A/N: The only thing I wanted to say is that I'm finally getting around to changing Paul and Jared's last names to what they are supposed to be, according to the Illustrated Guide. And that my absence is explained by the fact that I was on vacation for four days and didn't bring my laptop with me. As for ATOF, I'm just having more fun writing Kim and Jared! But the next chapter will be up as soon as I finish it.

My guilt was eating me up. I sat quietly on the couch in the living room, chewing my nails to bits and staring at the black screen of the TV, waiting.

I was waiting for Jared, and most likely Paul, to barge in and start yelling at me and accusing me of betraying them.

When Jared finally came back, around one, his reaction was unlike what I had been thinking. He wrapped his arm around me as he sat beside me on the couch and sighed, shaking his head. "You missed it, Kim. Guess who lost their temper and phased in front of a human?"

I gasped. "Paul? What happened? Did he give away the secret? What did you guys do?"

"We didn't give away the secret. Jacob did." He muttered.

"So Paul phased in front of Bella Swan?"

He nodded. "Yeah- Wait? How did you know that?" He asked sharply. "Wait a second! You've been scheming with Jacob haven't you?"

"Before you freak out… I was just trying to help out a friend."

He burst into laughter. "I knew it!" He chortled. "I knew it was too good of an idea to be his. You are way too smart for your own good, and ours too apparently."

"Wait… You're not mad?"

He shook his head at me. "No not as much as I should be, I guess. I'm too tired and I miss you too much. Paul will probably be pretty pissed though."

We both chuckled and I ran my thumb across the tired skin on Jared's face, relieved. "You look so tired, Jared. We should go upstairs and take a nap."

He let out a low groan. "As amazing as that sounds, I can't. I have to go again."

"Again?" I whined. "You just got here!"

"I'm really sorry, Kim. But we finally found out what the redheaded vamp wants. Apparently, she's after Bella." He grumbled. "We're not going to rest until she's dead."

I sighed. "Okay fine, goodbye Jared."

"Kim, please forgive me. This is for your safety as much as it is Bella's. I will find time for you, I promise." I let him kiss me. "Be safe."

"Right back at you." I muttered, shutting the door in his face for the second time today. This werewolf thing was seriously a nuisance. I'm starting to regret helping Jake out.

I just hoped they'd catch her soon.

I was wrong. The next few days dragged on exactly the same as Saturday. I saw Jared for a few minutes and then he would be dragged away on duty. They were running ragged and I was getting bored.

On my many walks around the town, and down the beach, I saw Bella Swan. Jared had told me that she was hanging out here for her own safety, and a little bit in hopes that her scent would lure the vampire to La Push.

I didn't talk to her and she didn't acknowledge me. Apparently Jake had left me out of their little conversations and she had no idea that I was an ex-girlfriend or imprint. Oh well, I was used to being a nobody.

I hung out with Emily mostly, because she was the only person who tolerated my constant worrying and bitching. She understood and she was always cooking, which was great. But by Wednesday, my bad mood had escalated to the point that I didn't even want to hang out with Emily anymore.

So I sat on my couch, sulking all day. My brother and Callie had left around seven to go somewhere in Seattle until tomorrow night. I wasn't surprised; they were always going out lately and leaving me behind.

It was about eight thirty when my doorbell rang. I threw it open in excitement. "Jared!" I exclaimed, throwing myself at him. His warm arms held me eagerly and I reached up to hold his face, drinking in his features. It had been too long.

"Hey baby." He breathed, kissing my head and inhaling. "You smell so good. I miss you so damn much."

I shoved him in the house eagerly and shut the door. "You came at the right time. We have the house to ourselves tonight."

He grinned at me. "I have all night off too. Jake's taking the morning off tomorrow so he let us off the hook for the night and he's going to howl for us if we're needed." I sat next to him on the couch, exuberant. "So…? What should we do?"

Nerves struck my stomach. We were all alone… "How about a snack, are you hungry? I could pop some popcorn."

"That sounds lovely, Kim."

"Okay." I murmured. "W-wait here." I put the popcorn in the microwave and ran upstairs to brush my teeth and put on deodorant. Not trying to make any assumptions, but…

The microwave beeped and I ran back downstairs, pulled it out and poured it into a bowl. When I entered the living room, Jared was on his cell phone. "Now? Seriously? Didn't you just say we had the night off?" He groaned. "Oh come on! Can't it wait?"

