"So... you and Flea, huh?" the one called Embry said as those of us with human needs sat around the dining room table.

I nodded, not knowing how I felt about her nickname. I thought it was kind of cute, but maybe that's because it annoyed her so much, and these guys didn't seem malicious towards her.

"She's all right, for a leech," Embry said agreeably, and Jake shot him a look.

"Feel like joining Leah?" Jake asked him, and Embry turned red and ate faster. Jacob turned his attention to me. "I'm Jacob Black," he said, extending a hand the size of a trash can lid. "I don't think we got that far a minute ago."

"Andie Fowler," I said with a tiny smile, allowing him to shake my hand, forearm, and possibly my elbow. The guy was the biggest one of the four sitting around me. "I'm sorry for upsetting your friend earlier."

All of them gave a chuckle. "Leah is always pissed off about something, you didn't do anything," Seth said, shaking his head as he tore his bread into pieces on his plate. "She's never been a big fan of the Cullens, and she's just calmed down about the Bella and Edward situation, then Flea comes home with you, and you're human... and a girl." He looked up at me apologetically. "She's a bit on the homophobic side."

I shook my head and fed my face again, not knowing how to reply to that. With all the weird races running around the place here, I thought homosexuality would be old news, but apparently not.

"How old are you? Just curious," Jacob asked, glancing to the living room with a light in his eyes.

"Twenty..." Why did my age matter?

"Wow, you look way younger. I feel a little better now," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I thought Flea was robbing the cradle or something."

I scowled, digging back into my food. Robbing the cradle, indeed. Well, I thought to myself, she was born eighty-nine years before me, but is eternally almost two years younger. Does that constitute as robbing said cradle?

"Not technically, as she doesn't have the mind of a hundred and ten year old lady," a male voice said from behind me, and I turned to see Alice's mind-reading brother leaned on the corner of the hallway. He was answering my thoughts! "Alice is nineteen in mind, body, and soul."

"Dad, quit reading Andie's thoughts before you even introduce yourself," a young girl chided, coming up behind him, her dark bronze curls bouncing, and her dark eyes narrowed in scolding.

He laughed softly, looking at his daughter with nothing but love. "You sound like Alice," he told her, and I had to agree. My mate thought etiquette was key. Edward looked back at me, his ocher eyes swimming in amusement at his little girl, and bowed his head a bit. "I'm Edward, and this charming young lady is my daughter, Renesme."

"Hi, Andie! Please, just call me Nessie... my mother wasn't in her right mind when she named me," the girl laughed and I heard Bella's yell of indignance from the living room as Edward just hung his head and chuckled.

"Hello, Nessie," I replied, and Jacob just beamed at her. Talk about robbing the cradle, and I gave myself a mental kick as I looked at Edward, whose eyes shifted from Nessie and Jake embracing to me. Please don't say anything, I really didn't mean it like that. Edward nodded, waving a few fingers dismissively. I couldn't help it. Jacob looked like he was twenty-five or twenty-six, and this girl couldn't have been more than sixteen at the most.

"On the dot," Edward whispered, and I knew he was talking to me. "He's twenty-one."

I just tucked back into my meal, confused and missing Alice, who wouldn't be back until long after I was finished eating, because I was already getting full. I was basically just eating to have something to do.

"Rosalie is in the garage, she's wondering about you," Edward gave me an out, and I decided to take it. As I went into the kitchen to wash my plate, Esme appeared and took it from gently.

"I've got this. You should go play with the kids," she told me with a joking wink.

"Esme, are you sure? I mean, you cooked dinner, and it was fabulous. I should really help out cleaning up," I said, but she just shook her head and smiled.

"No, Andie, it's fine, I promise. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Just go have fun, I know you're missing Alice... take your mind off it."

"How'd you know..?"

Esme gave me an understanding smile as she rinsed my plate before scrubbing it off. "Carlisle isn't here right now. I'm using you guys to keep my mind off that," she replied, and I gave her a small grin.

"So, the separartion anxiety is natural? I'm not pathetic?"

