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 chapter is heavy on background information. I am pouring the foundation for upcoming scenes and I know, even though most of you prefer focusing on the main characters, this is my way of marking time. It's hell to have so many characters in my head and I am trying my best to make sure everything I put in this story will somehow come back to building the whole thing for my main characters. I hope y'all enjoy the chapter and see it as an opportunity to take a deep breath because the next few chapters are going to move fast...in fact, I'm already halfway through the next one.
Please review -it helps me see my characters from a different point of view, which is helpful with the road the story is taking on...it's even a mystery to me.
Enjoy!
Chapter Eighty-Five (16 yrs old)
May 2nd
It was an unusually hot morning, the sun's rays cutting through the heavy early morning fog hanging in the salty air. Breathing in deep, he gave his board one last swipe with the waxy cloth before setting it aside and standing up to pull the top of his wet suit up, reaching to the back to grab the toggle and pull up the zipper.
There was nothing Zak Laskaris thought to be more beautiful –except for his mama, of course –than the ocean in the early morning light. The sun turned her waves into liquid gold and the salty spray into sparkling diamonds, making her look like a princess about to be crowned queen. The only other time she rivaled her own beauty was the evenings, as the setting sun set her ablaze in varying shades of gold, pink, red and purple.
Tucking the waxed surfboard under his arm, he stepped towards the ocean, anticipation at spending time riding the early morning waves coursing through him right before his nose twitched painfully as a sudden sickly sweet smell tainted the sea salt air. Looking to his left as he lowered his favorite toy, he easily located the source of danger by the forest line, the sun bouncing off pale features, long blue black hair fluttering in the breeze as coal black eyes settled on him.
"If it isn't one of the whelps," the softly spoken words carried in the breeze, causing his entire body to tightening painfully as he instinctively stepped back, the hairs in the back of his neck standing on end as her lips spread into a mocking smile, "Surprised they let you out on your own, what with it being early morning and not a full moon. Leaves you in a vulnerable position, doesn't it?"
"You're the one who killed my grandmother," the fire climbing up his back was unfamiliar, the body heat trapped under the neoprene fabric of his wet suit doubling the discomfort he was feeling.
She let out a taunting laugh, crossing her arms as she nonchalantly leaned up against a thick tree trunk, "Yes, I am. I would apologize but…I'm not at all sorry, although I do regret not taking the opportunity to have a taste of her."
Muscles tensed, pulling at his bones in preparation for shifting as he moved into an attack position, eyes narrowing as she laughed at him, her taunting words accelerant to an already out of control fire, "You can't do anything, mongrel. I've been watching you and your…pack. No full moon to give you any advantage over me. You're just as vulnerable as your grandmother was."
Giving her a hard-edged smile as he crouched lower, he let go of the last of his uncertainty at the new sensations running through him, his voice deepening as he gave her the only warning she was going to get from him, "You forgot one thing…werewolf isn't the only blood running through our veins."
Neoprene scraps flew everywhere, black and white fur along with sharp claws and exposed canines barreling across the pebbled beach. It moved through the trees like lightning, Zak's laser sharp focus staying on it as he followed, large paws barely skimming the pine strewn ground at the speed he was going.
Zak?
It's heading towards the mountains to the west of Hidden Beach.
On my way.
The strange sensation of no longer being alone in his head rushed through him but he didn't let it sidetrack him, lowering his massive head as he pushed himself to go faster, the rushing wind ruffling through his fur.
It's headed up the mountain –I'm coming in from the east. Wait for me.
You're too far away –I'm not letting it get away.
Hey, Laskaris boys! There's another one further up the mountain –smells different from the first one.
Bailey, stay back.
To hell with that –I'm cutting it off from the north.
Don't worry, Gabe. I'm right behind her.
As you always are.
I'm going to spank you when we get home.
Zak tuned out the voices, letting his instincts take over as he jumped over a deep crevice, scrambling up the mountain trail, his nose picking up a new painful scent, his enhanced vision catching sight of something miles ahead of the path he was taking at breaking neck speed, not understanding what he was seeing until he saw it through his new Alpha's eyes.
It's a fucking ambush!
Four Days Later
"You damn near dislocated my shoulder."
"Sorry," Gabe looked up from greasing the break pad to his bike, the corner of his mouth lifting into a one-sided smile, "I wanted to make sure I wouldn't lose my brother so I didn't exactly think through the wording of my orders."
Zak shook his head, shifting against the side of the dark blue Cadillac currently sitting in the garage waiting for an oil change, the breeze coming in through the open bay doors ruffling his dark hair, "I still think the risk would have been worth it. I would have caught the bitch if you hadn't stopped me."
Stuffing the rag he'd cleaned his hands with into the back pocket of his dirty jeans as he looked over at Zak to give him a pointed glare, "Don't let mama hear you say that. She'll kick your ass."
"For sure," studying his older brother, and now Alpha, he crossed his arms over his chest, "It's weird, you know?"
"Having a new Alpha?" Gabe easily picked up what he was referring to, having learned how his little brother thought from years of sharing a room, and now, their mental connection making it so much easier.
"Yeah, but also having Dad no longer be my Alpha."
"You ought to try having a Dad whose an Alpha and being an underage Alpha," Gabe chuckled as he tinkered a bit more with the crankshaft, "It can be a bit difficult having to follow Dad's rules when you're now the one calling the shots with your own pack."
"Sounds like it," Zak watched his brother as he gathered his thoughts, hoping his older brother would have an answer to a strange shift of his personality, "I've never minded being alone, so why is it I seem to…need to be around you?"
Gabe looked over his shoulder at his little brother, giving him a grin, "You hero-worship me?"
Rolling his eyes, Zak reached up to run his fingers through his hair, realizing he was going to have to cut a few inches off despite preferring to keep it on the shaggy side, "Seriously, dude."
