A/N: Okay I am SO doing this on a whim because I'm at my Mom's job and it just came in a burst of inspiration after a long bout of writer's block. Here's what we've all been waiting for...
I met Embry on the border, following the directions he'd given me to a different location that was legal for me to be on. He was leaning against a shiny black truck with his arms crossed, his face illuminated by the light of his cell phone.
"You have a car," I mused running my hand across the glossy paint.
"Yeah," he muttered, making a show of wiping the place I'd touched with his sleeve before finally looking up at me. He raised an eyebrow.
"Blonde. Really?"
I threw my hands in the air. "Do you think it would be bad if someone came up to me and said 'Hey Kendra, you're back! Nice haircut, by the way!'" I asked sarcastically, "Besides, the red ones were too obviously fake."
He rolled his eyes and got in the car. I followed suit. "How did you even get that thing on your head in the first place?"
"A lot of hair pins, lot of work, and a lot of help."
Embry's hands froze on the key in the ignition.
"Help? From who?" I shrugged.
"Bella."
Silence hung in the air for a long while before his head snapped around and his wide eyes settled on me. "Have you lost you mind?" He raved, "She could tell Edward! He could tell Carlisle! Do you know how much-"
"Relax, Fido," I laughed easily, "This is Bella we're talking about. Were she in my place, she'd do exactly the same thing."
He seemed to contemplate that for a few moments, then visibly calmed when he realized I was right. We started racing down Highway 101, and soon, Forks was behind us.
The ride to Seattle was a quiet one. I leaned my head against the window and watched the buildings and streets become more and more familiar. They were not the only familiar things I saw either.
We stopped at a red light and I continued look out into the city. To my right, a gaggle of teenagers around my age emerged from the movie theater, talking to eachother and occasionally laughing animatedly. I started in my seat.
Two of those faces were familiar.
Kevin and Lila were among the crowd that was spilling out of the double doors. Hand in hand. I knew they'd been very good friends but never had they been this close. That is, until now. A feeling of deep sadness washed over me and I closed my eyes. They continued to live there normal lives and I would be happy for them for as long as I lived but I envied them in that I could never be normal - human - again. I was stuck in this scary knew world and a thin piece of glass was the only thing seperating me from everything I knew. A thin piece of unbreakable glass.
We continued on before stopping a few blocks away from our final destination. Embry parked and killed the engine. I turned to him expectantly, knowing he had something to say.
"This isn't gonna be easy for you," he eventually said. I nodded, knowing he meant physically and emotionally and acknowledging that he was right. He stared out of the winshield, a curtain draw over his eyes, blocking me from any emotion or thought.
"I -I'm going to open the door a little to see if you're okay with the scent, alright?" I stiffened, the reality of the situation suddenly catching up with me. I nodded anyway and steeled myself for the onslaught.
"Oui," I said uncertainly.
He took a steadying breath as he slowly pulled the handle back. We were both so wound up that we jumped at the dull pop that indicated the door was open. He eased the door open only a bit. And one thought crossed my mind.
Mother Nature must really hate me.
If she didn't, I wouldn't have to be something unnatural. Supernatural. None of us would. If she didn't, I wouldn't have to kill animals in order to block the craving for what I really wanted.
If she didn't, the wind wouldn't have blown just then.
Embry flinched as I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth, feeding the white-hot fire that was already raging through my throat. Another, less painful, burn spread through my limbs. It was almost a physical ache not to dart into the street and rip into the flesh of the poor human who had been too close when Mother Nature screwed us both. My mind became hazy, only one thought coming through clearly.
Escape.
"Let me out," I said in a voice that wasn't my own. Whoever I was before was gone, replaced by burning hunger and rage towards the only person that stood in my way. But, the small, only vaguely sane part of my mind reasoned, she must still be there or else I would have already ripped the handle off of the door.
The person next to me - Embry? - immediately slammed the door shut at the sound of my voice. I narrowed my eyes. It was too late. The scent already permeated the small area.
"What? No! Kendra, just relax, okay? You can't hunt a human!" he tried to reason. But I wasn't listening. I only heard one sound. A human heartbeat getting farther away.
"Let. Me. Out." I repeated. My tone was low, dangerous, even. The little sane part of me cowered in fright and simultaneously fought harder for dominance over my mind.
"Kendra." Embry's instincts had suddenly kicked in. His voice was like splintering ice and his hands trembled as they reached out to grab my shoulders. "Focus. Why are we here? Why are we in Seattle?"
I had been ready to lash out when he touched me but one word finally pierced through the red haze and hit home.
Seattle.
I glanced over Embry's shoulder and into the night. I remebered - if vaguely - walking these streets. I remembered racing Heather down the block and winning every time. I remebered being dared to lick that pole one cold winter day. I was a kid here. This is where I grew up. I was-
"Home," I breathed.
Embry nodded slowly, letting go of me as my rigid form loosened. The fire in my throat still raged but I now had the sanity to at least keep myself from attacking an innocent bystander. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes, letting the trapped scent assault my senses, trying to get used to the inevitable burn. I part of me still wanted to go after it.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. I could hear Embry shift slightly in his seat. He let out a weary sigh.
"No," he disagreed, "It's okay. You did well. I mean, you didn't try to kill me or anything."
We stayed like that for a while longer, both of us recovering from the almost tragedy. The still silence began to make me restless and I gathered up all the courage and strength I possessed.
"Let's go." He caught my wrist before I could get out.
"Wait."
"What?
"Your contacts are gone."
As we were walking down the final block, a feeling of dread suddenly smothered me for reasons unknown. I tried not to think about it, tried to think of happy memories, but it was always there, knawing at the back of my conscience. I gave up and began focusing on the sound of our footsteps to drown out the sound of blood rushing lazily through the sleeping humans' hearts. After we had walked a little ways, I stopped.
Why had I stopped? I looked around and strained my ears, wondering if I had subconsciously picked up on a sound our scent that didn't belong. But as I looked to my right, I knew that wasn't the case.
The house was white and in very good shape as it has always been. But there was something very...off. The grass that covered the lawn was very long but it had always been cut short no matter what. The lights in the living room were clearly on and the curtains were drawn. A window on the second floor was open. Now I knew that I had stopped out of force of habit.
This had been my house.