Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed. I really appreciate it. I wouldn't mind more though!

Chapter Title taken from the song "Complicated Questions" by Finger Eleven

"God, I hate McDonald's," Claire grumbled.

After getting "caught" twice in compromising positions in Claire's bedroom - once by Grace and most recently by Claire's mom - Sharon had decided it was better if Quil did not come home with Claire after school. Quil was still allowed to pick her up, but they had to go to a public place to hang out. Quil had agreed readily enough. He also thought it was a good idea. Things with Claire had been getting a little to intense for his liking, and this was the perfect excuse for them to not hang out in the house alone without it looking like he didn't want to spend time with her. That afternoon they were sitting in a booth at the local McDonald's, Claire's schoolwork spread across the table top.

"What? How can you hate McDonald's? It's like a Mecca. A Mecca of greasy fatty food that all tastes soooo good." Quil smiled around a mouthful of fries.

Claire looked up. "You're disgusting. I mean do you think that looks at all attractive?"

Quil made a face. "What's with the 'tude dude?"

"Okay first off I hate that expression. And you know exactly why I have the 'tude dude'."

Quil sighed. "This is about tonight isn't it? I already told you I promised Seth and Julie I would cover Seth's patrol tonight. He's taking her to some fancy restaurant in Victoria."

Claire sniffed. "I understand, I mean you've only known about this for ages. But by all means help Seth and Julie out."

Quil rolled his eyes. "Claire-bear, I promise next football game I'll be in the front row to see you cheer."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Claire grumbled.

Quil didn't respond. He knew he was letting Claire down, but he just didn't think he could handle watching her parade around in her tiny cheerleading skirt. He was determined to not let things get out of control. The cheerleading uniform was something that tended to put very, very bad thoughts into his head. When Seth had approached him about covering patrol, Quil had jumped at the opportunity.

Quil and Claire sat in silence for awhile, Quil working his way through a tray full of food, Claire studiously working on her homework. It was about twenty minutes later when Quil noticed Claire scrutinizing him.

"Quil, I want to talk about something very important." Claire set her pen on her notebook and folded her hands on their booth's table.

Quil cocked an eyebrow at her and said, "What's that?"

Claire gave Quil a serious look. "As you know the Homecoming Dance is a couple of weeks away."

Quil rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to protest.

Claire held her hand up. "Shush. Let me finish. You owe me one anyway since you can't be bothered to come watch me cheer. Now like I was saying the Homecoming Dance is a couple of weeks away. And since I've realized I'm going to be waiting forever for you to ask me out on another date, I'm going to ask you. Will you please go to the Homecoming Dance with me?"

Quil sighed. "Claire….no."

Claire smiled for half a second. Then her face fell. "What! What do you mean no?" She said the no as if it were a dirty word.

"I mean no. Dates around here are one thing. A date at the high school? Totally different."

"Why? Why is it any different?"

"Because I think the school would probably have a problem with the fact that your date graduated from high school ten years ago."

Claire made a face. "Who cares?"

Quil pointed at himself. "I care."

"Quil, you are morally obligated, as my boyfriend to do whatever it is I ask. It's in the dating contract. Look it up. I want to go to this dance and you are going to take me."

Quil smiled. "Well when you put it that way," he stopped smiling. "No."

Claire looked around and then said loudly, "You were so much nicer when we talked on the internet!"

Quil, who had been taking a sip of his soda, jumped as though he had been goosed. Soda squirted out of his nose. He coughed and glared at Claire. "That's so inappropriate. I mean not even funny at all."

Claire made a face. "It was a little funny. Besides nobody even turned to look. And that was way worse than taking me to some dance. So just take me, okay?"

"After that stunt, let me think. Ummm no."

"Quil, come on-"

"No."

"What if we-"

"NO."

Claire pouted. "Pweese?" She begged.

Quil grunted. "I'll think about it."

Claire gave a small squeal and clapped her hands.

"Hey, I said I'd think about it. That isn't a definite yes." Quil informed her.