"It's the pack mentality."
"I've been part of a pack since my first full moon," Zak pointed out, crossing his ankles as he settled more of his weight against the side of the car, "So have you. It was never like this –except on the full moon nights."
"That's the reason why," Gabe tossed the dirty rag towards the bucket where they were collected, quickly picking up the tools strewn around the standing motorcycle, "Only during the full moon were we able to connect as a pack, but as shape-shifters, the wolf in us is always just below the surface. It's no longer a separate entity, like a split personality –the wolf is part of our personality. Get me?"
"Yeah," Zak leaned down and picked up a wrench, handing it over, "Why isn't it the same for the others in the pack? Brady, Bailey, Doug, and the others?"
"I think it has to do with them having imprints. Somehow, being with their imprint takes precedence over being with their Alpha. Up until now, I've pretty much been a lone wolf giving out orders but not having a pack to hang out with."
"Now you have me."
"And damn grateful I am for that," Gabe reached out to bump his fist against Zak's, "It can get lonely when it's just me inside my head."
Zak laughed, jerking his chin towards the motorcycle as Gabe put the toolbox under his workbench, "So what's the verdict?"
Gabe straddled the bike, pulling the key out of his pocket and inserting it as he pushed back the kickstand with the heel of his boot, "I pretty much rebuilt the whole thing. Unless I did something wrong, it should start."
"I think you should take Meg for a spin," Zak gave his big brother a grin, ice blue eyes twinkling as he brushed back the dark hair falling across his forehead.
"You gonna be okay on your own?"
"I'll be fine," Zak stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he walked out of the garage bay, "I have four days of homework to catch up on anyway. See ya later."
"Don't go out on patrols tonight. We still need to figure out how to fit patrols into your schedule."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," rolling his eyes at his brother, he grinned as the loud roar of the engine settled into a steady rumble, "Be careful."
"Where's the fun in that," Gabe pushed off, easily maneuvering the bike out of the garage and onto the road as he yelled over his shoulder, "Tell ma I'll be home before midnight!"
The wind felt good against Gabe's face as he headed east, the road smooth under his spinning tires, the sound of the engine letting him know everything was working just the way it was supposed to.
Turning into the one-o-one leading into Forks, he made a mental note to buy a helmet, knowing once his mother found out the motorcycle was working, she'd flip if he didn't have one, no matter he could probably walk away from a motorcycle accident.
Getting off the one-o-one, he easily maneuvered the quiet streets; he turned into the one Megan's house was on, catching sight of the modest two story house Megan and her parents lived as her father stormed out of the house. The front door slammed behind him as he got into the truck parked in the driveway, peeling out in reverse so fast, the back tires fishtailed as he shifted into drive and sped off, leaving behind rubber marks on the asphalt.
Slowing down, Gabe swung into the driveway, eyebrows lowered over ice blue eyes as he studied the quickly fading rear of the vehicle, wondering what that was about. He didn't really interact much with Megan's parents –she always met him outside whenever he picked her up for a date or school, and he knew she didn't get along with them from the occasional comment she made about wanting to get away from them, but now he had to wonder if there was more going on in Megan's home life she hadn't shared with him.
Shutting off the engine, he set the kickstand in place as he got off. Pocketing his keys, he reached the porch in five long strides and rapped his knuckles on the front door. A good five minutes passed before the door opened just enough for him to see her face, "What the hell?"
"Gabe," Megan's hand flew to her face in an effort to cover her cheek, blue-green eyes wide with shock, "What are you doing here?"
Gently pulling her hand away, he used the other one to carefully tilt her head to the side, taking note of the torn left corner of her mouth and the darkening bruise over her cheekbone and down the side of her jaw, "What the hell happened?"
Lowering her eyes as she pulled her face away from his hand, she lifted a shoulder in an attempt to make light of the situation, "Nothing…I ran into the bathroom door this morning –I was still half-asleep and wasn't paying attention and hit my face when I opened my bedroom door."
Staring at her, he noticed other little details, like the way she held her right arm against her stomach, her body slightly hunched over as if it hurt, "Which of the two doors punched you in the stomach?"
She bit her bottom lip, quickly letting go as the torn corner of her mouth started bleeding again, "I fell out of bed –why are you here?"
The defensiveness in her voice had him taking a different approach as he moved to the side to let her see where he pointed, "I finished the bike. Came to see if you wanted to go for a ride with me –we can head up to the lookout point."
Touching her fingers to the growing bruise on her face, she let out a sigh before nodding, "Let me go put some shoes on."
Ten minutes later, he was headed east, Megan's arms wrapped tight around his waist, the right side of her face resting between his shoulder blades, long legs bracketing his own.
The cool wind felt good against her hurting cheek but had her eyes stinging as she worked hard at not letting the tears welling up escape. Fifteen minutes later, Gabe pulled up to one of the three picnic areas along the ridge of the lookout point, glad to see they were alone, which was what he needed if he was to get her to open up to him about what had happened to her face.
Kickstand in place and key out of the ignition, Gabe held out his hand for Megan to hold on to as she got off the back of his bike, her balance a little off until she had both feet on the rock strewn ground, "You good?"
Megan nodded, letting go of his hand and stepping back as he swung off the bike, putting the key into his jeans' front pocket. They stared at each other in silence, Megan's eyes wide with so many painful emotions, it made Gabe feel angry seeing them swirling in the beautiful blue-green color of her eyes. Without saying a word, he held out his hand, patiently waiting as a minute trickled by then two before she slipped her smaller hand into his, calloused fingers closing around it and tugging her closer to him before he led her a good two yards away from where he'd parked the bike. Helping her over the low stone ledge meant to keep people from trying to climb down the near vertical cliff, he sat beside her. Wrapping his arm around her back, he pulled her closer until they touched from hip to knee, her shoulder neatly tucked under his armpit.
