Carlisle shifted through the patient files on his desk, a smile on his lips. While it had been a slow day at the hospital, he was able to deliver good news today. A young mother of two was receiving the heart transplant she'd been waiting over a year for, one of his cancer patients was in remission and the recovery on an emergency surgery he performed on a premature infant three days ago was going extremely well. The phone rang and he picked it up as he scanned a form. "Yes?"

Mary's voice filtered through his ear. "Dr. Cullen, your son Emmett is here to see you."

Emmett? Carlisle signed the last form in the file. "Thank you Mary, send him in."

A few moments later Emmett was walking through the door, pulling a pair of sunglasses off his face. Carlisle smiled as he shut the door. "Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," he replied. "Just some paperwork." Emmett sat on the edge of the armchair across from him.

"I wasn't planning on coming here but I need to talk to you." Carlisle shut the file in front of him. There were lines forming between Emmett's brows and already his lips were turning into a grim line. A variety of emotions played behind his blood red eyes and he looked tense, stressed. Carlisle worried for him and he could tell he needed to get out his thoughts. He was happy he came to him, knew that he was there for him and his siblings when they needed him to be. Carlisle waited patiently.

"I don't know what to do anymore." Emmett ran his fingers over his mouth. "Am I even supposed to know, I mean, how do I react—where do I go from here?"

"It would help if you start with why you are here son." Though he had a fairly good idea.

Red eyes met his own. "Anala."

Carlisle sat back in his chair. "What about her?"

Emmett was suddenly on his feet, pacing across the floor. "Everything!" he hissed. "She came back from the dead. How the hell does that happen?! She'd been lying and keeping secrets and got herself killed and comes back only to start fucking with me. What does she want from me? I was fine hating her, Carlisle, I really was. Then she makes me feel guilty? What kind of shit is that?!" Things hadn't been easy for him and Carlisle knew his son had trouble when it came to self-conflict, especially when he was feeling overcome or anxious. He was always self-assured, confident in his decisions and never hassling the outcomes, letting the chips fall wherever they landed and following the flow. He was out of his element, and his temper was getting the better of him because of it. It made him brash.

"Emmett, sit and calm yourself." The large man did so, eyes burdened.

"Now, what did you do?"

Surprise filled his face. "What makes you think I did anything?"

"Before, you were angry. Now, you said you felt guilty. So explain yourself."

"I said some things I shouldn't have." Emmett hesitated. "And the other day she saw . . . she saw me and Kate. Together." Carlisle nodded, showing his understanding. "I felt that if I didn't address it then she'd think I was shoving it in her face or something. Now I don't know what I should be doing."

"About what exactly? If you hate her as you say then everything should be fine, no?" Emmett frowned. "Your guilt is unwarranted."

Emmett said nothing so Carlisle continued. "You're angry, I can clearly see and understand that but if you hated her we wouldn't be sitting here now and you wouldn't have tried to explain yourself to her." He stood and made his way around the desk and leaned against it. Normally, he'd leave it to him to make his own decisions but Carlisle couldn't keep his thoughts to himself, not about this. He folded his fingers.

"Emmett I can't give you the answers you are looking for. That is on you. But I know you don't hate Anala. She was yours. You were happiest with her, smiled most with her. Loved her. I can't possibly understand the kind of pain you went through, son. Losing Anala the way you did, especially so soon after finding her . . . that must have destroyed you." Carlisle had looked at his son the night he returned, saw the shattered look deep in his eyes as they realized they would not see Anala again. Emmett had flown into a rage, very nearly destroying the house beyond repair and Carlisle had let him, knowing they wouldn't be able to stop him. The outburst was short-lived however, his sudden silence creating fear in all of them. That silence had lingered, holding onto him even as he left their home. Carlisle had tried to imagine losing Esme. The thought alone had him seeking her out, pulling his wife into his arms. Losing her would've been painful enough and the thought of losing not only her, but the possibility of a future with her, the memories that would have never happened . . . it was painfully tragic. But it wasn't an excuse for Emmett to say whatever it was he did to Anala that was making him feel this guilty. Anala must have been deeply hurt by his actions. He regarded Emmett steadily, giving his wayward son a hard look, continuing.