"Jared, what's wrong?" I whispered.

"Kim, baby…" He trailed off, eyes downcast. "I am so sorry…"

I put the popcorn down on the table. "You're leaving again." I accused.

"I swear, I will be right back. An hour at the most okay? If I'm not back by ten, you can hate me forever." He said, jumping up on his feet. "It's just a quick meeting. Jake wants to re-evaluate our strategies."

"And you promise you'll be back by ten?"

"Yes, I promise! Oh Kim, you're honestly the best girlfriend ever. I will make this horrible week up to you, I swear." He rushed out the door and shut it behind him while I stood staring at it.

Yep, I hate werewolves.

I flicked on the TV and drowned my sorrows in a sappy movie and a bowl of popcorn. Thirty minutes later, there was a pounding on my door.

Okay, it's definitely not Jared. It actually kind of sounds like Paul when he's pissed. I stood at the door, trying to peer through the crack. "Paul, if that's you I'm not opening the door until you promise you won't hurt me."

"Kim, let me in right now." A gruff voice responded.

"Quil?" I gasped, swinging open the door. He looked like he had grown at least a few inches if not more, and his hands were clenched into fists. The rational part of my brain was telling me to back the hell up. But the stupid part of my brain, the one that usually wins, stepped forward and put her hands on his face. "Are you okay?"

He flinched. "Don't touch me!" He growled and I finally decided to step back. "What did you do to me?"

"What are you talking about? I haven't talked to you in days."

"Don't give me that shit!" He roared and I flinched and kept backing up towards the back door. "What did they do? Look at me! What did Sam do to me!?"

I shook my head. "This isn't Sam's fault, Quil. Just calm down and relax, let me explain."

"Bullshit this isn't Sam's fault! Look at what's happening. I'm taller, I'm bigger, I'm angrier. I'm just like him! Just like Jared, Paul, Embry and Jacob! He's gotten to me hasn't he? I'm next? Oh my God, I'm next." His voice had quieted and he wasn't yelling, but his fists had uncurled and turned into a shaking mess. "Tell me what's happening." He whispered.

His head shot up to look me in the eyes and I cowered, inching backwards even more. "Quil, please don't come any closer!" I cried. "Stay back."

"Why are you afraid of me, Kim?" He asked. "Is it because you know exactly what they've done to me? I bet you're in on it. Jared has you brainwashed now huh? Well, now that I know, I'll be damned if I ever let you go near Summer ever again!"

Shit, this is not good. "Please calm down." I whispered again. If I couldn't get him to relax, I had no idea what was going to happen to me. "We can talk about this if you just relax."

"Talk?" He asked, a tremor running down his spine. I shivered along with him. "I don't want to fucking talk! I want this shit to go away!"

I shook my head. "It's not just going to go away Quil." I murmured sadly. "You're in this for life, just like the rest of us."

Yeah, that was obviously the wrong this for me to say. His hands shook, and I heard him snarl and I knew exactly what was happening. Once the claws appeared, I turned and ran out the door, hopping over the fence and booking it into the trees, only turning back to watch a massive chocolate brown wolf explode out of the back wall of my house.

I screamed and kept running into the pitch black woods. I knew it was stupid, I knew that no one was on patrol at the moment and that there was a rogue vampire running around, but at that moment I would rather chance meeting a vampire than getting torn apart by wolf-Quil.

So I just kept running. And eventually, there was no one following me. And then I realized it was cold, it was dark and I was lost.

Shit, shit, shit, I was going to get eaten. I was going to be a late night snack, and I was going to die. I felt tears prick in my eyes and I rubbed my shoulders. Do not cry Kim, you're a big girl. I resisted the urge to sink to my knees, curl up in a ball and cry and decided that my best bet of escaping my death was to go back in the direction that I came from.

Too bad I had no idea which way that was. Letting out a groan, I picked a random direction and started trudging. It's okay Kim, Jared promised he would be back soon. He'll know something is up when he sees the gaping hole in your house.

Okay, trying to reassure myself wasn't working. How the hell was I supposed to explain that to my brother? Oh yeah an angry werewolf just pulverised the shit out of our house. No big deal or anything. Either way, I'm so dead.

