AN: Thanks for all the reviews! Glad to know you all like my story. Yes, there are too few Claire/Quil stories, and there will always be a need for more because we never got closure from Stephanie! :D Next chapter Claire meets Nessie again in Seattle, in my favorite store in Pike's Place. OH, Claire doesn't remember anything from when she was young, other than little moments were nothing was really clear. Enjoy!

Chapter Two

Sweet Freedom

I spent the next day with Natalie and Joe, since they were leaving the next morning and I would be leaving after dinner to make it to Tacoma before sunset. Natalie almost cried when I had to leave, I was no where near as dramatic. She always had it in her head that my cell phone would explode and my laptop would be stolen and I'd never be able to contact her again.

We were on the high-way and had been for almost an hour. I had my Spanish homework in my lap while Mom recorded notes for her next conference call with her idiot employee's. She works as travelling quality evaluator for this big pharmaceutical company, she just drops in on various sites around the states and makes sure everything is running smooth. She got promoted last year and now she doesn't have to follow a schedule, 'cause she's the one training the people who get sent out to the sites.

I was trying to practice my new list of verbs while Mom worked, and usually I could, but I'm so anxious about getting back to Washington I can't sit still!

Mom's cell started to ring. "Claire, can you turn the recorder off?" She asked quietly.

"Yep," I whispered, grabbing the little device from the docking station on the dash board of the truck and pressing the 'stop' button.

She swiped her cell phone from next to her and flipped it open effortlessly without looking away from the road. "Hannah Joyner," She answered sweetly and waited. "Yes, I'll be there in two hours… I was planning on two weeks… That works for me, thanks Jeff." She smiled and closed her phone, setting it back in the center console.

"What's going on?" I asked closing my Spanish book.

"The Seattle site is having some issues with the new guy, he needs better instruction than what he's getting from Nancy so I'm gonna have to give him a crash course." She sighed dramatically.

"How alone will I be at the park?" I groaned. That's what usually happens when she has to leave. I've never been much for driving. Honestly, me and driving, bad combination. So whenever Mom has to leave I'm stuck in the trailer park.

"You won't." She said grinning.

I blinked. "Huh, what?" I stammered.

"Claire, you're eighteen years old, why you still let me order you around is beyond me, but you graduate next week with almost perfect grades and as a present I'm going to let you stay in the city while I work." She explained happily. Who in the hell took my mother and left this rational and oddly cheerful person?

"Really?" I asked incredulously.

"Yup, you even get the debit card." She said with waggling brows.

"If it wasn't completely and totally weird, I would marry you right now." I said still stunned from the fact that this woman was letting me do things I never thought she would let me do.

"Your welcome, Sweetie." She laughed.

She was no where near as uptight as she should be. The first time she let me navigate a city alone when I was fourteen she was hyperventilating when she dropped me off and calling me every five minutes until I got to my destination, where she was waiting, an hour later. "Are you buttering me up for something?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, you'll be able to go out on your own soon, and I'd like you to still want to hang out with your crazy old mother." She explained guiltily.

I laughed at that. She was one of the few people I had in this world, did she seriously think I would flee the country the minute I was eighteen, which was four months ago? "So, I get to be in Seattle, on my own, for eight hours a day?" I asked, still a little confused.

"For almost all of the two weeks." She added.

My dark eyes narrowed on the woman that was supposedly my mother. "What's the catch?" I asked lowly, suspicion still clear in my voice.

"I want you to spend all of today and tomorrow finishing up the rest of your work for high school." She grinned in that motherly tone that she loved to use.

"Done." I said pulling my Spanish book closer.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

I spent the next hour and a half speeding through all the work I could. I even stayed in the car rushing through my Economics homework as Mom set up the trailer at a little trailer park about half an hour north of Seattle. The park was surrounded by trees and each lot was covered by a tree of its own. It was nice and secluded, I wish we could stay here longer. You never find parks this nice.

