Reviewer "Guest": Glad you found #16 so cute—just what I hoped for.

Frekles: Thank you. Yes, Embry is a sweetie.

Congrats to Leesey85 for being review #250 for this story on FF.

AN: First part of this was inspired by last chapter's review from notashamedtobe. You asked, and now you get. First little bit of citrus.

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Embry POV

I escaped upstairs to the bathroom at a near-run. Bella's hand on my thigh, her scent in my head…I'd been pushed to the brink. But if I thought I'd found a refuge, I was mistaken. Even here, the echo of Bella's strawberry shampoo surrounded me. I fumbled with the button and zipper on my jeans, dropping them and my shorts to the floor as quickly as my rock-hard cock would allow. Mindful of Bella downstairs, I grabbed a washcloth off the shelf to muffle any sounds I'd make, while my other hand was already stroking up and down my length, spreading the moisture leaking from my tip. With the roller coaster ride my body had been on throughout the day but especially just now, it only took a few passes and a firm twist before I painted the wall of the shower/tub with my release, a low groan escaping my throat. My breathing was ragged and my heart pounding. Only the fact that my arms automatically landed on the edge of the tub kept me from doing a face-plant after my knees gave way. But almost immediately, I pulled it together, got myself cleaned up, and looked around for any cleaning supplies. After a quick scrub of the tub, I went back downstairs, putting a stop to Bella's over-thinking of the situation.

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I gave Bella's hand a little squeeze when Izzy appeared in the movie. She gave me a bit of a look when the character used the line I'd quoted last night.

"So my cooking is worth as much as a golden…" her voice trailed off and the blush I could see made me wonder why. But it only took me a moment of remembering how that golden object was referred to in the movie to understand: any word she might have chosen would only have evoked some really obvious innuendos considering today.

"Yeah, your food is worth a lot."

At the end of the movie, Bella got up and went back to the kitchen with all our dirty dishes from lunch and our snacks.

"Maybe I ought to head home," I said, not that I wanted to, but because I thought she might need some time to herself.

"Do you have to?"

Well, put it that way… "Nah, I guess not."

The sight of her starting dinner preparations made my stomach growl. Man, did my newly expanded stomach have to choose now to announce itself? But Bella just laughed it off and tossed me an apple, which I happily consumed. I was trying a bit of light teasing—stealing bits of food—when the sound of the door opening made us both turn.

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Narrator POV

Charlie loved being a small-town cop. More, he loved being the head cop in this small town. He'd been born and raised here, grown up here—Forks was his. He liked knowing everyone, of having his finger on the pulse of things. But, he reflected as he dug into the platter of a hamburger and fries at the diner, there was a definite disadvantage to living in a town where everyone knew everything about everyone, andhad no compunction about sharing whatever they knew or suspected. Charlie was forever being stopped by 'concerned citizens' reporting ona neighbor's real or alleged misdeeds.

Today was something else, though. So far, no less than three people had stopped by his table at the diner to mention Bella's shopping companion and try to pump him for details. Charlie didn't give them any, only saying that the boy was a friend from La Push, helping his daughter out while her truck was out of commission. He knew Embry had become one of Bella's new good friends this summer, and that they'd spent time together, both with others and just them. Charlie liked what he knew about this boy, but that Cullen had had a squeaky-clean reputation, too, and look what he'd done.

He wondered if there was any truth in the gossip, or if they were just dreaming things up. He'd never seen or heard anything to suggest…more, but teenagers didn't always tell their parents everything, even if he and Bella were that close, which they weren't. Though neither of them was much for the emotional stuff, he'd have to ask Bella if anything was going on. Not that he was really a good one to talk about moving on past a bad breakup—he was still a bachelor more than a decade after Renee had left him. But if his daughter was proving to be braver than he himself had been, even in merely thinking about sticking her toes back in the pool with how badly her last relationship had ended...Charlie would do whatever he could to support her.

He just hoped that Bella wouldn't have to deal with any racism on top of the small town scrutiny of her choices. Charlie wasn't prejudiced—no good cop was. But some people in town weren't so enlightened. His three best friends growing up had all been members of the Quileute tribe. He wasn't going to try and dictate who Bella could date; he knew it wouldn't work. But given the way that pasty white Cullen had treated his baby girl, how the next guy treated Bella was far more important to Charlie than the color of the guy's skin.

If Charlie was worried about anything concerning this, it was that Bella might end up as the rope in a tug-of-war match. It wasn't that he objected to Embry Call being interested, but he was…concerned that Embry's friend Jake was, too. Charlie wasn't blind—Jake's lifelong crush on Bella wasn't a secret to him, although he was pretty sure that Bella didn't have any idea. Did Embry know about Jake? Did Jake have any idea about Embry? He vowed that his daughter wouldn't be pulled anywhere by anyone. Charlie also decided that he needed to see things for himself before saying anything.

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"Hey, Bells, I'm home. Hi, Embry," Charlie poked his head into the kitchen.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hello, sir."

"Sir?"

"Dinner will be ready in twenty, Dad. Is it okay if Embry stays?" Bella interrupted.

