Pairing: Embry and Bella

Rating: M (language)

Genre: Angst

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with the Twilight Franchise.

Choices Taken

Pure, innocent, carefree laughter carried down the semi-crowded coast. A little boy, roughly the age of five, dribbled a soccer ball down the beach as an unfamiliar young female raced after him. The woman giggled uncontrollably, calling out his name – Ethan.

The child's scent drew him like a moth to a flame. The wolf watched the cub turn into a young pup from afar – allowing the child to approach him of his own free will. The boy, Ethan, was familiar.

He, the human, paid attention to the details.

The unruly hair, so much like his own, hung in the lad's eyes in the front. Chocolate brown eyes, eyes that he remembers vividly, weren't those of the young woman dashing behind. The youngster's complexion a much lighter shade then his own but still dark enough to know the child was half Native American.

A wayward kick sent the ball hurtling towards him. His lupine reflexes allowed him to easily catch the ball. The exasperated couple halted next to him.

"Sorry, Mister." The little boy huffed.

Looking down at the boy, he gave the pup a genuine smile. His heart faltered as the young-blood looked up to reciprocate the action. Ethan's lips, the same mix-matched lips haunting his dreams every night since she left – nearly six years ago. "No harm; no foul."

"Thanks, Mister." He refused the thoughts the boy invoked about her.

It's probably just the misery talking.

"Hey, you want to see something cool?" Embry jested the boy's curiosity. The youngster's interest peeked immediately.

Unable to contain the excitement, the puppy danced from one foot to the other "Yes, please!"

Embry couldn't contain the honest laugh at his pup's enthusiasm, "Okay, watch carefully."

He scooped the ball with his bare foot tossing it airborne. Embry caught the ball with his knee sending the sphere back in-flight. He dribbled the ball in the air with his knee as the boy watched in dumbfounded awe. "WOW!" the cub gasped open-mouthed.

Embry wanted to show off for his pup, "Watch this," then he proceeded to dribble the ball back and forth between his knees. The puppy jumped up and down animatedly, clapping as Embry finished with a funky foot move making the boy yelp with happiness.

"Wow! That was awesome!"

Embry barked a laugh, bending over the pick up the ball. He stayed on the boy's level looking him in the eye, "Maybe I could teach you sometime, if it's okay with your mom of course."

Both boys turned to the woman in question, up-ing the ante with twin sad puppy eyes complete with trembling bottom lips.

The woman gasped with recognition at their similarities. She brisk-fully nodded her head. "Yeah, that is – that would be great," she agreed with a smile.

"Cool. Thanks mom," the boy said overjoyed.

Embry's interest shifted briefly towards the trees as a faint howl called his attention.

"Thanks again Mister," the little boy said.

Embry rose to his full height, handing the child his soccer ball back, "My name is Embry," he said holding his hand out to the child.

The boy stared at the obsolete gesture, "No it's like this," the boy proceeded to fold Embry's hand around his own clasping their hands then bumping their fists together.

"Now you try."

Embry smiled at the child's enthusiasm at teaching him something "new". They repeated the action this time with Embry regurgitating what he'd "learned".

"Cool. I'm Ethan by the way and this is my mom, Terssa, but everyone calls her Tess." Ethan explained.

"Nice to meet you Tess," Embry said holding his hand out to her.

"You too, Embry. And thank you, for being really nice about this. Sorry, our ball hit you." Tess swallowed nervously.

Another howl, this time more urgent, drifted through the woods. "No problem, honestly. I got to go. I'll catch up with guys later."

"Okay sure."

"Bye," Ethan waved.

"Bye," Embry returned before jogging out of sight to disappear into the trees.

He stayed nearby – always – watching the pup grow into a young man.

By age nine, the pup developed many interests, one of which was skateboarding. Despite his mother's demands to be careful, accidents did occur. Ethan was working on a ridiculous trick when he misjudged the landing and fell breaking his arm. Embry rushed to the crying child, scooping him in his arms and raced him back to his mother.

Terssa rushed from the front door, "What happened?"

"He fell and broke his arm," Embry replied shoving the child in the front seat of Terssa's car, strapping the boy in.

