Chapter Thirty-One

S.P.O.V

If I had learned anything in this life it was to expect the unexpected. My life had been made up of one surprise after the other, finding out that all of the Quileute legends were true and that I was a werewolf being the first. Then there was imprinting the biggest surprise of all, one that had caused me no end of suffering and unimaginable joy, it had brought me to Emily, had taken Leah from me, but it had also given me my children. Three more beautiful surprises, I would never forget the day that Emily had told me for the first time that she was pregnant, scaring me half to death when the doctor announced we were having twins, the overwhelming love towards each of them, the only thing that even came remotely close to how I felt for Emily.

The one surprise that I had never expected and seemed to continue to cause pain to all of those involved no matter how much time had passed, was Quill imprinting on Claire. Fourteen years spent watching as Quill suffered through the separation between Claire and him, seeing the old Quill that we had all grown to love fade away before us, and then slowly rebuilding himself into a what we recognised as a shadow of his former self. Fourteen years, and then Claire had returned, no one had expected it, I had hoped that when she was a little older she might decide to come and visit her family, but I had never thought that she would end up living nearby. Emily had just about dropped the phone the first time that Jane had rang her to announce her plans, and had promptly burst into tears when she heard that Claire was coming too. I had been in the kitchen when it had happened, not being able to figure out what was happening, but having an equally delighted reaction when I had heard the news myself.

It should have been easy from there on in. Despite Jane's argument against Quill and Claire meeting, we had rose above it and managed to have them meet without Jane's knowledge, they were becoming closer, Claire's face always brightened at the mention of Quill's name it was adorable how excited she would get, same went for Quill although he was a little more desperate than Claire at the prospect of meeting one another. I had watched this delighted at everything around the two of them, Quill returning to his former self, he seemed whole now and happy. But as usual something unexpected had come around and changed everything, now I was met by pained hurt expressions from both of them, both miserable and barely able to hide it. I could see that Claire worked hard to hide her misery, she had always been rather quiet but I had become used to her friendly warm nature, always ready with a joke or two, ready to chat about everything and anything. Now she made half hearted attempts at her jokes and conversation opting to sit quietly instead of talking.

It was completely unexpected, but what's more, with each of the unexpected events in my life there had been an explination following it soon enough after. The weeks were slipping by quickly and as of yet no one seemed to know what had caused such a turn around in Claire. From what I could tell it had began with the car ride, whatever Quill had done or said to Claire it had left her like this, reluctant to be near us all, hesitant and retiring.

Now here we were having dinner, Jane had been throwing me enquiring looks all night that I thought held some kind of accusation. Claire was seemingly with some effort trying to be a little more like her old self, joking about her subjects at Oak Falls, but as usual it wasn't the same Claire. I had thought that dinner would never end, I wanted to get the chance to speak with Claire alone, to see if I could maybe figure out exactly what was bothering my niece. Instead Hannah stole her cousin away for some kind of girly conversation that Claire didn't seem too excited about, the forced cheer that had been around the table evaporated almost instantly. Jane sat up even straighter in her chair if that was even possible, looking as though she were preparing herself for a fight. Emily froze, obviously she recognised the signs after years of sisterly rivalry and fighting. " I want you to make him stop this and I want it to stop right now!" Jane demanded, leaning forwards across the table. "Jane what are you talking about?" Emily asked looking questioningly towards me, as though I would have all the answers, but I had no idea what Jane was talking about either.

Jane laughed at our response, "As if the two of you don't know what I'm talking about...I bet you both had some part to play in this the two of you always conspiring about him and Claire.." she ranted, pausing as she took note of our shocked expressions, "look at you both sitting there as though butter wouldn't melt I know what you have been doing!...Claire told me that Sam took her to the garage and that she had met Quill...after everything that I said everything that you promised me you would do and now Claire has some kind of crush on him ...moping around the house and having him howling around the house every night...I swear Sam if you don't do something about this soon I will take matters into my own hands!" she threatened, staring at me.