Pulling her legs up to wrap her arms around them, she rested her head on his shoulder, a small smile touching her bruised mouth as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
"It's beautiful up here," her whisper was easily heard, the numb feeling she'd been dealing with for the last two days slowly melting away as his body heat wrapped around her like a warm blanket.
"Yeah," Gabe kept his eyes on the panoramic view spreading out before them, the sun slowly sinking into the glittering ocean to the west and setting the blue sky ablaze with color, the green pine trees stretching for miles, the mountains to the north a darkening silhouette as the day's light slowly faded away, "This is Quileute land now -along with all those acres that way and up to the east that way."
"Wow," Megan scanned the area he pointed at, barely able to see the Forks High School stadium northeast of where they were, "I didn't realize La Push was that big."
"La Push is just one of the communities in the entire rez," Gabe set his hand on her hip, his thumb hooking into the front pocket of the jeans she was wearing along with a long sleeve black top, "We've recently been granted more land because of the flooding near the seawall –it's over there. See it?"
Megan followed the direction of his pointing finger, "Yeah…I've never been to that part of the beach."
"Not many outsiders have," Gabe lowered his hand, wrapping his arm around her as he shifted to fully pull her into his arms, having felt the occasional tremor moving through her, "It's about seven miles from Hidden Beach, which is considered sacred ground, what with James Island being a straight shot from there."
"James Island is part of the reservation too?"
"Yep."
"Does anyone live there?"
"No," Gabe kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of vanilla and cinnamon, "James Island is where all of our chiefs are buried. When a chief dies, his body is prepared by his family and then carried to Hidden Beach in a wooden plank by six Spirit Warriors, with the Spirit Man calling out to make way for the Spirit Warrior. Everyone in the rez follows behind the family who follows the warriors. Once at the beach, a bonfire is built by the chief's sons and lit by the chief's daughters.
"Everyone gathers around the bonfire as the Spirit Man calls forth all the Spirit Warriors of the tribe and they dance and chant around the fire, calling the Spirit Guides to come down and lead the chief home. When the sun sets, the wooden plank with the body is set in the very canoe which carried our very first chief for his journey to the Spirit World, and the Spirit Man, along with the chief's wife and the two oldest sons, head to James Island. The rest of the tribe stays at Hidden Beach, dancing and chanting and calling out for the Spirit Guides to make the way safe. Once they reach James Island, they built a bonfire and then, everyone stays put until the sun comes out, then the Spirit Man returns in the canoe, along with the wife. No one knows where the body is buried, except for the Spirit Man.
"The two older sons are left behind to find their own way back –the one who reaches Hidden Beach first is the next chief. The rest of the Spirit Warriors, along with the Spirit Man, keep vigil until one of them gets to shore, that way neither can claim the other cheated."
Megan's blue-green eyes were wide as she stared up at him, her mouth slightly open in awe, "Wow…that's…do they still choose their chief that way?"
"Nope," Gabe shifted until he was straddling the low wall, keeping his arms wrapped around her as he pulled her into the now extra space between them, "We have a council now, one the tribe elects into office. The chairman of the council is considered to be the acting Chief but…"
A minute of silence passed before Megan tilted her head back to look at him, "But?"
Gabe was trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. He had never needed to hide who and what he was before, being Vivi had always known, and now, here he was, practically spilling out tribe secrets just because it was so easy to talk to Megan, "But every once in a while, there's a descendant of one of the chiefs who has rightful claim to the position."
"How do you know they are descendants of chiefs?"
Giving her a smile filled with tenderness, he reached up to gently brush his fingers over her bruised cheek, "We are big on tracing and maintaining family trees. Every single tribe recognized Quileute is recorded and any family he or she has is added. I can actually trace mama's lineage all the way back to the first Spirit Warriors."
"What about your dad?"
His eyebrows dipped in confusion as he studied her face, "Dad isn't Quileute –he's Greek. I thought you knew that."
"I did –I do. What I meant was if you can trace your dad's lineage too. I mean, you shouldn't just be proud of being Quileute…his family history is a part of you…right?"
"Right," Gabe stared out towards the horizon, vague memories of another beach on the other side of the world swimming in his head, "Growing up, Dad would tell us stories of his family history –he still does, with the younger ones. We loved hearing the story of the Moon babies."
"Moon babies?"
"I'll tell you the story some other day," Gabe turned his eyes to back to her face, "But now, it's your turn."
"My turn?"
"Yes," Gabe tilted his head to the side, the fingers of his left hand slipping under the hem of her top, calloused tips gently stroking the smooth skin stretched over her ribs, "I shared a family secret with you –no one outside the tribe is supposed to know about it. So now…share a family secret with me."
Megan stared at him, not able to get angry at the sneaky way he had gone about on finding out what had happened. Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly as she looked away from him, vision blurry as she stared out at the acres of trees and mountains and ocean, "Okay."
He gave her the time she needed, saying nothing as he turned her to rest against his broad chest, carefully settling his hands on her lower stomach but even then, she let out a soft whimper. Moving his hands to rest on her hips, he kissed the crown of her golden head, "Sorry."
Shaking her head, Megan placed her small hands over his, threading her fingers between his, "As far back as I can remember, my parents have always fought. Not just arguing, but out and out shouting matches. As I got older, I wondered why they stayed together –they obviously didn't like each other. I always looked for ways to stay out of the house as much as possible –invited myself over to dinner at a friend's house whenever I could, suggested sleepovers at their place, got involved in cheerleading so I could get out of the house early and go home late."
Megan reached up to wipe away at the runaway tears, heart hurting as memories of her childhood flooded her mind, "When I was ten, one of my friends asked why we never had sleepovers at my house. I didn't want to tell her the truth and I couldn't come up with a lie fast enough, so I asked my mom if I could have a sleepover on one of the weekends when dad went away on business…she said yes. I wish I had never asked."
