasn't surprised to know he sought solace in the solitude of the beach whenever he felt overwhelmed by feelings he didn't share with anyone. Approaching the silvery driftwood log he was sitting on, she quietly stepped over it and sat next to him, catching a glimpse of something silver and gold in his hand before he closed his fist over it.
The silence was comfortable, rhythmically broken by the crashing waves, neither feeling a need to instigate a conversation, both knowing whenever he was ready, she was willing to listen.
The sky slowly bled reds and oranges, the robin's blue sky darkening in slow increments.
"I was going to give it to her," Gabe spoke quietly as he opened his hand, the small gold and silver patterned ring sitting in the middle of his palm, "After graduation…before she went off to Julliard. As a promise nothing would change what was between us."
Leah reached out and carefully took the ring, her thumb brushing over the raised markings as Gabe kept talking, his eyes on the sinking sun, "Nika helped me send off her application and they gave her an audition…she would have gotten in."
"She is talented," Leah agreed softly as she turned the ring over and over again, "I always enjoyed watching her dance –she made the music seem unnecessary."
"Yeah," Gabe let out a sigh as he dropped his eyes to the ring his mother held, reaching across with his right hand to gently take it from her long fingers, "She was poetry in motion…I always thought her love for dance would be my greatest competition. It was stupid of me not to factor in Marc."
"Oh, baby," Leah reached up to run her fingers through his dark hair, giving his arm a squeeze with her free hand as she rested her forehead against his temple, "We don't know all the facts…there can be hundreds of reasons why she left –"
"And yet, there's only one outcome," Gabe turned his wrist, the sun glinting off the metals of the ring he held between his index finger and thumb, "She left me…the reasons don't matter, just the outcome."
Letting out a sigh, Leah rested her head on his shoulder, both of them quietly watching as Gabe turned the ring one way then another, the fading rays of the sun catching the facets of the metal.
Reaching out, she stopped his hand from moving, her thumb brushing over the surface of the ring once more, "You didn't imprint on her."
Gabe shook his head before resting it against his mother's, her hair soft and cool against his cheek, "How can I know for sure?"
"You know what this pattern means, don't you?"
He looked down at the ring he still held, watching as his mother moved her fingernail over the small bumps and hills of the intricate pattern engraved in the melded metals, "Uncle Seth told me it meant true love."
Leah nodded slowly before straightening as she took the ring from him, "It's more than just true love, Gabe. These knots in the middle…they mean center. And the braided knots here on the sides mean bonded. These strands between the sides and center basically states bonded to the center. It's the reason why this is known as the imprint pattern –because when it happens, our imprint becomes our center and everything that defines us become bonded to them. We're forever tied to them –heart, mind and soul. So there's never a question of whether we imprinted or not…considering an imprint becomes your very reason for being, everything in you knows without doubt where your soul rests."
Taking the ring back, he turned it between his fingers a few times before looking out at the sun, the sky a sable blue with stars slowly brightening as they slowly littered the velvet sky, "Then no, I didn't imprint on her. The first time I saw her after I phased…she wasn't the center…she was the enemy," Gabe let out a sigh as he closed his eyes, his fingers closing over the ring in a tight fist, "I don't understand that because…I loved her, ma…I still do…but I hate her too. How is that possible?"
"The heart, baby, has so many facets," Leah reached out to wipe at the single tear rolling down his face, still seeing his sweet baby face in her mind's eye, even though he was now a sixteen year old boy who looked closer to twenty-one, "It's impossible to explain or understand. Just know, with time, it'll learn to heal. You'll move on, maybe even fall in love again."
"What if she's it," Gabe's shoulders lifted as he took a deep breath them let it out, his big body hunching forward as he placed his elbows on his thighs, fisted hands dangling between his knees, "What if the whole imprinting thing doesn't happen and she's it? How do I deal with loving and hating her at the same time?"
Leah could see the conflict and pain he was carrying by the way he held himself, the tension radiating off him in waves, her heart aching for him as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, pressing a kiss against his temple as she softly whispered, "I don't know, baby."
