Getting Closer

AN: Sorry it's taken so long to update! Work, work, work!! This is a shorter, kind of filler chapter, but some relationship stuff happens, and some LEMBRY FLUFF! Mmm, fluff! Hope you all enjoy it...
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART to each and every one of the incredible people who took the time to leave me a review. You guys are pure inspiration- PLEASE keep it up!! Thanks also to everyone who's put this story on Favorites or Alerts. It's nice to know you're interested!!
Usual disclaimers, etc.

I woke up slowly as a patch of sunlight peeked around the corner of the shade and hit me squarely in the face. I would've moved, but I didn't want to disturb Embry, so I merely squeezed my eyes shut and pouted with annoyance instead. This was the sixth night in a row I'd snuck over to Embry's house and snuggled up to him, claiming I couldn't sleep. Which was true, but it was also becoming a habit alarmingly quickly. Thank god he didn't seem to mind it, or even to question it. The last few nights, he'd had the screen out and was waiting for me before I'd even gotten to his window. All I'd had to do was climb inside and snuggle up.

I suppose I should've been self-conscious about how my tanktop had ridden up to show my midriff, but Embry's calloused hand on my smooth skin felt really... nice. The way my bare legs tangled up with his did, too. And I kind of liked the way his face was buried in my hair, despite the fact that he snored loud enough to vibrate the window panes.

Yep, without a doubt, he was definitely my favorite, enormous, teddy bear.

It wasn't long before I heard the unmistakable sounds of Embry's mom getting up and heading for the shower, and I sighed. Time to get moving if I wanted to get home without being caught- by his mother or mine. Somehow I didn't think either one would approve of my new sleeping arrangements.

It took a little manouevring to untangle myself from Embry- seriously, the man turned into a giant squid when he was sleeping- but as usual, he rolled onto his stomach as I was climbing out the window and kept snoring without a hitch. What was it with Wolf boys and sleeping like the freakin' dead?

It looked like Brady had gotten the night shift last night on Leah-babysitting duty, and he trotted through the woods dutifully after me now. It took a lot of self-control not to phase and kick his sorry, furry butt into next Tuesday, but the fact that it really wasn't his idea of a good time, either, stopped me. I'd had a knock-down drag-out fight with Jacob over it, but he had, in his infinite Alpha wisdom, decided that keeping his nose out of Sam's orders in La Push would be better over-all for Pack to Pack relations. Which meant that I got to endure being baby-sat for the foreseeable future.

Oh, joy.

As silently as possible, I slid back through my open window into my quiet, empty bedroom.

"Ahem."

The quiet, but distinctly annoyed and completely unexpected sound scared me witless and sent me sprawling face first over a pile of dirty laundry. Apparently, my room was a whole lot less empty than I'd thought.

Sheepishly, I looked up from my impromptu close-up inspection of the dusty carpet at Seth, leaning against my doorframe with his muscled arms crossed tightly over his chest. He quirked an eyebrow at me as I hastily scrambled back to my feet feeling like a fifteen year old getting caught sneaking in.

"What're you doing in my room, Seth?" I demanded irritably in an attempt to cover my embarrassment.

"What were you doing out of it?" he shot back. I stuck my nose in the air as haughtily as I could.

"None of your business. What difference does it make to you, anyway?"

Now it was his turn to look sheepish. "Well... it's not, really. But you keep sneaking out, and I'm just... you know... worried."

"Oh, for god's sake," I groaned, rolling my eyes as I brushed past him on my way to the shower. "What kind of trouble can I possibly get in when Sam's having me followed everywhere?"

"That's not really the kind of trouble I'm worried about..." he muttered, and I slammed the bathroom door in his face. Honestly, since when did my life become his concern?

I was still annoyed after my long shower, partly at myself for being caught, and partly at Seth for being so... so brotherly. Wrapped only in a towel that barely came down to my thighs, I stomped back to my bedroom and stood there for a moment, debating what crappy outfit I was going to throw on for the day. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Brady's shaggy reflection on the edge of my mirror, and it looked like he was stealthily creeping closer to get a better look!

My first instinct was to scream obscenities at him right before slamming my shade closed. But then I had another thought, probably due to the sheer irritation of a week of being followed. If I played this right, I could get him into a whole dump truck full of trouble, and maybe, just maybe, Sam would cut the whole 'bodyguard' thing altogether.

