Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Embry was sick for most of the trip back. He was fine initially, but that first night on the ocean with the boat swaying back and forth while he was trying to sleep was too much and he, as well as a few others, spent large portions of the night holding his head over the edge of the boat and vomiting until there was nothing left in him anymore. Kevin sat next to Embry every night and every day while Embry would try in vain to keep food down only to throw it up again. They couldn't reach New York fast enough and when they did, Embry ran off the boat and swore that this time for sure, he would never get on a boat again as long as he lived. The papers all over the country made the men coming home front page news. Newsletters started to be sent out letting families know when the men from their state were expected to return home. Kevin and Embry wouldn't return until early March. The notification went from city hall to the General Store where Hailey relayed the message to Leah, who in turn relayed the message to the tribe. City Hall would notify all the families when there was a set date of arrival. At the tribe, they already began making preparations for when the boys would come home. Caevia helped as much as she could, given her condition. She wasn't expected to deliver until May or June, but she still refrained from heavy lifting. She also had to focus most of her attention on Gaeli and the twins.

It was also discovered that spring that Charlene and Seth would be expecting their first child. It was still early, but Caevia suggested she keep any contribution to preparation with light weight tasks as well. The past December, as Mitch had said he would, he signed over the General Store to Hailey and officially retired. Initially, Hailey had thought to hire on Seth to assist him but unfortunately, the job required heavy lifting that his leg just couldn't handle. So rather, Hailey reached out to Mrs. Pierce and asked her to put a good word in with her husband to see about Seth working at City Hall for them. Not a week later, the Mayor asked Hailey to have Seth come to his office to meet him and Seth was given a job at City Hall as one of the Legal Secretaries. And just in time for Charlene to announce to Seth she was pregnant. However, that still left the issue of Hailey being alone at the General Store. As part of his retirement, Mitch decided to move back to the city. He decided to move in with Kathy so she wouldn't be alone in that big house anymore. Leah would sometimes go to the General Store instead of the tribe to help Hailey out, but it wasn't full time work. She didn't want to work there full time and he felt bad making her work when she wasn't getting anything in return for it anyway.

"Maybe I could help you," Jae suggested one day when he was in the store to get a newspaper and Hailey mentioned the lack of help.

"No, kid, you're too young. Aren't you ten?"

"I'm eleven this year," Jae said.

"Still, that's too young. I'm not about to be one of those businessmen that put little kids to work."

"I'm offering," Jae said.

"Well, I'm declining," Hailey said.

"And who, Uncle Hailey, will you get to work for you besides me?" Jae put his hands on his hips trying to negotiate. Hailey had to fight a laugh.

"Perhaps I'll ask your brother or Kevin when they return," Hailey said.

"Neither of them ever expressed interest in working here."

"It's never come up before," Hailey said. "And those two were always here enough."

"Kevin, maybe, but Embry? He always just tagged along."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Hailey said.

"And if neither Kevin or Embry want to work for you?" Jae asked.

"Then I'll be by myself with Leah pitching in every now and then," Hailey said.

"Why do that when you've got a perfectly good willing candidate standing right in front of you?"

"I'll tell you what," Hailey sighed heavily. "Maybe when you're older, I'll consider giving you a job here."

"How old is 'older'?" Jae asked.

"When you're taller than me," Hailey offered. He figured that was a safe guess. Even if his brother had gone through a huge growth spurt, that didn't necessarily mean Jae would. And besides, Embry and Kevin were still shorter than him when he'd last seen them.

"That could be years," Jae said.

"Exactly," Hailey answered back. "But I'll tell you what. Since you were nice enough to offer," Hailey got out a small paper bag, filled it with some black licorice candy and placed it on the counter, "here's some candy as a thank you."

Jae accepted the candy and took that and his paper back to the tribe. Riding a bike in the snow was certainly ill-advised, but failing a horse, it was his best tool. When he got back home, all the kids were at his parent's house in the basement playing. Aidie was in the basement, in effect, babysitting her siblings with a friend downstairs with her making string bracelets together. All the other children played together with toys that were in the basement of the house and Jae sat next to Rae and Natalie once he was back.

"Candy?" Jae offered Natalie and his sisters.

"Is it that gross candy?" Rae asked.

"Black licorice isn't gross," Jae argued.

"Yeah it is," Rae said.

"Well, more free candy for me, then," Jae said.

"Mr. Dauer gave you free candy?" Natalie asked. "Why didn't you get grape or cherry candy?"

