AN: Being that I feel like I shoulder be in a coma rather than carry out day to day this sick, I figure writing would be better. I am still trying to finish all of these up before I allow myself to post anything else because I am so horrible at finishing things.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Future Plans

Honestly, I thought I had the most drama to deal with. After the life I got set up with, you'd think so. But I think Willa just oozes it. She isn't a dramatic person, but there must be something about her that makes drama stick to her.

After I returned from the Makah Rez, everything calmed down for me. For Willa, not so much.

I'm pretty sure I didn't get the whole story. You never do with Willa. But I got enough to understand what she was going through. From what I could understand it was a huge ordeal with our mother, Seth and even our sister Dana. My dad didn't want me to worry about it, in his words it was 'Willa's crap, not mine', not exactly sage wisdom, but I knew what he was trying to tell me. Willa is a big girl and she can take care of herself. I still felt a little worry about everything. I felt like I could help in some way. Everyone, and I mean everyone, politely pointed out that Willa didn't take well to help or instruction, so I let go of it after that. When Willa really needed me, she would let me know.

I took my dad's advised and attempted to worry less about her and focused on myself. I started researching the college options in the area and looked for jobs. I did most of my research at Emily's house.

The twins were quiet and were watching a movie while me and Emily were at the dining room table, looking through the websites of the colleges.

"What did you want to go to school for?" Emily asked as she scrolled through a website.

"I'm not sure." I said honestly.

"You don't have any idea?" Emily asked with a raised brow.

"I never really thought about it." I said with a shrug. Growing up I wanted to be what everyone wanted to be, a princess, an astronaut, a doctor. None of that really translated to an actual career as I got older. I really didn't want to do anything. I think I wanted to just be, but only rich people got to do that and rich we were not.

"What do you like doing the most?" Emily prodded, trying to narrow down my search of possible degree and subsequent career.

"I like reading." I said lamely.

"I don't think we can turn that into a career, sorry." Emily told me apologetically.

"I didn't think we could." I muttered as I dropped my head onto the table.

I was thinking about all of the options I had. I knew I was staying in La Push, or at least the neighboring area with Quil because I was not leaving my family again and I wasn't going to make Quil leave the pack. College seemed superfluous if I was only going to be doing a job that could be done with a GED. Which I already had.

"Maybe I should just get a job." I muttered dejectedly.

"Finish college or you'll never forgive yourself for not doing it in the future. You'll figure out what you want with a degree later on, or maybe you'll just get the general degree to have it." Emily told me in her motherly, yet firm kind of way.

"I don't want to be useless." I mumbled.

"Just take my advice on this, okay?" She pled with me further.

"Okay," I said giving into the looks that would have sent Sam to his knees, begging for mercy.

Emily continued to go through my options as bleak and uninteresting as they were and I zoned out for a while, wondering what I was going to do for the rest of my life, other than being with Quil, and being with my family.

"What about Willa?" I asked suddenly, barely recognizing that she had flicked to my mind.

"Well, you might want to talk to her and Jeff about that." Emily said with a slight look of worry.

"She talks to you." I pointed out.

"Not since what happened with my sister." Emily almost growled.

"Oh," I muttered, not wanting to think about it too long either.

The doors started swinging open then and the twins squealed and we heard two sets of footsteps enter the house. I didn't even blink, I knew who it was already. Quil entered the dining room a minute later and put his hands on the table on either sides of my head and leaned down to kiss my hair.

"What's going on?" Quil asked curiously.

"Researching." I answered glumly.

"Exciting." He said blankly, looking clearly petrified of the thought.

"Wanna take me home?" I asked, turning to look up at me.

"Sure," He said with a smile and led me off home.

When we got there Jeff's Jeep was in the driveway, completely absent of Willa's Mustang, but I already knew where it was. We walked into the house together and we were met with some strange silence that unsettled me.

"Why do I miss her screams?" I asked strangely.

"Because they were so nice and welcoming." Jeff said from the couch. I chuckled and walked over to the living room. "How was your research with Emily?" He asked curiously.

"Didn't turn much up. I am not really the career type." I answered with a shrug.

"You know, there are jobs on the reservation you can get, but you need a degree for them." He told me off hand.

"Really?" I said with some interest.

"I say so." He said firmly.

"Dad," I groaned.

"I've got three college funds for a reason. Dana is doing damn well at MIT and I don't expect you both to go to Harvard, but I want you both to have a degree just to rub it in someone's face later on down the road when they try to tell you, you can't do something." He ranted stubbornly.

I really couldn't argue with him. "Okay," I sighed.

"Talk to Sue about it later, she'll help and so will Willa." He said with a little grin.

"Huh?" I said feeling very confused.

"Go on." He pushed.

I looked at Quil strangely and he shrugged his shoulders but didn't follow me, he understood it was a moment for just us. I went up to her room and nocked carefully and slowly, like the door was going to eat me.

"Come in," I heard Willa call out from inside. With trepidation I stepped into the room and saw her sitting at her computer.

"Hey," I said lamely.

She didn't pause for a moment before she started speaking. "I've already enrolled both of us into online classes at university of Washington. We wouldn't be able to leave La Push and handle a college workload so I looked at all of the colleges and universities and UW was the best option." She told me surely, without much room for question. Not that I would.

"Uh, okay." I muttered.

She spun in her chair to look at me. "We have to go down there to take a placement test to see where we start out but other than that we should be accepted no problem, our SAT scores are damn good and we have shiny recommendations next to our name on from several of the council leaders." She told me in a very business-like manner and I started to wonder if I was still speaking to Willa or if she was abducted by aliens.

"Really?" I asked confused.