Wishing he could hold her tighter and make her feel safe, he instead gently ran his fingers through her blond waves, carefully untangling any knots he came across, "What happened?"
"Dad came barging into the house about one in the morning, slamming the door and yelling at mom, calling her a cheating bitch and cheap whore. It was horrible, Gabe. There we were, in my dark room, all of us awake and saying nothing as my parents shouted insults at each other, mom calling him a delusional asshole and he…the things he said to her…I just pulled my cover over my head. I couldn't look at my friends, couldn't say anything to explain. They yelled at each other for a good five minutes, breaking stuff and slamming doors and drawers, and then it got quiet."
"Did he leave?"
She shook her head, letting out a sad sigh as she took Gabe's hands and carefully pulled his arms around her, "No. After a while, the front door slammed and dad sped off –my window faces the street so I can hear all the cars going by. Then I heard mom crying…I never asked and she never said but…I think dad raped her. She never cried after their fights before but that night…about five minutes later, one of my friends said she wanted to call her mom.
"By three in the morning, all my friends were picked up by their parents and my first and only slumber party was over. They never said anything but I would catch them staring at me, whispering to each other about me. I was glad when mom and dad said we were moving to Forks before I started sixth grade…I made some new friends but kept them at arms' length, pretended like I was some empty-headed blond that only cared about the superficial things. Fortunately for me, that kind of attitude gets you into the popular crowd. Funny, really, how we all act like we can't see beyond ourselves only so others won't see the real us."
"Yeah," Gabe chuckled as he kissed her temple, giving her a smile when she turned her head to look up at him, "I've been getting bits and pieces of you that go beyond the bitchy attitude you always dished at Vivi."
She smiled at the way he tried to say her name as if it didn't matter, silently thinking the fact he'd actually said her name out loud was a first step to a willingness in letting go of the past, "I was jealous of her…she had a brother who looked out for her, and you…you were always standing up for her, defending her even if it meant getting into trouble. When I heard about the fight in the locker room…I wanted to cry. Not because I was sad or angry but because…it felt good to know someone cared enough for me to go to those extremes to defend me."
Dropping a kiss on her nose, he touched a single finger to the corner of her mouth then moved it across to the dark bruise over her cheek and jaw, "Will you tell me how this happened?"
Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes as she carefully leaned her cheek into his hot hand, her fingers curling over his wrist, "About two months ago, dad lost his job. He came home drunk that night…he was pissed at his boss, his co-workers, at mom. You would think by then, she'd have learned when to pick her battles but…she started telling him off for drinking, for driving drunk, for everything she could think of. I don't think she saw it coming because he'd never done it before."
Pressing his lips against her temple, he had a bad feeling about where this was going but he asked anyway, "Never done what before?"
"After that night when I was ten, he never laid a hand on her again…but that night –he beat her, Gabe. He smacked her face, punched her in the stomach and when she went down…he kicked her…five times. I was helping mom set the table for dinner when he came in and I…I just stood there, holding the plates, staring in shock as he pulled her up from the ground by her hair and shoved her into the kitchen, telling her to have dinner on the table and keep her mouth shut or he would make sure she couldn't open it. He never apologized, never promised not to do it again. The next morning, when he left, I heard him tell mom to put ice on her face and stay at home."
"Oh baby," Gabe buried his face into her neck, the anger inside him growing with every detail she revealed, his muscles tense but still, something in the back of his mind keeping the anger from triggering his phasing, "When did he start hitting you?"
Closing her eyes, she swallowed back a sob as she tried to pull away but Gabe held her close without force, his arms a comforting band around her shaking body, "Mom left last week while I was in school –she took one case of clothes but left her car, her jewelry…she left me. Yesterday, after dinner, I was getting my car keys to come see you. Dad was in the living room, drinking while he watched a game and when I opened the front door, he asked where I was going. When I told him, he got mad and started calling you these…horrible names. I got so mad, I told him to shut up –he slapped me. Pulled me up by the hair then slapped me again. When I started crying, he told me I better get used to it if I was going to be a whore like my mother, especially if I was dating you."
"When have I ever treated you with anything less than respect?"
"He didn't mean you specifically…he meant…you, as in Indian. Before last night, I had no idea he was such a racist asshole."
His teeth were hurting from how hard he was clenching his jaw, his hands curling into fists against her stomach but he made sure not to put any pressure on what he was certain were fresh bruises, "When I got there, your dad was leaving and he looked pissed. Did he hit you again?"
Nodding, Megan lowered her head as she reached for the hem of her top, pulling up to reveal fist shaped red bruises already darkening into dark purple, "Just before he walked out…I told him I wasn't going to stay quiet, that I was going to tell you. He grabbed my arm and punched me until I threw up. Told me if he had no problem hurting me, he would have no problem beating you so I better keep my mouth shut. Did he see you when he was leaving?"
"No," Gabe lifted his legs up, his sneakered feet bracketing hers as he effectively wrapped himself around her, "He wasn't looking my way and I was still a good five blocks away. You do know him beating me is pretty much shit, right?"
"Why do you think I finally told you," Megan tilted her head back, her hair spilling over his shoulder and arm as she stared up at the plum colored sky, able to see stars slowly twinkle into view, "I have twelve weeks before I turn eighteen…then I can get the hell out of there."
"Like hell you're going back," the words exploded out of him, the rage he had been tamping down tangible in every word but even so, Megan felt safe within the cocoon of his body, "You can stay with us –or, if you want your own place, Billy Black's house has been empty since he moved in with Paul and Rachel. I'll ask if we can use it until you head off to college."
Megan shook her head, easily turning to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she rested her forehead against his chin, "I'm still underage –Dad will call the cops and say you kidnapped me or something like that. I don't think he would care whether it was true or not."