Careful not to let anything really private show, I reached my arms over my head and stretched slowly, leaning a little bit side to side like I was just getting the kinks out of my back. I could see Brady's reflection creeping cautiously nearer, and I propped one leg up on my bed and picked up a bottle of lotion. Surreptitiously, I made sure my towel covered anything really important while exposing my bronze leg from hipbone to toes as I rubbed the creamy liquid into my skin. The shaggy Wolf outside crept as close to the treeline as he dared, and I worked hard not to laugh. Oh ho, when Sam caught those mental images, Brady was going to be in a world of hurt...

An angry, sharp howl nearly made me fall over and lose my towel just as I switched to the second leg. Luckily, I was quick enough to grab it before the joke was on me, and I straightened up to glance swiftly out of the window. Brady, I was satisfied to see, had shot back into the shadows like someone had smacked him on the nose with a red hot poker. And it served him right, too. The pervert.

Shade now firmly closed, I tapped my foot with impatience as I surveyed my pathetically minimal (and hopelessly boring) wardrobe. Darn it, Alice's little online almost- shopping spree had ruined me. What I wouldn't give to have a closet like hers...

Sighing, I flung the contents of my dresser onto the floor and sifted through it dejectedly. My bright red string bikini caught my eye, and I held it up curiously. Would I still fit decently into it? It seemed like my curves had filled back out nicely...

Quickly, I slipped it on and stood up to scrutinize myself in the mirror. Yep, my curves were back, and then some. Hm... I didn't look half bad, really. Suddenly, an idea hit me, and I quickly yanked on a short pair of faded cut-offs and rushed out the door.

Embry had done a thousand and one nice things for me in the last few months, and I hadn't done anything to repay him yet. Selfish, evil me! But seeing as I already had my bikini on and everything...

Grinning, I dialed Embry's cell number as I headed out to my garage.

"'Sup, B?" his deep voice drawled into my ear after a minute.

"Hey, are you already at Jake's?" I asked him quickly, frowning as I stared into the murky gloom of the garage.

"Just got out of the shower, actually. Why?"

Oddly, I had the strangest, most vivid mental image of beads of water sliding over his toned, bronzed abs, and I had trouble making my mouth work. Where the hell had that come from?

"B? You there?" Embry asked, confused. I shook my head viciously to clear it of any lingering moments of insanity.

"Yeah. Bring your car to Jake's, okay?" I answered, and hoped that he didn't notice my voice sounding a little strange.

"Oookay. Why?"

"It's a surprise," I replied, and huffed at his skeptical silence. "Just do it, alright?"

"Sure, sure. See you in a bit," he answered, laughing a little as he hung up.

It took me a while to find all my supplies, but I still beat Embry to the Black's house. Jake was just coming out of his front door as I trudged up the driveway loaded down with all my gear.

"Uh... hey, Leah. What's with all the buckets? And the... the, you know- bikini? Not that it looks bad or anything," he added hastily, and I had to give him a tiny bit of credit for trying to be tactful.

"Gonna wash Tank's car," I huffed, dragging my buckets of supplies past him toward the shed. "A nice guy would help me out with this stuff. And bring me the hose."

Smirking, Jake sauntered around the building and came back lugging the hose over his shoulder while I dumped my stuff on the ground with a relieved sigh. Not that it'd been heavy or anything- just awkward to haul around.

"Oh, did you hear Sam howl a while ago? He sounded really pissed off," Jake asked as he dropped the hose at my feet. I carefully kept my face neutral and gave an innocent shrug.

"Huh. Wonder what it was about," he muttered, then gave me a casual wave as he headed into the trees to shift. "See you later at the Cullens? Or are you guys just gonna meet up with us at the bonfire tonight?"

"Bonfire?" I squeaked. Crap! I'd forgotten all about that... with everything that'd happened, I'd just totally pushed it out of my brain. Jake stopped walking to turn around and give me a strange look, and I did my best to look indifferent.

"I'm not sure what our plans are, honestly. But we'll be at the bonfire for sure," I told him. He looked doubtfully at me for another moment before shaking his head.

"Just remember not to leave La Push alone," he reminded me before heading into the trees. I scowled after him, not even bothering to reply. Even though Cyrus was now wandering around someplace in Canada, according to Alice, we were all a little more on edge than we wanted to admit. But besides that...

Dammit! How could I have possibly forgotten that stupid bonfire was tonight? And now that stupid trick I'd played on Brady this morning was going to make seeing Sam face to face again just that much more awkward... Yeah, this was turning into not my best day ever.

