A/N Thanks to AugustShaffer, MoonWolfRunner(MWR), Feebes, and Misty for helping beta and pre-read this chapter. It is very much appreciated. You ladies rock!

Remember there are secrets in this story, and lies have been told to cover them up. Keep in mind the story is being told from different character's perspectives and there are always two sides to every story. So, what is my point? Don't get hung up on the chapter.

Some ages for you guys:

Bella 18 (almost 19)

Sam 22

Paul, Emily, 20

Leah, Jared 19

Kim 18

Jake, Quil, Embry 17

Seth 15

Collin, Brady 13, almost 14

Oh, and I don't own anything.

Chapter 9 - Dodgeball

La Push, Morning after the movie night:

"Good Morning, Alpha."

"Good Morning Chief, Elders."

"Shaman Ateara briefly mentioned there was some altercation last night. Please explain what happened."

Looking warily to Elder Clearwater, Sam ran a sweaty palm over his face. How he wished that Jacob was ready to be Alpha. He would give almost anything not to have this conversation.

He raised his head and looked each of the five men in the eyes before he began speaking. "We were watching movies at Shaman Ateara's home, like we usually do on Fridays. Bella Swan was in attendance as well. When Leah and Seth Clearwater joined later in the evening, it seemed to annoy Leah that Bella was there. She complained that Bella was being included in a Pack event, when she is not Pack. Quil calmed her down... for a while. When Jake, Bella, Embry, and Young Quil were recalling a trip they had taken as children and were discussing going on another trip, Leah became upset. She said some stuff and Bella attacked her." Four sets of eyebrows rose at this, while one stared at the light brown and golden highlights in the wood grain on the table in front of him.

"Stuff? What did Leah say to make Bella react that way?" Chief Black questioned the young man. He knew Bella had a temper; it seemed to be a hereditary trait in that family.

Reluctantly, Sam relayed the entire dialogue between the two females. He spoke quickly, treating the chore like a band-aid.

Harry Clearwater looked like he wanted to hide under the table. The Chief and Shaman were livid, while the remaining Elders had shocked expressions on their faces.

"What happened then?" the Chief bit out between his teeth.

Sam took a long, deep breath. This was the part of the clusterfuck he really didn't want to get into. "Bella came unglued and was on top of Leah before we could react. Seth phased and..."

"WHAT?" All the men yelled, Harry included. Questions flew at the young Alpha like grenades and he was not sure which to tackle first. A shrill, piercing whistle caught the group's attention, silencing them. Elder Douglas Uley removed the fingers from his mouth and nodded his head to his young nephew to continue.

"Seth phased, and Quil pushed Bella off of Leah and intercepted Seth before he could get to Bella. Jared, Jake, and Embry dragged Quil and Seth outside while Paul tended to Bella. That was about the time you entered the room." he finished, looking at Old Quil.

"Where are Seth and Young Quil?"

"Seth phased back about two hours ago. I have alpha ordered him to stay at least fifty yards away from Bella. Quil ... Quil hasn't phased back yet. He is still very upset."

"What did the Swan girl see?" Elder Jeffery Cameron, Jared's grandfather, wondered aloud.

"I don't think she saw anything. She was too preoccupied at first and the impact seemed to have knocked her out for a minute or two."

"Was she injured?" Billy inquired, concerned.

"It didn't seem she was, but she was pretty shaken. She probably heard the sounds of Seth phasing and snarling. We are not sure though."

"How do we find out?" Elder Uley queried to the room in general.

"Jake was going to go over to her house to see how she was today and see if she asks anything," the Alpha answered.

"No. Tell him to hold off. Let's see if she shows up this weekend before he visits her in Forks," the Chief stated. If they were all lucky, the entire event would stay below Charlie's radar. Jake showing up asking if Bella was okay would only bring up questions. "Smothering her now will only make her even more curious"

"I agree," Old Quil commented. "Let her come to us. I have granted Bella access to Second Beach." Several eyebrows rose at this, but no one commented. "She will come to me, I figure. You worry about your Pack, let us worry about Bella." Sam nodded his head in acceptance, silently pleading to leave.

