Chapter Twenty-Four

Nick's POV

I couldn't believe I had been so stupid. Of course she would have found someone else during the two years I was away, I just didn't expect him to be so young.

When I saw Emma for the first time since getting back, I was in shock. She wasn't the thirteen year old that I left; no, she was fully grown. Her straight bronze hair had gotten a little wave in it and had grown to where it fell just above her lower back and her figure had blossomed to that of a young woman, but that wasn't what I noticed first.

It was the five year old she was swinging around as if he was the only thing that mattered. I prayed that he wasn't a wolf who imprinted, or worse, her wolf son. I admit it, I gasped when I thought of either of those thoughts being true.

She kissed the top of his head and muttered, "Stay right there, Alex."

"Emma? Is that you?" I asked, though I would recognize her anywhere. She nodded with a huge grin and jumped on me, literally. Her now long legs wrapped themselves around me and I fought the urge to capture her lips with mine.

"Thank god you're alright. Fang was so worried." She said and I marvaled at her new adult voice. It was, dare I say it?, sexy.

"Fang was worried, huh?" I smirked. I laid my head on top of hers and couldn't help but smile as she giggled. I could tell that my five o'clock shadow would have to go, but I kind of liked how it made her react so I might just keep it.

Before I knew what was happening, the kid was next to us and pulling at her leg. She climbed off of me with an embarrassed blush and asked, "What is it, honey?" as she settled him on her beautiful hip.

"It's time for my bed." The kid said and Emma giggled at him. He scowled at me. "Fang loves Max, not my Emma."

"I'm not Fang, my name is Nick." I said coolly, but I knew that I was staring at the kid too hard. I was trying to see if I could see the strings bonding them to each other since he said her name and not 'mommy.' "And who are you?"

"Oh, this is Alejandro. He's Collin's little boy." Emma said with a heartbreaking smile. I wanted so badly for her to be smiling at me, but I knew that it was only because she was talking about her imprinter.

"He a shifter?" I asked and almost threw up in my mouth when she nodded adorably.

Leo cleared his throat to get my attention and the others instantly stepped out of the shadows. The sight of my Troopers seemed to make Emma upset.

"Uh, Alice has a party planned in the Main House." She said and took off towards the house without another word.

"That the girl?" Robin asked curiously. I knew about her crush on me, but it had never mattered until right now when I knew that I had no chance with Emma Black now that she had a future soul mate. Kid or not, I knew that imprinting was strong and I didn't stand a chance against it.

Still, I wanted to try. I loved her now more than ever, and it wasn't just because now she was old enough to actually feel the same way.

"Yeah, that's the girl." I admitted with a faint blush. It was rare for a Ravenwood to blush, but Fang and I did on occation (usually in regards to Max and, now, Emma).

"She's cute." Leo said approvingly and I had to hand it to the man for trying to cheer me up.

"Come on guys, let's go meet the family." I said and led my Troopers inside to where I knew that vampires were waiting. I hoped that at least one Flock member was there so it wouldn't feel as much like I was bringing dinner home.

The second I walked through the door, I was greeted with a hug from Esme. The other Cullens took turns hugging me as well even though I hated affection like that almost as much as Fang did.

I introduced Leo, Riley, Toni, Robin, Ray, and Jenny to the Cullens and most of them recieved hugs from Esme and Alice as well. Alice was particularly interested in Antonia. She whispered something in her ear before giggling and skipping back to Jasper. Little Genevieve was a hit with everyone and I had never seen Jenny happier. She was waddling from couple to couple with such enthusiasm that I wondered how she would ever handle it when she found out about the beach at La Push.

"Not that this party isn't great, but where are the Flock and the Crew?" I asked about half an hour into my welcome home party.

Carlisle answered, "They were at the beach for a bonfire but they'll join us soon."

"I figured that was where the Flock was, but where are the Crew?" I asked again. Last time I was here, the experiments in the Crew didn't like the wolves all that much and prefered to stay at home.

