"Hey Jaq," Nathan said as he sauntered into the kitchen. "What cha cookin'?"

"It's a surprise." She smiled. "Are they here yet?"

"Not yet." He leaned in and smelt the saucepan on the stove. "Ahh, I remember you making this one. Conner will be pleased."

"Good." She smiled again and handed him the wooden spoon. "Mix," She commanded. "And don't let it burn whatever you do."

Jaq left him stirring and began to set the table. She closed her eyes and sniffed the air. Following the scent she opened the drawer and pulled out a packet of ornately decorated napkins.

"I knew they'd have some of these somewhere."

"You're really going full on with this aren't you?" Nathan laughed as she began to fold the napkins into the glasses.

"I want them to get the full experience of ma cuisine." She grinned.

"They'll be here in a few minutes." Alice said as she skipped through the door. "My sight just went so they've probably just left."

"Is Leah coming?"

"No," Alice shook her head. "They still haven't been able to convince her."

"Okay," Jaq pouted and she cleared one of the places at the table. "More for the others I guess."

"Can I stop stirring this yet Jaq?"

"No keep stirring."

"But it's boring."

Jaq ignored him and turned back to Alice.

"Any more news on Delano?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"No more than before. The girl - Prudence - she's still changing her mind regularly. I don't know what to make of it."

Jaq frowned but before she could say anything four overly large Indian boys burst into the kitchen.

"Damn that smells good." Jacob grinned.

"If you go get Conner and Nessie you can have some."

"Already gone."

The other came and sat down at the table.

"Hey Jaq." Embry smiled and the venom in her body sped up. What the hell is this?

"Smells great Jaq." Seth grinned.

"Uh, thanks Seth." She said distractedly.

"Jaq..." Nathan moaned from the stove.

"Yes Nathan." She sighed. "You can stop stirring."

"Yes!"

"So," She said turning to the boys at the table. "I hope you boys are hungry, I've made so much food and Connor and Ness are just too small to eat it all themselves."

"Hungry?" Quil exclaimed. "I'm starving!"

"We've just had patrol," Embry explained. "We've all been running double shifts since the whole Delano thing started up."

Jaq frowned. Double shifts? She didn't like the sound of that. They shouldn't have to do that. Thinking about it, all the boys looked exhausted, Jacob included. She'd be having words with him later.

Embry noticed her scrutiny and smiled.

"It's okay, it's all voluntary, Jaq."

"But it's not fair on you." She argued. He looked the most tired and that upset her even more. "Look at yourselves - you all look exhausted."

"We don't mind." Seth smiled.

"Yeah, this is what we like doing." Quil grinned.

"But you need to sleep."

"We are sleeping Jaq," Embry laughed. "I promise you. You don't need to worry."

"Obviously not enough. You should let the people who don't need to sleep like me and Nathan to-" She turned back to an empty space. "Where'd he go?"

"He left as soon as you told him he could stop stirring."

"Guess he still doesn't trust you guys, huh?"

"Apparently not."

"Okay," Jacob grinned from the doorway. "Are you guys ready to eat or not?" He entered the room with Connor on one shoulder and Renesmee on the other - both shrieking with delight. He set them down on their chairs and sat at his own, picking up his knife and fork and holding them upright ready to eat.

"Hungry are you?" Jaq laughed as she served to lentil soup into each of their bowls. "Homemade you know." She winked.

"Mmmm..." Connor grinned, tucking in before the bowl had hit the table.

Jaq chuckled and put the saucepan in the sink. She watched as the boys wolfed the soup down while Nessie sipped it nicely. She frowned as she noticed again the dark circles beneath each of the werewolves' eyes. She was definatly going to have a word with them about that.

They finished up the soup in just a few minutes. Jaq cleared the bowls and left them in the sink to be washed later. She opened the oven door and took out five huge casserole dishes.

"Wow someone's been busy."

"Well the rate you lot eat..."

"What's this?" Seth asked eyeing the casserole dishes.

"Ratatouille." Jaq grinned and Connor cheered.

"I love this stuff!"

"That's why I made it." Jaq laughed.

Jacob sifted through the food on his plate with a fork. "Where's the meat?"

"It's a vegetarian dish."

"Vegetarian?"

Jaq nodded and pointed to herself. "I used to be one."

"Really?... Well, that's an odd concept..."

"How can you not have liked meat?" Quil said partway through a mouthful of food. "Meat's the best."

"Do you not realise how some of those animals are treated?" Jaq frowned. "It's cruel!"

"Well this is the weirdest conversation I've ever had with a vampire..." Jacob muttered to Embry. Embry laughed in agreement and they all began to clear their plates.

"Mmm that was good." Renesmee smiled.