"Sorry, Natalie, I didn't think to make requests," Jae blushed. "I was trying to get him to let me help him at the store."

"Doing what?" Sharisa asked.

"I don't know," Jae shrugged. "Whatever he does. It can't be that hard. But he said no because I'm too young. He said he wouldn't let me work for him until I'm taller than him."

"That's specific," Rae said. "Maybe Embry can work for Meany Mr. Dauer."

"No," Jae said meanly. "I asked first." Jae started eating his candy and played with his sisters, Natalie and Nathan.

The days waiting for Kevin and Embry to get home were exhausting. When it was finally March, Hailey would check into City Hall every day to see about an update. He eventually received an answer when City Hall in Port Angeles confirmed the trains were coming in from Seattle and would arrive March 10th. With a date finally confirmed, Hailey told Leah and she passed along the news to everyone that needed to know. And with a date in mind, everyone in the tribe went into high gear making preparations. When the day finally came, the Cullens got everyone that was going to the train station together and left early in the morning so they would be in Port Angeles around when the train was expected. When they did arrive, they were early as were several other families waiting on the platform for the train to arrive.

"Do you know if they've changed much?" Caevia asked Embry while they waited.

"If you're asking if they grew, then yes," Embry smiled. "We don't know how much, but we know they've grown. I wouldn't be surprised if those boys are almost as tall as me and Jacob."

"They've grown so much and we missed it," Caevia said.

"It's alright, Caevia," Embry said. "They'll be home soon. Once they're home, we can watch them grow up a little more. We may have missed a year of their lives, but at least it was just one."

"It's been closer to two years. A lot can happen in that time," Caevia said.

"I know," Embry agreed and held Caevia close, reaching his hand down to touch the side of her pregnant belly. The children tried to amuse themselves while they waited and Renesmee took over the task of keeping the children near. Kyle was occupied with hurriedly trying to finish Les Miserables. He had several chapters left, but he was determined. He was also engrossed.

"So what's going on, Kyle?" Jacob asked. The look of shear concentration and determination on Kyle's face as he read made him laugh a little.

"The June Rebellion started and the rebels have barricaded themselves into the streets to defend against the French army."

"So what's the revolution over again?"

"The plight of the poor," Kyle answered as basically as was possible. Granted it was an oversimplification, but he had reading to do.

"Do you think you'll finish that before the train gets here?"

"I'm trying," Kyle said. "I may cheat and change."

"Don't," Jacob said. "We're in a public place and besides, you know better than to cheat."

Kyle mumbled and kept reading. Yet, sadly, it was ultimately in vain. Another hour later, the train finally started to arrive. Kyle managed to read up to the death of Gavroche when the train came to a stop and Jacob told Kyle to put the book down and wait for Kevin. Begrudgingly, Kyle put down the book and walked to the platform to wait for Kevin.

"How far have you gotten?" Edward asked.

"Gavroche died," Kyle answered.

"You got through that pretty fast," Edward praised and patted Kyle on the head, even though Kyle was up to Edward's chest by now.

"It was a good read. I just wish I'd finished it before Kevin got home."

"Do you want me to tell you how it ends?"

"No," Kyle said bluntly and Edward laughed.

Several minutes passed after the train came to a stop. The conductors came off first before they finally gave the young men inside the train the okay to get off. Right away, there was a flood of men that got off the train. Each young man located their family and went to them in a joyous reunion. The Cullens and everyone waited in eager anticipation for Kevin and Embry to finally appear and when they finally did, Renesmee and Caevia just couldn't believe their eyes. Embry came into sight first and seeing him almost made Caevia cry. He'd always looked like his father, but he'd grown so much since she'd last seen him. He looked as though he could easily be as tall as his father and he was the spitting image of Embry Sr. Kevin exited behind him and Renesmee had much the same reaction. It wasn't the same boy that had run away to join the army nearly two years ago. He had grown in height just as Embry had and he had grown so handsome. Renesmee always said Kevin looked like Jacob and he still did, but there was a lot of her. Kevin had truly grown to present the best of them both into a very handsome young man. And she saw the medal he wore on his uniform that Jacob had told her he'd won. Seeing it made her even more proud. Embry Jr. and Kevin located their family and went right for them. Sobbing, Caevia stepped forward and grabbed a hold of Embry to hug him. Embry hugged her back, but suddenly, Caevia pushed away and slapped Embry clear across the face.

"Don't you EVER do that to me again!" Caevia screamed, then started to cry. "You scared the shit out of me. I was so worried." She kept crying and, after recovering from the sudden slap to the face, Embry took his mom in a hug and patted her head. She was so much shorter than him now.

