A/N: Hey there, just a quick note to say that this chapter and the next were originally one long chapter, and while I don't like so much on one page, I also didn't think it was fair to post it at different times. So, here you go, back to back chapters of HATM.
Also, I am running a blog on this story as well, and if you are unable to comment or review here, I would be glad to talk about the story one-on-one over there. The link is on my profile page, and you guys will be glad to know that the pictures are up there as well, so no more trouble with the Picasa link not allowing comments. Yaaay.
Tuesday
Jake and Embry ambled along the road to Billy's place, knowing that Rachel would definitely have breakfast ready by this time in the morning, especially since Paul had definitely spent the night. Paul had begged off patrols the past two nights to beg Rachel to forgive him. Meanwhile, the twins had asked Jake to keep them and Seth off patrol for a day or two since he had been freaking out, and Jake made sure to keep the secret of his imprinting from the rest of the packs.
"Oh well" stated Embry, "Paul has probably begged, pleaded, bribed, coaxed, persuaded and if all else failed… just…" "Dude, just stop that sentence right there PLEASE. You realize this is my sister we are talking about?," Jake interrupted. "Hmm yeah, forgot that for a second" came the snickered reply. "Forget things like that the next time I give you back to back patrols" grumbled his Alpha. "Oh lighten up Big Chief Fat Ass," Embry rolled his eyes. They continued in this vein as they wandered into the kitchen and plonked themselves into the closest chairs they found. They were interrupted by a yawn and the sound of the door to Jake's old room swinging close. Embry looked quizzically at Jake, wondering who the visitor was. Jake just looked at him blankly, revealing nothing about the newcomer. Just then the door to the kitchen swung open and a very sleepy Kaia entered the kitchen.
She paused mid-yawn, and then blinked and rubbed her eyes. Then she smiled and addressed Jake. "Morning Black, for a second there I thought there was two of you. Good thing it was just my imagination. Can you imagine double your ugliness?" she shuddered theatrically. "You sure are chipper this morning. What happened to the tale you told me about not smiling before noon." Jake pointed out. "Shush now little one, we have company" she replied turning to an extremely amused Embry, and speaking with a thick Spanish accent, "Buenos Dias Signoor" she batted her eyelashes at the now helpless bundle of laughter, that was Embry. "Err Jake, you might want to get your twin person off the floor. He might hurt it with all that flailing he's doing." This set Embry off even more, and it was a good few minutes later that he finally got up off the floor, only to nearly collapse again at the sight before him. Kaia sat on the counter, legs folded Indian style, nursing a cup of coffee, with milk and sugar if his nose was any judge; while Jake glared at her from the other end of the table. The reason for the glaring became pretty obvious, when he noticed that every other sip, Kaia would look up and stick her tongue out while waggling her eyebrows at him.
"Ahh yes, the geegling man has stopped. Perhaps Seegnor Black, you can introdoos us now?" she continued in her ridiculous mockery of the Spanish accent, which only served to set off Embry all over again. He was able to stop after a minute or so this time, to find both Jake and Kaia watching him with a kind of curious fascination that made it hard for him to not start laughing all over again. "He is really REALLY easy to amuse isn't he? Was he dropped or something as a child? Do you know Jake?" "Hey hey now" protested Embry, "This is a little too much to take on an empty stomach." Jake laughed before making introductions. "Kaia Reynolds, this is Embry Call. Kaia is going to be staying with us for a while, Embry has been one of my best friends since we all learned to walk. And now that you two know who the other is, can someone tell me where my sister is?" "Yeah, not that its not pleasant to meet you K-ster, but are we getting fed anytime soon?" Embry chimed in.
Kaia just sniggered and then added, "Oh this should be good. Paul picked up Rachel last night, around 8, and said they would see us when they saw us. I take it no-one has done any seeing yet, so you minions are at my mercy for breakfast this morning. Mwahahahahaha" she trailed off when the two giants in the kitchen just stared at her. "Yeah ok… you need to get used to the evil laugh, so, you guys hungry?" "She doesn't really know us very well, does she" asked Embry, in an extremely loud stage whisper. Kaia just rolled her eyes and then oophed when a large, extremely warm arm dropped around her shoulder, and Embry's voice sounded above her head. "Anytime you feel like feeding a pack of wild dogs, you just give us a call ok?" and with that he and Jake burst into laughter again, while Kaia proceeded to pull out a couple of onions, tomatoes, peppers and other herbs, ignoring them completely. The boy's laughter trailed off as she withdrew from the fridge holding 3 eggs. "Umm Kaia, you DO plan on feeding us starving people as well right. Please?" asked Jake. "Yes, please oh please feed us starving minions too, O great Spanish mangler."