"But by what I can only say is an act of God, she was brought back. I'm not saying this to tell you what to do Emmett, I'm telling you because you're letting your pride cloud your judgment and she is the one paying the price. If you feel you can't go back then do so, but make sure it's what you want and no matter what you decide Emmett Dale Cullen, you thank her. She saved us and a lot of other people. Do not forget that."

Emmett stared at him for a long moment.

"You're right," he replied softly. "But how do I . . . I've done horrible things Dad."

Carlisle placed a hand on his broad, warm shoulder and squeezed. "You have to figure that out for yourself Em. Only you can take the steps you need and I sincerely hope you find a way to make your peace with it."

Anala tapped her fingers against her chin as she strolled down the produce isle. She picked up a bag of grapes and added them to the cart. She pushed the cart forward, thinking back to see if she was forgetting anything else. She reached into the open bag of pretzels in the seat and bit into one as she guided the cart around a corner and was stopped abruptly. A large tan hand was holding the end of the cart. Anala followed up a long muscular arm and wide torso hugged in a white tee, to a familiar face with black hair and warm dark eyes.

"It's true," he rumbled, voice low and gruff.

Anala smiled. "Jacob!"

She moved around the cart and wrapped her arms around his large, searing frame. He returned the embrace, resting his cheek against the top of her head. He smelled like the woods and Anala inhaled his scent. She pulled back and looked up at him, cheeks heating slightly. He had grown, easily almost Emmett's height now. His jaw had become well-defined, losing the roundness of boyhood. His hair was still short, but not the cropped cut she had last seen on him.

"What are you doing here?"

He smiled, brightening like the sunrise. "I had to see for myself if the rumor was true." His voice lowered. "Anala how are you here? I was told you died."

They were beginning to draw stares from other shoppers and Anala pushed the cart forward, taking Jacob's hand and leading him to checkout. She looked at him as she got in line. "I don't know," she told him quietly. "One day I die and the next I'm here."

He began helping her place items on the conveyer belt and the woman behind the register began scanning her purchases, a dull beep accompanying each item. Anala moved her cart over and into the row of carts off to the side. She turned to pay and thanked the woman as she handed over her receipt and change. Jacob had picked up two bags and Anala grabbed the third. "So what happened?" he asked as they walked out into the cool air.

"I've been wondering the same thing myself. Carus tried to take control of me and ended up doing irreversible damage which killed us both in the end. I didn't know I would be back, I don't know how I even got here."

"Sounds to me you've got an Angel on your shoulder."

She looked up at him. "How is the Pack? Things were a bit rocky before . . ."

"Things are great. Thanks to you, a new treaty was formed and the line eradicated."

"Me?" she asked. He nodded and placed the bags into the back seat of the Camaro once she opened it.

"Yeah, you sort of made me realize the treaty was stupid. We told ourselves that shifters and vampires are mortal enemies but really, it was us that made it that way, not what we are. You made me realize that. Besides, we all do better fighting on the same side."

Anala observed him for a moment. "You've grown up Jacob."

He laughed, running a hand over his head. "Yeah, time will do that to you. Don't get me wrong though, they still stink."

She grinned. "Do you want to come over? It'll be nice to catch up with you."

Jacob licked his lips, looking at the Camaro. "Can I drive?"

She laughed at the expression on his face and handed him the keys. "Sure thing."

As they drove, they talked. He told her about his father, what the others had been up to, how the Pack was doing. He was an Alpha now, tension in the pack had grown with both him and Sam and the significantly larger pack had split, now the two packs existed peacefully on their homeland. Anala paid attention, nodding and replying, but mostly she listened to the smooth low tenor of his voice, took in the feel of his presence. She had forgotten what a gentle soul he was. Jacob's energy was warm and bright and compassionate and Anala found a soft smile reside on her lips. She looked at him as he called her name.

"Sorry, what?" she asked distractedly.

"What's wrong? You looked so sad just then."

She was caught off guard. "I . . ." she looked at her lap. "I came back but it seems everything is falling apart around me."