"Fine by me. What does your mom say?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine with her, but I thought I'd get your okay before I asked her," Embry replied. Charlie watched and listened as Embry called his mom. Then Charlie went to hang up his gun belt in the hall before going up to his room to change out of his uniform. Back downstairs, he thought about turning on the TV to check for a game, but remembered his decision to do some observations and moved to stand in the kitchen doorway instead. Within a few minutes, all his cop and father instincts were going off. Something was definitely different between the two teenagers now. Sidelong glances, blushes, and the way Embry moved to reach for anything high that Bella needed…

The first part of dinner was quiet—the food getting its due attention. After a while, though, Charlie figured that he ought to do his parental duty.

"Have fun at the Thriftway?"

"Embry saved me from Tyler and Eric, so he's my hero now," Bella offered. Charlie's eyes narrowed at the reminder of the boy who'd nearly hit Bella with his van early this year. He didn't miss the look that she exchanged with Embry.

"They just got a little long-winded, and we had frozen stuff in the cart," Embry shrugged it off.

"Catch some baseball?" Charlie suggested when their plates were empty.

Embry checked the clock. "Maybe for a bit. I'll have to head home in a while."

"The dishes won't take me long," Bella said. Charlie knew his daughter and how she felt about letting dirty dishes sit around—and what she thought about sports, so he didn't push it; besides, he wanted to talk to Embry right now anyway.

"Sir?" he asked again, once they were settled in front of the TV.

"Huh?"

"Any reason you're going all polite and formal now?" Charlie watched the boy—young man—take a deep breath.

"Since I decided to ask for permission to date your daughter."

That revelation still stopped Charlie in his mental tracks even with all the thinking he'd done today. "You do, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I'm assuming Bella is fine with this?"

"She is," Embry confirmed.

"Been thinking about this for long?"

"A little while, I guess. Maybe from day one—I don't know. I mean, she could pick anyone in the world—why would she want a fatherless bastard of a rez kid?"

"Wait just a minute here," Charlie interrupted. "Is that really how you see yourself?"

Embry shook his head. "No. I know Mom loves me, and that my dad not sticking around is on him and not me. But I'm not stupid—I know that a lot of people will see things that way."

"Well, I don't. But if you think Bella's that shallow…well, don't let the door hit your butt on the way out."

Embry's eyes flashed. "I'd never think that about her. Bella always sees the best in everyone."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah, she does. Okay. You want my blessing, you got it." He grinned underneath his mustache when Embry heaved a sigh of relief. Hating to burst his bubble, but doing it all the same, the cop continued, "Just one thing…"

"Yeah?"

"This isn't a competition with Jake, is it?"

Dark eyes registered comprehension. "No, it's not," he promised. "Like I said, I've been thinking about this for a while; just had to get up the nerve to actually do something about it."

"Okay. You just make sure you take good care of my girl."

"I will."

The matter suitably addressed, both males turned their attention to the game on the screen. Soon, Bella joined them, settling next to Embry on the couch.

"Who's winning?" she asked.

"Well, not the Mariners, put it that way," Embry laughed.

"Bummer."

"Ha ha," Charlie grumbled.

At the end of the inning, Embry checked his watch, sighed, and stood up. "Hate to, but I've got to head home now."

"Nice having you over," Charlie told him. Then, "Are you going to walk him out, Bells?"

"What?"

"Nice thing to do," his eyes twinkled.

Enlightenment dawned. Bella's eyes widened, her mouth opened, and her face turned crimson. "Um, yeah."

Embry extended his hand to help her up, and kept hold of it as they walked toward the door.

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Bella POV

The temperature in the house must have risen several degrees from the heat my face was giving off. Embry…in front of my dad. My dad…

Once I'd flipped on the porch light and we'd stepped out of the house, I looked up at Embry, down at our hands, and then back up.

"I asked him if it was okay," Embry said, correctly interpreting my head movements. "Right thing to do and all."

"Bet he liked that. Edward didn't do that—I just sort of announced it one day."

Bright white teeth flashed in his tanned face when Embry grinned. "Well, I won't deny that I may have earned a few points there."

"So he…" I trailed off.

"Gave the green light. But, I don't want to try his patience—something tells me he's probably peeking through the window blinds."

"Probably," I agreed.

"But, then again, what's life without a few risks?" In a quick move, Embry stepped closer, bent, and brushed a light kiss to my cheek. By the time I recovered my wits, he was getting into his mom's car. As he drove away, my hand came up to try, somehow, to keep the feel of the kiss on my skin.

"Night, Dad," I called as I dashed up the stairs. I'd blushed enough for one day and would gladly put off any more embarrassing conversations until tomorrow. The reckoning was only delayed, though, as Charlie caught me on the way to the bathroom.

"He's a good guy, Bella," my dad squeezed my arm lightly. "Have fun."

"Th-thanks. I'll try."

I had just curled up in bed when my phone rang.

"Hi, Embry," I greeted.

"Hey. Did your dad say much after I left?"

"Not really. Just that he thinks you're a good guy. What about your mom?"

"I almost had to give her the play-by-play," he admitted. "You're the first girl so…"

"Makes sense, I guess. I'll have to talk to my mom pretty soon, too."