Silence fell between them again, the darkening sky growing brighter as the moon slowly made its appearance, the stars twinkling as they waltzed along the Milky Way. Gabe let out a soft sigh as he leaned into his mother, thinking nothing of seeking comfort from her despite his age and size –to his way of thinking, one never got too old to be held by their mother.
Smiling, Leah tucked his head under her chin, keeping an arm around his shoulders as she slid her fingers through his thick hair, recalling the feel of him in her arms as a small child as if it were just yesterday.
A cold breeze blew over them, but neither felt the chill, their eyes studying the growing star show in the sky as the ocean's waves crashed louder against the surf, the treetops rustling with the wind as it grew stronger.
Wrapping his arms around his mother's waist, Gabe gave her a squeezing hug, planting a kiss on her cheek as he smiled at her, "Thanks, ma. You're the best gal in my life –you know that, right?"
Leah laughed, kissing the tip of his nose as he let her go, both of them standing up, "Until the next one comes along, right?"
"Nah," Gabe nudged her shoulder with his, grinning as he noticed his shoulder was easily three inches above hers, "It doesn't matter who I fall in love with –you'll always be the greatest love I'll ever know and have."
"And don't you forget it," Leah shoved him playfully, both laughing as they turned to climb over the log, Gabe stopping as he looked down at the pebbles, "Ah, crap, I dropped the ring."
Leah easily spotted it, bending over and picking it up, giving it another look before handing it back to him, "Why silver and gold?"
Gabe shrugged as he pushed the ring into the pocket of his jeans where he kept the star marble, "It's the colors she always said our ribbon was –she told me how, when we were kids, they looked like spider webs, but as we got older, the colors got more solid."
Leah looked sideways at him as they made their way towards their house, "Two colors?"
"Yeah," Gabe gave his mother a strange look as they reached the sidewalk and headed east, "Why do you say it like that?"
"It's just…" Leah shook her head, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ears as she tried to get the sudden doubts and suspicions in her head in order, "Whenever she talked about seeing the emotional connections between people, it was always one color. She told me once the ribbon between your dad and I was teal, Seth and Rose fuchsia, Emily and Sam sapphire blue, Emmie and Embry white…I can't remember the colors for everyone else, but not one of them had a two colored ribbon."
Gabe studied the look of intense concentration on his mother's face as the street lights began flickering on, wondering where she was going with this, "What are you trying to get at?"
Crossing her arms over her chest, she gnawed on her bottom lip as she mulled over the possibility…but no, the Vivi she knew wouldn't do something like that…but what if…what if she hadn't realized it at the time –after all, she had been a child –
"Ma," Gabe's voice brought her crashing back into the present time, brown-green eyes wide as they swung up to look at her son's beloved face as he looked back at her with expectation, "What are you thinking?"
"I'm not sure," Leah shrugged as they rounded the corner onto their street, "I mean…you know how Marc was able to control people's decision by creating a mental connection with them?"
"Yeah," Gabe kicked at a rock as they meandered down the street, able to see the lights were on at their house, which meant his siblings were probably home from wherever they scattered off to during the day, "What about it?"
"I always found it strange how she had such a passive…talent, gift, ability –whatever the hell it's called."
"Why would it be strange?"
"Because they're twins –I would think, despite them not being the same gender or identical, they would somewhat reflect each other. Know what I mean?"
Gabe stopped outside their house, the sounds of laughter and shouts reminding him he didn't have much time with his ma before one or all of them came searching for her, "Not really, no."
"I mean…" Leah bit her bottom lip as she slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, "What if, since he can control the mental aspect of a person, she's able to do the same with the emotional?"
Gabe stared at his mother, his chest tightening oddly as he tensed his jaw, "You mean, emotionally manipulate people?"
Leah could see the growing anger in his eyes, and to an extent, she could understand it, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense, "Yes."
"She was four, ma, when we met," Gabe's words came out through gritted teeth as he took a step back, his hands fisted at his sides, "Do you honestly think a little girl would intentionally manipulate someone else's feelings?"
"Perhaps not intentionally," Leah knew what she was thinking would seriously make him angry, but she also knew it needed to be said, "Then again, despite being four, she was intellectually older –they both were."