Esme actually chuckled for a long second at that question, shaking her head. "No, dear, it's more than natural, just like your... libido issues. It will pass in time."

"I don't know how we're going to be able to be around anyone after I've been changed," I whispered, mortified at the thought.

Esme tucked my hair behind my ears. "Some of us-"

"Meaning me and Rose!" Emmett yelled from the living room, making me giggle, and Esme shook her head at her son.

"Some of us take time to sort out those issues," she went on uninterrupted. "But I have to say, if complete privacy is what you want, you'll go unsatisfied living in a family such as ours. Its pretty don't ask, don't tell, but you can't help but hear some things around here."

"And you're bound to catch an earful about it!" Emmett added from the front, making Esme purse her lips in that direction.

"Just pretend like it's a normal house, with human ears. You'll be fine," Esme assured me, patting me on my shoulder.

"I'm going to go bug Rose, I think," I sighed, looking out of the back door where Alice had disappeared, feeling my stomach twist at her absence. I couldn't wait until I could go hunting with her... I wanted to see her in action. I'll bet she was beautiful, with the grace with which she moved, it couldn't be anything less than the perfect killer.

I went out the back door and walked around to where I'd seen the multi-car garage, but actually found Rosalie bent over the open hood of my Mustang sitting in the yard. "Yeah, I couldn't help it," she told me unapologetically, not looking at me. "I didn't think you'd care, though, so I'm just peeking."

"I don't know why," I answered honestly. "It's all stock, and I'm sure you already know the stock mechanics of a Ford Mustang."

"It's stock for now, Andie," Rose corrected me, standing up and looking at me for the first time since I'd walked up on her ass jutting out of my car. "I'm sure you realize the potential this car has?"

I shrugged. I was never much into cars. I thought they were cool, and I could tell makes and models, but when it came to what made them run, I was clueless. Rosalie seemed annoyed with my lack of enthusiasm. "Oh, please tell me you're not like Bella," she complained, rolling her eyes with an aggravated sigh. "Okay, look, kid, here's the deal. You let me rebuild your car into the demon I know I can make it, and I'll continue to like you forever."

"Uh," I said, blinking rapidly. Was she serious? "Yes?" I think that was the right answer. "Am I going to be scared to drive my own car after this?"

Rose shrugged, giving me a short smile. "Maybe at first, but when you and Alice get back from your... trip, you'll be pleased as pie with it. I stand by my word."

What could I say to that? I trusted her with my life... she'd already proven that she'd kill someone over me... even me, if that makes sense. "So, when are you going to start?" I asked her, and she turned away from me and leaned back beneath the hood.

"Not sure," she grunted, pulling on something and tossing it out of the engine. I watched a cord fly past my head. What the hell...? "Now, I guess. I'll have to order some parts tonight, but I can get them shipped pretty quickly. I'll just have to keep Emmett off of me for a few hours, that'll be the hardest part." She grinned, looking over her shoulder to catch my eye. "Literally and figuratively."

I shuddered. Ugh. "T.M.I., Rose," I said, fighting not to gag.

She shrugged, still smiling, and went back to pulling things out of my car. "You'll get used to it. Emmett isn't very shy about our sex life."

"You don't seem to be shy about it, either," I pointed out, and she stopped again to look at me.

"I'm not," she answered, "but I don't fuck and tell, either." And she went back to work, adding, "Emmett does."

It was dark when I finally left Rosalie to the car alone, and I went upstairs to unpack my clothes, thinking I wouldn't want to do it the next day because the truck with what few belongings I kept would be here, and I would be up to my neck in boxes. I had no idea how Alice could say it would fit in here, as I looked around her room at the items that made it so... Alice. I yawned widely as I stuffed clothes into drawers, glancing over my shoulder at the big bed that looked pretty soft and inviting. I didn't think I'd ever been so tired in my life.

"Nuh-huh," came the only voice that could send chills like that through me, and I looked back again to see Alice hopping through an open window, then closing it behind her. "You still owe me a shower."

I was so happy to see her that all sleepiness evaporated, and I was jumping into her arms before I even realized I'd moved, not caring that she smelled like a wild animal for once, just fucking relieved that she was home. I clutched at her shirt, and her hair, wrapping my legs around her waist and burying my face in her neck. "I missed you," I said, stating the obvious.