"There is more than just having tall, ripped, gorgeous shape shifters when you're an imprint." She told me slyly, sounding more like herself.

"I have to say, you are way more put together than I am." I said with a laugh as I sat on her bed near her.

I was pretty sure I saw her blush when she turned to her printer and pulled a small packet of papers from it. "It's the rules for the online classes and all the dates we need to know about. The appointment for the test is in two days and Dad is taking us." She said as she handed me a stack of the papers.

"Well, seems like I can rest easy with you at the wheel." I said with a smile.

"Don't say wheel." She winded.

"Hm, so what are the conditions for you getting your car back?" I asked, trying not to smirk or laugh.

"Six months' probation." She answered glumly.

"Which includes?" I asked curiously, wondering what her punishment was for taking a trip across country without her father's permission or Seth.

"No drinking, no parties, no sneaking out and no leaving La Push without Dad or Sam." She listened sourly.

"Why Sam?" I asked confused.

"He wouldn't let me get away with shit, unlike Seth." She groaned.

I tried not to laugh and quickly changed the subject to survive the day. "So, when do the classes start?" I asked looking at the paper to hide the look on my face.

The next hour or so was an in depth conversation about college. I was completely new to it all and Willa was just going by the material she had, but since it was all online I doubted we would have a problem. I preferred it that way. I could work on school while Quil was out on patrol to keep my mind busy and not thinking about something trying to hurt him. I figured it would be good for Willa for the same reasons as well. Her relationship with Seth was getting better but they had a lot of crazy baggage that needed to be sorted through.

I left Willa with a list of classes I preferred and the classes that were the hardest for me based on the requirements we needed for the general degrees and she was going to be making a list of our semester classes because we were going to take them together. I nearly vomited at the thought of going back to school, but I would be with Willa, and I knew she would keep it interesting.

I crossed the hall and looked down toward the living room and perked my ears up listening for Quil talking to my dad, but I heard nothing. I opened my door and saw my own personal shape shifter sprawled out across my bed, sleeping, loudly.

I smothered another laugh and shut the door and crossed the floor to my bed and curled up the only side that could fit me. His body instantly reacted to my presence and his arms coiled around me and a sleepy smile met his lips.

"How'd it go?" He mumbled against my hair.

"Good, I'm practically a college student now." I said feeling pretty accomplished even if it was all done by Willa.

"I'm sure Jeff proud." He slurred.

"Go back to sleep." I chuckled, watching his sleeping features as he dozed off.

Quil fell back to sleep within seconds and I wondered how long he would sleep. He had been on patrols on and off for the past two days, covering for other members of the pack. The only time he wasn't running the boarders was during the day and that time he normally spent with me. I felt bad that he used so much of his free time to be with me, rather than sleeping or eating. He was wearing one of the shirts he left in my room, by my request because when he was out or not around I like to wear them to sleep. It was comforting to me.

I kicked off my shoes and socks and slipped my toes, which were pretty chilly, between his calves, he didn't even flinch. Then I slipped the arm I was laying on under his arm that I had rested my head on and the other arm around his waist and held onto him tight. I closed my eyes, even though I wasn't really tired and ended up falling asleep within seconds.

When I woke up it was well into the night and probably closer to the morning than night. Quil was awake, looking down at me while he stroked my hair. His eyes lit up a little when he saw that I was awake. I always loved seeing him like that. He looked so harmless, even though he was built for strength, speed and killing. It was a rather juxtaposed, just watching his childlike stare.

"So, if I remember correctly there was something about college?" He said with a smug little smile.

"You remember that much? Impressive." I chuckled.

He tickled me in a spot that made me squeal unexpectedly. He laughed with me and held me closer. "So, college?" He said after I calmed down.

I smacked his chest and snuggled on his arm. "Willa enrolled us for classes online with the University of Washington. Jeff is taking us to the placement tests in two days." I answered, tracing his muscles through his shirt.

"Impressive. You'd be amazed at what she can do when she's focused." He snorted.

"Or when she's on probation." I countered.

"Yeah, that too." He chuckled before leaning down to kiss me.

I smiled against his lips and molded myself against him and let him kiss me silly. He broke his lips away from mine only to kiss my nose.

"Excited?" Quil asked with a smile.

He didn't go to college, I never asked why because it didn't seem like something he regretted, but he seemed genuinely interested in my impending college introduction. "I guess." I answered, voicing my indifference.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic." He said with a c0fused look.

"I've just never been interested in college." I said with a shrug.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be. But Jeff is right, its still what you need to do." He pointed out.

"I know, it's the next step in my life, I guess." I said, still feeling awkward about everything.

"You'll thank yourself later." He told me knowingly.

"Technically, Jeff and Willa." I said with chuckle.

"Don't sell yourself short." He said seriously.

"Its something I wouldn't do without them, or even you. I need someone to motivate me." I said honestly.

"Whatever you say." He muttered as he kissed my forehead.

I just shook my head at him. "So, I'll be in college, with a full schedule soon." I said with a frown. My constant Quil time would not be so much longer.

"I'll squeeze myself in somewhere." He said smugly.

I laughed. "I have no doubt." I said with a smile.

He looked down at me with serious and concerned look. "You are happy though, right, with everything?" He asked worryingly.

I almost laughed at his concern, I knew it was because he didn't want me to feel forced into anything, but at the same time, someone was going to have to kick my butt about it. "Come on Quil, not even MLA format could ruin how happy I am here." I chuckled.

"Just making sure, I do that sometimes." He said with a sigh.

"I know, its cute." I smile and craned my neck back to kiss him. He wrapped his arms so tightly around me that I didn't feel a part of myself that wasn't warmed by his skin. I couldn't even tell where I ended and he began, but I preferred it that way.

AN: Review!