"That will be all. Please keep us informed of Young Quil's status," Chief Black dismissed the Alpha. The room remained silent, while they watched the young wolf quickly exit the room.

Jeffery and Douglas both looked sympathetically at Harry Clearwater, who was sitting with his head in his hands. They nodded to the Shaman and Chief and left the three men to discuss whatever was going on. It seemed clear to them that the issue was not Council business.

"Now or later?" Billy asked his friend quietly, after the other Elders had closed the door behind them.

"Later," Harry replied dejectedly, resigned to his fate. He knew that Sam would have seen some things in Seth's thoughts. The entire Pack probably knew by now.

Thirty minutes later, three men made their way into the Black residence. Harry pushed Billy inside, stopping the wheelchair in the living room. While Old Quil made his way inside, Harry went into the small kitchen and grabbed a six pack of beer. He walked slowly into the room, dragging what felt like the weight of an elephant behind him. He handed each man a beer, saved one for himself, and placed the remaining on the coffee table in front of them. The only sound in the room was that of three cans being opened.

Downing the beer in one go, Harry sighed heavily and spoke the words he had spent almost two decades not uttering. "Bella may be my daughter."

Silence descended on the room like a heavy blanket.

While the other two men absorbed what he had said, Harry thought back on how this all started. He hadn't planned to betray Charlie.

Harry had enjoyed his single life when he broke up with Sue Uley. She was a controlling, insecure girl that had annoyed him to no end. His friends and parents rejoiced at news of their break up. About a month later, after a particularly wild bonfire, he woke up next to a pretty, blue-eyed, blonde from California named Renee. She and her friends were working their way up the coast, and moved on to Seattle at the end of that weekend.

But they returned about a week later.

One of his best friends, Charlie, happened to meet her at the next bonfire and instantly hooked up with her. He had been heartbroken for over a year when the girl he had loved his whole life had married someone else. All of Harry and Billy's attempts to set him up were rebuked, and they were beginning to wonder if he would ever move on.

Renee and Charlie did not seem to be a good match, but he needed a rebound. Harry didn't mention his night with Renee to Charlie, or even Billy. Charlie was happy, and really there was no shame in it. It happened before Charlie had met her. So, Harry swept the incident under the rug and forgot about it.

Fate found Harry when Sue approached him announcing she was pregnant. A shotgun wedding followed shortly thereafter to mitigate the scandal; his parents were Council members. Harry Clearwater had signed the rest of his life away on that wedding license. The first year was pure hell. Sue had hardly let him touch her. The pregnancy had been difficult and then Leah had been a colicky baby.

He fell into bed with Renee again in a low moment of sexual frustration about two and half years after Leah's birth. He still didn't know how they ended up in bed together and had sworn it wouldn't ever happen again. However, several more indiscretions occurred in the following months. The guilt ate at him, but he had decided the truth would only hurt Charlie.

Somehow, Sue discovered the affair and had threatened Renee, who promptly left Charlie, taking their daughter with her. Charlie was never the same after that. The very mention of his ex's name threw him into a rage.

Sue didn't want a divorce and amazingly didn't tell Charlie. Turned out, Sue had him by the balls and Harry had found himself forever trapped in an unhappy marriage.

He had been contacted by a drunken Renee about six years after her divorce from Charlie. She claimed Bella was his child and was demanding some money. He had insisted for her to get a paternity test for Bella before he would pay her a fucking dime. He never heard from her again.

However, he couldn't help but wonder about Bella's paternity when he looked at the girl during her visits. Charlie and she were never close, but Harry thought it went farther than the long distance between them. Did Charlie suspect she wasn't his daughter? He clearly didn't know of Harry's potential for being a candidate for Bella's father, or he would have severed their friendship long ago. Bella's skin tone may have been pale compared to those of the Quileute, but it was a far deeper tone than either Charlie or Renee. Her hair was far darker than their lighter colors. And her eyes. Bella's eyes were a deep brown. And when she looked at him, Harry couldn't help but feel he was looking in a mirror.