"I've got something way more exciting coming." Jaq grinned as she took the plates off the table. She went to the freezer and pulled out a big plastic container.

"Icecream?" Nessie guessed.

"Almost."

"Almost icecream?"

Jaq smiled but didn't answer. She opened the container, took out an elegant cake and placed it on the table with a knife.

They all leaned in to inspect it.

"What is it?"

"Lemon meringue icecream cake." She said as she handed out plates and spoons.

"Wicked."

They devoured the cake in just a few seconds leaving only a few crumbs on the plate. It was like watching the discovery channel or something.

"Sheesh, you guys are like animals." Alice grinned as she skipped into the kitchen.

Jaq laughed. "I know right? I was just thinking that."

"Jacob, your dad just called." Alice said. "He says he needs to speak to you."

"Oh." Jacob got up looking confused. "Ok, guess I'll see you guys later."

There was a short silence when Seth stood up. "Ermm... Quil, Connor, Ness... we've got to do that... thing you know..."

"Huh?"

"That thing... you know..."

"Oh yeah."

They hurried out of the kitchen, with a giggle from Renesmee, leaving Jaq and Embry alone.

"Well that was weird." Jaq said as she turned to the sink.

"Yeah," Embry laughed. "I have weird friends. Want a hand with that?" He gestured to the pile of washing up. "I'll dry."

"If you're sure." He picked up a tea towel and began drying the few bits she had already washed. "So, how was patrol?"

"Neh, it was okay." He shrugged. "Couldn't wait to get back her to see you though."

Jaq's stomach gave an irrational flutter. Get a hold of yourself Jaq. You don't even know him that well. You've known him all of two weeks...

"Didn't find anything then?" She said in as normal a voice as she could muster.

"Nah, Alice said we've still got a few weeks anyway. This is just a precaution."

They were silent for a moment, just the sound of the china clinking against the sink. Jaq wondered to herself why she always felt so comfortable with Embry. She barely even knew him for goodness sake.

What was it about him that made her feel like this? It was like they were connected on a spiritual level or something... but that was impossible, right? Urgh... She'd be able to tell if she could see her own aura. What stupid idiot allowed her to see other's auras but not her own? it was just plain annoying...

"What are you thinking about?" Embry asked breaking her thoughts.

"Oh err..." Jaq scrambled, caught off guard. "I was thinking about you actually..." She said truthfully.

"Me?" He asked confused.

"Yeah I was err... just wondering.... about your life." She stuttered, bottling out of what she was going to say.

"My life?"

"Yeah, you know my life story. What about yours?"

"Mine isn't so interesting but I suppose... if you're interested..."

"Where did you grow up? Have you lived here your whole life, or ...?"

"No I was born on the Makah reservation. I moved here with my mom when I was three."

"What about your dad?"

Embry shrugged. "She says she left him back in the Makah rez."

"You say that like you're not sure." Jaq frowned.

"Well," He suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I'd always believed her... but when I turned into this, well, let's just say the story didn't fit."

"What do you mean?" She was so confused. Why was he so uneasy? "Why doesn't it fit?"

"Well.... to be a werewolf you have to be related father-to-son with one of the older pack members or related to a Quileute."

"Right..."

"The last pack was Ephraim Black, Jacob's great-granddad; Levi Uley, Sam's great-granddad and Awan Ateara, Quil's great-granddad. My mum's Makah by birth so that means my dad..." Embry swallowed. "...has to be Jake's dad, Sam's dad or Quil's dad."

"Oh."

"They're all married."

"Wow." Jaq raised her eyebrows. "So you don't know who he is?"

"Nope, and of course my mom's answer's always the same."

"What about Ben's dad?" Jaq asked. "Is he...? Will Ben...?"

"Chris was Quileute so it's possible it could happen, I guess..."

"Was?"

"He died just after Ben was born, cancer. It's a shame - he was a really nice bloke."

"Oh. Your poor mum, having to look after you two alone."

"Yeah, I guess I don't exactly make it easier for her...." He looked away almost ashamed.

"What do you mean?" Jaq frowned. "You don't seem like the troublemaking type."

"It's the whole shape shifter thing." He explained. "I'm not allowed to tell her about it. So she always gets mad when I sneak out at night for patrol. And I've been skipping college so I can catch up on sleep. But I've started failing..." He trailed off looking to the floor. She could tell that this problem was really upsetting him.

"Embry..." Jaq quickly dried her hands and gave him a hug. She barely came up to his shoulders - he was so huge. "Hey, it's okay." She rubbed as far up his back as she could reach. Sometimes it sucked being small.

She heard him sniff and he pulled her closer. They stood there quietly for a moment. At some point it registered to Jaq that she was hugging a guy she barely knew, but that thought was quickly lost. Embry was in pain, and for whatever the reason, his pain was her pain.