The sound of Embry's car crunching up the driveway pulled me out of my thoughts, and I turned around, hands on my hips, to face him. He climbed out and just stood there for a long moment with the same dumbfounded look on his face as when Alice had given me that make-over.

"Did you remember about the bonfire tonight?" I asked him when it became apparent he wasn't going to talk any time soon.

He blinked, looking vacant. "Bonfire?"

"Yeah, the big Pack one," I sighed. "I'd forgotten all about it."

"Oh, right. That's tonight?" he asked, but he sounded like his brain was wrapped up in something else entirely. I scowled at him.

"Hello? Tank? What's with you?"

He blinked and suddenly swung his eyes away into the trees, staring hard. "Sorry. Just, uh, thinking..." he muttered. "So, uh, what'd you need my car for?"

"What, the buckets and hose didn't give it away? I'm gonna wash it for you," I replied with an amused snort.

"Oh. Well, that explains the, uh- your outfit."

I frowned at him, confused. "Well, yeah..."

"Right. Okay. I'll just, you know, work on Molly or whatever, then. Yeah."

He scurried past me into the dim shed, and I couldn't help noticing how bright red his ears were as he passed me. What the hell was wrong with him today?

Shrugging, I flung open all the doors on his black Ford and got to work. It took me more than an hour to clean out the inside of it, and I'd begun to wish I'd brought a pair of thick, elbow high rubber gloves.

"This is disgusting, Tank. Seriously, how can you stand it?" I demanded on more than one occasion. He just laughed at me and turned the music on louder.

I concentrated hard on scrubbing the grime away and did my best not to worry about the dreaded bonfire. How the hell could I have possibly forgotten about it? Oh, right. I'd spent the entire last week jumping at every little noise and looking over my shoulder for a pair of terrifying, red-rimmed eyes.

On the upside, it didn't seem like I'd gotten a replacement bodyguard since Brady'd slunk off in disgrace this morning. I giggled to myself, unbelievably ecstatic that at least one thing was going right, and sloshed soapy water onto the hood of the car (and myself) with more enthusiasm than was necessary. That's what I was wearing the bikini for, right?

Who gave a shit about some stupid bonfire, anyway? Sam could take his precious imprinted love and shove it where the sun don't shine as far as I was concerned. Imprinted love- who'd want that?

I ignored the little niggling voice telling me that I would, in a heartbeat, and made myself live in the now. And right now, I was having a dang good time washing Embry's car. Some stupid song was blaring out of the little CD player in the shed, and I bopped and danced and sprayed the hose randomly, soaking myself as much as the car in the process.

"They call me hell, they call me Stacy.
They call me her, they call me Jane
That's not my name! That's not my name!
They call me Quiet Girl, but I'm a riot!
Maybe Joleisa, always the same-
That's not my name! That's not my name!"

It was definitely one of the more bizarre songs I'd ever heard, but man was it catchy!

"Hey, Tank! Play that one again!" I shouted when it was over, then turned around when there was no response. He was just standing there, which a wrench dangling from his loose fingers, staring at me with his mouth half open in an astounded sort of way.

What the hell? Okay, so I was hardly Susie Sunshine, but was it really that strange to see me having a good time? Although, maybe he was just amazed at how soaked I'd managed to get everything, including myself, within a fifteen foot radius of the car.

"I was having fun," I started to explain. "But your car's clean. See?"

I pointed at the dripping- but gleaming- old Ford, and he came forward slowly to get a better look. I was insanely conscious of the heat radiating off of his bare chest when he reached my side; it made my skin prickle altogether too deliciously.

"Looks good. Really, really good," his deep voice rumbled. I glanced up at him from the corner of my eye and swallowed hard when I saw that he was actually looking at me instead of the car. My stomach suddenly seemed inhabited by a whole flock of butterflies, and to my annoyance, I started to feel a little wobbly in the knees.

"Tank..." I started quietly, but then stopped and nibbled nervously on my bottom lip. What was I trying to say? There was a whole lot of powerful... something going on between us right now, but I had zero clue what it was. I just knew that he was standing right there, and I had a really strong urge to step a little closer and... and what? Feel those rock-solid muscles under my curious fingers? Press my dripping body up to his to steal away some of the crazy heat he always radiated?

His eyes burned with intensity when they met my own, filled with some undefinable longing and need. It scared the hell out of me.

Stepping back hastily, I brought the hose up and sprayed him right in the face with a smirk. He gasped and spluttered, spinning away from my attack quickly.

