Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, items, products etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original character and plot are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise, products or locations. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Two:

"So, Sis, you ready to head home?" Embry asked. He had walked up behind me from the kitchen; obviously, he and Sam had finally finished up their super-secret meeting.

"Sure, Embry…" I stood up, leaving Emily with her photo album on the couch.

Sam had moved toward the door and held it open for us. I leaned over and gave Emily a quick hug, before I asked Embry, "Do you want me to just follow you or something?"

Embry finished his half hug with Emily and nodded at Sam before he turned and spoke to me. "I walked here this afternoon, so I can just hop in with you if that's okay?"

"Oh sure. See you guys tomorrow!" I gave a small wave to Sam and Emily before I made my way outside.

My truck lights flashed as I unlocked it and climbed inside. Embry had to throw one more comment over his shoulder before he finally got in the truck. Whatever he had said made Emily laugh and Sam grin.

Once he got in, I started the engine and turned to look at him for directions. He had the weirdest look on his face.

"Embry? How do I get…?" I trailed off, as Embry chuckled under his breath.

"You wouldn't know this was a chick's truck unless you saw the lipstick in the center console!" He snorted and just kept laughing. I missed the joke apparently.

"There's nothing wrong with my truck... I like to keep it nice. I was under the impression that clean was a good thing." Mumbling under my breath, I started backing out of Emily and Sam's driveway.

Embry finally collected himself enough to speak clearly. "Sorry, I just couldn't get over how un-flower-power the inside was and when Metallica came through the speakers… hehe."

His self-control wasn't as strong as I gave him credit for. My truck being clean, un-flowerfied, and playing tasteful tunes was not even remotely hilarious.

I rolled my eyes at him, and mumbled about how hot James Hetfield used to be, which just made Embry laugh even harder. His laughter was contagious, and I soon found myself giggling right along with him.

Embry gave me directions to his apartment, which wasn't really an apartment after all but a fairly new double wide trailer about a half a mile up the road from the Uley's place.

Embry saw the surprise on my face and spoke up. "It not like a California apartment, but 'apartment' sounds better than 'trailer,' don't you think?" He gave me a huge smile and grabbed one of my bags out of the bed of the truck.

After I slung my other bag over my shoulder, I grabbed my purse and locked up my truck. Embry had opened the front door and turned on the porch light, since it was starting to get dark.

His 'apartment' wasn't huge, but it wasn't nearly as small as it looked. The front door opened into the kitchen and living room, which were divided by an island and a few bar stools. There was a huge flat screen TV in the living room and behind it was an entire wall of video games and DVDs. The only furniture was a plaid overstuffed chair and a worn green sofa. A short hallway led to the bathroom and bedrooms.

Embry's bedroom door was closed, but he ushered me into the guest bedroom. It had a king size bed up against one wall, a very basic home gym weight set, and a closet. The only poster on the wall was a topless chick straddling a dirt bike.

I glanced at the porno poster, and then back to Embry. "That's nice."

Embry chewed on his bottom lip as his cheeks flushed crimson. He finally met my eyes, and responded, giving an over exaggerated shrug.

"I didn't know I would be having female company!"

After I tossed my bags up on the bed, I turned around and gave him a hug; I was just giving him a hard time.

"At least she is pretty. I had that calendar in my garage last year; I didn't save the poster out of it though." Embry finally hugged me back.

"You're kidding, right?" His smile came through in his voice.

"Nope, I am a California girl, remember?" I broke our hug to meet his twinkling eyes and give him a wink.

"So, not only is my twin hot, but… she likes girls? Or do you like bikes?" Embry asked as he raised an eyebrow at me.

I rolled my eyes and replied, "I'm not a lesbian. Give me a break. I just happen to appreciate beauty both in people and in motor vehicles."

"Uh-huh…" Embry said, scrutinizing me. "Why are you blushing, then?" Embry asked before turning around and leaving me, standing alone, in my new bedroom.

My cheeks remained warm, as I called after him, "Hey! I went to college you know!"

Embry burst into a fit of laughter from the living room. Ugh, boys. The smile that appeared on my face was genuine. Being able to laugh at yourself, especially to save face in front of others, was a skill I had mastered long ago.

