Hey hey, I'm here again. I really, really will do my best to finish the story this month before I fly off to New York in September, when I'll have no time to write. I'm doing my best, hoping to manage it besides all my other duties and enjoying my "free time"...

Chapter 17 - Time

"Leah?"

"She's human. Wow. She's really good..."

"Leah, do you hear me?"

I blinked, or I tried to. My eyes didn't react. It was Rebecca's voice, and Embry's.

"Lee, please. Can you open your eyes?"

I felt a warm touch on my hand. While I still struggled to get my eyes open, my mind was already picking up its work. Why did anything feel warm to me? Maybe it was because I felt so cold...

I shivered, and with that, I regained power over my own body again. I opened my eyes, struggled to sit up, finally managing it.

"Is she okay?", I heard another voice coming from behind. Slowly, I turned, seeing Mano coming my direction.

Rebecca wiped her hand across my forehead. "Lee, are you okay?"

I met her concerned eyes, staring into them without noticing anything.

"Can you tell me what happened? You just... ran out the door."

"Oh.", I replied, blinking a few times to get the stupor to fade away. I looked around, noticing that more of the others were surrounding me. Still in a daze, I counted them. Ten. Kaili was missing. And Seth and Ka Hiwa were missing.

I dropped back onto the ground.

Rebecca helped me up again, still worried. How could I tell her what was going on within my head?

I met Embry's gaze. He knew. He wasn't absolutely happy about it, either, but it wasn't as bad to him as it was to me, of course.

I scratched my forearm, feeling self-conscious as the center of attraction again.

"I guess... it reminded me of something bad.", I explained quietly to Rebecca. "I was having a flashback."

This didn't answer her question. "What reminded you?"

I tried to choke back the lump in my throat. ".. Seth.", I mouthed. She was puzzled.

Sighing, I looked up at the gathered crowd. "I'm... fine.", I told them. "Let's... go inside."

I heard sighs of relief and slowly, some of them turned away. Mano held out his hand to help me up, and I staggered my way back to the house, feeling pathetic.

I hesitated on the threshold, composing myself. I wasn't going to freak out again...

Seth and Ka Hiwa were still in the kitchen, talking silently. The look in Seth's eyes was still luminous, glowing, never dropping from Ka Hiwa's face. Obviously, she had fallen for him immediately, too, her face was flushed a delicate pink and she kept dropping her gaze, even though she couldn't help herself, she lifted her eyes to his again everytime she'd dropped them.

The world had stopped turning for them. I turned and closed the door, not wanting to see more of that. I couldn't take it. I dragged my feet through the hall. Embry was leaning against the wall, unsure of how to go on.

"Um... can you tell them about our trip this morning? I think I can't..."

He gave me an unsure smile. "Sure.", he said reassuringly.

Suddenly, I felt something touching my feet. I looked down and saw Kaili pulling herself upright, patting my legs, reaching for me. And the turmoil around me became unimportant again.

I felt the healing power surge from the girl's smile again, and I lifted her up and pressed her to my chest.

I decided I needed time, time to digest this, and I took Kaili with me to my room. At first, she was squealing and laughing, patting my face as we lay on my bed. But it didn't take long for her to become quiet and finally fall asleep. It was later than her usual bed time, I realized. Throughout the whole day, I'd lost my sense of time.

I thought I really should help Rebecca putting Pili to bed, which would be approximately impossible, what with his cool new friends and lots of other interesting people present.

But for now, all I wanted was trying to think this through objectively, concentrating on the sleeping child if I would be about to panic again.

The look I'd seen in Seth's eyes, it was exactly what Sam had looked like on that afternoon when my world fell apart. It was like experiencing it all over again, like I did in my dreams.

But it wasn't the same, after all. This was Seth. Not Sam. What had caught me off guard was only the unexpected happening, when I'd thought least of Sam, that it came crashing down on me, unsettling me.