I sat there in silence for a moment stunned at Jane's rant, what did she mean about Quill being around there house at night, no one had told me about that, and Claire had told Jane that she had a crush on Quill. I almost grinned in spite of myself, if it wasn't for the gravity of the situation I would have laughed happy to hear that I hadn't imagined my niece's interest in Quill. "Jane I...there's a lot to take in there...for one thing Claire may have met Quill in the garage but I can't be held responsible for where Quill may or may not be..." I lied easily, not wanting to outwardly admit to having been responsible for them meeting, Jane may know that I was responsible but I wasn't going to admit it and cause more trouble than was absolutely necessary. "As for Quill being around your house...then...wait did you say howling?" I asked surprised and more than a little annoyed at Quill's little stunt, if he had just been subtle she might never have noticed him being there, that is if it was actually him.

"Don't look so shocked Sam!" Jane snapped back, "You're the one that probably put him up to it in the first place!... I mean your hardly what I would call trustworthy!". Jane spat out the last part. Until this Emily had sat in silence looking back and forth between us both as we spoke, but upon hearing Jane's insults she finally decided that she needed to intervene. "Jane if you don't mind I would appreciate it if you kept your voice and your opinion about my husbands character to yourself....I know your only concerned for Claire and you have every right to be....but we have children too and I don't want them to have to hear their aunt that they barely know hurling insults at their father that are completely untrue...they know that and I would hate for them to not give you a chance based on you loosing your temper..." Emily finished her voice low and calm but forceful at the same time. I squeezed Emily's hand which I had been holding on the table a little tighter, it was strange to have Emily defending me usually that was my role and it was rare that anybody ever criticised me, not that I was anything particularly great but within the tribe I was respected.

Jane's face turned a deep shade of red, she shifted in her seat uncomfortably, "Fine I'll keep my voice down...for the children's sake but I stand by what I said...We agreed Sam...you agreed that this would all stop...you wouldn't let him near her and now look what's happened she's up half the night every night watching out that accursed window of hers waiting for that...that thing to come and.." she shuddered in the seat at whatever prospect she thought that would mean. I was definitely going to have to have a word with Quill later about what he was doing. "I know that we agreed on this Emily and I have kept to my side of the bargain Quill has never gone to your house to my knowledge or consent...." I didn't get a chance to finish before Jane interrupted me. "Sam I know what I saw and it was him!....just like what you said wolves only bigger...I see him every night, every single night and your telling me that you didn't have something to do with it?"

I leaned back in my chair considering what I ought to say, should I tell her that I no longer had control over the pack that the responsibility now lay with Jacob, even if Jacob did say something to Quill it didn't matter because imprint trumps pack. None of this information would help, it would only send Jane over the edge entirely. "I don't know if it Quill was near your house but I'll have a word with him....it might have been another member of the pack just patrolling nearby..." Jane rose her eyebrows at this, we both knew that it was Quill and there was no point in pretending that it wasn't. Before she could say anything else I interrupted, "Jane I understand your fears about Quill but you have to understand that if he or any other member of the pack for that matter are near your house....they are there for one reason and one reason only and that is to protect her....and you...like it or not your both important to the tribe and as long as your both near us we're going to want to look after you...but obviously from a distance just like you wanted...no one will come too close to Claire..." I promised, lying yet again.

"Claire and I don't need protecting Sam....we're absolutely fine and I don't see how we're both important to you all...they hardly know us...and I don't like the idea of any of them being near my house...but if you insist on this I'm willing to make one compromise and that is for whichever one of you that is hanging around every night to stay out of sight...I don't want Claire being exposed to them in any kind of way when their like that...she's a caring girl a little too soft for her own good and I don't want her thinking that it's alright to go out and get a closer look or something!" she finished exasperatedly.

"Jane...can I ask you something hounestly?" Emily asked staring at Jane with an uncertain, almost cautious expression. Jane returned her look with an equally wary expression before answering, "I suppose you can...what is it?"she answered quietly. "Well I was wondering if you trusted me?" Emily asked simply, only I could tell that she was nervous about what Jane's answer would be, her grip on my hand tightening slightly as she waited. It wasn't something that Jane had expected judging from her reaction, she sat back in her chair and looked around the kitchen and towards the door leading toward the hall and the stairs beyond; obviously thinking about the children. "Emily your my sister...and I...I trust you...but how can I trust something that could hurt my child...I mean look at you Sam did this to you and I know that you have forgiven him and he has never done anything else like it since........but you can't speak for Quill..you can't know that this won't happen again...and what kind of mother would I be if I exposed my child to that risk."