I was over half way done with my work when Mom came back to the truck, slightly out of breath an a little confused.

"Are you planning on leaving?" She asked amusingly.

"I was thinking about it." I shrugged indignantly.

She laughed. "Come on, I made grilled cheese." She said opening my door of the truck.

I scooped up my work and dashed out of the truck and into the trailer, I haven't had a home cooked meal in weeks. I was sitting at our little table when Mom followed me in. She dished out two grilled cheese sandwiches on a plate for me and sat down in front of me with a bowl of soup. I continued to finish my homework as I ate.

"Nothing ever stops you when you're dedicated." She said shaking her head.

"Not even potty breaks." I muttered through a mouthful of grilled cheese.

"Claire?" She asked almost desperately.

I looked up, her tone shaking me from my dedication. "Yeah, Mom?" I asked worryingly.

"Promise me something?" She asked softly.

"No dark alleys, if I think someone is following me duck into a busy shop, stay away from creepy guys and don't give any money to homeless people." I listed off expertly.

"You forgot don't talk to strangers." She said firmly.

"Mom, I'm a big girl, contrary to my size." I pointed out, glancing down at my tiny frame.

"I'm your mother, I'm allowed to worry." She said with a frown.

"I'll just leave you to that then." I grinned as I went back to eating and my Trig homework.

I could see my mom roll her eyes and finish eating her soup out of the corner of my eye. I knew my mom would be worried about everything from me getting kidnapped to getting a hang nail, and for the moment I was going to let her stew in it. Trying to tell her nothing would happen to me was like trying to tell a doctor no one was going to get sick. It was futile and did no one any good.

I finished my Trig homework and put my homework away then took my plate and washed it in our tiny sink and retired to the couch five feet away. Mom followed a few seconds later but took the recliner seat in front of the TV. She was rigid in the seat and only moved to turn to look at me.

"Promise you'll call if there is any trouble." She said desperately.

"Promise," I echoed dryly.

"I mean it Claire, even if its just cops gathered on a street corner, I don't want you alone out there." She added firmly, giving me that stare down.

I rolled my eyes as discretely as possible. "I promise." I repeated.

She let out a strangled sigh.

"Your gonna stroke out tomorrow aren't you?" I asked impatiently.

"I might," She frowned.

"Well, call me first, so I know where to look for you." I said seriously.

"Funny," She said sarcastically.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I try,"

Mom and I watched a few hours of TV before she retired to the only room in the trailer. We switched off on who used the room and who slept on the couch. The whole trailer was covered in our things, knick-knacks and pictures and every drawer was filled with clothes or purses, and the storage space was loaded with shoes. When all you have to pay is gas money and a flat fee for electricity, water, rent and cable, you have a lot of money left over. And my mom and I happen to wear the same size shoe.

My home is cramped at times, not even a hundred square feet for two people, but I wouldn't trade it for a regular home. What's better than hitching up your house and taking it with you where ever you wanted to go? Especially with a guilt ridden mother. She hates the fact that she didn't give me a 'normal life' and I used that to my advantage when I wanted to go to Mexico two months ago for a post birthday vacation. Being able to drink legally is great, its even better when you are surrounded by particularly good looking Mexican guys. Of course, that could have been the tequila distorting my vision.

I guess I should feel guilty for manipulating my mother those three or four times I have but she's done the same. Sure it was with bribes of movies and variations of chocolate, but the crime is still the same. Truthfully we've both done mean things to each other but its all forgiven. She's the only family I have, I think I can let her get away with tricking me into seeing a few chick flicks.

And all of this is why I'm going to do as I'm told and call my mother every three seconds when I'm in Seattle. I will probably end up texting her since it will save minutes but all the same I will keep in contact with her. I'm not one of those stupid teenagers that think keeping their mother in the loop is for losers. So I will be a loser, for my mom's sake, and I will like it, because I know at the end of the day, when they go home to get chewed out for breaking the rules, I will have a debit card to play with. I love being a loser.

AN: Review!