Quil's POV

Sam and I walked towards the woods. It felt like my mind was running on overtime. I was thinking about all things Claire. I was trying to think of a way that I could make sure that she was always happy. I also wanted to make sure that I could be there for her whenever she needed me; I needed a plan so she would never be to far away. I was thinking about how I could make sure that she was never alone. Even though she never said anything, I could tell that she didn't like to be completely alone. She always wanted someone at least a room away. I also wished that there was some way to have her mom and little brother come back. I could tell that their leaving her had left a huge whole in her center. Somehow I wanted to fill in that whole in with something.

Sam voice cut through my thoughts. "I think it might be a good idea if I change first and see if there is anyone there. I don't think that it would be good right now for a bunch of other thoughts that aren't yours to be going through your head. I'm sure that it'll be bad enough with just yours and mine." I nodded, only partly listening.

Sam went deeper into the woods, shedding his clothes as he walked. I was left standing there all my worries for Claire still whirling around in my head. Sam came back only moments later. He jerked his head back towards the woods, saying that it was okay for me to come.

I followed him in pulling off my clothes as I went. When I changed I began to run without even realizing it. At least a few of my worries were blown from my head when I did this. Sam caught up with me in a few seconds, and I could hear his thoughts.

He was looking through my memories of what had happened earlier in the evening. I'm sure that he had his own opinion on everything that had happened, but I didn't listen because I didn't want to be judged for what had happened.

Finally he was done looking at everything. Quil it's time to stop. He commanded, so I had to, otherwise I probably wouldn't have. I slowed down, and then laid down on the forest floor. Even though I had not done a lot today I felt mentally exhausted. I heard Sam thinking. I'm not sure if it was to me or just in general. It's rather remarkable; so far everyone has met their imprint when they are either at or almost to adulthood. This on the other hand is so different. The feelings are of deep love, but not the kind of love that is shared by lovers. It is more like fatherly or brotherly love. Then his thoughts turned to me. You shouldn't feel bad about this. It's almost as if your heart is telling you what kind of love is needed at the time from the imprint. I've looked through the minds of all of the other wolves that have imprinted, and your thoughts are so different. I felt relief flood over my body. I was not a some freak. Sam continued. I think that we should be good for tonight. Let's go back to the house. I'll talk to Emily, and explain everything to her. I nodded my head and we headed back.

When we walked into the house it was about 1 o'clock. The lights were still on in the kitchen, and I assumed that it was because Emily hadn't been able to sleep. I heard Emily get up from a chair in the kitchen and come meet us in the living room. The look on her face was not good. Before we had left she had seemed to be okay with everything, but it looked like after having some time to think about it she wasn't as happy as happy as she was to start with.

Before she could say anything to me Sam put a hand on her arm, and guided her into the kitchen. He turned to me and said quiet enough so Emily couldn't here. "Let me explain everything to her. You can just wait here while I talk to her." I nodded and sat down on one of the chairs in the room.

I blocked out as much of Sam and Emily's conversation as I could. Trying to avoid listening to them I turned my hearing to all of the small noises that were floating around the house. As I listened I heard something that I didn't remember hearing before when I was at their house. I listened closer and realized that I was breathing coming from upstairs. That was Claire, my little Claire sleeping softly upstairs. I became almost hypnotized by the sound. Suddenly there was an irregularity in the breathing, and a slight creak from the bed she was laying on. She must have woken up. I had told her earlier that I would be there when she woke up; I couldn't let her lose her trust in me. Without hesitation I bound up the stairs at werewolf speed and pushed open her door open softly, moving into the room slightly.

At the sound of the door creaking open she turned her head towards me, and whispered "Good, you're here; I thought you might have been lying earlier, like everyone else."

I was shocked by the strait-forwardness of her words. I walked the rest of the way in, and took a seat on the floor next to the bed. "Who else has lied to you?"

"Almost everyone, my dad, Auntie, and the people at the hospital. They all said that things would get better, back to normal. They haven't got normal. Mommy and Stevie are still gone, and I know they aren't coming back because once you go to heaven you don't come back. They left me here with Daddy, and Daddy didn't want to be with me. So, he left too. The only ones who want me are Auntie and Sam, and they don't understand."

"What don't they understand?"

"They think that things will get better, but how can things get better. Things will never be as good as they were before Mommy and Stevie left. I didn't think that they would even get a little bit better until you came." I felt shock at her words.

"What do you mean 'until I came'?"

"Well when you came today I could feel something in my heart get fixed a little bit."

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I was so sad that Claire was feeling all of these horrible things. No six year-old should have to feel as if they have been left by the ones who loved them. At the same time I felt happiness because Claire felt a little bit of how we were connected. I wasn't really sure how to respond to this wonderful little girl; finally I decided that I would just have to go with it.

"Honey, I know how you feel. When I saw you today, I knew that you were going to be someone really special, and just meeting you made me feel really, really special. I don't know if I can really explain it right, but that's what happened."

She just looked at me for a few moments, and then a smile broke through her serious features. "I think I better go back to sleep now. Will you be here again when I wake up?"

"I'm really not sure, but I'll try my hardest to."

"Alright," was the only thing she said before turning over and going back to sleep.

Sitting there thinking, I realized that it was going to take a long time for Claire to heal with or without my help. After a while I got up and left the room. On the floor sitting next to the door was Emily. She looked up at me when I left Claire's room.

"Thank you."

"For what?" I asked confused.

"For being there for her; usually when she wakes up during the night it takes about an hour for her to go back to sleep. Just listening to her tell you all of those things is hard. I know it seems unbelievable after everything she's said today, but she really use to say 'yes' and 'no' whenever Sam or I talked to her. I really don't approve of you imprinting on my six year-old niece, Quil, but Sam explained things to me. I understand that you don't have inappropriate feelings for her, but it's still hard. At least after all I've seen today I know that you are something special to her; it's not just a one sided thing. I think that Claire will be able to grow up a lot happier now that you are involved in her life."

I really didn't know what to say to Emily. I was shocked that she was so ready for everything that was going to happen in the near future and the future way off. All I could really do is nod my head.

"We're going to have to discuss the finer details, but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow. Why don't you sleep downstairs, on either the couch or the chair. That way you can be here right away in the morning for Claire."

"Okay."

I went back downstairs. It took a while, but I finally dosed off into a light sleep. I wanted to be on the alert while I was sleeping, so if Claire woke up I would be there for her right away.

Thanks Zak's-blood13 for the beta help.