AN: Hola Readers!!! I couldn't leave you hanging too long and this isn't another cliffie, I promise. :P The next chapter might take longer for be because its an in between chapter and sort of plot-less at the moment, but I'll do my best to update everything else. I hope you all enjoy! Oh, the last chapter had over 40 reviews, thats a record for this story!!! Awesome! Love you guys!

Chapter Thirteen

Finally Goes Right

My throat was closing and my heart had stopped. All I could think of were the reasons why she might be calling. Her parents tried to kill her. She was lonely. She realized I secretly pined after her. Okay, that last one was a bit of a long shot…

"Were you sleeping?" She asked quickly.

"What? No! I was just… Is something wrong?" I rambled concerned.

"No. Well, yes, kind of." She said unsure.

I felt my entire body chill and tried not to sound angry. "What happened?" I asked quietly.

"Nothing happened, I left before anything could." She answered somberly.

I felt some of the dread leave my being, but I was still on edge. "You at the gas station?" I asked quickly.

"Yes, but you don't have-" She rushed to say.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." I told her and hung up before she could try and talk me out of it.

I strode out of my room while I pocketed my cell and walked for the front door. Mom and Kevin were still on the couch and looked at me strangely as I passed.

"Paul?" Mom asked confused.

"I'm getting Anna." I said simply and grabbed my keys from the dining room table and left. I didn't stop to ask if it was okay. I already knew.

I got in my truck and started driving. When I got down into Forks it was spitting rain and before I knew it I was at the corner gas station in half the time I told Anna it would take. She was standing near the pay phone, trying to keep some kind of cover from miserable rain with her bike and over stuffed backpack. I pulled right up to her and got out to load in her bike while she ran around to get into the cab. I didn't bother with worrying about covering the bike since it was already wet and dashed in with Anna.

When I saw her in the light from the ceiling of the truck, she was nearly blue and shivering like a petrified mouse. I felt a little calmer seeing her in my hoodie. "You look freezing." I said wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her to my side where she would be warmer. And I'd feel less likely to kill.

I half expected her to try and get out of my hold but she only pulled her legs up to her chest and buried herself deeper next to me. I tried to hide my smug grin as I turned up the heat. "It started raining when I got down here." She said pathetically.

"You okay?" I asked rubbing her arm as I drove away from the gas station.

I felt her nod against my side. "Yes, I just didn't want to be pulled into another fight." She mumbled, rubbing the still healing cut on her arm. "I don't mean to be any trouble." She told me nervously.

I bit my lip to avoid blurting out the 'your-my-reason-for-living' line and just settled for holding her closer. "You're not, at all." I said honestly.

She nodded smally again, resting more comfortably against me. "Were you doing anything?" She asked curiously.

"Avoiding my mom and her boyfriend." I groaned.

Anna stiffened next to me for a moment before unclenching. "Oh, that sounds awkward." She muttered.

"It's more than awkward." I grumbled sourly.

"Will your mom mind?" She asked anxiously.

I shook my head. "No, but she might drag you into a game of Scrabble with Kevin." I said trying not to make it sound like a death sentence.

She looked up at me with confused eyes. "I've never played." She said with a frown, but a cute frown, not one that made me want to tear people's limbs off.

I smiled. "You'd be good at it." I told her surely.

She made another face and settled back under my arm, where she fit perfectly. I didn't race back home since I'd have to share her then, but I still had to do at least the speed limit so I was home in twenty minutes. I hated to let go of Anna but she was thoroughly warm now and I had to get her inside before it started to rain harder.

I rushed the bike into the garage and we walked in through there, leaving as much of our wet clothes as we could. Mom and Kevin hadn't even moved and inch from when I left them, but when they saw me back with Anna they both stood.

"Hello Anna, nice to see you again." Mom said smiling.

"I apologize if I'm intruding." Anna said quickly.

"Not at all! You're always welcome here." Mom countered with a knowing look in my direction.

Anna sighed. "Thank you," She said relieved. I took her bag from her and put it on the dining room table and pushed her into the living room.

Mom stepped closer to Kevin. "This is my boyfriend Kevin, I'm sure Paul's already told you about him." Mom said trying not to sound too scathing. It wasn't working very well. I just shrugged.

Anna gave Kevin a meek wave. "Hello," She mumbled.