Claire gave him a knowing smile. "Oh I know. I just think it's so sexy when you try to put up a fight."

Quil frowned. "Do your homework," he grumbled.

"Actually, I kind of wanted to talk to you about something else."

Quil dropped his head back on his neck and sighed. "What did I do to deserve this?" he moaned.

Claire slapped his hand. "You should really read the dating contract closer. It also states that when I want to talk about something, you give me your full undivided attention."

"There is no dating contract. And if there were it would also say that you would hush up, finish your homework and let me eat my fries in peace."

"Whatever. This is important."

"Fine. You have my undivided attention. What's up?"

"You remember when we had that really bad fight a few months ago?"

Quil nodded. How could he forget?

"Well, remember when I accused you of sleeping with another girl, and you said you had?"

Quil looked down at the table and scratched his eyebrow uncomfortably. "Yeah," he said slowly.

"I want to know about her. I want to know everything."

"You want to talk about this now? Here?" He gestured at the crowded restaurant.

Claire shook her head. "Yes."

Quil wondered how it was he was getting roped into yet another inappropriate conversation at a McDonald's. If this trend kept up he was going to be banned for life.

"What do you want to know?" He sighed.

"How old was she? And how old were you?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Because I want to know."

Quil sighed again. "She was twenty-one when we met. I was eighteen."

"Hm. Did you date her? Or just sleep with her?"

"We didn't date," he said quietly.

"Interesting." Claire said in a snotty tone.

"I already told you I was sorry and it wouldn't happen again. Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because we are dating. I just find it interesting that you slept with some girl that you never even dated, and I can barely get you to hold my hand in public, let alone take me to my Homecoming."

"Claire one has nothing to do with the other."

"They have everything to do with each other!"

"Hey, calm down." Quil rubbed his eyes. "Explain what you're trying to say."

"I'm saying that you were willing to sleep with a girl that you barely knew and you don't want to sleep with me."

Quil's eyes widened. "When did sex even come into this? I've already told you my feelings about this whole situation. I don't want to discuss it again."

"You know, I turn fifteen in a week. What are you going to say then?"

Quil raised his eyebrows. "Well I'll probably say what I've been saying. That we should really put a hold on the physical stuff until you're sixteen."

"And when I turn sixteen? Will you change your mind again? Up it to seventeen? Eighteen? Hell maybe we should just wait until I'm twenty-one. Then I could take you to a bar, get you drunk and seduce you."

"That won't be necessary."

"I still don't get this. I mean, I know you've had sex before. So I can't help feeling that it's not just the age thing. Because you know we're going to be together forever. You knew you weren't going to be with that other girl when you slept with her, but you slept with her just the same."

Quil shook his head. "Totally different situation."

"Why is it different?"

"Because those other girls weren't you!" Quil snapped.

"Wait…..girls? Plural?" Claire narrowed her eyes at Quil. "How many girls have you been with?"

"Hmm, what?" Quil asked innocently.

"Don't do that."

"Do what? What'd I do?"

"Don't try to play innocent. You said 'girls'. Plural. I want to know how many girls you've been with." Claire sat back, her arms folded across her chest.

"Umm, well I mean does that really matter?"

Claire nodded emphatically. "Yes it matters!" She snapped.

"Claire, it doesn't matter how many girls I've been with. I mean, the only thing that will come of this conversation is you getting upset."

Claire's eyes widened. "I'll get upset? Like more than I already am? Jesus, how many girls have you been with Don Juan?"

Quil looked down, his fingers tearing at the corner of his sandwich wrapper. "Ummm….something like….simmmmpphhh." He mumbled.

"I'm sorry what was that?" Claire asked, her voice filled with venom.

Quil sighed. "I said something like six."

"SOMETHING LIKE SIX! How can it be something like six? What the hell does that even mean?"

Quil glanced around quickly. "Would you lower your voice. We should not be talking about this here."

Claire glared. "What does something like six mean?" She said in a low, tight voice.

Quil cleared his throat. "It means that… one girl I didn't have ummm you know, intercourse with," he said quietly.