He weathered the tempests that would happen during the summers when Bella visited. Sue's disdain for the girl was poorly veiled. The only thing that kept her from being out-right rude to the girl was her fear of Helen Swan. But Leah noticed enough and slowly mimicked her mother, and where Leah led, Seth followed. The past four or five years had been fairly calm at home. But when Charlie began speaking of Bella's return, the Clearwater's family life went to hell in a hand basket. Sue was on the warpath, giving murderous glares at the mere mention of Bella's name.

However, after the bonfire that welcomed Bella back to Washington, Sue exploded at him at just the thought of Bella working in the diner and Leah overheard. She found out about the affair and the possibility that Bella could be his daughter. And apparently, Leah had then accused Bella of the sins of the mother. Harry was appalled at Leah's actions and feared the repercussions. Her words caused Quil to inadvertently injure his cousin and led to a wolf phasing in front of Bella. Not to mention her spewing her mother's racial protests in front of an audience, particularly Jake and Quil.

"So, let me get this straight," Billy began, sitting ramrod straight in his chair and clutching an empty beer can in his hand. "I have worried myself sick, about that girl starting school at the end of the summer, for six fucking weeks. I pleaded with you to help me talk to Charlie, but you ignored me. Now, you're telling me there is a chance she is your daughter. How could you do that to Charlie?" Billy thundered, his voice shaking with rage. "You have called him a friend for over thirty years!"

The Chief's furious glare could be felt by the repentant man staring at the dust bunnies on the hardwood floor.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" Billy roared.

"William," Old Quil admonished.

"Don't you chastise me in my own fucking house, old man. You are my father-in-law, not my father." Billy seethed. He rolled into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him, before he said anything else he might regret later.

"Wait, Harry," the Shaman spoke as he watched the younger man approach the door. "Is there anything else we should know?" He suspected something and now was the time to find out.

Harry Clearwater stopped in the doorway, as his heart lurched and his breath caught. He turned around slowly and raised his dark brown eyes to those of the elderly man; a silent conversation ensued for almost five minutes. Harry nodded his head in affirmation, and most people would have thought it was in regard to the question he was asked. However, the wise Shaman knew it was in answer to an unspoken question.

Old Quil shook his head, as he watched the man practically run away from the Black home in shame.

~B of L~

BPOV

After closing the door softly, I leaned against it with a smitten grin on my face. No one had ever asked for my number before. The smile quickly fell from it though when Charlie appeared in the doorway to the living room, his eyes were burning in anger. Mariners were supposed to play the Yankees today, so I figured they had lost. Badly.

"Where the hell have you been?" he barked.

I rolled my eyes, not giving a damn if he saw it or not. The note I had left on the fridge would have let him know where I was, more or less. "La Push," I bit back, as I pushed off the door and headed to the kitchen.

"Where? With who? It's two in the damn morning!" he yelled, as he followed behind me. Jax appeared at my side and gave a low, warning growl, reminding Charlie we were not alone in the house. Charlie's eyes snapped to the canine for a second and then took a long, deep breath. I moved into the kitchen and got myself a glass of water. "Bella ... it's late, you could have run off the road or something and no one would have found you until morning. I was worried."

Fuck that!

"Why? You never worried before," I snarled. I slammed the water-glass on the counter, and whirled around and stared at him darkly. "Were you worried when the bitch left me alone for three weeks with hardly any groceries and only a twenty-dollar bill? Have you ever worried that I am almost nineteen years old and have yet to see a dentist? Did you worry where I was all those summers when you were sitting on a boat with Billy and Harry? When you acted like it hurt you to be in my presence for even fifteen fucking minutes? Tell me, Father, when did you start worrying about me?" My chest was heaving at the end of my tirade, and although my vision was watery, no tears had fallen.

The same could not be said of Charlie. He just looked at me in stunned silence, his mouth open, ready to speak the words that just would not come.

Today, or yesterday really, had been the day from hell and I was exhausted. "Just so you know, I am going to bed. That's where I'll be until morning." I said as I brushed past him and started up the stairs, Jax following behind me. I quickly got ready for bed. Foregoing a much needed soak in the tub for the solace and peace of my room. I listened to some music for a few minutes, before drifting off to sleep, the sound of the rain softly falling outside my open window.