"I can't believe this," Gabe shook his head, running a shaking hand through his hair as he turned away from his mother, taking a couple of steps towards the forest before he swung back around, "She wasn't manipulative, ma, and you know it. My feelings for her are real –she didn't make them happen. Do you really think I'm that weak, that pliable?"
"Baby, you were five."
"I don't care," Gabe snapped at her, closing his eyes as he breathed in deep through his nose, his body tense yet solid despite the growing anger inside him, "She wouldn't have done it. She's not like that."
"She may have not known," Leah's words were soft, her heart breaking at the pain he was feeling. She could see the anger in the way he held himself, could hear it in his voice, but she knew it welled up from pain at the possibility his feelings weren't his own, "It may have been instinctual."
Shaking his head, Gabe gave his mother one last look before turning towards the evergreen trees bordering their property, "My feelings for her are my own –they always have been."
She watched as his long-legged stride made short work of the distance, the darkness of the forest swallowing him up. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes as she tilted her head back, breathing in the salty air as it buffeted her body. A nudge at the small of her back had her turning around, full lips tilting into a smile as she reached out to sink her hands into sandy brown fur. Staring into pale blue eyes, she bowed her head to rest it against his, feeling his hot breath on her neck as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Keep an eye on him tonight. I don't know if he'll be able to deal with all this alone."
Nudging her chin, the wolf gave her a doggy grin before licking her chin and turning to head back into the forest, the half-moon's light highlighting him briefly before he melted into the darkness.
"Ma! We're starving!"
Chuckling, she headed up the walk to the front door, mentally preparing herself as she entered her home, her smile growing at the sight of all her children in the living room and kitchen, heart aching at the knowledge her oldest was hurting enough to want to be apart from his family.
Breathing a heartfelt prayer for her hurting child, she dove right into the challenge of preparing dinner for seven while they were all underfoot, knowing there was nothing in the world she would trade any of this for.
Last Monday in March
"Hey."
Gabe looked up from his football gear, which he was trying to get into his equipment bag, the breeze ruffling his hair as it fell over his forehead, "Hey."
Megan smiled as she locked her hands behind her, blond hair falling in long waves over her shoulders and down her back, "You did really good out there."
"It was practice," Gabe brushed off her compliment as he turned his attention back to his equipment, finally wedging the helmet between his shoulder pads as Megan spoke up again, "I know, but if you do good in practice, you'll do good in an actual game."
Zipping the bulky bag close, he thought over her words before nodding, "That's true."
"So I, uh…have a proposition for you."
Gabe straightened and looked at her as he tossed his bag over his shoulder, the movement causing his black t-shirt to pull across a broad chest and equally broad shoulders, which in turn caused Megan's heart to skip a beat, "What are you talking about?"
"Well," Megan gave him a smile, Gabe blinking as he realized for the first time since he'd known her she was actually…pretty, "I know you're more than likely not looking for a girlfriend –"
"I'm not," he interrupted her, recalling the many times she'd complicated his relationship with…he tensed his jaw as he mentally stopped before thnking her name.
"Well, in that case, you'll be interested in my proposition."
"What proposition?"
"I propose that we –that is, you and I –let everyone in school think we're a couple."
Gabe stared at her, trying to figure out what crazy plan she was hatching, "Why would that be necessary?"
Megan shifted her weight, knowing the movement had her cheerleading skirt shift against her thighs, slightly disappointed when he didn't try sneaking a peek like most boys do, "Your decision to join the land of the living once more."
"Come again?"
"Look," Megan rested her hands on her hips as she gave him a serious look, "You've been walking around in a daze since she's left town. Many are noticing your interest on the things going on around you –outside of football. Basically, it's common knowledge you've decided to leave your pity party for one."
Gabe couldn't help chuckling as he dropped his heavy bag at his feet, "Yeah, but what does that have to do with your proposition that we pretend to be a couple?"
"Simple," Megan pursed her lips as she tilted her head to the side, her blue-green eyes twinkling with mirth, "With Marc gone, you're now the hottest guy in school, and there are many girls who've decided to have a go at trying to get your attention."