Terssa raced into the house collecting her pocketbook and keys, barely remembering to lock the front door behind her, to rush Ethan to the rez clinic. Embry jumped in the backseat as Terssa pulled out of the drive.

Embry impatiently paced the lobby of the clinic as he wanted to hear from Terssa about Ethan's condition. Embry halted, standing firmly at attention as Terssa cautiously approached him.

"The doctor said he was fine. He broke his arm and put it in a cast. Umm, you can go back there if you want. He's asking about you."

"Thank you," Embry said dashing down the corridor to Ethan's room.

He gently tapped on the appropriate door drawing Ethan's attention, "How you doing buddy?" Embry spoke softly to the child.

"Yeah, they put my arm in a cast," Ethan said holding up his arm to show-off his brand new green cast. "Wanna sign it?" He asked Embry.

"Sure, kid."

"Mom, do you have a sharpie?" Ethan asked his mother.

Embry turned to the woman in question, unaware of her arrival, as she dug through her handbag to find the requested pen. She held out the marker to Embry, who accepted the instrument, signing the boy's arm.

Don't give up. That was an awesome trick. Don't let a fall scare you from reaching your goal.

Embry

Later that night - once Ethan was in the safety of his own home - anger, pain, hurt, uncontrollable fury forced the wolf forward to burn off some steam. Still not up to par, during the pack meeting Quil said a few choice words that set him off. Quil, the unfortunate soul, ended up bloodied and broken for a couple of days. Two months of weekend patrols meant nothing compared to the gratification of hurting something. Embry did later on apologize to his best friend, who shrugged it off, but kept his distance for a while.

After that, Paul and Embry formed a unique bond.

At age thirteen, Ethan's soccer team won regionals with the fancy foot move that he and Embry practiced daily. Embry, along with a few of his brothers, cheered Ethan on from the stands the whole game. The wolf's chest puffed with pride in his seed.

That same year, Ethan finally asked Melany, the girl he had a crush on for the past two years, out to the school dance with a little coaching from Embry.

Embry was bent under the hood of his classic Camaro when the pup found him.

"Hey, Embry," Ethan called to him as he walked up Embry's drive.

"Hey, Ethan, how's it going?" Embry asked as he tighten some bolts.

"It's going. What are you working on?"

"Just doing an oil change," Embry answered rising from under the hood to close it, "all done now. What are you up to today, kid?" Embry asked walking into the garage to the mini fridge grabbing two bottles of water, handing one to Ethan.

"Thanks," Ethan said accepting the water bottle. "Actually, I came by to ask you for some advice."

"Oh, what about?" Embry was thrilled that Ethan would ask for his opinion.

"A girl," the boy blushed, reminding him of her.

"Shoot."

"Well, I like this girl Melany, and I'm not really sure how to approach her, ya know? I mean I don't even know if she likes me back. She's really shy and nice. What do I do?" The flabbergasted teen asked.

"Hmm, well you could talk to her by her locker. Catch her between classes and then ask her. Or you could be a whimp and write her a letter." Embry joked bumping his shoulder into the youngster making him laugh.

"Whatever." Ethan rolled his eyes. "What if she says no?" The boy's apprehension made Embry feel for the kid.

"Well, you'll never know if you don't ask, ya know?"

"Yeah, I think I'll ask her tomorrow."

They both nodded silently in agreement.

A few weeks later, Ethan informed Embry that Melany had accepted his invitation to the school dance. Embry was thrilled for the teen. The night of the dance as Ethan walked the girl to her door to say their goodbyes, Melany leaned forward and planted a kiss on Ethan's surprised mouth.

He later told Embry about the kiss to which he offered a fist bump in props. Ethan reveal that he and Melany were officially a couple.

A couple of months later and Ethan informed him that she dumped him. Ethan hung around Embry's garage more as the pup worked through his depression of losing his first love. Embry just shook his head at young love. Ethan would eventually get over it.

When Ethan turned sixteen his whole demeanor changed. He stopped dropping by Embry's to work on the car or to just hang out. Ethan gained a whole new set of friends of the wrong kind.

Later on, Embry found out just how much of a bad influence these new friends were to Ethan.