"Right here." A voice said behind me and I had to do a double take before I recognized who it was. Two years wasn't that long, was it?

"Two-Two?" I asked, staring at the beautiful adult in front of me. Her naturally blonde hair looked like it had been died brown again recently and her figure seemed to have changed dramatically too, but those sweet baby blue eyes were the same. What was she now, nineteen?

"Eighteen." Angel's clone said with a giggle. "And I don't go by Two-Two anymore, my name is Angelica now."

"It suits you." I said and glanced at the next Crew member.

I was happy to see that not everything had changed. Kirby hadn't changed at all, still blonde with random green spots on his skin and didn't seem to age since the last time I saw him, though now he was nineteen. Neither had Serenity, she still had her dark hair, pale skin, and soulless brown eyes that made her look like the part robot she was. Twenty-one still made her look like the young teenager she came here as.

I wondered why he was standing so close to Robot Girl and not Two-Two, I mean Angelica, but that was answered when I heard her voice in my thoughts. He dumped me for her, can you believe it?

I shook my head but realized I looked rediculas so I stopped.

Nudge's clone was still with Horse Boy, and it seemed like they prospered since I had been gone.

Nuala's stomach was bulging like she was pregnant again and Denver had a one year old in his arms. The girl reminded me a lot of Denver, but I didn't see any hooves. She had brown little wings sticking out of her blanket, tan skin, brown eyes, and long brown hair.

Jayden, their now four year old part horse son, was running around chasing a toddler that was still in the womb when I left. The little girl had tawny wings, black frizzy hair, and brown eyes, making her look like a duplicate of her mother minus the dark tan skin tone.

"This is Kirrim," Naula said, pointing at the two and a half year old, "Akia," she pointed at the girl in Denver's arms, the baby smiled at me and I couldn't help but grin back, "and you remember Jayden, right?"

"Of course I do." I said, high fiving the little boy who had grown so much.

I introduced the Troopers to the Crew and vice versa. Since we would be living together in Crew Headquarters, I figured it would be a good idea to get them to bond with each other. Jenny joined Nuala's kids running around playing tag, Toni and Robin sat and chatted with Angelica, and Leo talked wtih Carlisle and Edward about the weather. Ray tried to talk with Kirby, the guy closest to his age, but when that failed he joined the girls in their conversation.

Riley was the only one who didn't strike a conversation, but that was because he wasn't all there in the head. Alice tried though, and I think she thinks she got through to him.

I caught up with Naula while Denver went to feed Akia and tried to get any information on Alex and Emma. If he imprinted, I wanted to know. But Naula was a gossip and they like to take their own pace. She told me more about Collin not handling Ella's death more than about their son. It shocked me that Ella had died though so I let her ramble about the funeral.

She was halfway through her story when Emma walked downstairs agian. That was when my mind started to wander and before I knew it, I was on the floor clutching my head in pain. I opened my eyes, blinking back stars, and saw the worry on Emma's beautiful face.

"Wha- happen'd?" I asked groggily, trying to sit up. I was no longer in the living room, but instead in my twin's bedroom.

"I'm so sorry." Emma started to appologize, wiping away blood from my forehead with a wet wash cloth. "I didn't think that he would do that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been thinking around him..."

"Edward?" I asked, still not sure what happened. One second I was thinking about how beautiful Emma was and how much I wished to make her mine, and the next second I was waking up in here.

"Yeah, sorry about my grandfather." Emma said again, sniffling. "He attacked you out of nowhere. This was supposed to be your homecoming party, and now it's ruined."

"Shh, it's okay. I'm fine, see?" I said, sitting up on the bed in an attempt to show her I was fine and get her to stop crying.

"Fang is gonna be so happy to see that you're okay." Emma said, wiping her tears and smiling at me. "The Flock just arrived half an hour ago and they've been worried sick. Max almost chewed Edward a new one, you should have seen it."