'It's almost like the hard times circle 'round

A couple drops and they all start coming down

Yeah, I might feel defeated,

And I might hang my head

I might be barely breathing - but I'm not dead (no)

Tomorrow's another day

And I'm thirsty anyway

So bring on the rain

No I'm not gonna let it get me down

I'm not gonna cry

And I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight ('cause)

Tomorrow's another day

And I am not afraid

So bring on the rain'

~Bring On The Rain by Jo Dee Messina~

I woke up the following morning, feeling like shit warmed over. I ached everywhere. I knew I had hit that wall hard, but I figured I was doing pretty good since nothing had been broken. I sat up, only to fall back immediately into the bed, grasping at my head in an attempt to stop the room from spinning violently.

Jax lifted his head from his paws to look at me, the canine equivalent of concern on his face. I'm sure he needed to go outside, but I was beginning to wonder if I was going to ever be able to get up. I wondered if Old Quil trained him to open doors. Doubtful.

Ten minutes later, the room finally ceased to rotate. I slowly made my way to the door, fingers anchored to the wall for support. When I opened it, I was amazed Jax didn't run downstairs. Instead, he kept by my side, until I turned the knob to enter the bathroom. I would change the second door to when I turned the knob or something…

After doing my business, I started a hot bath and began undressing. My eyes widened at my reflection in the mirror over the sink. The angry bruises I had seen last night, that were only beginning to form, were now dark blue and purple. The worst of the damage was on my back and shoulders that had taken the brunt of the impact. I quickly took some Motrin for the pain and then slipped into the water. I hissed slightly at the heat, but sighed in near ecstasy, as I became completely submerged from my nose down.

I got out of the tub an hour later when the water started to became too cool to lay inside any longer. I dressed quickly, but returned to my room and lay down with a book. I got lost in the pages and when I looked up I found Jax passed out at my feet. He was lying on his back, his legs twitching in the air, in a way that just could not be comfortable. He yipped softly in his sleep and I smiled. I hoped he would be able to at least catch one of those mean birds in his dream.

I was startled by a knock at my door. "You okay?" Charlie queried, hesitating.

"Yeah, fine. Just reading," I replied, looking at him expectantly. There was no way that was all he wanted.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to the diner with me?" Uhhh, no.

"No, thanks. This book just got interesting. But could you bring me back a club sandwich and some steak fries?" I was a little hungry and it seemed like the best way to get rid of him.

The corners of his lips pulled up slightly. "Sure. I'll be back a little later."

"Okay," I commented, as I glanced back at my book.

I figured it was probably best to make my way downstairs while he was gone. Eating in my room would be too out of character. After a slightly shaky start, I slowly descended the stairs. Lying on the couch with a blanket at my feet and a can of Dr. Pepper in my hand, I continued reading my book. After a while, I decided to see if there was anything on TV worth watching. I had just checked the listing to see what was on when Charlie got home.

"Anything good on?" Charlie asked, as he laid a to-go box in front of me.

"It's hit and miss. This movie sounded promising," I answered gesturing to the flat-screen, the opening credits of "O Brother, Where Art Thou" playing.

"Huh. Never seen it," He said as he sat back in his recliner, followed shortly by the sound of a Vitamin R being opened.

We watched the movie in relative silence, only our laughter drifting between us. We both knew that a lot needed to be said between us, especially after the incident last night. However, neither of us wanted to rock that particular boat at the moment. I was too tired for the fury it would evoke, and he, I'm sure, was too scared of what I might say. Nonetheless, it was a painless daughter/sperm donor moment.

After the movie was over, "Major League" with Tom Berenger and Renee Russo was getting ready to come on. I had heard Phil mention it a couple of times but had never seen it. Charlie looked at me with an expression of hope on his face, whether it was to watch the film or for control of the remote I wasn't sure. Too comfortable to move, I decided to chance it.