"Oh, you've done it now, B. You're going down," he exclaimed laughingly as he shook the water out of his eyes.

"You're talking awful big, considering I'm the one with the hose," I taunted, and sprayed him again. He charged me and made a grab for the it, both of us slipping and sliding in the wet mud under our bare feet and laughing uproarously. That intense moment of whatever-it-was between us was completely forgotten as we fought an epic battle for the hose until we were both dripping and covered in mud.

"Oh, man! Look at your car!" I moaned after we'd both slipped and landed on our butts for the umpteenth time. My gleaming masterpiece was splattered and coated, and I pouted in annoyance. Embry lazily aimed the hose at the mud from where he lounged on the ground.

"There. All better," he announced cheerfully when it was relatively cleaned off, then looked me up and down with a smirk. "I think you could use some rinsing off, too."

"Look who's talking," I snorted as I climbed to my feet and swiped half-heartedly at the mud on my legs. Embry stayed where he was, just watching me, and I got that weird, pleasantly prickly feeling again.

"I'm, uh, gonna go shower now," I mumbled, blushing underneath his stare. He blinked twice and shook his head side to side a few times.

"Shower. Excellent idea," he replied. He swung easily to his feet, and we headed off to our separate houses quickly after agreeing to meet at the border for a run to the Cullens'.

"Jeez, Leah. Get a grip on yourself," I told myself firmly as I threw on a non-descript tanktop and shorts. "You probably just made the whole thing up, anyway. He probably doesn't even notice that you're a girl."

It seemed like I was right, because everything was completely status quo as we headed into the big, white house. Alice met us by the stairway, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank goodness, Leah! I was worried you weren't coming," she said breathlessly. "I've got the perfect outfit for you to wear tonight!"

She held up mid-riff baring tanktop and a tiny mini-skirt triumphantly, and I just stared at them in dumbfounded shock.

"Uh, Alice? I'm going to a bonfire, not the Playboy Mansion," I reminded her. She gave me a stern, annoyed look.

"I know that. You want to impress them, don't you?"

"Uh, not really," I answered honestly, and grimaced at the flimsy scraps of material she was still holding out to me. "At any rate, I doubt I'd impress anyone in that get-up."

"Trust me, you'd impress," Embry muttered, and I turned to glare at him, annoyed. He gave me an innocent shrug and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Fine. What were you planning on wearing, then?" Alice sighed, exasperated.

"This?" The word came out as more of a question than I'd intended it to as I gestured to my plain outfit, and Alice looked it over with a pained expression.

"Rose, we need some fashion advice here," she said, and immediately the Barbie vamp stood at her shoulder and looked me over critically.

"No, we don't," I insisted.

Rose just quirked an eyebrow, her mouth twisting. "Yes, you do. You can't go wearing that."

"Embry, help!" I pleaded quietly. He looked from me to the Vamps, then back to me.

"Sorry. Have fun."

I glared at him as Rose and Alice triumphantly grabbed my arms to haul me up the stairs. "Traitor," I mumbled to him, and he shrugged helplessly. Half-way to Alice's room, we met Bella.

"I think you look fine, Leah," she told me sincerely as she passed on her way down the stairs. I stopped dead still, horrified.

"Okay, you're right," I told the other two Vamp girls. "If she says it's fine, then I definitely need a new outfit."

"That's the truth," Rosalie muttered, quietly smirking while Alice sighed.

"Someday she'll come around. I'll make her come around. Thank god you've got better fashion sense than her, Leah."

This time, I didn't have any complaints when Alice locked me into her private salon for another make over. After all, I was going to be facing the La Push Pack tonight, and worse than that, I was going to be facing Sam and Emily, together. I needed every scrap of help I could get.

In the end, the three of us decided on a pair of short shorts and a quarter-sleeve black shirt with a deep scoop neckline that satisfied my need to not look too out of place and their obsession with dressing me in couture. Thankfully, they dropped their insistence on high-heeled shoes after I pointed out how absolutely ridiculous it would be to wear those on a beach and settled for a plain pair of flip-flops.

Alice disappeared to do who knew what, and I sat perfectly still in the plush salon chair, waiting for my nails to dry. A panicky feeling was gnawing at my insides more intensely as each minute passed, and my carefully cultivated sense of indifference and calm was definitely starting to crack. What had I been thinking, agreeing to go to this bonfire? I knew none of my Pack would even question me if I changed my mind, but my pride wasn't about to let me do that. I could take seeing Sam, I knew I could do that. It was the whole Emily and Sam together thing that I wasn't altogether so sure about.