And then I remembered my dream from last night. I put my free arm to my chest, feeling my heart beat. It did beat, and, physically, it was intact. And it was able to love... this I knew when I looked down at Kaili. This was love, no romantic one, but a love from free will, growing all by itself. And my heart was able to contain it, to let it heal the bruises.

I realized the concept of time. It took a long time to let go, an even longer time to heal. But, time – and will – were able to heal.

And another aspect of time was the present. Now. The time to get up and move on. To live and love again.

How?, my insides screamed at me. I don't know., I whispered back.

But I knew that there was the time to go, and that I could learn to love again by simply letting those who loved me into my heart. Trust. I winced as I imagined what it was like to have my trust in somebody broken. But confidence was what it took to love someone...

I would start with loving Kaili and my "family" here. That wass all I could do.

Carefully, I pulled my arm out from under Kaili, gently kissing her forehead before I tiptoed to the door. I would be good and join the assembled pack, facing the things I had to face.

I was determined to take things as they were, and take the matters of my time into my own hands. Sam had his own life now, and I had mine. I wasn't really ready to see him again, I wondered how I would cope if we had to get the pack here.

Seth had his own matters to occupy him now, and it wasn't my business, even though I'd have to endure his thoughts all too soon... still, it wasn't the same. This time, these thoughts wouldn't hurt. They would only annoy me. I rolled my eyes and stepped into the hall to enter the living room.

When I opened the door, all eyes were on me, of course. But nobody put a question, Embry had obviously answered every question satisfyingly. I sat down between Mano and Embry and threw the latter a thankful look. He grinned back.

Keli'i stood and looked around to see all of us. He locked eyes with every one in turn before he made his speech.

"Brothers and Sisters, this is a serious mission. We are not sure if we are suited for the task at hand, and, I have to emphasize it again, we are eternally grateful for the Quileute's support. Still, we can not stand aside deedlessly. We need to survey our tribe's mythical history closer, in order to find something that might salvage us."

Each one of them nodded in agreement, and I wondered curiously how they would proceed. Probably they wouldn't try to google it.

I got a nudge from the side and looked up.

"Curious?", Mano asked. I nodded, wondering if I was being nosy. But then again, this was our mission as well, and I'd told them enough about the wolves that it might be their turn. Mano must have guessed my thoughts.

"If you want, you can accompany me tomorrow. I'm going to see some of the elders."

I didn't comprehend. "Aren't Keli'i and the older dog men – Kapa'a, for example – the elders?"

"Yes.", he replied. "They belong to the elders. But there are some who belong to the oldest and mightiest families, but are not given the dog spirit."

I nodded. "And how can they help us?"

He smiled. "I hope they might remember some part of our magic that could help us turn the tables."

"Let's hope for it.", I answered. "I'm coming with you."

"Great. I'll come get you. Is 8.30 a.m. Okay?"

"I'm getting up early anyway. I have to get Pili to school."

"After that, then."

He held out his hand and I shook it.

"Bye."

Mano turned for the door, and I realized that the others had already left the room. I didn't really need to glanze up at the clock to know it was late. I was tired for two. I yawned and shuffled over to my room. My bed was empty. Rebecca must have taken Kaili to her own crib. Thankfully, I fell into my sheets and was out before I could have counted to ten.

"Leah, can Seth and Embry come to school with me?"

I playfully raised my eyebrows at Pili. "And what are they supposed to do at school with you?"

Pili grinned between two spoonfuls of cornflakes. "I think they know aaall the answers to Mrs. Mahina's questions!"

"Yes. I think they would.", I laughed. "But it's you who should know the answers."

"They can tell me and then I'll know!", he persisted.

"Right. But I think they're tired enough that they might still sleep when I drive you to school."

He pouted for a moment, then he resumed eating.

"I can go to the forest with them when I'm back, right?"

"We'll see."

"Lee?"

Becky came into the kitchen with her business clothes on. "I'm gone for work all day. Can you take care of the two?"