"We can watch this, but I need some water." He smiled and rose from his chair and gathered his and my trash, and quickly went into the kitchen. "Can you check and make sure Jax has food and water?" I called from my seat.

Later, I was laughing so hard, I couldn't see straight. Even though the other movie was very good, I would have to admit, that this one was funnier. Several times I saw Charlie's eyes tearing with laughter. At the end of the movie, I finally rose from the couch and bid Charlie goodnight.

"Goodnight, Bella," Charlie said as he turned the channel to ESPN.

My dreams were filled again with the little boy. This time he was playing fetch with Jax at the beach. He would throw a stick into the surf, and then giggle when Jax would bring it back to the boy's feet and then shake the water from his coat. I watched them from the shadows of the forest. Every time I had tried to approach them, the boy seemed to disappear. So I just sat in the tree line, with a smile on my face at the innocence of youth.

After waking up to my canine alarm clock, I went downstairs and ate some toast for breakfast, as I had a slight headache. I left Charlie to his own devices. After I showered and dressed, I was on my way to La Push. Jax was sitting with his head out the passenger side window, perfectly content to ride along with me. I didn't know what was everyone else's aversion was to riding with me.

I pulled into Old Quil's driveway and saw him sitting in his swing like the day I had first came back to La Push. After I loaded my board in the back, I strolled up and sat beside him. "How are you doing, my dear?"

"Hacill, ho. Ayasocha?" I responded in Quileute. *

"Yaplo'll," Old Quil answered as he sipped on his cup of coffee. *

I laughed at the old man. "Well, perhaps you need to lay off that glorified kerosene you make."

"I know not of what you speak," he retorted, giving me a wink. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You look a little worse for wear because of the other night."

"Yeah, I'm fine." I gave him a questioning look. I had tried not to think much about what had happened. Besides the bruises, I had lingering questions about that night. Nothing really made sense.

"Anything you would like to say to me?"

"If you are going to ask me to apologize for hitting that bitch, you can forget it. I am only sorry I couldn't do more." I retorted as I watched a red and grey hummingbird approaching the feeder hanging from the tree in front of the house.

"No worries. She has a black eye, in case you're curious," he said with a smile. He looked at me from the corner of his eye.

I smiled widely at that. Excellent!

"The consensus is that she deserved it," he continued, turning toward me.

I watched the hummingbird feed.

He seemed to be studying me. What he hoped to glean, I was unsure of. "I would stay clear of Sue Clearwater though, if I were you."

I snickered, imagining what level of rage the Mother Bitch was probably in. At least she didn't have to put Leah in a bath of tomato juice this time. Hehehe!

That bitch was asking for what she got. I tried to be the bigger person, letting her comments slide, trying to enjoy the rest of the evening. But Leah always had to have the last word. She just picked the wrong one this time.

"Quil is very upset with her... and himself," he continued to speak, his tone turning serious.

"Quil has no reason to be sorry. He did nothing wrong," I said vehemently, noticing the older man's brow raise. At least I couldn't remember anything he had done. All I really remember was punching Leah one minute and being on the floor the next. "Quil is guilty of nothing except horrible taste in women. What the hell does he see in her?" I asked, finally turning in the seat to face him.

He stared at me for a long moment, considering my question. "Well Bella, that is a story for another day," he dodged.

I gave him an annoyed look, but didn't press the matter. No explanation he could offer would satisfy me anyway.

"Please tell Quil I am not upset with him," I said as I rose to my feet. "Try to stay out of trouble."

"I will. You be careful out there. The water may be calm today, but I would feel better if someone else was out there with you," he warned, rising to his feet and giving me a hug.

"I'm just going to get used to the board today. No need to worry about me," I placated. "Anyway, you should be more concerned your shoes don't match."

I laughed as I started toward to the truck, hearing a muttered "Shit" behind me. Jax jumped into the cab when I opened the door, and we started toward Second Beach, waving goodbye to Old Quil as he scowled at his feet.

After parking the truck, I got out and grabbed my surf board. About twenty minutes later, I was fairly tired after carefully traversing the winding path through the forest with the awkward board. I reached the end of the trail where I could see the ocean in the distance, but my path was blocked by a mountain of driftwood.