Claire made a face. "You didn't have intercourse with….then why would you…..OHHH I get it," she spat at him. "She just sucked your dick is that it?"

Quil grabbed his tray. "Okay, we're leaving now. Get your stuff together."

"Well tell me, I'm just curious. How many of these girls were after you imprinted on me?"

"Just one, I swear, and I haven't been with anyone in eight years, I told you that." Quil looked pleadingly into Claire's eyes. "Please let's not do this."

"Do what?" Claire snapped.

"Fight about this, please, I can't stand this. It makes me feel sick. Like physically sick."

"Yeah, well I'm feeling pretty sick right now too." Claire said quietly.

"Claire, I admit I had a life before I imprinted on you. But other than my one indiscretion, I have not touched another woman since the day I met you. I have already apologized for the mistake I made. I refuse to let you be mad at me for things I did before I even met you."

Claire dropped her head and sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I had no right to get mad at you. I know you had a life before me. It's just that I love you so much and the thought of you with another girl…ugh God… girls, I hate it."

"Look, Claire. Yes I've been with other girls. But that does not mean that when we're together like that…" Quil saw Claire glance up at him. "Way, way in the future when we're together like that, that it's going to be any less special. In fact it will be the most special time for me ever. Ever. I just really need you to be patient with this stuff. I need you to do that for me. It's in the dating contract."

Claire gave a small giggle. "I'm sorry. I know I'm driving you crazy. I don't mean too. I just can't seem to help myself when I'm around you."

"Ditto," Quil replied. "I know it's hard but we really have to try, okay?"

Claire nodded. She suddenly smiled. "You know what would probably help? If you agreed to take me to Homecoming."

Quil narrowed his eyes. "Get your stuff, we're going." He carried his tray to the garbage then turned to watch Claire gathering her books at the booth.

She was right when she said she was driving him crazy. He felt like he had been on an emotional roller coaster the last few months. He realized that he was going to really have to acknowledge how much their relationship had changed lately. For a brief moment he wished things could go back to the way they were, before everything had gotten so complicated. But as he watched Claire walking towards him, her long silky hair spilling over her shoulders , her hips swaying just slightly as she walked, he thought that maybe, deep in the recesses of his mind, he was glad for the complications.

"And the food was amazing!"

Julie and Seth were cuddling on the couch giving Quil the details about their evening in Victoria.

"Well I'm glad you guys had a nice time," Quil said.

It was almost one o'clock in the morning. Seth and Julie had gotten back about ten minutes before and Quil had walked in a few minutes after them from patrol.

"You guys want to watch a movie?" He asked. Patrolling when nothing was going on always left him feeling keyed up and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep for a while yet.

Seth looked at Julie who shrugged. "Why not."

Quil poured over the DVD selection, finally deciding on a mindless comedy. He put the movie on and collapsed into one of the two recliners. They had watched about ten minutes when Embry walked into the living room and plopped dejectedly down into a chair.

"Ahummm."

Quil narrowed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the movie they were watching.

"AAHUMMMM," Embry sighed again.

Quil dropped his head back on the recliner. "Something on your mind, Em?" He asked, a touch of sarcasm tainting his words.

"No," Embry replied sulkily.

Quil rolled his eyes. Mentally he counted one, two, three and go.

"Well," Embry started.

Quil and Seth both groaned. Quil paused the movie and spun his chair around to face the one Embry was sitting in.

"Let's have it." He waved his hands in a come on gesture.

"Well it's just, it's Kate. She's so…..I don't know." Embry made a sad puppy face. "Never mind."

One, two, three and go.

"Well," Embry started again. "She's just so frustrating."

Embry had been dating Kate Channing for a little over a month. They had met at the machine shop where Embry, Seth and Quil all worked. She had been there to speak to the shop's health benefits coordinator, representing her insurance company. Embry had taken one look at her and asked her out on the spot. To everyone's surprise she had said yes.

"Ahhh," Seth nodded his head. "I know what this is all about. You haven't banged her yet, have you?"

