We spoke only for a moment, expressing how we'd missed the other, and refusing to believe it'd been almost seven years since we'd last saw each other. After that though, we had to herd the other three inside. Nick fought against Emily's complaining. She couldn't really stop, being as tired as she was. Saying the world would be a little more quiet if there were just a few less werewolves to come knocking on the door at two in the morning! Claire and I both shared a laugh as he agreed with her without listening, guiding her to her room and then shutting the door behind them.

I had Angela, once again, sleeping in my arms. Hers strung around me like a safety net as I sidled her in through the narrow, screen door. Claire had been standing Mrs. Nicole's kitchen, waiting for the coffee she'd put on earlier to finish brewing. The soft, delicious scent filtered in and out living room as I moved through it. Though there was one other sense that was steadily filling the air in the house, and it was Claire's all knowing smile.

"So I see you've been busy." She whispered, pouring herself a cup of coffee, and taking a drag from a lit cigarette I'd barely noticed was even in the house. Seeing as how Mrs. Nicole always smoked inside, I really didn't sense the difference in the smell of the house... but then again, I had been up for quite a few hours. She rose an empty glass, asking if I'd like a cup, and I nodded.

"Not so much." I said, laying Angela on the plush, tan couch, and snagging an Afghan off the back of if to cover her with. She was still in just a small pair of shorts she'd brought with her to change into after swimming. Well, that and my Fender T-shirt. "I've been trying to settle down a little, and look for a place to live."

It was true, after what Nick had said about getting out on his own with Emily, the same obsession had been implanted in myself... even if it had been a little more lackidasical. It'd been more like a re-occurring dream I'd been thinking about, rather than an actual goal.

"Why not just stay with your father and the other two." She said. Something about what she said didn't sit well with me as I answered.

"Because, it wouldn't really be my home, would it..." It hit me then as she handed me my coffee, and sat across from me. "So you know?"

"I've known ever since the last time I came to see you. You remember?" She said, tossing me her pack of smokes. "Just like I know you smoked a cigarette tonight."

Just being around her, you would think she was human. And as she smiled, I knew why I'd always thought of her as my surrogate mother. Because she was always a step ahead, and always kind to me with whatever she said. She kept her instincts at bay without trying, and could pass for human any day of the week, even if she hadn't changed in months.

And even though, it was the first night I'd had a smoke since the first day I'd worked on Mr. Gary's boat, I took the pack, pulled out one from the middle, lit it, and laid back on the chair opposite of the couch my mate slept on. "If you knew, then why did everyone tell me not to mention it too you?"

"That's between me and Dane, hun."

"Still... I'm glad to see you." I said, taking a sip of coffee and refusing myself sleep until this whole ordeal was over.

In the mean time, I'd told her about how me and Angela met. After that came questions about Emily, and there went that story. We spoke for hours, and when I mentioned how changed my father was when around me, she smiled. I could tell she was happy I had a good father now, and it was delightful to have someone like Claire, who hated my father, love the fact that he made me what I was today. And just so you know, I did leave out the sex... because that would have been the most awkward conversation ever.

After a few hours, she told me what she'd been up too. Having originally gone to college to be a teacher, she'd always wanted to follow through with her dreams. But when I last saw her, she was still a substitute teacher. Now she taught English Literature 101. I congratulated her instantly. Last time I'd seen her house, was about seven Christmas's ago. And that was when I first saw how many books she'd read, and the numbers were well into the triple didgets. Knowing what she knew now, she said, she should have fought tooth and nail for this job in the first place.

That's when I'd asked a question that had been long overdue. "Why don't you just live with a pack?"

"Because I chose not to." She replied simply. She pulled her long, red hair away from her eyes like an opening curtain before continueing. "There are some of us who prefer to hunt, eat, and live alone. I'm one of them, always have been. And after listening to you for the past couple of hours, I can tell that you're on the same road."

I'd never thought about the fact that I rarely hunted with the others. Hell, I didn't even know what Wilson looked like changed, and couldn't remember the last time I'd had fun in a pack hunt. All I could say was that she had me pegged from the beginning.

"It's nothing bad, you just like you're privacy." She took a sip of coffee, finishing her third cup. I was still on my second, slowly taking unwanted sips just to stay awake. "Besides, that'll change if you decide to change Angela, or not."

I almost choked on my nasty coffee when she'd said it. The burn fought it's way into my nose, and thankfully never came out. But it did burn, though.

"What?!"

She looked surprised, like I didn't know what she was talking about.

"Michael. You age twice as slow as she does. You are going to have to decide whether of not you want to grow old with her, or live your last eighty years without her." She spoke the cold hard truth.

"But how will I know if we're even meant to be together?" I asked. Fear plagued my mind when I thought of the two of us ever falling apart. She was all that held me together, like a sheath for a sword. She kept me docile, and happy. I couldn't handle losing her. And I guess that found its way to my features. Because, Claire was laughing.

"Don't get so worked up." Her enthusiasm about the whole subject, was welcomed, but a little condescending. "What your body says, goes. It's as simple as that." She said, putting out her cigarette. "Besides, it's not like we're human."

******************************************************************************

The telephone rang right in my ear, startling me and Angela awake. We'd been smashed together on the couch. Rather, she slept half-on me, and I slept half-off the couch. But now, as I slid off the couch completely, neither of us were asleep.

I grabbed the phone with a furious dilerium, jamming my finger into the green, call button, killing the noisy ring. Afterwards, I took a second or two too relax before answering.

"Hello?" I said, groggily. Feeling as though I'd slept only a few seconds.

"Michael? Where's Claire?" My father asked.

"I dunno. I'll go look outside."

"Well, wait. As soon as you get Claire, grab Angela and come home."

"Why just Angela?"

"Don't ask questions, just hurry!" He yelled. A sense of urgency made me jittery all of the sudden, and very rushed.

I practically kicked open the door open when I told Claire that we had too hurry and get back too the house. And without any wasted time, she tossed her lit cigarette into the cold, damp yard and followed me inside to get her keys and purse. I, on the other hand, rushed Angela into the small silver Nissan that Claire had rented for her time down here. Many thoughts flashed inside my head about what this was all for. None of them plausible.

And as we headed to the house, going twenty-five over, I prayed it wasn't about the tired girl who laid her tired head on my shoulder as we drove home.