A/N: Ok, so I'm only sort of sure where all of this is going, so if you have any ideas or requests, PM me. Also, FFN was having some weird stuff when I uploaded this, so if anyone got multiple notifications that's why.

Also, quick shout outs:

LSUtiger0919- You're right, I do owe you. I'll try to keep updating once a week or so.

To everyone else who reviewed: I LOVE YOU!

Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing these characters. I'll return them soon.

Ok, so… You know in movies how road trips look super fun? Well, it's pretty much a load of bullshit.

At least I was having a learning experience. I was learning a lot of new things.

In the last three days I'd learned that:

People who write movies about fun road trips have obviously never been on one, that or they're seriously repressing.

People who drive on the interstate are generally assholes.

Sleeping in your car isn't fun; it hurts your neck and the lack of shower makes you feel gross.

People who work at truck stops are creepy.

And last, but not least…

Google maps is a filthy liar.

Estimated drive time: 32 hours my ass. Who exactly made that estimation? Did their other achievements include driving for NASCAR?

I left my house at 4:00 on Tuesday, I didn't stop until midnight.

I got up kind of late - 10:30 am – Wednesday morning and kept driving till 10:30 that night.

I didn't sleep so well Tuesday night, what with the neck pain (sleeping in your bar is NOT comfortable,) so I hit the road at 8:00 Wednesday morning. If it was noon, and it was - subtracting a few hours for meals and breaks- I had driven a grand total of 22 hours.

I should have been getting close. I should have been crossing the border between Idaho and Washington any time now...

But, no, there I was, driving down I-90, watching as the lovely 'Welcome to Montana' sign disappeared in my rearview mirror. Judging by my current rate, I'd be in La Push in two more days… Not ten more hours.

It hadn't been all bad… Being alone on the interstate, just me and the road; it was kind of peaceful. But you know what else it was full of? Time.

Being alone for a large amount of time isn't usually that bad, but when I'm alone I think. Well, I always think, but, you know… I'm not usually alone. Ok, so I am alone a lot, but… whatever. You know what I mean.

Right?

Right.

After three days alone with my thoughts the spontaneous 'I'm going to drive across the country to discover my past' thing was starting to sound like a bad plan. A million 'what ifs?' ran through my brain from about the time when I hit South Dakota.

'What if I have the wrong La Push?'

'What if no one there remembers me?'

'What if they don't want me to be there?'

'What if this Emily woman doesn't live there anymore?'

I didn't know anything about this place or the people there. I wasn't about to turn around, though. I was far too curious. I might have been scared and unsure, but I still felt like this was something I had to do.

Two Days Later I finally got to Washington. According to the signage I'd be in 'Port Angeles' in 10 miles.

I was actually pretty proud of myself for making it there.

Somewhere in the middle of Montana I gave up. I had made up my mind, I was going home. I even turned on my turn signal so that I could get into the exit lane.

The moment I twisted the steering wheel something inside of me moved. It was like gravity had gotten tired of pulling down and decided to pull west instead. I was out of breath and shaking, I had to pull off to the side of the road.

I stared straight ahead for a few minutes and then I cried.

I cried because I was tired and my neck and back hurt; I cried because I wanted to go home; I cried because I didn't want to go home; I cried for the piece of me that always seemed to be missing; I cried because I was running out of money and decided to skip breakfast.

I cried long and hard, and then I stopped crying and started driving. Crying – something that usually drained my energy – had somehow refreshed me.

I made a decision. I would go to La Push. Maybe I'd find something, maybe I wouldn't. But I wasn't giving up until I found out.

I smiled at the memory. I could still feel that odd tug (like gravity,) even as I drove through rainy Port Angeles.

I had 65 or so miles left and I was getting pretty anxious.

I wasn't sure what to do once I got there. It's not like I could just ask for Emily. Judging by my current surroundings La Push was bound to be small; but I highly doubted that it was 'Only-One-Person-Named-Emily' small.

I could ask for the last name 'Michaels,' which might still be my mom's last name; or I could ask for 'Young,' which – according to my birth certificate – was her maiden name.

La Push might just be 'Only-One-Family-With-That-Last-Name' small.

I'd driven through quite a few tiny towns. I was starting to wonder if asking for Emily by first name only would work. If La Push is the size of that 'Forks' place I just drove through, it might.

According to my Odometer I only had about five miles left. Sure enough, when I glanced up from my dashboard I was passing the 'Welcome to La Push' sign.

I'd passed a lot of 'Welcome to…' signs in the past few days, you do that when you're on a road trip. Odd how this was the first one that really seemed welcoming. Not 'Welcome to our town, try not to act like a tourist,' more like 'Welcome home.'

My mouth smiled all on its own.

This wasn't a bad idea or a mistake. It was home.

It was beautiful. The trees looked lovely and picturesque through the misty rain. I could see the ocean off in the distance through gaps in the trees and the scent of sea salt and floated through my open window.

Even the town itself was pretty. Lots of little houses in varying colors of faded paint, cute little shops and people walking down the streets.

I decided that the best part was that all the people looked like me. They all had russet skin and black hair. This was the best place I had ever been.

'Alright,' I said to myself, 'it's time to start the search.'

I parked my car in front of the first business I passed; a small fairly basic looking store. I fixed my hair in the mirror, it still looked awful (no shower in five days, remember?)

With one last deep breath I got out of my car and walked inside.

The store was small and crammed full of things. There was easily enough stuff to fill a building twice as large. The counter was small and cramped, behind it sat a huge man –he must have been at least 6'4". He looked to be about 25 and his size made him look almost comical in the cramped little store.

He ran his eyes up my body in a way that made me want to shower (even more than I already did) and smirked.

"Well, hello." He said in that 'I'm undressing you with my eyes' voice, "I'm Embry, and you are?"

I'm slightly creeped out...

"I'm Claire."

His face went pale – well as pale as possible for someone so tan – and his jaw dropped.

Embry's voice was shaky when he spoke again.

"C-Claire? It's r-really you?"

I nodded, confused, and he grinned like he'd just won a million dollars.

He rushed around the counter, knocking down several things as he went, and pulled me into a tight (and uncomfortably warm) hug.

"Quil is going to be so excited!" he was practically dancing.

"Who's-" I began, but he cut me off.

"We have to get to Sam and Emily's now"

Emily's? How was it even possible that the first person I met wanted to take me to the exact place I wanted to go? The word 'confused' wasn't really covering it.

"You know Emily?" I asked.

He laughed… hard… for like, a full minute.

"Yes," he said wiping a tear from his eye. "I know Emily."

He mumbled something else, it sounded like 'new here.'

We walked out the door, Embry stopped just long enough to flip the open/closed sign around.

"You aren't going to lock up? Someone could rob you." I asked, noting that he was leaving the store unmanned and unlocked.

He laughed again.

"It's so cute that you think that." He said ruffling my hair.

I crossed my arms and took a step towards my car, but stopped when Embry –guess what? - laughed!

"What?" I asked, irritated.

"We aren't going to drive. They live like two blocks from here."

I glared at him… He was really annoying.

"Right, why didn't I guess?"

A/N: Alright, this was the last chapter that I'd already posted on my old account. Next comes an all new part.

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