"Would you like to play Scrabble?" Kevin asked politely, pointing to the board game on the coffee table.

I rolled my eyes and leaned down to Anna. "Told ya." I muttered in her ear.

She giggled a little before looking back to Kevin. "I've never played." She answered truthfully.

"Oh it's easy!" Mom cooed, rushing up to her and pulling her to a seat.

After Anna was in dry clothes she was playing Scrabble with Mom and Kevin and to no one's surprise, Anna was a quick learner and a champion at Scrabble. I let Mom and Kevin play with her while I lounged next to Anna, trying not to fall asleep while they played the most boring game in the world. I was forced to acknowledge that Kevin wasn't a total ass because he made Anna smile twice, but we'd never be friends. I can't befriend anyone who's favorite sport is Cricket.

"And you win again, are you sure you haven't played before?" Mom asked as she cleared the pieces off the board.

Anna shook her head. "I don't play games that involve more than one person." She answered quietly.

Mom looked at her sympathetically and Kevin at least had enough brains to know the truth behind Anna's vague answer. "Well, you're a natural at Scrabble." He said smiling.

Anna blushed vibrantly. "Thanks," She mumbled.

Mom smiled a little and stood. "It's late, I think we should all get to bed." She announced as she walked to the hall closet and got out the extra pillow and blanket for Anna. "For you," She said passing the bedding to Anna.

"Really, thank you." Anna said graciously.

Mom lingered for a moment and looked at her seriously. "We mean it when we say you're welcome here, I love the company." She said truthfully.

Anna's cheeks got the slightest color to them. "Goodnight," She mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"Night," Mom said sweetly then walked with Kevin to her room.

When we were alone I ignored the fact that my mother had just slipped into her room with her boyfriend and focused on Anna. She had put the bedding down on the end of the couch and looked up at me awkwardly. "You have everything?" I asked, reaching for any kind of conversation that would allow me to stay with her longer.

She glanced over her shoulder at the pile and nodded. "Yep," She said surely.

So much for small talk… "Okay," I mumbled.

"Goodnight," She said with a tiny wave.

"Goodnight," I said downcast. She didn't waste any time and escaped the awkward moment as soon as possible by spreading out the blanket and pillow.

I went to my room begrudgingly. I knew she was okay, hell she was even comfortable with staying and sleeping on the couch but I wanted to stay with her longer. However, I also knew if I wanted to take her to school in the morning I was going to need some actual sleep so I laid down in my bed and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath of the sweet smell of paper that came from the living room.

I didn't expect to sleep as long as I did, or has hard, but I still woke up before six, which was all I wanted. I could smell a myriad of breakfast foods cooking in the kitchen, but I could hear my mother still muttering in her sleep. I put shorts and a shirt on and ventured out to the kitchen.

Of all the things I thought I would find, I wasn't expecting to see Anna washing pans while Kevin hummed and chopped up apples.

Anna turned around from the sink to grab the towel on the kitchen table and saw me. She was surprised at first then smiled. "Morning," She said in her quiet way.

"Morning," I said still thoroughly surprised.

Kevin spun from the counter next to the stove and smiled as he saw me. It creeped me out seeing him smile so big. "Ah, Paul! Breakfast?" He asked happily, pointing to all the food that had been prepared.

I slowly stepped into the kitchen, closer to Anna incase I had to run for the door with her if Kevin snapped. "Sure," I muttered.

Kevin grabbed a plate from the cabinet next to his head and filled a quarter of it with fruit then handed it to Anna who started dishing eggs and bacon. "Turns out, Anna is an early bird, much like myself, and quite the prep-cook." He said smiling at Anna.

Anna blushed a little and looked at me. "I like cleaning." She mumbled.

I wanted to ask what sane person liked cleaning but my mother stuck her head into the kitchen a second later. "Do I smell bacon?" She asked amazed.

Kevin smiled wider and walked up to her. "You do," He cooed before leaning down to kiss her. I almost threw up.

"Mom!" I yelled.

She pulled away from Kevin and looked at me. "Sorry," She said not sounding sorry at all.

I started cursing under my breath and took the plate Anna was holding for me when I saw the bandage she had on her hand was more red than white. "Your hand is bleeding." I said putting my plate on the table and taking her hand.