"Meggie," he stared at her, seeing the way her beautiful eyes filled with tears as he carefully framed her face between his big hands, "I don't think I can let you go back there…not when I know you're not safe."
"I'll stay out of his way…"
"Promise me," he stared intently into her eyes, his own hard as ice as he carefully kissed her bruised mouth, "If he comes after you, you'll get out of that house and call me –I will find you before he does, no matter where you are. Promise me."
Staring into his light blue eyes, she could see the intense need he had to protect her, her throat tight with the need to cry in relief. Eyes glassy with unshed tears, she leaned her forehead against his, breathing in the very air he breathed as their lips clung in a soft kiss, like early morning dew gently clinging to delicate petals of a blooming rose.
"I promise."
Next Morning
Gabe groaned as sixty-five pounds of little sister landed squarely on his stomach, arms instinctively reaching up to keep her from falling as he jerked awake, bleary eyes quickly focusing on the laughing brown-green eyes staring down at him, an impish smile on her pretty round face, "Not the best way to wake me up, Ty."
"Happy birthday," she squealed, leaning down to kiss his entire face until he laughingly pulled her away, "Mama said I can take you out for breakfast."
"That sounds like fun," Gabe smiled up at her, reaching up to tuck sandy brown bangs behind her ears, "Did she say I can take you on the motorcycle?"
Tyra's bottom lip poked out as she shook her head, long pigtails resting on her chest, "I asked, even added pretty please, but she said no."
"Well, then," Gabe yawned as he sat up, keeping a good grip as he tipped her upside down, her laughter evidence of her trust in him, "Let me get ready so I can ask Dad for the car so we won't get stuck with the mom-mobile."
Lifting her chin to her chest to be able to look up at him, she laughed as he swung her like a pendulum, her pigtails brushing the blue and green rug covering the wood floor, "Daddy and Emmie took the car to Tacoma –they have track meets today."
Easily lifting her up until they were face to upside-down face, he gave her a grin, "Where are you planning to take me?"
"To the bakery," Tyra smooched his face until his lips pushed out, laughing when he tried to blow a raspberry at her, "Mama gave me thirty dollars so I can buy pancakes and hot chocolate for us, and a birthday cupcake for you."
"Sounds like the best birthday breakfast ever," Gabe kissed her nose before lifting her over his head in a practiced move, her skinny arms wrapping around his neck as he let go of her legs, "How about we take our bikes? It's not that far of a ride."
Letting go of him, she landed with a bounce on his bed, laughing as Zak stuck his head out from under his comforter, giving them a bleary eyed glare, "Will you two just go? I've slept all of two hours since coming in from patrols."
"Sorry, dude," Gabe gave him an apologetic smile, chuckling as Ty scrambled off his bed and went over to Zak's, sticking her head under the pillow he'd pulled over his own, her giggles and his grumbling making Gabe laugh out loud, "Let him go back to sleep, Ty. You need to get the bikes out of the shed without Ricky seeing you or he'll want to come along."
Blowing a raspberry against Zak's cheek before pulling her head out from under the pillow, she skipped across the room, brushing back her bangs as she looked up at her older brother, "He's helping mama with your birthday cake…surprise birthday cake. Crap."
Laughing as he followed behind his little sister, he tickled the back of her neck before heading into the bathroom across the hall from the two rooms in the upstairs floor, "I'll pretend to be surprised even though ma makes one every year."
It didn't take him long to get ready; within fifteen minutes, they were pedaling their bikes up the street, both of them laughing at their sneaky escape from the backyard so they wouldn't be seen from the kitchen window.
Gabe pedaled at a leisurely pace to allow his little sister to stay beside him, the pink and white streamers on her handlebars fluttering in the morning breeze, which was cool and slightly wet despite the sun climbing up the east side of the blue sky, bringing color and warmth to a new day.
It felt good to be outside today –he was a year older, and although his life had changed drastically in the last year, he felt a fresh jolt of hope for what was to come. Life was good for him… nightmares were dwindling to once a month, if at all. He felt much more comfortable with being the new Quileute Alpha now that Zak was part of his pack and he wasn't such a lone wolf anymore. He was laughing more, brooding less…and little by little, thoughts of her were losing their power to hurt him.
It was definitely a good day to be alive.
They left their bikes outside Aunt Emily's bakery, which was simply called 'The Bakery', Ty chattering about her plans for the summer. It amused him how much his little sister was like him –she wanted to race her bike in the forest, but because she wasn't allowed to go in there by herself, she wanted him to go with her. There was a Capitals hockey game in August she really wanted to go to –would he buy the tickets and she could buy the popcorn and drinks with her allowance money?
"And I asked Aunt Rosie if she could teach me to take pictures like she does," Ty clambered up into one of the high chairs by one of the windows, settling her arms on the high round table big enough to accommodate plates and glasses for two, "She said she would find me a camera and teach me how to use it. All I have to do is find a subject matter."
"Well, that shouldn't be hard," Gabe sat down across from her, settling one foot on the bottom rung of the high chair, the other flat on the tiled floor, "There's the beach, the mountains, the trees…"
"I want to take pictures of people."
"People?"
"Uh-hu," Ty gave him a big smile, her brown-green eyes dancing as she leaned forward in eagerness, "Can I take pictures of you and Megan?"
A bark of surprised laughter escaped him, relief following at its heels as their cousin approached their table, "Hey Lili. Happy early birthday."
She set two menus before them, tossing back long black hair, dark eyes bright as she gave him a big smile, "Thank you…and happy birthday to you. What's it feel like, being seventeen?"
"Not quite sure yet," Gabe looked at the wide-band watch on his left wrist, "I've been seventeen for all of five hours."
"And he slept through three of those," Ty piped up, closing her menu and handing it back to Lili, "I want blueberry pancakes with lots of whip cream and hot chocolate."
"Mom just finished the blueberry batter, so you're going to be getting really delicious pancakes," Lili tucked the menu under her arm, turning to look at Gabe, "What would you like?"