"Seth!" Julie smacked Seth's arm.

"Not even close!" Embry said, clearly annoyed. "If Bang Her was an island in the Caribbean , Kate and I are stuck in traffic in Jersey."

Quil gave Embry an appreciative look. "That's actually pretty clever."

Embry shrugged. "I got it from a movie. Either way this chick is not giving it up. I don't get it. I've been nice, I've been charming, I've been downright disgustingly sweet. Why won't she fuck me?"

Julie made a face. "Well maybe because she doesn't want to be 'fucked'."

"She's all 'I want to get to know you'. What the hell is that? And now I'm stuck. I can't use my boxer trick because she isn't sleeping with me!" Embry tossed his hands up in exacerbation.

"Boxer trick?" Julie questioned. "Do I even want to know what that is?"

"Embry has this thing about being the bad guy. He never wants to be the one to break up with the girl he's seeing. So what he'll do is take a pair of boxers the girl has never seen before to the girls house, stuff them in the couch and then 'find' them." Seth explained. "He accuses the girl of cheating on him until the girl gets so pissed she breaks up with him. Ergo he's not the bad guy for dumping her. " He shrugged at Julie's confused look. "I don't get it either. His brain is warped…just a theory."

"It totally makes sense!" Embry snapped. "'Cause when the next girl I date asks why I broke up with the last girl, I can get all upset and say it's 'cause she cheated on me. It makes me look all vulnerable and then boom. The chick sleeps with me faster. It has never failed."

"Until now," Quil pointed out.

Embry nodded in defeat. "Until now," he admitted. "I mean what's her problem? I'm sexy, right?" When no one answered he said louder. "RIGHT?"

"Oh, yeah totally," Quil said.

"Thank you. I mean Julie, you'd fuck me, right?"

"HEY!" Seth jumped off the couch and snarled at Embry.

"Seth," Julie grabbed Seth's hand and tried to pull him back onto the couch.

"Whoa, back off Cujo, it was a rhetorical question," Embry said.

"Well keep her out of it," Seth growled.

Embry made a face at Quil. What the hell, he mouthed.

Quil shrugged. "Imprint thing," he said. "You wouldn't understand."

"Oh, so you're going to throw that in my face, huh?" Embry said in a hurt voice.

"Oh come off it. You were just saying last week about how you don't want to ever find your imprint because you like your freedom."

Embry nodded. "That's true. I mean if I had to end up like you or Seth I'd probably kill myself."

"I happen to be very happy," Seth said, a contented smile on his face.

"Me too, baby," Julie said giving him a kiss.

"Blech, do you see? It's so much easier to love 'em and leave 'em. And Kate is screwing with my whole philosophy. I mean I give and I give and I give. What more do I have to do? You know what it is?" Embry didn't wait for anyone to answer before he rambled on. "They have the boobs and the bush."

"Ugh," Julie gave Embry a disgusted look.

Embry ignored her. "So the women have all the power. It's totally unfair."

"You're telling me?" Quil piped up. "I spent the afternoon being shaken down by a one hundred and ten pound cheerleader."

Embry made a face. "You know what I find amazing? I'm trying to have a discussion about ME and you manage to turn it into a discussion about you and Claire. AGAIN!"

Quil looked properly chastised. "You're right I'm sorry. Go ahead and finish."

Embry opened his mouth and then promptly closed it. "I was done," he said primly, leaning back in his chair.

Quil sat for a moment waiting to see if Embry was really done. When he didn't say anything else Quil spoke up. "Claire asked me to take her to the Homecoming dance."

Embry dropped his chin to his chest and let out an enormous fake snore. He then pretended to jerk awake. "Oh I'm sorry, I thought we were going to have to hear about Claire again."

"Fine, that's fine. I don't have to tell you anything," Quil pouted. He stood up and made to leave the room.

Embry grabbed his arm as he passed and said. "I'm joking, I'm joking."

Quil sat back down. "Okay, well Claire-"

Embry dropped his chin and snored again.

"God, forget it," Quil snapped.