"With Marc gone –what the hell does that mean?"
"It means you and Marc were the hottest guys in Forks High. Now that he's gone, you're it."
"Okay, let me see if I got this," Gabe ran his fingers through his hair in agitation, "You're proposing to be my pretend girlfriend so the other girls will leave me alone?"
"Unless you want girls coming at you from all directions, all the time."
"You did hear me when I said I wasn't looking for a girlfriend, right?"
"Yes," Megan rolled her eyes at him, "I'm not stupid."
"Okay, then what would you get out of pretending to be my girlfriend," Gabe asked, studying her face, noticing tiny little aspects of her features he'd never paid attention to before, "I get to use you as a buffer but I'm sure you're not doing this out of a selfless desire to help me."
"Of course not," Megan grinned, deciding to be honest with him, "With you, the hottest guy in school, as my boyfriend, I'll be the most popular girl in Forks High. I'll probably even be Prom Queen since you're a definite shoe-in for Prom King. Not to mention, I get to be your date for the MVP awards and dinner in May."
Gabe stared at her in surprise, "Are you really that shallow?"
"I'm seventeen," Megan tossed her hair over her shoulder as she gave him a pointed look, "Of course I am. In a few more years, I'll gain some depth but for now, this is what's important to me. So what do you say?"
"I don't know, Megan…it doesn't sound like a very good idea."
"I suggest you make up your mind quick," Megan looked over his shoulder, her full lips spreading into a smile as she pointed, "Because here comes proof of what I was saying."
Gabe twisted his upper body to see what she was referring to, groaning at four girls making their way towards them, one of them Laisha, a junior he'd overheard talking about how she had plans to 'catch' him, "You got to be fucking kidding me."
"Not at all," Megan crossed her arms over her chest as she smiled at him, "So what do you say?"
Gabe groaned, wondering what would be worse –a pretend girlfriend who he knew would require attention or a bunch of girls going after him every opportunity they had. Who'd of thought being single would turn out to be so damn difficult?
"You know this would just be pretend, right?"
"Of course," Megan's smile blossomed into a grin as she settled her hands on his arms, "Who knows? We might even become friends. Pick me up on Friday."
Gabe froze as she pressed her mouth against his, blue eyes staring at her without any outward emotion as she stepped back, "Why am I picking you up?"
"Our first date, silly," Megan skipped past him, her smile wide as she headed towards the four girls, Gabe able to see them glaring at her as she gave them a jaunty wave along with a sing-song taunt, "Sorry, girls. He's off the market again."
Turning away from the gaggle of pissed off chicks, he picked up his equipment bag and headed towards the parking lot, wondering what the hell he'd just gotten himself into.
April 2nd
The woman was driving him fucking crazy.
"Bailey, I already explained –"
"It was a work thing is not an explanation for going missing for four days," Bailey stood at the front porch of her parents' house, hands on her hips as glared ay Brady while he stood a few feet away from the porch steps, "No phone call, no text, no e-mail, not even a fucking postcard."
Brady shoved his fingers through his hair, trying to keep his irritation under control but it wasn't working, not when she was giving him that look, "What part of national security do you not understand?"
"I understand it as a catch all phrase for you can do whatever the hell you want."
Swearing under his breath, he took the porch steps in one bound, grabbing her arm and pulling her into him, "This is my job –we've already covered this. Do we have to have the same fight every time something comes up for me?"
"Just one thing," Bailey stared up at him, her dark eyes sparking in defiance, "Did your handler know where you were?"
Dropping her arm, he scrubbed his hands over his face, letting out a burst of air as he looked at her again, "Yes…she's my handler. In fact, if anything happens to me, she's the one that will let you know."
Glaring at him, she tossed her head back, the straight edge of her pageboy cut brushing against the defined curves of her face, "Don't talk to me like I'm stupid."
"Then stop acting like it," Brady blew out another sigh of irritation, glancing down at his wristwatch as he turned to head down the porch steps, "Now, let's go. We have reservations and it's going to take a while to get to Port Angeles."
"No."
Stopping halfway down the walkway, he closed his eyes before turning to look at her, "Now what?"