"I'm sorry to scare you like that, mom," Embry said. As Kevin approached Renesmee after seeing that sudden outburst, he maintained a momentary distance.

"You're not going to slap me too are you?" Kevin asked Renesmee. Even his voice had changed so much. It didn't sound like the son she remembered.

"If you promise never to do that again, I'll refrain," Renesmee said and Kevin laughed. She realized Kevin sounded just like Jacob.

"I won't mom," Kevin said and hugged Renesmee.

"I can't believe how much you've grown," Renesmee said as she hugged him back.

"Come here," Jacob said and Kevin walked over to Jacob and hugged him. "Shit. You're nearly as tall as me already," Jacob said after they stopped hugging.

"I was actually hoping I would be as tall as you by now," Kevin smiled.

"Hey, Kevin," Kyle said and hugged Kevin, who towered over him at the moment. Kevin suspected that wouldn't last very long.

"Hey, Kyle."

"I wasn't able to finish Les Miserables before you got back, but I got really far."

"How is it?"

"Long," Kyle said. "It's good, but it's long. Right now, a character died and I think they're probably going to lose the fight."

"Who's they?"

"The revolutionaries. I don't want to give too much away in case you want to read it," Kyle said.

"I'll take a rain check on that," Kevin and Kyle laughed and shared another hug. After hugging Caevia, Embry Sr. and all his siblings, Embry Jr. turned his attention back to Caevia and her belly.

"Hey," he waved at her belly and put his hand on it. "How're you doing, kid? I'm your big brother. I hear from dad you're a kicker."

"The baby's positively restless," Caevia said. "The baby will kick and move all hours of the day and night. I'm not confident the baby even sleeps more than an hour every day."

"Sounds like you're a little terror," Embry Jr. laughed. After Kevin greeted his own siblings, the Cullens surrounded him to welcome him. He looked at Rosalie and Emmett first.

"I'm really sorry about what happened with Amber," Kevin said, but Rosalie shook her head.

"It's not your fault," Rosalie said. "She wasn't ours anyway. We did the right thing."

"I know," Kevin said. "I just wish it could have worked out differently."

"We do too," Emmett said. "But don't worry about that. Tell me about that pretty medal of yours," Emmett smiled.

"We heard from Jacob you saved two of your commanding officers," Jasper said. "We also hear you got promoted to Sergeant," he continued proudly.

"I was," Kevin nodded. "After Sgt. Stanley was injured, he assigned me as his next in line I guess and he got me a medal."

"Well, we need more detail than that," Jasper said. "How about you tell us the whole story while we're on the cart back home?"

"Alright, Uncle Jasper," Kevin smiled.

They finally left the platform and they all went to the cart and horses to make their way home. Kevin told Jasper all about the battle at Chateau Thierry and how they'd gone through no man's land to meet them, how he'd seen Lt. McCarthy and Sgt. Stanley shot and rushed to get them to safety. Embry was sure to remind Kevin of how he'd also taken grenades, thrown them at the enemy's machine guns and completely destroyed them. When they got back to Forks, Hailey and Leah were at the store ready to greet the boys home. Hailey had to remain at the store but confirmed he would be at the village that night for the welcoming home party the boys were in for. Seth made sure to greet the boys and eagerly welcome them home. But when they got back, the first thing the two of them wanted was to just go to their rooms and fall into their own beds that they'd missed so much. Later in the night after Kevin and Embry got to have their long naps, everyone was gathered at the center of the tribe for a welcoming dinner.

"Finally, some real food," Embry Jr. said when he had his first potato cake. "We've been eating bread and gruel for so long, I think I might toss it at a wall if I ever see it again."

"You got most of it out of your system during the boat ride at least," Kevin teased and Embry shuddered.

"I take it the ride back wasn't much better than the ride going there?" Seth chuckled.

"I'm never getting on a boat ever again," Embry Jr. muttered.

"So what was it like?" Nathan asked.

"Miserable," Embry said.

"I think he meant basic training and the war," Kevin said.

"That too," Embry answered.

"How did your basic training go?" Jasper asked. "I assume things have changed quite a bit since I was in the cavalry."

"Well," Kevin said, "they didn't waste any time working us to the bone. Sgt. Stanley was the one that trained us and he spent two hours talking to everyone individually to get to know us all."

"He loved you by the end of the war, but God Damn that man didn't like us when we first arrived."

"He was harsh on you two because you were so young," Seth said.