"Worried?" Rosalie suddenly asked me from where she sat cross-legged on the floor painting her own nails.

"It's that obvious?" I sighed in defeat. She shrugged without looking up at me.

"Only a little. You know, you're going to make Sam really wish he'd never dumped you when he sees you in that outfit."

I snorted, but the sound was weaker than I would've liked. "No, he won't. Imprinted love, remember? He can't see anything besides her."

"Imprint or not, no man alive wouldn't notice you," she replied firmly. "I'd love to see how pissed off he'll get when he catches his Pack fantasizing about you..."

I burst out laughing at that, just remembering that sharp, angry bark this morning and how Brady had shot back into the trees.

Rosalie held up a hand to examine her perfect manicure. "At any rate, the guy's not worth your time. Really, Leah. Don't let him get to you."

"Yeah. That's easy to say, not so easy to do," I muttered, staring at the ceiling dejectedly.

"But you can do it," she insisted. "You've come so far already."

I rolled my head a little to look down at her. "How about you? The whole accepting the things you can't have bit?"

"I'm working on it. It's getting easier, though," she said casually, like we were discussing the weather. I knew differently, though.

"We're kind of alike, you know. Both of us have to work for happiness," she murmured suddenly. Surprised by her words, I said nothing as she swiftly rose to her feet and examined our reflections critically in the mirror.

"Isn't it funny that the two darkest and most hurt of all of us are the most beautiful on the outside?" she asked, her voice hard and brittle with pained bitterness.

"Hm. And all we had to give up for that beauty is our mortality," I replied, the irony in my voice echoing hers. She laughed then, the sound like golden bells on a frigid winter morning.

"Yes, just that. And our dreams. What a pair we make."

"Chocolate and Vanilla," I reminded her, and we both grimaced at the memory of that horrific come-on.

"If Sam gives you any trouble, just let me know and I'll sic Emmett on him," she told me earnestly, a frighteningly serious smirk tugging at the edges of her mouth. I returned it with one of my own.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Nessie clattered into the room breathlessly then, putting a halt to our conversation.

"Aunt Leah, Jakie says it's time to leave for the bonfire, but you really don't have to come if you don't want too, and Aunt Alice says that you have to go because you look great, and Embry says he'll wait with you if you wanted to go later, and-"

"Whoa, breathe, Ness," I interrupted her, and she sucked in a great gulp of air obediently. "You can tell Jake I'm heading down right now, okay?"

She nodded and darted out of the room in a flash of bronze ringlets, and I heaved a sigh.

"Knock 'em dead, sister," Rosalie said with an encouraging smirk, and I gave her a grin.

"Remind me to talk Emmett into taking you on that Paris trip," I replied as we followed Nessie down the stairs.

Embry was waiting for me in the living room, hands shoved deeply into the pockets of his old cut-offs. Frankly, I was surprised Alice hadn't insisted on dressing him up, too.

"You're sure you want to go, B? 'Cause we can just-"

I cut him off with a roll of my eyes. "Yes. I'm hungry- let's get moving. Maybe they'll have something better than hotdogs this time."

"You don't think there will be any trouble, do you?" Esme asked from where she hovered anxiously by the front door.

"I doubt it," Embry answered confidently. "They're supposed to be trying to convince us to come back to La Push, not kicking us out."

"At least, that's the theory, anyway," I added as we slipped outside. Just before we reached the trees, I turned back to give a quick wave at the entire Cullen family gathered to watch us leave. My stomach gave a weird jolt as I realized it felt like they were my family, too. As much a family as my own Pack was.

Embry and I didn't say much until we reached the edges of the beach and phased back. I caught up with him as soon as I was dressed, dangling my flip-flops from my fingers casually and attempting to look a whole lot less nervous than I felt. We could hear the loud, boisterous voices of the Pack, and we moved to the edge of the firelight quietly. A hand on my arm stopped me just before I stepped out of the shadows.

Embry's deep eyes bored into mine for a brief moment. "You really sure you want to do this?" he asked me seriously, and I could hear the concern in his voice. I swallowed hard.

"Yeah. It's not going to be a big deal," I assured him, then bit my lip anxiously. "You'll stay with me though, right?"

"Of course. Absolutely. And my offer to punch Sam still stands."

I laughed, and he reached out to squeeze my hand.

"Ready?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Ready."