"Do you want a beer, Cassie?" Embry voice carried in from the other room.

"Sure, that sounds great. I'll be right out." Alcohol would hopefully relax me enough, so I would be able to sleep tonight, even after everything that had happened.

I kicked off my boots and pulled my hair out of my ponytail, massaging my scalp in the process. Ungh, why does that always feel so good? Shaking my hair out, I tossed my other bag up on the king-size bed.

It was weird that Embry would have a huge spare bed, but I wasn't going to complain. I'm not the shortest of people. White walls and cream carpet made up the perfectly plain room. The blue comforter was bunched up and had been tossed unceremoniously in the center of the bed. There were sheets, which smelled clean but slightly stale, haphazardly folded next to the comforter. I made the bed and inspected the comforter. There weren't any suspicious stains, so I ran my hands lightly over the fabric to smooth it. After I surveyed my room, I turned and walked out into the living room. Twin-bonding time was about to commence.

Embry had placed a bottle of beer on the kitchen island for me, which I grabbed as I passed. He had sat in the recliner with his feet thrown up on the well used coffee table. Embry gestured for me to have a seat on the couch adjacent to him.

Taking a sip of my beer, I curled up on the couch.

"Why do you have a king sized bed in your spare bedroom? I was expecting a futon." I tucked my feet underneath me as he answered.

"Oh, umm. My friend, Seth, was staying with me for a while, before he got his own place. He just bought another bed when he moved out." Embry took a sip of his beer and his face became serious as he continued to speak, "Why are you here, Casssie? Why now?" His forehead wrinkled a little, and his eyes studied my face, as he waited for my reaction and answer.

What was he really getting at? We were just talking about beds… What had I said? Or was it what I hadn't said? After I had taken a calming breath, I answered simply, "I'm here, because the State notified me that my mother had died."

Embry's lips formed a tight line as his teeth ground together. That wasn't the answer he had been looking for, apparently. My brain raced around as it tried to grasp for the right response.

Lord, I bet he thinks I am here for her money or something, which couldn't be further from the truth. I had to clear the air, before Embry continued down that train of thought.

"Embry, listen. I'm not here for whatever Meredith Call owned when she died. The state's lawyer informed me I didn't need to be present for her will reading because there was no property to divide… I'm here because I have lived the past 11 years without a real family, being passed around like an unwanted, pain-in-the-ass tax deduction. All I have ever wanted was a family, with normal family issues, not the crap I had to deal with growing up." After I had taken a long swig of my beer, I stared back Embry. That was my best answer, pure in simple. Hopefully that was closer to the reply he was looking for.

He blinked at me, before his face broke into a smile that showed off his perfectly straight and white teeth. Embry raised his beer toward me.

"Cheers to that, then. I'm glad we're on the same page. I'm sorry I thought anything else. This is just kinda sudden and a really huge freaking deal. I had no idea I had a sister…I didn't even know Sam was my half-brother, and we've grown up together. You have no idea the insane drama that it clears up around here."

My tongue ring clinked on the rim of my beer bottle as I took another drink. "I heard, Emily outlined some of the 'who's your daddy' drama you have had to deal with. Plus, I'll bet we figure out the whole brother sister interaction soon. I think we're doing pretty well so far, and if we can live together, that will just prove it." I winked at Embry and he got a mischievous look on his face. What now?

"How about we play 20 questions?" Embry asked, taking another drink.

I couldn't have prevented the snort that escaped me. That would be one way to learn things about each other, albeit a little juvenile. I had counted on playing 20 questions today, but not literally.

"Alright, Embry, you can start."

"Okay… umm do you have a boyfriend, or girlfriend, or anyone back in California?" Embry asked me, as he took another drink and ran a hand through his hair. Seriously? Of all the questions to ask first.

"Nope, no boyfriend or girlfriend." Embry smirked as I continued, "I haven't really found anyone to get that serious about yet." I shrugged my shoulders as I answered. I spared him my spiel about baggage. Sounding pathetic to Emily was one thing, but I wasn't game for a repeat performance.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I just haven't found the right girl so far. I'm enjoying being single right now."