I shivered, trying to warm myself by rubbing my arms again. I don't remember how long I'd been walking for, but I was cold and tired. Was I ever going to find a way out of the woods? I think I've been walking in circles.

Rustle, rustle.

I froze in place, not breathing. I heard it again. "Jared?" I whispered. Nothing. "Jared?" I called again a little louder. The rustle started up again and I heard something move, too close for comfort.

So I did what I thought was best. I screamed and ran as fast as I could. And then I ran into something hard. I screamed again. "Don't eat me!" I cried, tears coming to my eyes. "Please don't eat me!"

"Kim, relax! Kim, Kim, Kim!"

I stopped struggling. "Paul?" I whispered, out of breath. "Oh my God, it's really you." I threw myself into his warm chest, finally able to breathe right.

"Holy crap, you're freezing!" He exclaimed, wrapping his huge arms around me and rubbing my arms. "How long have you been out here? Do you know how dangerous it is?"

"Quil phased." I breathed.

"I know, Sam is with him right now." He said with a frown evident in his voice. "But that still doesn't answer my question. Why were you in the woods?"

"He came over." I whispered, trying to stay cuddled in Paul's warm arms while walking. "He started yelling at me and accusing me of working with Sam and drugging him. He phased and I bolted it for the woods after he destroyed the back of my house."

"Well, it's better than what we thought happened. Jared thought the vampire had kidnapped you. He's probably still pacing around your house having a heart attack. I told him I'd go out and search for you so he could wait there in case you came back. And don't worry about the wall. Sam will pay to have that fixed. The council has a damage fund." He laughed suddenly. "Although I think I've used up at least half of it."

"You and your temper." I chuckled nervously, still shaken but starting to relax. "I heard you almost attacked Bella Swan."

"Yeah well, I heard you helped Jacob betray the Tribe." He countered, flicking my forehead. I rubbed it sheepishly. "You're lucky that I like you."

"Sometimes I'm not so sure. I mean, if you didn't like me you wouldn't be around to pester me all the time." I grumbled as he finally, finally, led me out of the trees. My house had never looked so welcoming, even with a gaping hole in the back. "Jared!" I cried, flinging Paul's arm off of me and running towards the distraught looking teenager on my back porch.

His head shot up and his face melted into a relieved look. "Kim!" He cried as I flung myself into his arms. "Don't ever run off like that again! I thought you'd been kidnapped and that I'd lost you forever."

"Yeah okay, next time I'll just let Quil eat me." I teased, snuggling my head into his shoulder. "How is he, anyway?"

"He's a bit shaken up… But he's been talking to Embry and I think he's almost ecstatic that he has his friends back." Jared said, stroking my hair. "But he's not going to be very ecstatic when I rip his limbs off."

"You should really cut the kid a break." Paul commented as he surveyed the damaged of my house. "We all know what it was like when we first phased."

"Yeah, well he didn't just try to attack your imprint." Jared muttered, holding me tighter. I sighed happily in his arms. "You can go now, Paul."

"Oh I see how it is." He muttered. "Save the girl, get no thanks and then get kicked out. I see."

Jared rolled his eyes, but I jumped from his hold and threw my arms around Paul's neck, truly grateful. "Thank you very much for finding me in the woods. I owe you big time." And then I placed a big, sloppy kiss on his cheek. "I love you Paul." I crooned sweetly.

Jared ripped a snarl from his mouth and Paul set me on my feet and wiped his cheek. "Gross. I'm out of here." He muttered, turning around and stalking into the woods. I laughed happily and turned back to Jared, suddenly realizing the extent of my exhaustion.

"Come on, Kim. Let's get you to bed." Jared murmured, sweeping me up easily into his arms.

I yawned. "Will you stay with me?"

"Do you really think I'm going to let you out of my sight after what just happened?" He said, leading me upstairs into my room. He tucked me into bed and kissed my head. "Sleep, beautiful. I'm going to call Sam and let him know about the damage and it'll be fixed before your brother gets back."

I shook my head and grabbed his arm, dragging him into bed with me. "That can wait." I whispered. "I want you here with me while I fall asleep."

I closed my eyes and let the feeling of his warm fingers stroking my hair lull me off to sleep. It was the end of a hectic day, and the beginning of something even more hectic. We had no idea what tomorrow would bring.