Ashley stood behind the couch, and slid her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders.

"So," her mouth pressed against his ear. "My birthday is coming up…" she began, just as the Clearwaters' house phone rang.

"Can you grab that?" Seth asked, his attention on the baseball game in front of him. Seattle had just started the seventh inning up five runs to the host Toronto Blue Jay's four.

Ashley grabbed the phone off the receiver in the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Ashley?" the voice on the other end was hesitant.

"Oh hey, Bella!"

She could hear the girl on the other end sigh with relief. "I was worried it you were Leah," Bella laughed nervously.

"I can't blame you for that," She laughed. "She's actually at Daphne and Paul's."

"How is your sister?" Bella asked politely.

"She's doing well, thanks. She's just over halfway through her pregnancy and things seem to be getting better."

"Wow, you all must be so excited."

"Yeah," Ashley smiled, walking over towards Seth. "They're really happy, and who doesn't want a baby in the family?"

The other girl laughed, but it didn't sound right. It sounded forced.

"Well, I'll pass you over to Seth." Bella had been calling regularly for the past two months or so. Seth had been keeping her updated on Jacob, in spite of his pack's disapproval, so Ashley knew that was what Bella really wanted. "There's a break in the game and he might be able to tear his attention away from the fascinating commentary of the seventh inning stretch," Ashley teased affectionately, ruffling his hair.

"He's watching it too? It was just about to start when I left Edward's. Emmett, Jasper and him had already started placing their bets."

He perked up at hearing Bella's comment on the other line. He really liked Edward, even looked up to him, so his childish nature sometimes got the best of him as he got excited they were into the same things; though it wasn't as if the state of Washington had many sports teams to begin with.

Seth held his hand out for the phone.

"I'll talk to you later, Bella."

"Bye, Ashley," the other girl signed off as Ashley handed the phone to Seth.

"Hiya, Bella! How are you?" Seth leaned back into the couch, and Ashley grabbed her book, reassuming her position across the couch with her head in his lap.

"Calling for an update?" There was a short break in the conversation where Bella answered. "Not hardly. I'm no Alice – you're just predictable," he teased.

Ashley smiled at the mention of Bella's soon-to-be sister-in-law. Ever since the fight in June, Seth had become more and more comfortable with the vampire clan. He was the only one of the wolves who didn't mind them, never mind actually enjoy them. He'd gotten a lot of flak from the guys over the past two months, especially in the wake of Jake leaving.

Seth's sigh brought her back to attention.

"Same as ever. He won't talk, though we know he hears us. He's trying not to think human, you know. Just going with his instincts."

Ashley heard Seth relay the same update to Bella that she had heard a couple of days ago.

"Somewhere in northern Canada. I can't tell you which province. He doesn't pay much attention to state lines." Seth cut off the next question. "He's not coming home, Bella. Sorry."

Seth began playing with Ashley's hair absentmindedly. "Yeah. We all feel the same way."

"They're not your hugest fans," Seth admitted, surprisingly cheery considering he was speaking of this disapproving packmates. "Kind of lame, I think. Jacob made his choices, you made yours. Jake doesn't like their attitude about it. 'Course, he isn't super thrilled that you're checking up on him, either." – "He can't hide everything from us, hard as he's trying."

Bella must've changed the subject, because the excitement in Seth's voice increased as he talked about her and Edward's wedding this weekend.

"Yeah, me, Ash and my mom will be there. It was cool of you to ask us."

Seth had gotten an invite addressed to the couple soon after Jake ran off. He called her as soon as he opened it, eager to RSVP right away. Ashley was looking forward to it. Seth's friendship with Edward had made the Cullens a lot more relevant in her life, and with her boyfriend's constant praise, Ashley found herself liking the Cullens, even if she barely knew them.

"Tell Edward I say hi, 'kay?" Seth's smile unexpectedly dropped. "Ah, er, Leah's home." He hung up the phone and placed it on the side table before Ashley had even heard Leah shut the car off. Better safe than sorry.