Handing her the menu, he gave her his usual order, "Banana-pecan pancakes and hot chocolate."
"Can you also bring his birthday cupcake?"
"Would you like me to find a candle for it?"
Ty grinned at her cousin, glancing curiously towards the door as the bells chimed the arrival of another customer, "Yes, and we can sing happy birth –"
"No singing," Gabe shook his head, giving his little sister a glare, which didn't get the response he wanted, "I'll let you follow Megan and I around for a day to take pictures, as long as there's no singing."
Ty gave him a narrow eyed look, "Make it a weekend and I'll leave out the candle."
Shaking his head at the negotiating skills Ty had obviously learned from Emmie, he reached across the small space, her small hand disappearing in his much larger one, "Deal."
Ty turned her grin towards Lili, "Just the cupcake please."
Laughing as she walked away, Lili moved behind the counter where the baked goods were displayed, calling out the order to the back where her mother was doing the cooking and baking.
Lili had their orders out in record time, smiling at the banter between them, a small part of her feeling envious over the obvious closeness between Gabe and Ty despite the six year gap. It wasn't that she didn't have a close relationship with her older siblings, but with Bradley attending college in Oregon and Bailey spending most of her free time with Brady, Lili had discovered a new kind of lonely.
There had always been a loneliness of sorts with having twin siblings four years older than her, and now, she just wished she had someone she could talk with, joke around and share dreams and thoughts with. Yeah, Emmie was her best friend and they both did plenty of sharing with each other but Emmie also had Embry…and Lili knew Emmie shared most of her science-y thoughts and ideas with him, since he was able to understand her in a way Lili really couldn't.
It wasn't easy having a genius for a best friend.
Picking up a menu, she headed to the back corner table that had been occupied at some point in the past five minutes, nearly stumbling as she got a good look at the face staring out the window. It was almost like she was seeing Bailey except younger and much smaller, long blue-black hair framing a face with small differences to Bailey's –a round chin and smaller mouth, a slight tilt to the end of a straight nose, and eyebrows not as arched or defined. Without doubt, whoever this was, she had to have Uley blood in her.
She headed over to the out of the way table, curiosity burning brightly as wild suppositions of who this girl was swirled in her mind, "Good morning. Welcome to The Bakery."
Dark eyes swung away from the view outside the window to look at her, Lili swallowing a gasp at the dark circles under them, face pale with obvious fatigue, "Uhm…can I have a glass of water, please?"
"Sure," Lili set the menu down on the table, hoping her shaking hand wasn't too obvious, "Here's the menu –the blueberry pancakes are especially delicious."
"Uhm," a faint blush gave her a bit of color as she pulled a bruised looking apple out of the backpack on her lap, "Just the water. Thanks."
Nodding, she headed to the counter, looking over her shoulder at the girl. There was something…intensely fragile about her…like she was reaching her breaking point. Lili could feel her heart breaking for her.
"Lili," Gabe's voice broke into her thoughts as she looked over to the opened door where her cousins were heading out, Elisa having already taken their payment at the other end of the counter, "Tell Aunt Em the pancakes were amazing, as always. You're coming to the party tonight, right?"
Giving him a smile as she rounded the counter, she called out in a teasing voice, "It's supposed to be a surprise birthday party, Gabe."
"Not a surprise when ma does it every year," Gabe waved at her with a grin, the door closing behind him as he turned the corner of the shop to get his bike, both he and Ty disappearing as they headed to First Beach. With The Bakery situated just inside the La Push-Forks boundary line, First Beach was a stone's throw away with the Fork's skate park directly on the opposite direction.
With quick efficiency, she made a tall mug of hot chocolate, adding extra whip cream before placing one of her mom's super-size blueberry muffins on a plate, setting both items on the small table before sitting across from her and sliding them closer, "Here you go."
Dark eyes swung from the muffin to look at Lili, long thick lashes making them look overly large for such a small face, "I really can't…I don't have enough money."
"It's on the house," Lili's offer was made with gentle sincerity but she was able to see the girl was about to refuse when her stomach rumbled loud enough for both of them to hear it. Her cheeks flushed a deeper red, the copper-hued tone to her skin finally shining through. Giving her a gentle smile as she nudged the plate closer, Lili encouraged her to take it, "You've never had a blueberry muffin like this one."
Breaking off a small piece, she hesitated briefly before placing it in her mouth, eyes closing as the warm buttery bread and tangy blueberries practically melting on her tongue, "This is really good."
Lili nodded, watching her as she ate half of the muffin before reaching to take a sip of the hot chocolate, her tongue poking out to lick whip cream off her top lip, "So are you new in town or just passing through?"
"Not sure," setting the mug aside, she went back to the muffin. Despite it being larger than most muffins she'd seen, it was barely taking the edge off her hunger, "It all depends on if I find my brother."
"You have a brother living here," Lili's doe brown eyes widened slightly as she started making her own deductions, "In La Push?"
Nodding as she stuffed the last piece of muffin into her mouth, long fingers gathering all the leftover crumbs into the middle of the plate as she swallowed that last bite, "Dad told me he should be here but that was years ago…he may have moved or something."
"You don't know for sure?"
Shaking her head, she picked up the mug, taking a few swallows of the now lukewarm chocolate, "I've never met him…he was seven when Dad left here."
"Your dad…abandoned him?" Lili mentally pieced all the pieces together, confident this girl was somehow related to her, and possibly even be her aunt, which was kind of weird because she couldn't be any older than thirteen.
Nodding as she picked up the crumbs with a finger, licking them off before going back for more, "He wasn't a very good father back then. He never lied to me –told me how he wasn't a really good guy and was too young and stupid when he got married. After he left, he spent several years just going around, doing odd jobs. He ended up near the Cheyenne reservation up in Wyoming, worked at a ranch before buying his own place."