"Quil wait, Embry stop being an ass. Tell us what's going on with Claire," Seth shot Embry a dirty look.

"She wants me to take her to Homecoming. I don't think it's a good idea for me to go on a date at the school. So I told her no."

Seth made a shocked face. "You? You told Claire no?"

"You know, you could get away with that when you weren't imprinted, but now….not cool." Quil said. "I mean Julie has you at her beck and call."

"That is true," Julie said with a smile.

"Anyway now I feel horrible, because she really wants to go. Of course she remains convinced that I'll change my mind."

"I agree with her." Embry said. "I'll bet you anything she'll bat her eyes and flit around in her little skirt and you'll totally cave."

Quil sighed. "Would you please give me some credit. I am not some puppet that she can manipulate to do her whims."

Embry snorted. "Dear Land of Delusion." He mimed writing a letter. "Can you send my balls back in a neat little box with a bow so I can just hand them directly to Claire. Thanks so much. Love, Quil."

Quil scoffed. "I'm serious." He made a determined face. "I'm not going. Not going."

Embry rolled his eyes. "I'm not helping you pick out a suit," he muttered.

"Yeah well that's not even the worst of it." Quil took a deep breath. "Today, she asked what my number was."

"Oooooohhhhh," Seth, Julie and Embry all said simultaneously.

"Tell me about it."

"Well, did you tell her?"

Quil nodded.

"Ohhh, how'd she take it," Seth asked.

"She flipped out. I mean I told her that all but one was before I even met her and she apologized for flipping out, but I mean what the hell? Less than a year ago she was calling me 'big bro' and now she's asking me my number and rubbing all over me like a cat in heat. This has all just happened so fast. I feel like I've been plastered by an eighteen wheeler with 'Claire Express' printed on the side. I'm like lying on the side of the road with my brains sort of spattered all over the place."

"If that's the case, can I have your bedroom?" Embry joked.

Quil laughed. "Leave it to you, Em. I'm spilling my guts and you just step all over it with a smart ass remark."

"Well you've been spilling your guts so much lately that I'm slipping all over the house."

Quil nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry. I know I've been a bitch to live with lately. I really am sorry. I'll try to lay off the Claire stuff for awhile."

"Sounds good." Embry turned to the TV. "So what the hell, let's watch this movie. Jesus you guys talk a lot."

Quil, Seth and Julie all turned and stared at Embry.

"What?" He asked.

Quil just shook his head and pushed play.

They were able to watch ten more minutes before - somewhere in the room - Quil's cell phone began to ring.

"Ohh, speaking of naughty school girls," Embry snickered as he recognized Claire's ring tone.

"Shut up," Quil said distractedly as he searched for his phone. He patted his pockets and not finding it stood and began searching down the sides of the chair.

"We're never going to watch this movie, are we?" Julie complained.

Seth pulled her closer against him and growled into her ear. "You weren't going to be watching much of it anyway."

Embry made a disgusted face. "If you two are going to be groping like a couple of teenagers then you are banned from the living room, right Quil?"

Quil, who had finally unearthed his phone from under the cushion made a shushing gesture with his hand.

"Hey Claire, how was the game? Oh hi Sharon. Really? Is she okay? Yeah it's been awhile. Okay, I'll be right over." Quil flipped his phone closed. "I've got to go." he informed them.

"Everything okay?" Seth asked.

"Yeah it's just Claire's back. I've got to change." Quil walked down the hallway.

"What's wrong with Claire's back?" Julie asked.

"She fell down the stairs when she was a kid and broke a couple of vertebrae. She had to have surgery and they put some screws and stuff in there. Normally when it bothers her she can just take some pain killers and use a heating pad, but sometimes when the weather is funky or she does something to stress it, she needs our boy Quil's healing hands," Embry explained.

"Oh God, well I hope she's okay," Julie said sympathetically.

"She'll be fine," Quil said as he came back into the living room. "I'll see you guys later." He grabbed his car keys and swept out the front door.