Seth went back to his game, and Ashley to her book. They both smiled and greeted Leah as she walked in. She gave a casual hello, before retreating up the stairs to her room. Leah certainly wasn't hostile towards Ashley anymore, but she wasn't exactly sisterly towards her either, and as much as Ashley wished it wasn't the case, she had to except that Leah just wasn't the type to bond with her brother's girlfriends.

Ashley stayed for dinner, and though Leah made an appearance at the table, she scoffed and sarcastically excused herself the moment Seth brought up the wedding to his mom.

Sue and Billy were planning on going to support Charlie, who had been a bit of a mess since his daughter announced her engagement. Though Sue never particularly approved of Bella or the Cullens, her desire to keep an eye on Charlie and Seth outweighed her aversions, so she accepted the invitation.

Rather than sticking around after dinner, Seth and Ashley took the car and went driving. One of Seth's favourite past times now that he was sixteen was to just go for drives. Ashley enjoyed the relaxing sound of rain on the car roof, and reveled in the beautiful scenery.

Having been in La Push for nearly a year, Ashley forgot how truly wonderful her home was. Yes, it was rainy and overcast the majority of the time, but she was also surrounded by ancient forests, the beautiful ocean and breathtaking mountains.

Over the summer she and Seth had actually gotten some downtime to explore the area a bit more. They spent sunny days on the beach, whale watching and playing in the water. On days where it wasn't raining, they went hiking, Seth forever patient with Ashley's significantly slower pace. They also spent time just walking through the forest, with Seth pointing out places he and the pack had been.

Ashley woke to a cold rush of wind passing her body, but before she had the chance to open her tired eyes, the chill was replaced by a comforting warmth that enveloped her. She snuggled closer to the warmth, still half asleep, and heard a door close softly. The swaying motion had almost put her back to sleep when it came to a stop.

She opened her eyes to see Seth pulling her blankets over her body. He leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered.

Ashley hesitated when Seth pulled away, and moved towards the door.

"Where are you-"

"I'm just going to move the car," he cut her off softly, smiling. "I'll be right back."

True to his word, Seth retuned a few moments later, and settled in next to her. He pulled her into him immediately, hugging her tightly from behind. Ashley smiled, and fell back asleep.

The next morning, Ashley was still encircled in Seth's arms. She slowly turned herself to face him, her attempts to not rustle his awake were in vain as his eyes flew open the moment she moved. He smiled when his eyes fell on her, and moved to close them once more. He hadn't had his eyes shut for more than a few seconds before his phone vibrated on the side table. He opened them once more, with a slight rumble in his chest.

Ashley giggled and climbed over him to grab his phone. She saw Collins name appear on the screen, along with a notification of a text message.

"Oh my God, I totally forgot you were spending the day with Collin and Brady!"

Seth grabbed her and rolled her over until he was on top of her.

"They can wait," he leaned down to his her.

Ashley turned her head just in time for him to catch her cheek.

"No," she scolded. "You promised them you would go hiking with them today. You should have gone home to your own bed. Actually have gotten a good night's sleep."

Seth shrugged before kissing her neck. "I sleep better with you anyway. And besides, can't we just stay in bed today?" his voice muffled against her skin.

"No," she laughed, squirming under the tickling the vibrations of his voice caused. She was actually looking forward to a day to herself. Life had been so crazy recently with the whirlwind of weddings, and baby prep, and Jake's disappearance, it was nice to have a day to relax, just watch movies or read or whatever else she pleased. As much as she loved Seth, Ashley needed some alone time too.

Seth's phone rang again impatiently.

He huffed, causing Ashley to giggle again. She slowly sat up, forcing Seth off her. He frowned as he sat back in front of her.

"Go!" she encouraged. "Before they hate me for taking all your time."

Seth rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like that's going to happen."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ashley raised an eyebrow.

Seth grabbed his phone, refusing to look at her.

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled, preoccupied.

"Seth…?"

"You're fine, don't worry about it. I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He kissed her cheek as he left.

"Yeah – okay," Ashley muttered, but it was to herself. Seth was already gone.