I sighed. I might be able to get the board on the other side, but what about when I wanted to go home? Not only would I have to re-climb this obstacle, I would have to haul the board back up the hill to the truck.

Fuck it! I started dragging the board up the driftwood. When I was halfway up, I lost my footing and had to release the board to save myself from a nasty fall. "Fucking Hell!" I growled, staring indignantly at the board below.

"Problem?" I deep voice asked. I yelped in surprise, turning to see who it was without falling to my death at the same time. I could hear Jax in the distance barking on the beach at something. Perfect! I could be murdered while he chases fucking birds.

"Could you use some help?" The now sexy voice asked from the other side of the drift pile. My eyes finally found the laughing eyes of Paul, standing in all his glory several yards away. He looked absolutely sinful in his navy board shorts, his hair dripping wet.

"Well, that depends? Can you move this pile of logs out of the way so I can get through?"

"Well, I could. But that might take a little while," he replied as he jumped agilely on the pile, heading toward me. "However, it might be quicker just to help you get over. Don't ya think?" he smirked at me.

God, what that smirk did to me! I was in far too a precarious position to be going weak in the knees. Focus Bella!

"I guess." I watched in awe as he crested the pile and made his way to my board in mere seconds. It had taken me five minutes to get to where I was. When he climbed back up to me, he stopped and threw the board over the top of the pile, where it landed on the soft sand on the other side. "Show off," I muttered.

"Now, should I throw you over as well?" he teased as he looked down at me, his stormy grey eyes drinking me in.

"I wouldn't advise it." The words were no sooner out of my mouth, when two meaty paws wrapped around my waist. I squeaked in surprise, my hands clamping onto to his, as he lifted me to the top of the pile. I glanced down the beach as he climbed over, stopping just below me on the other side.

"Come on, climb on my back," he said, turning away from me. I hesitated for a moment, but finally made my way down and climbed onto his back. I damn near moaned at the feel of his broad shoulders beneath my palms. His skin was blazing hot, and I absently wondered if he would sizzle when he entered the ocean.

He quickly descended the pile, jumping down the last several feet. He loped over and snatched my board before heading toward the water.

"You know contrary to popular belief, my legs actually do work." He stopped, and I slid down his muscled frame. I felt suddenly cold when I stepped away from his warmth.

"So, you surf?"

"No, but I am wanting to learn."

"You're not planning on surfing in that are you?" he asked with an amused smirk on his face. I was wearing a pair of loose fitting, denim overall shorts over a black button up short sleeve shirt.

"No." I was glad that I had purchased the spring suit from work a couple of days ago. No swimsuit would have covered the bruises I had on my back. I was still trying to figure out what happened, and if anyone saw them, they would ask questions I couldn't answer. Of course, Paul was there Friday night and would know where they came from. But I would be too self-conscience in only my bikini in front of the Greek god in front of me. I bet he could break bikini strings with just his eyes alone.

"So what are you doing here?" I said as I unhooked the buckles of my overalls.

His eyebrows lifted and a playful smirk appeared as he watched me finish undressing.

So not helping me!

"Same as you. Who would have guessed?" he mused.

"Yes, quite the coincidence." I was positive that Old Quil was behind this. Nosy old fool!

Then again, I thought as I gave Paul a covert, appreciative survey. I may just have to thank the old man for the gorgeous view.

~B of L~

PPOV

"So, what was all that about D.B. Cooper?" I asked as I watched her finish undressing. She was wearing a black spring suit, with red accents. It was skin tight and accentuated her curves in just the right way. I found myself wondering if she had on anything underneath it and quickly stopped, as I couldn't hide a hard on in these shorts unless I was in the water. Her dark, brown hair was tightly braided to her head as always. Hints of red were appearing in the weaves under the sunshine above.

She laughed. "When I was eleven or so, Molly Ateara and Gran rented a cabin along the Columbia River. All of us went: Billy and Jake, Harry Clearwater, Charlie, Quil, Old Quil, Embry, and me. The entire group went white water rafting. When the men fished, us kids had went gone exploring. We got it in our heads that we were going to find D.B. Cooper's money, since some of the money was found close to our cabin in like 1980. I think I still have the map we were using for our search."