"So I see," she laughed, kissing my neck. "But you were going to go to sleep on me just now, I saw it."

I leaned back, looking down at her face as she held me up by the back of my thighs, seeing the color had returned to her irises, making them a shining yellow, the color I associated with her most. I touched her right below her left eye, stroking the patch of skin there with the pad of my thumb, making her smile. I kept making little circles across her face, her eyes closing when I stroked her bottom lip, licking my own in want of it, but I refrained, moving my hand to her neck, then sliding it around to the back and clasping her hair. "Alice?" I whispered.

She opened her eyes and that one dimple creased on her perfect face, making me melt. "Andie?" I couldn't hold back the tremors that went through me when she said my name. I didn't think it would ever change.

But I couldn't ask her the thing I wanted to ask her. I couldn't tell her the thing I wanted to say. Not right now. When she'd said my name, my mood shifted. Something that I'd been pinning down all day slowly stood up and cracked its knuckles, popping its neck in anticipation of the next words to fall from my lips. "I need you to remind me again," I said huskily, leaning down and touching her upper lip with the tip of my tongue, and she tried to catch it before I slid it back in my mouth, but I was already smirking at her cockily.

"Andie... you're teasing more than just me," Alice warned, and my smirk deepened before I leaned down and caught her lips roughly, enticing her to play just a little dirtier than usual. She was getting better about the "harder, faster" thing, without shattering my pelvis like she'd once predicted if we kept up the physical contact, but she also wouldn't use her hips against me yet, though her wrist left hardly any room to complain. I found that if I provoked both sides of her- the girl and the vampire- that the result was a perfect mix of the two. Alice would be gentle when I wanted gentle; the vampire, my mate, would rip my throat out if I told her to, and had no problem putting me against the wall while she banged my brains out when I asked. I was in the mood for my mate tonight. "I'm serious," she panted, pulling away from my mouth with a growl, and I knew the growl was my mate's protest of Alice's actions.

"I know," I answered, feeling a little bit guilty for playing on her emotions for me to get to the more primal part of her. "I'm sorry. I don't know... why I feel like this." That was true, at least. I don't know why I wanted it rough like that lately. It went back to the cravings for her...

"I know why," she scolded, "but it doesn't help matters. This just keeps escalating. What if I let myself go one night, and you end up bitten? You know how hard it is not to claim you when we're like that?"

A shock went through me at the words "claim you". I really liked the sound of that. Alice noticed, giving me a squinty look. "Andie, are you okay?" She set me down and stepped back to take me in from head to toe.

"I'm fine, why?"

"Your eyes changed. They got darker when I said that. I mean, they've been doing that lately, but not until you're against me, and never just with words."

I shrugged. I was just unbelievably turned on, standing there pounding in front of my mate, who was probably questioning my sanity at this point. "Is it wrong to want you to 'claim me', as you put it?"

I watched Alice shiver, her eyes closing for a few moments, then reopening, pitch black now, not a single shade of yellow in them. "Is that what you want?" my mate asked, against me in a flash, lips against my neck, making me moan aloud. "You want the heat in your veins now? You're ready to burn in Hell for me?"

"..yes."

I was on my back so fast that my vision couldn't even keep up with the sudden movement, and my eyes didn't focus right away. The first thing that came into a sharp focus was Alice over me, nudging my legs apart with a knee, and resting herself against me with a tiny thrust, making me go Niagra Falls. "I want you," my mate said, venom glistening over her teeth. "You belong to me, Andie."

"I do," I breathed, reaching up to touch her face again, scared for once that I might not live to see it again. I trusted Alice. I really did. But this was purely the vampire I dealt with now.

Then something shifted in her eyes, and they faded from onyx to butterscotch, and Alice was looking down at me in a panic. "Andie? Did I bite you?"

I shook my head. "No. But I want you to."

"What about-"

"Alice." She stopped and looked into my eyes as the next words fell from my lips. "I'm ready for you to claim me now."