Quil let himself into the Ortecho's home and walked through the kitchen pausing at the door to the living room. He could hear Claire crying and Sharon trying to sooth her. He closed his eyes for a moment. Hearing Claire in pain made his chest ache. He took a deep breath and then walked into the living room.

He saw Claire lying on the couch, Sharon sitting next to her rubbing her back. Claire looked up when Quil walked in, her eyes red and swollen, her face streaked with tears. "Hey," she said hoarsely.

Quil tried to hide his distress at seeing Claire so miserable and said cheerily "Never fear your personal heating pad is here."

"Yay," Claire said weakly.

Sharon stood up and let Quil take her spot on the couch.

"Thanks for coming Quil. I already gave her three of the painkillers. I was afraid to give her anymore and the heating pad shorted out."

"It's no problem at all," Quil said quietly. He placed his hand on Claire's back. "Here?" he asked her. "Or higher?"

"Right there," Claire said, her body already beginning to relax from the heat in his hand. "Rub," she demanded after a moment.

"Yes ma'am," Quil replied. He began rubbing small circles on her back. "You're spoiled rotten you know that?"

"I know," Claire said sleepily. After a few moments her eyes drifted closed.

They sat in silence for awhile. When Quil was sure Claire had fallen asleep, he looked at Sharon.

"So what exactly happened?"

Sharon sighed. "She was on top of the pyramid during the half time routine. One of the girls on the bottom slipped and they all fell. She hit pretty hard but refused to let me take her home. Of course after the fall and then being out there in the cold jumping around, she was already crying by the time we got back to the car. I called your phone, but you didn't answer."

"Yeah I was on patrol," Quil said guiltily.

"Honey, don't feel bad you can't always be at her beck and call."

Quil smiled. "You know it doesn't really work that way."

"I know."

Quil sighed. "Maybe she shouldn't do this cheerleading thing anymore," he suggested.

Sharon shook her head. "I already tried that. She screamed at me. I dropped the subject."

"Well, maybe I'll talk to her about it. I kind of want her to stay in one piece."

"Me too. Give it a try, she might listen to you…..although…after what happened with you two at McDonald's today I wouldn't hold your breath."

Quil winced. "She uhh, she told you about that?" The last thing he needed was Sharon getting an earful from Claire on his sexual history.

"It's just a dance you know. She really wants to go. I hope you'll reconsider."

"Oh, the dance."

Sharon raised her eyebrows. "Was there something else?"

"No," Quil shook his head. "No, that was it. The dance," he said more emphatically when Sharon leveled an unconvinced look at him.

"Well, just think about it, okay?"

"Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean I know I don't look my age, but I definitely look older than her. I mean those teachers are going to know I'm not a high school student."

"So you tell them you're eighteen and go to the Quileute school. Do you think they're going to take the time to check?"

Quil shrugged. "I guess not," he said.

They sat in silence for a little while longer. Quil let out a huge yawn and slid down more into the couch cushions, his hand still rubbing small circles on Claire's back. He felt his eyes getting heavy and he found himself jerking awake several times. Sharon had grabbed a book and was curled up on the chair reading. Quil leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling. After awhile his eyes closed again and a few moments after that, he joined Claire in sleep.

Quil was woken by the feeling of something pushing into his side. He opened his eyes and looked down to see Claire's feet pushing weakly into his ribcage.

"It's too hot," she mumbled groggily. "Stop touching me."

"Well that's a first," Quil muttered as he took his hand away from Claire's back.

Sharon snorted. "Please try to avoid saying stuff like that in front of me."

Quil started. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were still here," he said sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Almost four," Sharon said.

"Want me to take her upstairs?" Quil asked.

Sharon shook her head. "No, let her sleep. Same with you. You can stay if you want. I don't want you driving home this late."

"I can walk," Quil said with a jaw cracking yawn.

"Don't be silly. You can stay. You look beat."

"Thanks, I think I will." Quil slid off the couch onto the floor. He rolled onto his side next to the couch and before he could tell Sharon good night, he had slipped back into unconsciousness.