"So what did your grandmother do while everyone was gone?"

"No telling what trouble her and Molly might have gotten into," she commented, a warm smile on her face.

"You know, I met your grandmother." I wasn't sure why I blurted it out.

"Really?"

"Yeah, she was friends with my grandparents. Nice lady. You remind me of her." I wanted to let her know that I didn't believe the bullshit that Leah was spewing the other night.

"Thanks," she turned away to hide her blush, but I could see the pleasure the complement produced.

"Why didn't Seth go?" I asked, feigning curiously to gauge her knowledge of the shit storm currently happening in casa de la Clearwater. Leah was getting it from all sides: her mom for causing the airing of the family's dirty laundry and from her wolf. Quil was pissed at her and refused to see her. I was curious how long he could hold out.

"Sue." She offered nothing else, as if that alone explained everything.

I guess in a way, it did.

We were paddling out to sea next to each other. She had said she only wanted to get used to the board today.

For all her lack of coordination on land, she seemed surprisingly at home in the water. I had said as much to her and she explained her other grandmother had lived in California and had taken her to the beach often.

"How are you liking being back in Forks?" I asked as we sat on our boards and watched the tide start to come in. The water rose slowly, overtaking the tidal pools that had been exposed with its earlier retreat. I had insisted we stash her belongings on one of the shorter sea stacks. It was easy for me to climb partway up and deposit the over-sized bag, while she and the dog had watched an eel in one of the tide pools.

"It's alright," she said noncommittally. Jake was very concerned about her comments the other night. She was important to him and others. She had been either reserved or snarky with her answers during her fight with Leah, but there was truth underlying it all. She was leaving and my gut was telling me that she would not return once she did.

"You spend much time here growing up?" I didn't recall meeting her the few times I had visited my grandparents. But I never felt like visiting with much of anybody back then.

"All of my summers and Christmas breaks. How about you? How long you been in the area?" She replied, quickly switching the topic of discussion to me again.

"Grew up in Portland and Tacoma, visited the grandparents some. I moved here about four years ago with my Mom." I didn't want to get into all the shit in-between and after.

We sat on the ocean for quite a while just talking, sharing funny stories about Jake, Embry, and Quil. I told what stories I could without the supernatural parts. For as guarded as she could be about herself, she was extremely easy to be around. She was real. Not like the countless, fake bitches that flung themselves at my feet.

We returned to shore, and I retrieved her bag from its perch. As she pulled her clothes back on, I tried to get my thoughts in order before making my proposal.

"So, how about I help you learn to surf?"

"Hmmm. That's nice of you to offer, but you don't need to do that. I know Old Quil worries, but I'll be fine," she replied, eyeing my reaction.

"I'm not doing it for him, but for me," I huskily replied. She blushed softly, but gave me a disbelieving look.

"I can't cook, you can. You can't surf, I can. Seems like we can help each other out," I hedged. "You can keep your board and park your truck at my place," gesturing to the hill behind me. "There's a trail down to the beach that's a lot shorter than the one from public access."

She looked back at the ocean, deliberating my offer. She seemed torn about something, and sighed heavily after the decision was made. Finally turning back to me, she nodded her head, "Okay. You hungry now?" I gave her a look that question deserved. She rolled her eyes. "Right. Me too."

"Why don't we take the boards up now, and I'll drive you to your truck later?"

We made our way up the path I had spent the better part of the day before clearing. I had even made some stairs out of treated lumber for the really steep places. They blended into the rock environment well and wouldn't be noticed by people in the surf or beach. They could be removed when weather turned bad for the season. I'd have to make sure that Max didn't let anyone know. I didn't want my place to become a fucking car lot.

After dropping the boards in the shed, we walked inside the modest house that belonged to my father's family.

After my first phase, I moved out of the my Granddad's house to protect Max and him. I was volatile before phasing but I was absolutely feral after. Emily had just accepted Sam, so there was no invitation there. Jared hadn't phased yet and most of the Council had children still living at home.