"Does he…is he still living there," she tried to swallow to keep the huskiness out of her voice but it didn't work, not when she realized this man could be the grandfather she knew of but never heard about. Grandma Linda never shared stories about him, good or bad. She would just say he had left a long time ago and never came back.
"No," tipping the mug to get the last of the chocolate, she picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth and fingers, "Dad died two years ago…it's just me and my mom but…things got really bad after Dad died. I had to get away and Dad always told me if I needed help, to come looking for my brother. He said no matter what he did, I would have family here because I'm part Quileute."
Lili nodded as she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat, "Yeah…that's what a tribe is –family. Is your mom…"
"My mom's part Cheyenne," letting out a sigh as she wrapped her arms around her backpack, she finally settled back into the chair, feeling relief at having someone to talk to, "Her father was white. He…the interactions between the Cheyenne and the nearby white town isn't the best. Mom hated him, hated what he did to my grandma, hated that she was part white. When she and Dad met…she was a mess but he helped her let go of all the rage she had, helped her get her life back together. Mom really loved him…I was born three years after she moved in to live with him at the ranch. It was a great place to grow up in –I learned to ride horses before I could walk. Dad taught me how to rope, shoot, even skin my own game. Mom taught me what it meant to be Cheyenne –the traditions, the rituals, the history."
She angrily wiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks, ruthlessly tugging her tangled hair behind her ears, "Dad got sick when I was nine…two years of hospitals and treatments left us with nothing. Mom sold the ranch even though Dad didn't want her to, told her it was supposed to go to me. He died when I was eleven."
"How old are you now?"
Sucking in air to keep the building sobs at bay, she forced herself to lock away the painful memory of losing the most important person in her life, "I'm thirteen. You?"
"I'm turning fourteen tomorrow," biting her bottom lip, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the chair, "Do you know your brother's name?"
She reached into an inside pocket of her backpack, pulling out what looked like a leather journal, a long strip of rawhide wrapped around it. Undoing the square knot on the side, she unwrapped it with a few quick turns, opening it and pulling out an envelope, "Dad told me to give this to him –his name is Sam Uley. Do you know him?"
Despite the fact her suspicions had been leading her exactly where they were now, Lili could feel her face going pale, hands clammy under her arms where she had them fisted, stomach twisting into a vicious knot. Taking in a couple of deep breaths through her nose, Lili nodded, looking over to the counter as the smell of fresh out-of-the-oven cookies permeated the air, letting her know her mother was making her way to the front of the shop. Looking back at the expectant and pathetically hopeful face of the girl she now knew to be her aunt, she nodded again, "Yeah, I know him…Sam Uley is my dad."
The tension in the room was high, easily felt by all of them as three of them sat at the kitchen table while Sam stood across the room, leaning against the counter, face impassive as he read the letter his sister had brought with her across several states.
After thirty-three years without a father, Sam no longer cared about the reasons behind Joshua Uley's decision to abandon his family. No, what was really getting to Sam was the obvious need for help being sought by this little girl who called herself his sister. He wasn't sure if he could be the source of refuge she was obviously seeking.
"Your mother must be worried to death," Emily was sitting next to her, gently stroking the tangled curtain of blue black hair away from her forlorn face, "I think we should call her and let her know you're okay."
Shaking her head as her eyes swung from the imposing figure of her older brother, vaguely wondering what she had been thinking to come looking for him, to the scarred face of his wife, the kindness in her doe brown eyes making her eyes sting, "My mother isn't aware of me most of the time. After Dad died, she started drinking. Some months ago, she began dating this guy from the rez and he turned her to heroin. He's the reason why I ran away, and if I call my mom, he'll come after me. I know he will."
"Why?"
It was the first word he'd spoken to her since Lili had explained her story to Emily, taking her to their little sea-side house before calling him at work and asking him to come home.
The front door, which opened straight into the kitchen, swung open, Bailey walking in with Brady behind her, both of them laughing at their own inside joke, "Hey Dad, Brady was wondering if…"
Her words petered out as she took notice of the atmosphere, eyes going from her father's stony face to her little sister's openly worried expression before looking over at her mother to finally focus on the stranger in the room. She almost swallowed her own tongue, confusion obvious as she studied what could have been her own reflection at thirteen, "Who is this?"
The silence was heavy as Bailey turned to look at her father, the crazy thoughts in her head reflecting on her face, breaking Sam's silence as he glared at her, "Don't look at me like that. I've never been unfaithful to your mother and you well know it. This is Cameron…she's my sister."
She took a step back in surprise, Brady's hands at her waist keeping her from stumbling over her own feet, "How is that possible?"
"The usual way, I'm sure," Brady quipped in hopes of breaking the awful tension in the room, receiving an elbow to the ribs for his efforts as Bailey gave him a glare over her shoulder before turning back to her father, "I thought your father was dead."
"I never said he was," Sam carefully folded the letter he had finished reading long before Bailey had walked in, sliding it back into the envelope it had come in before setting it on the counter, "However, according to Cameron, he died two years ago…but not before telling her to come looking for me if she's ever in trouble."
"Did he really expect you to help her?"
"Bailey!"
She looked over at her mother, the anger she was feeling on behalf of her father making her blind to the stricken look on the girl's face, "Well, seriously Mom. Do you actually expect Dad to help the daughter of the man who abandoned him?" Without thought of what her words were doing, she turned to look at the girl, "Did he raise you?"
Cameron swallowed at being the focus of Bailey's anger, thinking she was by far the most beautiful, and scary, girl she'd ever encountered. With her high cheekbones, perfectly straight nose, arched dark eyebrows and full lipped mouth, she could easily take over the cover of any fashion magazine without a fight –especially with the outfit she was wearing. Despite the denim jeans and navy blue deck shoes paired with a red off the shoulder top hugging her upper body, the outfit was far from casual.