I raised my beer bottle in his direction and took a swig. "Cheers to that, twin… How did you get started with your mechanic shop?"

"Ever since we were kids, Quil, Jake and I were into cars. We re-built a Volkswagen Rabbit with Jake in high school, and it just kinda morphed into us starting our business from there. We all wanted to stay on the Rez, and there isn't much else around as far as mechanic shops. So, we pooled our savings and opened up our own garage. Jake and Quil both took some college business classes but school wasn't my thing. I am more of the customer service type guy." Embry gave me an over exaggerated smile. "Great personality and all, you know."

"Of course," I replied, grinning at him. "That's really cool. It's obviously doing pretty well if you're still open and can afford all of these toys." I gestured to his huge TV and all of his game systems.

"Oh yeah, the nearest shop is in Forks and Dowling's is way overpriced. So, we do pretty well. We had to add on two more bays last year to help with the increased demand. We all wanted to give back to the Rez, and not just add to the list of deadbeats sucking the tribe dry. Jake has an apartment over the shop. I think you will like him, if you stick around long enough to meet him. Quil you will probably meet tomorrow. Other than being slightly irritating sometimes, they are the best friends I could have asked for. If our friendship can last through everything we've been through, that says something."

Embry's eyes glazed over at whatever memories he had been thinking of. He took a long swig of his beer, before he shook himself and plastered a smile back on his face.

"I would like to meet all of your friends. From everything you guys have said, everyone sounds really nice…My back-up plan was just to move to Seattle if our family reunion went to hell. Like I said at dinner, I am just winging this."

Embry was studying me again as he tried to read me. "So…were you planning on sticking around for a while then? Like you might move here? …" He trailed off with his eyebrows slightly raised.

"Maybe…ask me again in a week." A smile had crept onto my face. "You might decide you have had enough of me by then!"

I wasn't planning on saying anything originally. Having just met my family, I didn't want to go and freak them out by camping out in their front yard. My face showed my hope though; I had never been very good at hiding my emotions.

"I bet you will fall in love with this place! And by the end of the week, you will be splitting rent with me!" Embry grinned at me, before finishing his beer.

As he watched me, he twirled the empty bottle on the coffee table with his fingers. Showoff. Although, what little I had seen so far of La Push, just Emily and Sam, everyone seemed really nice and accepting.

"So why did you become a paramedic? I would have pegged you for a model or something." Embry asked me, as he stood up and walked into the kitchen to grab another beer. He walked back in, beers in hand, placing a second beer on the table for me.

"The first time I rode in an ambulance, I knew it was what I wanted to do. It's one of the best jobs on earth, plus I could work and go to school. Once I got into college, it all just fell into place. One of my professors hooked me up with a job right away, and it has been everything I thought it would be. You get to help people, while driving fast and breaking traffic laws." As I talked about my job a smile spread across my face.

"You know, one of my foster parents did get me to do a little modeling, but it just wasn't for me; I never could really get into it. Probably because my foster dad was arrested for child porn just a few weeks after making me model for him. That killed what minor appeal modeling had ever held for me…" I trailed off, because of the shocked look on my twin's face.

Embry apparently inhaled his beer because he started snorting and gagging.

"Are you serious?" he choked out, before hitting his bare chest a few times, which ended his hack-fest.

"Totally serious. I wasn't involved much with his porn scam, and I didn't stay much longer in their care. Thankfully, I never had to testify in court either."

"Wow," Embry said, shaking his head. "I thought Mom was pretty bad, but she never pulled anything close to that. What growing up like for you?"

I uncurled my legs and stretched them out on to the coffee table.

"It could have been a lot worse. I actually was lucky, and until I was ten I had the perfect life. My adoptive parents were wonderful and loving people. After they were killed, I didn't have anyone to take over my care, so the State took over my custody. I never starved and had clothes, but some of the homes took in tons of kids, and we weren't much more than a money maker for them. I ended up taking care of the younger kids a lot; the majority of my foster parents just didn't give a damn about anything other than their check. When my foster parents could afford it and would let me, I tried to do school stuff, like playing soccer and volleyball." I shrugged before continuing, "I got burned a few times, but nothing too horrible. It all just made me a better person, I guess…I wish I could have met our mom though, what was she like?"