"I'm still pissed at you."
"I'm well aware of that," he pushed the words through gritted teeth, eyes narrowing as he decided there was only one way to get all the anger out of her –the usual way, "Get in the car so we can go eat then get back home and work it out."
Bailey snorted as she planted her hands on her hips, looking like the model she was in black high-waisted short shorts paired with a royal blue top and matching stiletto heels, "Work it out? Do you really think you're going to fuck me after you've spent four days with her?"
"Oh my god," Brady slammed his eyes shut, briefly thinking of just going home alone but after four days of not seeing her, even this was better than not being with her for another night, "You crazy jealous bitch! Do you honestly think she'll be able to get anywhere near me if I don't let her? I really doubt Sandra is the kind to drug and rape a guy, 'cause that's what it would take for her to get me in bed."
Staring at him, she bit her bottom lip, trying not to laugh but she couldn't hold it back, a snort escaping her as she attempted to swallow her amusement. Brady's lips tilted into a smile as he watched her struggle and fail at keeping back laughter, feeling the anger and irritation draining out of him as he rested his hands on his hips, "Now will you get in the car?"
"Make me."
He let out a dark chuckle, shaking his head as he bounded up the stairs. In one fluid movement, he drove his shoulder into her stomach, sliding his arm between her thighs and planting a big hand on her firm ass as he straightened up, Bailey letting out a squeal as she slapped his ass, "You're going to drop me, you jackass!"
"On your head, if I get lucky," Brady spanked her with his free hand as he headed down the steps and up the walkway towards his car, which he'd park on the curb outside her parents' house, "Now let's go home."
"I thought we had reservations for dinner," Bailey tried to wiggle free but he slapped her bottom again, hard enough for it to sting, "That hurt!"
"Then stay put," Brady opened the passenger door to the low-riding car, easily dumping her in the seat without causing any damage to her head or his car, "And I'm not hungry anymore. Instead, I'm taking you home so I can fuck you until that twisted brain of yours can't think anymore."
He slammed the door shut on her shocked expression, walking around the car to his door. Looking across the roof of the car, he gave a jaunty wave towards the living room window before getting in and driving off.
Back in the Uley home, Emily let the curtain fall back in place, turning to give her husband a worried look, "You don't think he'll hurt her, do you?"
Sam chuckled as he tugged his wife into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her cheek, "Of course not. He's incapable of hurting her."
"He just spanked her –twice."
Sam grimaced as he pulled back to look at his wife, "I did not need to know that."
Emily giggled as she snuggled deeper into her husband's arms, settling her head on his wide shoulder, "They're so volatile, so hostile towards each other –it makes me wonder about their imprinting on each other, if they really did. I mean, you and I never fought like that –"
"That's because you're a sweet woman," Sam nibbled on her ear, moving his big hand over her hip to rest on her rounded bottom, "It would be impossible for me not to give in to you."
She couldn't help smiling, sliding her hand into the collar of his t-shirt, her fingers smoothing over the hills and bulges of his shoulder, "There is that…I hope they don't end up killing each other someday."
Sam laughed as he tilted her head back, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip as he studied the irregular features of her beloved face, "Enough about those two –if you haven't noticed, we have the house to ourselves."
A smile spread across her a-symmetrical face, her doe brown eyes twinkling, "Lili should be getting home soon."
"Na-ah," Sam grinned at her as he slid his hand up the back of her soft-cotton top, "She called twenty minutes ago and asked if she could spend the night over at Rick and Leah's."
"Ah."
Next Day
She let out a soft sigh, turning into his arms and tilting her head back to kiss his chin, "I need to go."
Humming, he tightened his arms around her, keeping his eyes closed as he nuzzled her neck, "Not yet."
Letting out another sigh as a shiver made its way down her back, she looked over his shoulder at the clock on his bedside table, "I have too –I told Daddy I was going to be staying some extra hours for rehearsals and it's already been five."
He scowled as he rolled over until her slim body was under his, placing his elbows on either side of her head as his slid his fingers through her straight hair, the strands cool and silky between his fingers, "I hate all this sneaking around. I just…I want to be with you all the time."