Terssa called him late one evening when Ethan hadn't shown up for curfew wanting to know if he was with Embry. When Embry said no, Terssa became hysterical, rattling off a list of offenses.

Apparently, Ethan was skipping school, getting detention when he did show up for class, sneaking out of the house late at night, smoking pot, shoplifting, starting fights with other kids, and talking back to his mother. "And he's sexually active," Terssa said defeated. Terssa shared that Ethan was losing his temper more often and punching her walls. That his appetite was increasing and he had sudden bouts of growth spurts that she was barely able to keep up with. Embry reassured Terssa that he would get to the bottom of the problem and try to talk him into leaving those other boys alone. What Embry didn't tell her was that his display of defiance and sudden physical changes meant Ethan was undergoing supernatural changes.

UNTIL…..

A painful howl rippled through the otherwise pleasant evening. A new wolf phased – the fourth of his generation.

The young wolf, terrified and confused, didn't understand how one moment he and his mother were having a heated discussion – borderline fight -, and the next moment he was on four legs.

A large gray wolf with black spots stopped in front of him.

Ethan, it's alright … son.

Embry and Ethan sat Terssa down one evening and told her the tribe's biggest secret. She laughed in disbelief and demanded proof. Embry and Ethan shifted, showing her their wolves. Terssa promptly fainted.

3 years later….

Nineteen years after the day she left, Bella Mason along with her husband and three children, returned to Forks, Washington to attend her father's funeral. Charlie was shot in the line of duty. Through the whole service Bella never acknowledged his or Ethan's presence.

Terssa stood firmly by her husband, comforting him against the pain and anguish at Bella's blatant ignorance to his and their son's existence.

It wasn't until the bonfire on First Beach, held in honor of Charlie by his widow Sue, that Embry was able to catch Bella alone.

"Bella," anger smeared her name.

"Hello Embry." Her aloof greeting pissed Embry off. "You look well."

Bella looked stunning but he'd never admit that, ever again. Skipping the pleasantries, Embry jumped into the heart of the issue. "Why didn't you tell me?"

All chatter quietened as every pack member listened to the conversation. Bella's husband and children looked on with shocked curiosity. They were completely unaware of Bella's history. "I don't think now is the time to talk about this Embry. I just buried my father a couple of hours ago."

"Fuck that Bella. If you really cared about Charlie you would have done more then pick up the phone on Christmas and his Birthday." Her stoic features never wavered though her eyes did flash with guilt but was just as quickly buried again.

"Fuck you Embry Call." Bella sneered.

Embry smirked at her choice of words. He had fucked her, every day and some times more than once in a single day. Ethan was proof.

"Why didn't you tell me I was a father? Why did you take my choice from me?"

Her eyes watered as she kept the tears on the brim, "I did what was best for our son," she began. "I wasn't in a position to care for an infant and you, just barely seventeen, weren't any better off. I did what was right by our son," her voice faltered before her eyes hardened and her spine straightened.

"You can't know that Bella," his painful whisper did nothing to shake the iron plate around her heart.

"But I do Embry, I do." She bitterly chuckled. "If I told you then I was pregnant what would you have done Embry? Huh? Just what exactly would you have done?"

"Damnit Bella, you know exactly what I would have done! I would have asked you to marry me."

The entire crowd, no longer being discreet, openly ogled the unaware pair airing their dirty laundry publicly; these were answers to questions the entire pack wanted to know. Jake was the only one who defended Bella against Embry causing a giant rift between the two long-time best friends.

She knew one day she was going to have to account for her actions as a young adult, she just never believed it would be the same day she put her father in the ground. Bella couldn't hold the dam any longer as she spoke the words that pained her to say, "That's my point Embry. You would have felt obligated to marry me and I would have guiltily agreed."

"I was going to ask you anyway, I was just waiting on the right time." He shrugged, stuffing his hands into his dress slacks' front pockets.

Bella drew a deep breath and blew it out before meeting his eyes for the first time that night, "I knew you would find him Embry." She whispered.

Only the wolves heard her confession.

A/N: I apologize for the formatting. It's not my fault! I write under a different pen name on Tricky Raven. Thank you!