"I know what that's like. Let me guess: a certain person you love loves someone else? Story of my life. But it gets better," he assured as he looked back to the road. His heat radiated through the car pleasantly.

"Yeah?" she asked. "Cause I feel like crap."

Jacob looked at her, grinning. "Anala you're drop-dead beautiful, and one of the most interesting women I've ever known. Believe me when I say there's someone who'll make you happy."

Anala smiled and thanked him quietly. When he said that, the 'someone' she envisioned was holding a gorgeous blonde in his arms.

"Jacob, do you still love Bella?"

His lips pressed together and a thoughtful wrinkle appeared in his brow. "I guess I do love her but . . . it's different now. I'm just starting to see that the Bella I created in my head and the Bella that exists aren't totally the same. We were always good at just being us." He shook his head. "I don't know, I feel like she's been putting me on standby or something," he looked at her. "You know what I mean?"

She shook her head. "No, not really."

Jacob laughed, making her grin.

"So what'd he do?"

She shook her head. "I'm the one who fucked it up. Not Emmett."

"Why don't I believe that?"

She smiled at him. "I don't know, you tell me."

After a pause he spoke. "You know, you're different."

"I am?"

"Yeah, but you're still the same too." He glanced at her. "It's you in general but mostly it's in your eyes. You always looked like you weren't really there, like you got lost and just happened to end up here." Anala tilted her head, confused. Like she wasn't really there? Jacob shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not making any sense."

"And now?"

"Now? Now it's like you got the whole universe in you." Jacob was smiling, shaking his head. He whispered something in his native tongue and Anala stared at him curiously.

"You know what?" she said. "I think you've got the universe in you too."

Dark eyes met her own and a sunny smile made its way onto his face. His big overheated hand reached out and squeezed her own, skin slightly rough. He shifted gears as he pulled into the driveway. Anala gazed at the house. She had called this place home for less than a year. This was the spot where it all began, and where it had ended. She had to leave this place. Emmett had to go on without her disrupting his happiness and she couldn't take any more of this heartache. Anala turned to the window as tears welled and rolled down her cheeks and she exited the car, swiping them away quickly as she began to get the groceries from the back seat.

She didn't want to cry anymore.

Jacob assisted her and followed her up the porch steps. Her breath caught as she stepped inside and the bags she held slipped from her hold in her moment of surprise. A pale flash was suddenly grabbing them mid-air. Anala stood frozen as Emmett straightened, eyes on his chest. Jacob stepped in behind her.

"Where do you want this? Oh, hey Emmett, haven't seen you around in a while."

She could feel those red eyes looking at her. "Yeah, been traveling mostly."

"Cool. Anala?"

Anala swallowed. "You can just put it in the kitchen, I'll take care of it."

The two men moved and Anala took a breath. What was he doing here? Why had she frozen like that? Anala heard a crash and rushed into the kitchen, seeing Jacob pressed against the counter, Emmett holding him there as he growled. Anala ran over, pulling at his hands on the shifter who was trembling slightly, heat coming off him in sweltering waves. "Stop! What are you doing?! Let go!"

Emmett released the native man and stepped away.

"Jacob, are you okay?"

He pulled his shirt into place and grinned shrewdly. "Just fine." He looked to Emmett as he spoke to her. "You need me to stay?"

Emmett was glaring at him and Anala could feel the tension rising in him. Emmett stepped towards him and Anala moved between the two gargantuan men.

"And what exactly is it you think I'll do that requires you to babysit me?"

Jacob was at her back. "I don't know, by the color of your eyes though I'm betting a lot."

"Stop it! Both of you. Thank you Jacob, but I'll be fine."

He gave her a long searching look. "Alright," he proceeded to ignore Emmett completely as he kissed her cheek and smiled warmly. "It was really good seeing you Anala. Come down and visit soon, okay?" He handed her the car keys and with one last look to Emmett, he left. Anala tossed the keys onto the counter and walked around the island, pulling off her jacket. She sent a dirty look to Emmett, who was standing across her, watching her. "What is wrong with you?" she looked away, beginning to take the items out of the bags to distract her from his unblinking gaze.

Her heart seemed loud, even in her ears.