Ashley opened her closet, sifting through outfits until she found the garment bag she had hidden in the back, exactly where she left it. She had picked out the dress while on a shopping trip with her sister, Seth and Paul in Olympia a couple of weeks ago.

"Does she usually take this long with you?" Ashley heard Paul ask as her and her sister walked out the door of their mother's house.

"Not even close," Seth's voice didn't show a hint of annoyance, and neither did the huge smile that lit up his face when he saw Ashley.

"We're coming, we're coming," Daphne said, nonchalantly. She kissed Paul as she walked past him to the passenger's door. Paul took his seat on the driver's side, while Seth and Ashley slid into the back seat.

It was Daphne's idea, the shopping day in Olympia. The engaged couple had managed to pull together enough money for a down payment on the house using Paul's wages from the local mechanics shop, and the money Daphne had saved for school, now that she decided she wasn't going back, and she wanted to find some things to make her and Paul's newly purchased house homier.

It was an older house, but it was just perfect for them. With three bedrooms, they had the chance to create a nursery for the baby, as well as a guest room for the time being.

Ashley often heard Daphne and Paul lovingly bicker about the gender of the baby. Although they decided they wanted it to be a surprise, Paul was certain it was a girl, while Daphne was bound and determined it was a boy. Either way, it made all the preparations that much more fun.

Seeing as Paul couldn't care less for shopping, and since Ashley and Seth were the God parents after all, Daphne thought it would be a nice outing for the couples, who didn't get the chance to spend a lot of time together. She also figured Seth and Paul would be useful when it came to some heavy lifting, and keeping each other entertained.

Their first stop was a baby store. Daphne dragged Paul straight to the cribs section of the store, while Ashley explored the isles of the store with Seth, pointing at nearly everything as a potential gift for the baby.

"So we just have to get him or her one of everything?" Seth laughed, teasing Ashley.

"I'm just really excited, okay?" she defended, still smiling.

Seth took her hands, facing her.

"I love you," he stated.

Ashley looked up at her partner and smiled, matching his loving grin. "I love you too."

He kissed her on the nose, and released one of her hands, keeping one intertwined with his.

They walked down a couple aisles in silence, Ashley still admiring the baby clothes and toys.

"What's on your mind?" she asked when she noticed his behaviour take an unusually shifty tone.

"Well," he began, not making eye contact. "What do you want for a family?" he asked quickly.

Ashley laughed involuntarily, and Seth seem even more uncomfortable. She grabbed his arm with her free hand, halting him.

"That's why you were acting so strange? You were afraid to ask me if I wanted kids?"

"Well…" Seth trailed off.

"I thought we were past this. If I can talk to you about anything, I expect the same treatment," she said tenderly.

Seth looked embarrassed. "I know, it's just really early for us and we're still really young, but I want to know everything on your mind, and I know how much you love kids and I see how excited you are for this baby, I just wanted to know."

"Yeah, I love kids! But I think I'm really excited for this one because it isn't mine. I know I want kids someday, I just don't plan on it being any time soon. For now I want to enjoy the baby while I like, and give it back to Paul and Daph when I'm tired."

"That's fair," Seth reasoned. "But you do want kids eventually?"

"Oh probably," Ashley admitted. "I've always been the maternal type, and I can't imagine myself not having kids."

"Okay, good," Seth smiled.

Daphne found her sister in the clothing department. She sent Seth to help Paul load up their newly acquired crib, and the sisters spent the mean time picking out some gender-neutral onesies.

"You know I'm throwing you a baby shower, right?" Ashley asked as she riffled through newborn clothes.

"Oh Ash, you don't have to do that," Daphne called from across the rack.

"Oh but I do. You know how much I love party planning, and you don't think the pack are excited about their first pup?" Ashley joked.

Daphne rolled her eyes, but smiled and rubbed her stomach.

"Besides, you'll get tons of supplies and clothes at the shower. You guys are just starting out, and we all want to help out."

"I know, I just don't like the idea of asking for help, and I know Paul doesn't either."