I bit my lip. "Oh. Well, I..." I hesitated. This was supposed to be my first priority. "Mano invited me to come see the elders with him for some clues..."

Rebecca nodded and thought about it for a moment. "Maybe you could take Kaili with you and persuade Embry to take care of Pili. I'd like to stay at home so you may fully concentrate on the battle issue, but I couldn't put this off..."

"No, no, it's okay.", I hurried to say. "I'll take care."

"Thanks." She came by to give me and Pili each a hug, then she left for the front door.

"Pili, time to go.", I told the boy just when he finished eating and settled to play battleships with the last of his cornflakes. "I'll have Embry pick you up.", I promised, hoping that my friend was okay with being assigned a Pili-sitter job. I knew Seth was way beyond it, I wondered if he was even here. Maybe he had already set off into the sunset with his new-found destiny. I'd better call in for Quil and Jacob to strengthen our team. They had their little girls at home, too, but it wasn't a new sensation. Maybe they could keep their head in the game a little bit better. Well... maybe.

I dropped Pili off at school and drove back home where Mano would pick me up. There was still time enough to wake Kaili up and pack a bag for her. By the time I was done, Embry had woken up, too. I told him to help himself to some breakfast and broke the news of his babysitting shift to him. He grinned and complied.

"Thanks. You're cool.", I told him. The door bell rang and I went for the door with Kaili in the baby sling and a bag with baby stuff on my shoulder. Mano's eyes trailed across my set up.

"Baby-sitter, remember?", I told him and pointed to my chest. "Sorry, I hope that's okay, but Rebecca is travelling again and I originally came here to take care of the children."

"Well, okay. Let's go."

I wondered for a moment if he was disappointed, but then he lifted his hand to stroke Kaili's cheek, smiling when she squealed in delight and patted my back.

Mano's car was parked in front of our house and I went to fetch Kaili's car seat from Rebecca's car. I sat with her in the back seat, in case she needed something.

"Leah?"

I looked up and met Mano's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Yes?"

"About that... conversation yesterday evening." He hesitated.

"Yes?", I repeated, waiting for something humiliating.

"I'm really sorry I listened. I know it wasn't supposed for my ears."

"Oh. Well... that's okay. I'm not holding a grudge."

"Thank you."

The following silence felt like there was something he wanted to say, but he seemed too absorbed in either his thoughts or the traffic, and I hoped for the latter. At least, he seemed to be a reasonable driver.

"We're here.", he told me, all of a sudden, and for the first time on the fifteen-minute ride, I looked out the window. The neighborhood was a little different from Ainako Avenue, the buildings looked older, some even ancient. Maybe it fit, if this was the place where the elders of the tribe were living.

Mano parked the car and I unbelted Kaili. We walked up the path towards the front door, where he rang the door bell. We listened quietly and I perceived a pair of shuffling feet across the floor panels, accompanied by the tapping of dog's paws. The door opened and I beheld the face of an old man. When he saw Mano, his eyes brightened. "Ah, Elua Ilio. Welcome, Mano."

They shook hands, and Mano bowed his head in reverence. The elder turned to me. "Aloha, young lady. I've heard of you."

"Aloha.", I replied, using one of the few hawaiian words I knew. "My name is Leah."

"Mine is Kukui." He leaned around me and looked at Kaili. "Ah, and the little one of Ekolu Mikala."

He smiled at the girl and beckoned us to enter. The tapping paws belonged to a little grey dog, though it seemed odd that they would keep dogs as pets, given their tribal heritage. Or maybe it was in emphasis of that state.

He led us into his living room, filled with traditional things of every kind. I looked around me in wonder and awe. It was like being in Levi Uley's place, a long-distant memory rising up. I tried to recollect the room without lingering on the circumstances I'd been there so often.

"Please have a seat, young malihini." I supposed he adressed me, and returned to the present. Mano was already seated in an armchair, so I took my place in the other, seating Kaili on my lap.

"You need my advice, and you seek to find it in my stories. Listen well."