Embry slowly blew out the breath he had just taken and sighed.

"Mom wasn't all that great of a person. I could have told you when I was six she was going to die of an overdose. She received money from somewhere though, but it mostly went to pay for her drugs and alcohol. I pretty much lived at Quil's or Jacob's; when I was with their families, I got three meals a day and showed up to school. Mom never talked about our dad, or you for that matter. I probably know you better than I ever did her, and I've known you for a few hours. She was always strung out, or she just wouldn't be around... So, yeah, I'm sorry but there isn't much to tell, and Bill Uley hasn't been seen around here for fifteen years. He didn't take an interest in any of his kids, including Sam." Embry kind of shrugged and gulped down a large swallow of beer. When he was finished, he placed it on the table slightly harder than necessary.

I had figured my parents weren't the most upstanding of people, but it was one thing to think that and another to hear it confirmed. Embry didn't seem like he was all that thrilled to keep talking about it anyway. So, I changed the subject to try and lighten the mood.

"So, Embry, what do you do for fun?"

Embry gave me a lopsided smile; he appreciated the topic change.

"Well… we have some great surfing, whale watching and that sort of crap. Personally, I tend to hang out with my friends. We have parties and bonfires; plus, the normal things, video games, sports… you know, cool stuff."

Embry leaned backward on the recliner and stretched -even sitting his reach was insane. He really was tall. I had a helluva time finding jeans long enough for me and Embry had six inches on me. Maybe that was why he and Sam wore shorts. Embry gave a little grunt before he resettled himself back in the chair.

"What sort of stuff do you enjoy, Cassie?" Embry asked.

"You know, normal girl stuff..." I quirked a half smile at him, "like shopping, cooking, and shoes. I never really got the hang of surfing, but I'm great at laying out on the beach. I'm not half bad at playing video games, either."

My 'playing video games' comment had peaked Embry's interest.

"What kind of video games do you play?" he asked. Embry inclined his head forward, now that we weren't going to talk about shoes and shopping.

"Mostly first person shooter. I love Halo, Left 4 Dead, Modern Warfare…those sorts of games mostly. What can I say? I enjoy massacring aliens, zombies and bad guys." I watched Embry's face at my response; his mouth had dropped open slightly before he caught it and slammed it shut.

"That is so awesome. Next time the pack is over for game night you will have to play with us! I thought Modern Warfare 2 was SWEET, and the Nazi Zombies! You totally can't beat that!" Embry response came out rushed in his excitement. I grinned at him.

"The Russian snow sniper chapter was my favorite. The pack, huh? …Who are they?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow. Embry's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but he recovered and grinned back at me.

"It's the ah…nickname we call ourselves…the group of us that works security around here. We hang out together all the time outside of work and we're all Quileute. As a people we descended from wolves, so it's just a play on that." Embry's explanation made sense, but it was kind of weird. Whatever, a pack of friends, okay, maybe it was like the Native version of a gang and not criminal.

"That's cool. So, will all of your pack be at this bonfire tomorrow, so I can meet them?" I asked as Embry gave a big yawn.

"Most of them, yeah, except for Jacob. He is still out of town. He and Sam are like the pack leaders, so to speak. They both work out the security patrols and Jake is the best mechanic at our shop by far… anyway…" Embry trailed off nervously tugging on his cropped hair. He glanced back at me and continued. "The pack will love you! And not just because you're family, but you're hot and you play video games! You might have to carry a baseball bat just to keep my friends from humping your leg." I rolled my eyes at him in response.

"You might be surprised, Embry, but I have gotten pretty good at taking care of myself. There is a reason I made it out of the system alive, after eight years. Plus, now I have a brother to help keep all the nasty boys away!" Embry winked at me, and flexed his arms, showing off his well-built muscles.

"You're damn right you do! Just let me know and I will kick their ass!"