She sniffed. "Hmph, fine mongrels, but ONLY because I am making breakfast for Billy too," she warned. The boys just grinned at her and then looked at the eggs she had placed in a bowl. "Umm Kai, you might want to add a few more eggs to that mix." She stopped chopping onions and turned to look at them in suspicion. "How many more?" Jake looked sheepish, and then opened the fridge again, taking out an entire carton of eggs. Kaia just looked at them both, and then shook her head. "I'm not surprised, ok minions, you" she pointed to Jake, "wash those peppers for me, and you" she pointed at Embry, who was sneaking out the door to the living room, "Clean the rest of the onions and then start mixing eggs into this bowl."
Jake and Embry looked at each other in amusement at the pint sized autocrat giving them orders, and then, as one, they turned to her and snapped a Hitler Nazi salute and proceeded to do as she said, neither one noticing Billy's laughter from the Living room doorway. Paul and Rachel walked in on this particular scene just then, only to practically collapse with laughter at the aprons Kaia had forced the boys to wear. "Embry my man, pink with ruffles have got to be your new thing" guffawed Paul, as Rachel simply held on to him to avoid falling to the floor; pointing at Jake and his Bikini motif apron while the two hams simply posed and acted like they were on a runway for couture aprons.
The laughing ceased immediately, however, the second they heard the sizzle of the eggs in the pan; as one they turned to watch Kaia as she concentrated solely on the stove and the pan on top of it. Barely a few minutes later, she was dishing out fluffy omelettes on plates for each of them. The differences in the sizes of the omelettes was laughable, as she had foreseen that Paul would probably eat like them, once she had caught sight of his large frame. There was utter silence as they tucked into the platters in front of them. Embry was the first to finish. While the others watched, he pushed back his chair, stalked to where Kaia was perched on the counter, and knelt in front of her. "Anytime my lady decides to feed us unworthy minions again, I will be more than happy to volunteer my services to carry the groceries." "Hmph" came the reply, "I refuse to accept anything less than slave for life." "Done" and then she and Embry proceeded to make up the most ridiculous, complicated handshake which left the others in the kitchen shaking their heads at the way two teenagers could act like two toddlers.
Wednesday
"Hey Jake," came a deep voice down the phone line, "Hiya Sam, what's up man?" replied Jake, cradling the phone between his shoulder and ear. "Listen, the twins and Seth have both been off patrols the past couple of days, is everything ok with them?" came Sam's query. Jake sighed, knowing he would have to resort to a white lie or two to keep Seth's secret. "Sam, I'm going to be honest, Seth is having some trouble with something, and the twins have been practically camped out at the Clearwater's the past couple of days. Collin and Brady are the only thing keeping Seth from going wolf and disappearing at the moment, so I'm going to have to ask you to keep letting it slide." "I see. I guess you can't tell me what's going on either, can you?" asked Sam, with an underlying layer of concern, showing how much he cared about the cubs in the pack. "Not that I can't tell you Sam, it's just that I can't tell you YET. I promise I will, just not yet." "But they're ok?" persisted the older boy. "The twins, yes, Seth, not as much, but believe me, it will sort itself out soon enough." "Ok Jake, but if anythings wrong with any one of them…" "I'll call you. I swear" replied Jake, smiling at the fierce protective streak of his outwardly aggressive, former Alpha. "Yeah yeah, now wipe that grin off your face, I don't have to be there to know how stupid you probably look" came Sam's voice again, before they said their goodbyes.
Jacob stood on the porch, wondering if he was doing the right thing; preventing Seth from taking off that night, on a blind search for a girl he had danced with, seemed the best course of action at the time. Jake was a firm believer in the theory that what was meant to happen, would happen. His life was a prime example of that; he had spent so much time chasing Bella, but until he had stopped and let things happen on their own time, he had been deprived of his imprint. The second he had stopped resisting the fact that Bella and Edward were meant to be, life had taken its destined course and his imprint had come to him. But there was a reason that the girl had slipped away from Seth that night, maybe some unfinished business on her part, or maybe she wasn't ready for their world yet.
Jake smiled to himself, his mind sure now.
He had done the right thing.
If this girl was meant for his Beta's younger brother, she would show up.
If only he knew she already had.
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