Now it was my turn to blanch at Jane's mention of what I did to Emily, I hated that this was part of the reason why Quill and Claire were hurting, it shouldn't have anything to do with them; it was my mistake and I had to live with that each day, it belonged in the past not now; and certainly not with Quill and Claire. Emily seemed to think the same thing, "I completely understand where your coming from Jane and if I were in your shoes I think that I would feel the same way....but I wouldn't let it come between my child and whoever would make them happy...I know that your looking at it from the point of view of how it would be a risk to Claire's safety.." Emily was cut off from a loud groan from Jane, "No Emily I don't want to hear this...my mind is made up you both made the risks perfectly clear when you told Brian and I about Quill and this imprinting business and we made our decision a long time ago...". Emily grabbed Jane's hand which she had clenched into a fist on the table, taking her by surprise, "Hear me out please Jane...that much won't hurt will it...I'm not asking for your blessing or for you to have Quill call by your house or anything just listen to me..." Emily pleaded, refusing to let go of Jane's hand despite some attempts made by her.

Jane didn't answer instead she stopped struggling, which Emily took as consent for her to keep talking. "Sam made a mistake...and that is what it was Jane...I know that we didn't really go into details about it before but it was an accident...when a person becomes a wolf for the first time it takes them a while to get used to it...their emotions control everything and they can change unexpectedly....and that's what happened Sam was going through a lot at the time with Leah and this one day he had just got off the phone with her and had upset him...." I grimaced as I waited for Emily to finish, I was replaying everything in my mind, Leah screaming down the phone at me for having to call everything off, after all the plans and promises that I had made with her. The hurt in her voice was enough to make me feel sick, I felt guilty but at the same time but relief at the idea that Emily would now possibly be easier to become close to.

I listened again as Emily who had paused began talking again, "I saw him shaking....but I...I didn't know what it meant at the time I wanted to see if he was alright...but of course he wasn't he was about to change and he didn't know that I was there...if I had just said something or let him know that I was there instead of sneaking up on him like that then..." Emily gestured towards her face, "this might never have happened". Emily squeezed my hand again just to make sure that I was alright, "But that was us...and we can't take back what happened it belongs in the past...what you have to understand now though is that Quill has learned to control his phasing...he's had fourteen years to perfect it and Claire couldn't be any safer around him....like Sam said I don't expect you to have him around our house or anything like that...but Jane I wish you would at least consider letting Claire be friends with him if anything...just because Sam and I married it doesn't necessarily mean that Claire and Quill will follow that path...he will be whatever is best for her and what she wants, a brother, a friend...whatever she chooses...just please think about it and until you have Sam and I will both speak to Quill and the others and tell them to keep a safe distance....and one more thing if I could forgive Sam for what happened and then marry him and have children with him...don't you think I would have to trust him implicitly?....because that's what you get with your imprint complete trust and security...you can't say that about everyone, the odds of Claire being hurt by some boy and their car is far higher than the odds of Quill ever hurting Claire are...."

Jane stared at Emily for a few moments longer before deciding to answer, "Be sure to tell Quill and the others what I've said..." she began puling her hand away from Emily's grip, but Emily again refused to let go. "Jane promise me that you'll at least think about what I've said..." she asked, but before she got the chance to answer Caleb quickly followed by Claire came into the kitchen. Caleb glanced quickly at the sight before him, but being used to meetings often taking place in the house over the years walked past us towards the fridge, Claire on the other hand froze at the door, obviously confused at the sight, Jane moving to stand, Emily still holding on to her hand. "Claire I think that it's about time we leave, we wouldn't want to outstay our welcome.." Jane supplied quickly. Claire glance around her expression confused as Jane snatched her hand back and began walking towards the door, "Thank you for dinner goodnight!" she called over her shoulder. Claire walked a little more slowly, "Thank you for dinner....it was nice of you to invite us.." she added smiling, Emily taking her into a quick hug, before she left.

"I really hope she at least considers this..." Emily whispered almost to herself. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder pulling her closer to me. "I hope so too...I don't think that you could have said anymore than you did...all we can do now is wait and see..." It really was all we could do, even if Quill was seeing Claire every night, it was from a distance and the only way that we could somehow mend whatever problem that was between them, was to have Jane onside, until then I didn't know what to expect, I could only hope for the unexpected.