"Yeah, but he didn't ask you how many years ago you popped out of your mother's 'gaping cunt'." Caevia stopped eating and Renesmee went as wide eyed as Caevia.

"Excuse me?" Renesmee asked.

"Well," Kevin said. "We told him we were 19 and he knew right away we were lying. So he said to me and Embry, 'I didn't ask you how old you said you were. I asked you how old you are. In other words, how many years ago did your mother belch you out of her gaping cunt?'" He didn't want to, but Embry started laughing a little. Renesmee and Caevia were not amused.

"They certainly swear like I remember," Jasper chuckled.

"So they did that to you too?" Kevin asked.

"Well, no, not necessarily. It's mostly a blur I'm afraid, but what I remember of my basic training, my commanding officer was certainly a hard ass. It's the way they always are."

"I assume you told him your real ages after that little….elaborate insult?" Renesmee asked.

"Yes, I admitted I was 13 and Embry admitted he was 14." Kevin started laughing at the memory. "And you know what he said? He said something like, 'well fuck me, I ask for men and they send me boys'. And Embry, you just made it worse. Sgt. Stanley said something like, 'maybe I should put on some lipstick so I look pretty while I'm being fucked' and you told him he'd look lovely in pink."

"Yeah," Embry nodded. "Old bastard punched me in the gut and said he didn't like pink." Embry, Kevin, and Seth started laughing, but Renesmee interrupted.

"Alright, both of you stop swearing so much."

"And we thought they were bad before," Caevia sighed.

"Sorry, mom, but it just stuck," Embry said.

"So tell them about your little nickname, Embry," Seth said.

"What nickname?" Nathan asked.

"Shut up," Embry said, but Kevin laughed and shook his head.

"Alright, here's what happened. One thing that was made very clear right from the beginning was there is a structure and you don't deviate from it. You wake up at this time, eat at this time, train at this time, and you sleep at this time. No exceptions. So Embry here decides one morning he doesn't want to follow that rule."

"Oh, shut up, Kevin," Embry said. "If you're going to insist, then I'll tell the story. You're telling it wrong anyway. So Sgt. Stanley had let us have sweet potatoes for breakfast as a reward for our hard work and I wasn't finished when the siren went off. I took my potato with me in line and Sgt. Stanley walks up to me after he sees me and he asks what I'm doing. I told him I was eating my potato, he said the siren went off so I was supposed to be done-"

"Embry, stop, you're rushing through the story," Kevin interrupted. "So anyway, Sgt. Stanley said to Embry, 'Are my ears going bad or did the siren not go off indicating breakfast was over?' Embry said, 'I wasn't done sir'. So Sgt. Stanley said to Embry, 'Well, Tatter, the siren went off and that means you stop eating just like everyone else.' And Embry, genius that he is, talks back and says, 'I don't like that name, sir'. I swear to you, Sgt. Stanley's eye twitched and he said to Embry, 'You know, it doesn't seem fair that you got to eat more than the others. Perhaps you should do something to make up for it.' Embry said 'I don't follow, sir' and Sgt. Stanley said, 'Don't worry, Tatter. I'll be doing the following'."

"Yeah!" Embry continued angrily. "Then that son of a bitch dragged me by my ear out of the camp and made me run five laps, that's five miles by the way, around the whole premises following behind me on his horse hitting me with a riding crop whenever I slowed down!" Everyone started laughing while Embry fumed.

"I'm just happy he didn't make all of us run with you," Kevin laughed. "Remember when we first got there? After he got to know all of us, he made all of us run around the base and we needed to be finished in ten minutes or less. He made all of us do it over and over again until all of us ran a 10 minute mile or we dropped."

"Most of them dropped," Embry said.

"Don't be quite so quick to judge, Embry. When Sgt. Stanley was running behind you with a horse, you were practically dry heaving when he was done with you."

"Because he kept telling me to run faster than his horse!" Embry yelled.

"Oh, come on, Embry," Embry Sr. said. "You can outrun a horse easy."

"Now!" Embry Jr. said. "I can outrun a horse now! I couldn't then." Remembering that Charlene was there, they pulled back on that conversation.

"Don't act like you were the only one who got nicknamed, Embry," Kevin chuckled.

"Yeah, but your nicknames were 'your highness', 'your majesty', 'prince Kevin' or 'The Pitcher'."

"That last one is the only one I got out of respect. The rest were results of sheer sarcasm."

"What exactly does 'the pitcher' mean?" Renesmee asked.