"Y-yes," swallowing again to get rid of the stutter, she expounded further, wondering what it was about this girl that inspired so much fear and insecurity within herself, "I mean, he's my father and was there up until the day he died."
"So apparently he was able to be a father," Bailey's snide remark, meant to hurt this newcomer, ended up hitting Sam hard when he would have thought it no longer mattered, "Bailey, that's enough."
"No," Bailey looked over at her father, hands fisted at her sides as her body, flushed with anger, began to tremble slightly, "Where does she get off coming to you for help when her father didn't have the balls –"
"Enough with the bitchy attitude," Sam pushed away from the counter, giving her a glare that carried all the weight of a father's authority over his child and nothing more, "You can bitch about Joshua Uley all you want but this girl has done nothing to you, so shut your mouth or get out."
"I'm part of this family too," Bailey yelled at him, not backing down as he moved to stand toe to toe with her, "Whatever the hell you plan to do with her affects all of us, so don't you think we should all have a say?"
"No, I don't," Sam looked over her head, "Brady, get her out of here. She's not allowed back until she finds some compassion for others, if she has any."
"How dare you –let me go! I swear, Brady, I am going to bite you if you don't let me go!"
Sam closed the door behind them, his sharp hearing picking up Brady's last words before he hustled her to the woods bordering their property, "Just remember –I bite back."
Even though he felt sorry for the boy, Sam had to give him credit for having quickly learned how to handle his volatile, bad-tempered bitch of a daughter.
His heart about broke when he turned around to find Cameron crying, her entire body shaking as she tried to talk between the gut-wrenching sobs, "I-I'm s-sorry. I sh-shouldn't have come. She's r-right –I…"
Emily gently shushed her, pulling her into a hug as she stroked her hair, Sam pulling out a chair to sit across from them as he quietly assured her, "Don't make yourself miserable over Bailey. She never means half of what comes out of her mouth and the rest of it is bullshit and she well knows it."
A strangled sound escaped Cameron, something between a giggle and a sob, swollen eyes looking up at him, "Sorry, it's just…that's something Daddy would have said."
Sam's fingers curled into fists, an instinctual reaction to being compared to his father. Letting out the breath he had been unaware of holding in, he relaxed his hands as he gave her a gentle smile, "Was he a good father to you?"
Cameron nodded, wiping her nose on the ragged cuff of her sweater, "He always said if it weren't for me, he would have hated himself for what he did to you and your mom. He never told me why he left, aside from being young and stupid," she opened the backpack she'd kept on her lap, pulling out the leather journal where Sam's letter had been, pushing the book across the table towards him, "He asked me to give this to your mom…it was his journal. He would write in it every so often –he told me he would write about life, regrets, dreams, disappointments…
"When he got sick, he wrote in it every day. Before he died, he asked me to give it to your mom if I ever came looking for you."
Sam stared at the journal, reaching out to touch the worn leather, rubbing his thumb over a particularly worn spot before pulling his hand away, leaving the journal on the table between them as he turned his attention back to his sister, "Why did you run away, Cameron? What happened that scared you enough to come looking for me two years after him dying?"
Hugging her backpack against her stomach, she looked away from him, biting down on her bottom lip for a few seconds before she began sharing her story with them, "After Daddy died…my mom started drinking. Not often, and not much but it eventually started getting worse. We moved in with grandmother after mom sold the ranch and eventually, mom couldn't keep a job. Daddy always said mom was a special kind of person, always needing someone to help her live life…I tried helping her after Daddy died but it was like she didn't see me."
Sam watched his wife offer comfort without reservation, loving her all the more for it as Cameron sniffed back tears, her nose turning red as she continued, "Some months ago, this guy mom met at the bar started staying with us. Grandma didn't like him but she didn't say anything, instead, she moved in with one of my uncles and left the house to mom and me. This guy got my mom hooked on heroin –he's a drug dealer at the rez, even has clients from the white town nearby."
"He's Cheyenne?"
She nodded, wiping her nose on her sleeve again, her face pale, "He would watch me, when I made dinner or cleaned the kitchen. When mom was on the knot, from shooting up, he'd tell me how I was going to be even prettier than my mom, even though I wasn't full blooded Cheyenne. Sometimes, he would get mean and tell me I was a mixed breed –not an Indian of any kind because I had white man's blood. Other times, he would touch me…he'd grab my hair, touch my face –I avoided him as much as I could. Tried to stay with my uncle but he wouldn't let me, told me how I had to help take care of my mother.
"Last week, he –he came into my bedroom in the middle of the night, after mom passed out. He –he r-raped me," she looked up at Emily, tears running down her face, "I tried to get away, I really did, but he held me down and –"
Emily pulled her in tight, tears running down her face as she kissed the top of her head, whispering urgently to her, "It's not your fault, sweetheart. None of it is your fault."
Sam could feel the anger boiling under his skin and knew his body temperature, which had slowly been dropping from its usual 108.1, was rising up the chart again. Breathing in deep as he fought back the urge to phase, hunt and kill, he realized his wife and sister weren't the only ones crying.
Giving his baby girl a tender look, he held out his arm, pulling her into his lap as soon as she came around the table, her tears soaking his shirt as she buried her face into his wide chest, "She can't go back there, Daddy."
"Shh," running his fingers through her long dark hair, he pressed a kiss on her forehead before looking across the table into his wife's beautiful brown eyes, "She's not going back. Cameron is going to stay here with us."
Wiping her hands over her round cheeks, Lili looked up at him with hope in her tear-filled eyes, "Promise?"
"I promise, baby."
"What about that man? What if he comes looking for her?"
Sam hugged her tight, locking eyes with his little sister, giving her a reassuring smile along with a promise he had every intention of fulfilling, and soon, "He'll never find you, Cameron. I'll make sure of that."