He put on what I assumed was his mean face, but it just made me giggle. Considering how huge and built he was, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if my twin could whoop some serious ass. If all of his friends were as big as he and Sam, then it would be a very interesting fight.

"So, Cassie, I have to work at the shop tomorrow, but we are going to close up early in time for the bonfire. I'll be home sometime in the afternoon, and I was thinking I might take you around and show you La Push," Embry said, finishing his second beer with a satisfied sigh.

"That sounds great! I'll find something to do in the morning. I saw the beach on my way to Sam and Emily's, so I may just hang out there if the weather is good."

"There isn't a whole lot to do around here that isn't beach related, but you are welcome to anything of mine." Embry said, gesturing around his living room.

"The sheets on that bed are clean, and there are fresh towels and stuff in the bathroom."

I nodded. It would be nice to head to bed before too long; I was exhausted. I attempted to stifle a yawn, but Embry noticed and he gave a larger yawn in return.

"I'm going to jump in the shower really quick, okay? Then it is all yours." Embry gave me one final smile before jumping up, tossing his bottles in the trash, and disappearing down the hall. I got up off the couch and stretched before I grabbed my beers and made my way into the kitchen. After chugging the last of my beer, I tossed my empty bottles in the trash.

I curiously opened the fridge to plan what I could scrounge for breakfast. It was almost completely empty but the carton of eggs felt full and there was a block of cheese in the dairy drawer. There was also some milk and about half a loaf of bread. For a bachelor, my brother at least appeared to eat healthily. Emily must feed him more often than not though, poor dear. Embry and Sam ate a ton of food, judging from the one meal I had witnessed. Maybe, I would get up make breakfast for us and then go for a run. That would fill some of my morning, and then maybe a trip to a grocery store to re-stock my twin's fridge, since I planned to empty it in the morning.

I heard the water running as I walked past the bathroom door and into my room. Surprisingly, there were hangers in the closet, along with a bunch of hardly used sports gear. I moved an old football helmet, hockey stick, and some sort of goal net over with my foot and hung up my clothes. My cell phone shockingly showed no missed calls, as I plugged it into charge. The single text message was from my bank informing me of my current balance. How pathetic can you get, seriously? I had friends, well, more acquaintances than anything, through school and work. Once I had decided to move, all of my "friends" found other things to do with their time, and he didn't have my new number. Oh well, a totally fresh and new start is better, right? Nope, I was just pathetic. I huffed to myself, as I picked out my pajamas and dug out my bag of toiletries.

I had heard the water shut off from the bathroom before Embry emerged a few moments later. He was wrapped only in a towel, and had his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. He mumbled something about being almost done, which I was only able to decipher because he gestured with his hands as well. Embry dripped water all the way down the hall and to his bedroom where he disappeared. He came out a second later in pajama pants and re-entered the bathroom, where I heard him spit and rinse out his mouth. Embry walked into my room shortly thereafter.

"Sorry about that, I'm not used to having house guests. I figured I had missed the allocated time in our brother-sister relationship, where it was okay to walk around naked." He grinned at me. His hair had dried really quickly; it no longer dripped on the carpet.

"Yeah, I think the walking around naked era in our relationship came and went about 20 years ago. I appreciate your effort, though." I smiled back at him, before I grabbed my bathroom stuff.

Before I could duck into the bathroom, Embry wrapped me in another one of his overly hot hugs.

"Goodnight, sis. I'll see you in the morning." I squeezed him back.

"G'night, bro. Thanks again for letting me stay here." He released me after giving me a final squeeze.

"Of course! You're welcome to stay as long as you like." Embry gave me a quick smile before he turned and disappeared into his bedroom.

The bathroom wasn't huge, but it wasn't as tiny as I thought it would be. This was clearly a guy's bathroom, as the vanity held nothing but a bar of soap, a toothbrush and an open tube of toothpaste. My shower was wonderful. I hadn't thought I was capable of walking the ten steps to crawl into bed. As soon as I had shut off the light and shimmied under the covers, I was out, and I didn't dream.

AN:

Thanks for reading! I appreciate and cherish all of your time.

*wolfy hugs*