"I know," she smiled up into his dark eyes, framing his face with her hands and pulling him down for a kiss, "Six more months, Doug. I'll be eighteen and Daddy will have to accept this."
"This?"
"You know," kissing his bottom lip again, she gave him a soft smile, "Us."
Closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against her, he gave a short nod before covering her mouth, the kiss slow and deep and still so new even after months of exploring each other in this way. Wrapping her arms tight around his shoulders, Monika let out a moan into his mouth as she arched her body into his, their skin still damp from their last lovemaking session.
It hadn't been easy getting to this stage of their relationship, especially when Doug had been as fixated about their age difference as her father was, but Monika knew the moment they had first kissed, he was the one she wanted –and after two years of a platonic relationship with Bradley, whom she had really liked, she hadn't wanted to wait. In the end, Doug hadn't been able to stand against her wants and desires.
An hour later, Monika was combing out her damp hair, looking at her reflection in the foggy bathroom mirror while Doug took his own shower.
"Are you going to be able to come to the opening show this weekend," she dropped the comb into her gym bag, grabbing a hair tie and pulling her hair up and back away from her face, "I can get you a ticket, if you'd like."
"I already bought the ticket," Doug called out as he shut off the running water, Monika looking sideways as he stepped out of the shower stall, "Hey, where are the towels?"
Smirking, she shrugged as she zipped up her gym bag, eyes twinkling as she turned to face him, "I used them all –you're going to have to air dry, I guess."
Quirking an eyebrow at her, he walked by her but not before landing a open-handed smack on her Lycra covered bottom, "It's going to be your turn next time."
Laughing, she headed out of the bedroom to the living room, leaving Doug behind to dress in his closet. Finding her sneakers, she sat on the edge of the coffee table and pulled them on, looking around the living room of the one bedroom apartment Doug kept in Seattle. She smiled at the little things –a lamp on the side table, a cashmere throw over the reading chair, the glass candlesticks on the fireplace mantel –she'd contributed to his space in the past few months, framed pictures of them together placed on multiple surfaces as well as the walls.
It had been the best months of her life, especially after the sudden departure of her best friend without any explanation whatsoever. He'd been there for her ever since and now…now, she was in love and so happy about it except for one thing –her father.
He had practically flipped his lid when she'd told him she was going to the movies with Doug back in November, after they'd had their first kiss. He'd finally agreed when she'd told him Doug was simply driving her and some friends to the movies.
Granted, she had just turned seventeen but really –Daddy was just being hypocritical. After all, he and mama had gotten married when she was eighteen and a newly high school graduate. In made no sense to her why he was being so strict about her seeing Doug as anything than a friend –after all, he was her imprint. He would never hurt her, never take advantage of her.
Despite him being twelve years older than her –something she was quickly seeing as an advantage.
"Alright, let's get you back to the school," Doug ran his hand over his hair, looking downright yummy in washed out jeans and a black cotton t-shirt along with black work boots, "You got everything?"
Monika patted her hip pocket for her phone then the other for the keys to her mother's car, which was still back in the dance school's parking lot, "Yep. Daddy's going to want to take us all out to dinner after the show Friday night. Want to join us?"
Grabbing his leather jacket from the back of the sofa, he shrugged it on as he watched her slip on her sweater over the leotard she wore along with the Lycra leggings, "You think that's such a good idea?"
Pushing the sleeves of the oversized sweater up her arms, she reached for the gym back she'd placed on the sofa, smiling when he took it from her, "You've come to other dinners before –it would be strange if you didn't come to this one."
"Alright," opening the front door, he grabbed his keys from the table beside the door, "Just let your dad know –if he gets all twisted about it, then there's no point in going and ruining everyone's meal."
As the elevator doors closed and Doug pushed the ground floor button, Monika looked up at him, her dark brown eyes studying his face, "You know I love you, right Doug?"
Looking down at her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him, dropping his head to toucher her nose with his before whispering against her full lips, "I know…and I love you, Monika."
"That's all that matters. Somehow, someway, this will all work out."
"This?"
"Us."
"Right."