"Crap," She hissed.

"Come on, I'll fix it up." I said pulling her out of the kitchen.

I took her straight to the bathroom, even though we had a first aid kit in the kitchen because I wanted to get away from the teenagers that used to be my mother and her boyfriend. I shut the door behind us so I didn't have to hear anything from outside the bathroom. She was looking at me wearily, probably half expecting me to put her on the counter like I did last time, and as much as I would have liked to have her hips in my hands again, I wasn't something I felt compelled to do.

I peeled off the bandage gently and examined the cut. It didn't have the thick scab it should have had because it had been wet a few times. "You shouldn't be getting this wet." I told her as I doused cotton balls in alcohol to clean her hand.

"It's healing fine." She said knowingly.

It looked well enough, but it could still easily become infection. "Still should be kept dry." I said firmly, dabbing the cut with the cotton ball.

She almost rolled her eyes. "Yes, doctor." She said dryly.

I almost dropped the bottle of alcohol when I heard her. Was she actually joking now? "Is that sarcasm I hear?" I asked hopefully.

She giggled quietly. "A little," She answered shyly.

I couldn't help but smile down at her. She just looked unbearably cute. I continued to dab at the cut when I remembered Anna's team work with Kevin. "So, you and Kevin are getting along." I tried to say without too much irritation in my voice.

She looked up at me with knowing eyes. "He's a good guy." She said surely.

"Sure," I scoffed.

"You should give him a chance, he's just nervous around you." She pressed.

Do not cave to the imprint, stand strong! "Why?" I asked looking down at her hand because her eyes could convince me to do anything

"Well, you're the eighteen-year-old son of his girlfriend. It's kind of an odd situation." She answered chuckling a little.

"I got that part already." I said flatly while I smeared anti-bacterial ointment on the cut.

She huffed a little and shifted more toward me. "He doesn't want to be your replacement father or anything like that, he just wants to have a conversation with you without worrying about losing a body part." She explained.

"I'm not gonna kill him." I said rolling my eyes while I wrapped her hand in a bandage. That man is too dramatic. He should know my mother would never let me get away with it.

"I didn't say you would, it's just that sometimes you can be a little aggressive and it can lead people to think you might disembowel them." She continued cautiously.

I tied the bandage tightly on the top of her hand and looked at her seriously. "You don't think I'd do that to you, do you?" I asked almost desperately. If she thought I'd ever hurt her I don't know how I'd survive…

"Well, I don't think you would ever disembowel me, but other people? Maybe." She answered honestly. People usually don't say this kind of stuff to my face, unless they happen to share the whole shape-shifting thing with me.

I stared on, thinking about everything she had just told me. I could probably put a little more effort toward being nice to Kevin, but then it would be less time with her. I'm not ready to give up time with her for anyone. Maybe when she's living in a house where I don't have to worry about her safety at all times, or going to a school that won't be full of shit heads that enjoy teasing and taunting her. Then it could become a possibility that I could take some attention away from her. Probably not though.

While I was working through everything in my head Anna waited patiently. I was about to continue the conversation when she took one of my hanging hands and squeezed it as tightly as she could. "Thank you," She said quietly, smiling ever so slightly up at me.

Out of instinct I squeezed her hand back, but I had urge to kiss her. Just the way she was looking at me, how her head was titled to the side, how her lips curved and well, everything. But before I could act of my impulse, Anna dropped my hand and slipped out of the bathroom, since she was tiny enough to get passed me.

I could have pulled her back, locked the door and kissed her senseless, but I didn't. I growled under my breath and started tossing things back where they where supposed to go.

After a quick 'family' breakfast, I took off with Anna, so I didn't have to worry about my mother stealing her from me again. I got her to the high school in the average time it took and helped her lock up her bike with all the others.

"You'll be okay to get home?" I asked, trying not to sound pushy.

"Yeah, I'm sure everything has blown over by now." She answered, not sounding sure at all.

"If it hasn't, call me." I told her firmly, not wanting to argue.

She nodded smally. "Okay," She promised quietly.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets to stop from pulling her into my arms. "Stay out of trouble." I said in a pleading tone.

She bit her lip and nodded again. "I'll try." She murmured before walking off, leaving me with the bad feeling in my gut and a frown on my face.

AN: Review!