The Council had given my grandparents place to me. It had been abandoned since their death almost a decade before. The amount of work I had to put into it was a much needed distraction from the cluster fuck I had found myself in. I learned I was really good at fixing things up and making furniture, and basically fell into a career by accident.

"Nice place," Bella admired as she walked to the kitchen window facing the sea.

"Thanks, it was my grandparent's. I've lived here about three years."

She looked at a little confused, "Since you were seventeen?" I nodded my head. "Huh." She started looking through the cabinets and refrigerator. Sighing heavily, she looked at me hard. "Who feeds you?"

I smiled, "Emily mostly."

"Men," she muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes. She turned on her heel and headed for the front door.

"Where are you going?" I asked confused. What did I do?

"Supplies. The kitchen needs to be stocked before I can teach you anything," she replied over her shoulder, exasperated. I just admired her retreating form. "Are you coming?" she growled from the doorway. I ran into my bedroom and grabbed a shirt and wallet and slipped on some shoes.

I unhitched the trailer from my truck, and lowered the end-gate for her dog to get in. He seemed determined to go with us and was not riding in my truck.

Bella grabbed a basket for both of us when we got to Ateara's store. I looked at the baskets in her hand and looked up, "Hungry?"

"Actually, I am. Which is breaking rule number one of shopping. But since you guys seem to always be hungry, it will be good practice."

"Will we practice other things?" I asked in a husky voice, winking at her.

"I wish." she muttered under her breath.

Oh baby, the things I want to do to you, I thought.

"You seem to have most of the pots and pans you need, though some could be replaced. Main issue is the lack of any food," she continued. She started placing items in the baskets, asking me questions here and there about what I liked to eat. We spent several minutes in front of the spice section.

When she placed a jar of yeast in the basket, I had to ask. "Yeast? What's that for?"

"Bread."

"But can't we buy it?"

"Trust me." Recalling how that lasagna tasted the other day, I would.

When we checked out, Joy gushed over Bella. Apparently, she hadn't been home when Bella visited Old Quil. And the other night when Joy returned home from work, she had avoided the Pack. She didn't approve of Quil's imprint either.

I started arguing with Bella about the amount of vegetables to be purchased. I'm a werewolf! I eat meat, not fucking carrots! Joy gave me a knowing smile at our banter. She had tried to look after Max and I the best she could after our Mom died. She had a lot on her plate with Quil, Old Quil, and the store.

I put the purchase on store credit for Bella's benefit. The Council helps with our food bills considering our massive appetites. We drove back and I helped put things away.

"Breakfast okay?" Bella looked at me expectantly.

"As long as its food, I don't care. Beggars can't be choosers." Bella showed me how to make an omelet with peppers, onions, bacon, and cheese. It didn't look like much, but tasted awesome. It looked more like scrambled eggs with stuff than a folded omelet I had in my mind when she had first mentioned making them.

We cleaned up afterward, and she passed me the last dish to dry. I bit the bullet and asked her to go to the movies the following Friday.

"As a... date?" she said, looking at me hesitantly. At my nod, "Well, we could do something with Jake and the guys. But I'm not looking to date anybody at the moment."

WHAT?

"Are you seeing someone?" I growled in my head at the thought of her dating anyone other than me. She didn't really know anyone outside of the reservation... Shit! "Embry?"

"Is only a friend," she finished. "Look I'm not looking for anything serious. I'm leaving in a few months, and I don't want any complications, okay?"

"So, am I a complication?"

"No, you're a friend and my surfing instructor," she smiled at me.

Fuck! When the hell did I get stuck in the friend zone?

"If you say so," I replied in what I hoped was a disbelieving tone. I threw the towel I had been using down on the counter and sighed.

Getting Bella Swan was going to be harder than I had thought.

A/N Thanks for reading!

"Hacill, ho. Ayasocha?" = "I'm good. How are you?"

"Yaplo'll." = "I'm hung over."

So I'm sure a lot of people are a little confused. Everything will be explained... eventually. **hides behind Paul**