Ashley turned to her sister. "It's not asking for help. It's a time-honoured tradition that you will not deprive your little sister from being a part of."

"Can't really fight with that logic," Daphne laughed, giving in.

The boys returned, and they moved onto the next destination; a home décor store.

While there, the couple invested in a number of kitchen supplies, which Ashley led the charge on, as well as some small décor pieces for the rest of the house that Daphne picked.

As they walked down Main Street, Daphne abruptly sent the boys off, tasked with finding a nice place for the four of them to grab dinner. Though confused, the boys walked off, not wanting to pick a fight with the pregnant lady.

"C'mon!" Daphne linked her arm with her sister's once the boys were out of sight, and dragged her into a store across the street. Ashley heard the bell on the door jingle as they walked in.

Ashley looked around and saw racks lined with beautiful dresses of all types. She, Daphne and their mother had combed through the inventory at Terry's boutique in Port Angeles, but Ashley was still empty handed when it came to a dress for Bella and Edward's upcoming nuptials.

It didn't take the girls long to find the perfect dress. The second dress Daphne had held up had been perfect, and Ashley bought it without hesitation, happy to have it before the boys returned. She wanted to keep it as a surprised for Seth.

They thanked the sales associate as they left, and as they took the last step down from the storefront, Paul and Seth came back into view.

"What's in the bag?" Seth asked.

"None of your business," Ashley smiled.

Seth tried to reach around her, but Ashley cut him off with a quick kiss. Seth just laughed and took her hand instead.

"We found a really good looking Italian place down the block," Seth mentioned, leading the group in the direction they had wandered off in previously.

"Italian sounds amazing!" Daphne exclaimed.

The group laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Italian it is," Paul decided, kissing his fiancée's temple.

Ashley smiled at the memory as she released the last bit of hair from her curling iron. It was the first time the couples had really spent time together, and it was nice. Paul and Seth probably would have never been friends under other circumstances, but it was hard to dislike Seth, and Ashley didn't think Seth disliked anyone. He befriended vampires after all. Besides, they were stuck together in more ways than one. They found a way to make it work.

Ashley returned to her room, hair and makeup done, and unzipped the bag. She slipped the beautiful dress over her head, and grabbed her black wedges, fastening the strap around each of her ankles before going to find her mother to help do her up.

"Oh Ashley, you look beautiful, Hon," her mom gasped as she walked in.

"Thanks, Mom," Ashley smiled and held her hair to the side, allowing her mom to secure the five delicate buttons on the back. She released her flowing hair and held her head up to show her mom the finished product.

"Seth is one lucky guy," her mother winked and hugged her daughter. Just then the doorbell rang, and Terry held up one finger, before running down to answer it.

"Hey, Seth!" Ashley heard her mom call when she opened the door.

"Hi, Terry! How are you?" Seth asked, anticipation audible in his voice.

"I'm good. Ashley's just upstairs finishing up."

"Coming!" Ashley called down, grabbing her black clutch from her bed.

"I'm going to say hi to your mom, 'kay?"

"Okay! See you later!"

Ashley began descending the staircase as her mother left, careful not to trip over her own two feet. As she came into view, she heard Seth gasp, and looked up to see him gaping at her. His smile growing with Ashley's.

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, holding her hands out to the side and shrugging slightly.

The light pink A-line dress she was wearing was about mid-thigh length, and hit her waist perfectly. It had a silver beaded bodice with intricate floral designs that sparkled with the light, and a sweet heart neckline that was covered by sheer material, which the beads flowed into as well. The design also flowed into the neckline and sheer straps as well.

Ashley spun, showing off the low back which was also covered by the same sheer material and beaded edges as the neckline. The skirt flowed beautifully as she turned, billowing in the wind. She was mid-rotation when Seth caught her, encircling her waist.

"You, my love, are the most breathtaking girl in the world," Seth claimed, gazing down at her with nothing but pure love and affection in his eyes.

Ashley's immediate reaction was to smile at the ground, but she couldn't stop staring at him either.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she beamed, resting her hands on his chest. "We need to find more reasons for you to wear a suit."