"What do you think she'll say?"

"She'll probably gush and talk my ear off."

"Moms."

"Moms," I agreed.

"So…you want to do something tomorrow?"

This was new for me. With Edward, our activities usually began with him saying what we were going to do, or else starting the whole adventure and then telling me about it.

"Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"Well…" And that was the question. Both Forks and La Push were pretty small, so the list of options was limited. "Think your dad would let me take you to Port Angeles?"

"I don't know. You could ask."

Embry obviously considered it. "Maybe not for the first date. Take you out for a burger?"

"Okay."

"See you tomorrow, then."

"Alright."

"Good night, Bella. Sweet dreams."

"Night, Embry. You, too."

As it turned out, my dreams were spicy rather than sweet. That line from the movie that Embry had used last night, and that I'd seen and heard in the movie today, kept running through my mind, brought more into reality by what had gone on today. Thinking about him as a surf board and how he'd reacted to me touching him…I tossed and turned a long time before I fell asleep.

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Embry POV

I'd wished Bella sweet dreams—I'd have done well to do the same for myself. Sleep was a long time coming, and when it did…

Fingertips lightly trailed up my arm and down my chest. My stomach muscles contracted as her touch sent pulses of lightning to every last nerve ending. And then…those fingers kept going. I was rock-hard instantly, silently begging her not to stop. She didn't, gently stroking me. Caress after caress worked me up more and more.

B-b-Bella! Her name tore out of my throat as my length jerked within her grasp.

My eyes snapped open. It had all been a dream. A second later, though, I realized that one thing hadn't been a dream. With a mental growl, I rolled out of bed and changed my shorts before I stripped off the sheets from the mattress. I thought about going to the linen closet for a new set, but decided against it—the door squeaked when you opened it, and I didn't want my mom to come and find out why I needed new sheets in the middle of the night.

Was this what having a girlfriend meant? As I tried to go back to sleep, I decided that if it was, then I'd just get really good at doing my laundry.

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Sam POV

If I didn't know that it really wasn't his fault, I'd be sorely tempted to be angry with Jacob. He was still too out of control to be able to phase back to human. I'd only allowed myself a few hours at home to sleep, and then to scrounge a cold breakfast while my wife continued to sleep. Paul and Jared traded off doing the same, while I took our newest recruits out to show them more of the ropes. I hoped that having Quil around would help Jake, but it really didn't. The ease with which Quil was adapting to his new circumstances grated on Jake, and I finally told Quil to go back home so that I could focus on helping his friend.

Why did this happen? Why did my life have to get screwed up like this?

I wish I knew, Jake, for all of us. But all we can do now is try to make the best of it.

What kind of crap answer is that? You might be okay with being a monster now, but I'm not.

I let a little of my irritation come through and showed him how it had been for me. He howled in fear and anger when he saw how long it had taken me to change back that first time, and started running. We pounded through the forest, and I hoped that this time he might finally run it all off.

It won't be like that for you, I promised. I didn't have anyone to help me, but all of us are here to help you. You'll get this. It's just that it's so strong in you. You get it from the Ateara line as well as the Black.

So I got screwed over by both sides of my family?

Pretty much.

What if Bella can't accept this?

She will. If she could accept…him, then she can accept you. Emily and Kim can help on that front. It'll be a little different for her, since she won't have the background of tribal legends, but the elders can work on that.

Um…Sam?

Yeah?

They might not have to help that much. I think I kind of did some of that already. His thoughts tracked back to a beach excursion not long after Bella had moved back, and how he'd told her the story of the wolves and the Cold Ones, hoping to scare her.

Jake, I groaned. Somehow I'd managed to nearly forget Jake's announcement of that slip, made right after he'd phased. And even if it did end up helping in the long run, I still wasn't any happier about it. Crush on her or not, Jake should have known better than to share the stories with any outsider.

I'm sorry! I didn't know the story was real—give me a break here. And I definitely didn't know she was dating a vampire! He spat out the last of that.

Alright, I get it. And you did actually mention this that first night. You really shouldn't have done it, but who knows, maybe it'll help things when you do start to explain it all.

Maybe.

Well, it won't happen if you're still a wolf. Come on. I led him back toward my house. As I'd hoped, Emily had been cooking up a storm and the scents of fresh bread, grilled meat, and seasoned vegetables saturated the air even outside our home.

Man, amazing! Jake was practically salivating.

Yeah, Em's a great cook. But if you want any of it, you're going to have to be human. She doesn't do doggie bags. Shifting back, I pulled on my shorts and held up a spare pair. "Take some deep breaths and think of something that makes you calm and happy."

When he finally managed it, I was tempted to do a dance for joy. "Come on. Time to meet everyone."

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AN: Sorry this took a little longer than I was expecting. I got a whole bunch of Jake written, and then Embry insisted on some more screen time, and Charlie commandeered a lot as well. Plus, I realized that this stuff had to come before the Jake stuff that I wrote (which will appear soon). At least you've at least gotten a very long chapter out of it. Hope you enjoyed this (and that you'll tell me about it).