"He used to catch live grenades the Germans threw at us and throw them right back," Seth said. "Hence the name."

"Sgt. Stanley said it was the bravest and stupidest thing he'd ever seen anyone do."

"The two go hand in hand it seems," Jasper laughed and patted Kevin on the back. "Good job, Kevin."

"Is it true you were buried under ground?" Gaeli asked.

"No, not necessarily," Embry answered. "There were trenches that were dug up and we stayed underground that way most of the time."

"And let me tell you," Seth said. "You think rain's a pain in the ass here. Try having it rain when you're buried five feet under and you have to spend hours throwing the water out of the trenches with buckets." Embry and Kevin both shuddered.

"It wouldn't have been so bad if we'd had proper shoes for that," Kevin said.

"Don't even bring that up," Embry said.

"Still better than mustard gas," Seth said. "Did you see any of the guys that didn't get their masks on in time? That gas will maim you."

"Yes, Seth, we do remember," Embry shuddered again. "I don't want to talk about the front anymore."

"Whatever you say, Tatter," Seth smiled and the group finally had a laugh.

"Sorry, Embry, but you'll never live this down," Kevin teased and Embry just grumbled. Then he ate away his plight by nearly making himself sick stuffing his face with the dearly missed potato cakes. Hoping to end on a slightly more positive note, Hailey asked Embry if, since Mitch was retired, he would like to come work at the General Store. Embry said no, just as Jae had predicted he would. Jae looked at Hailey smugly.

"I'm still available, Uncle Hailey," Jae smirked.

"Not until you're taller than me," Hailey muttered and Leah just giggled.

"What is he talking about?" Caevia asked Leah.

"Jae offered to help Hailey and work for him at the General Store and Hailey's refusing, telling him he's too young."

"Well, he is," Caevia sighed.

When Aidie finished her dinner, she ran up to Embry and jumped on his back the way they all used to when they were little. After recovering from the surprise, Embry was able to pin her down and which point she clapped Sharisa in to help and she jumped on his back with Aidie still on the ground. Jae, Rae, Peta and Gaeli decided they wanted to join the fun and started to dog pile Embry until they all managed to pin him to the ground. Taraq and Bayaq wanted to join, but when they got over to the group, the dog pile was too tall for them to get on. Later in the night when everyone went into their homes or tents for the night, Kevin went to his room with Kyle and Nathan. He hadn't really noticed, or perhaps he was so tired that he didn't care, that his bed was now too small for him. His feet hung off the edge of the bed in a way they hadn't before and it made laying on the bed really awkward. Eventually, he decided he'd rather sleep on the floor.

"If either of you step on me in the middle of the night," Kevin said, "I'll make you regret it."

"Good to have you home, Kevin," Kyle said and fell asleep. Nathan was already asleep.

The train ride from Connecticut to Washington was grueling. Dr. McCarthy had finally pulled all the right strings and 'licked all the right assholes' as he put it and obtained a spot for Kevin at the University. Dr. McCarthy was prepared to just send the information by mail, but Lt. McCarthy insisted he wanted to deliver the news personally. Even if he hadn't thought to, his uncle Henry would have almost certainly demanded he do so. "He'll be really happy about this," Sgt. Stanley had said before the trip. "It's better than anything I could offer," he'd continued. Dr. McCarthy had said to his son that Kevin had 'better' appreciate this, because it was literally the only offer the boy would get. Lt. McCarthy knew Kevin would, though. He remembered the kid had a way with words and he was very persuasive and charming. He could think of no better area of study for Sgt. Black than the world of law. Kevin would thrive in it, he knew. Sgt. Stanley was certain Kevin would too. He arrived in Seattle first and had to get on a train to Port Angeles. Once he was in Port Angeles, it took hours for him to find a way to get a ride to Forks. When he finally arrived, he went right to the General Store and when he stepped inside, Hailey was at the counter and Jae was sitting on the counter eating black licorice.

"Can I help you?" Hailey asked.

"Yes, I hope so. I'm Lt. Alexander McCarthy. I fought at the front with Sgt. Kevin Black and Pvt. Embry Call."

"Yes, I heard of you. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I don't know if Sgt. Black mentioned this at all, but during battle when I'd been shot in the hip, he saved mine and my uncle's life. My uncle's already repaid him, but I still owe him a great deal. I have something for him that I think is sufficient repayment if you wouldn't mind telling me where I can find him."

"I can take you," Hailey said and he looked at Jae. "Okay, kiddo, I've got a job for you."

"What?" Jae asked excitedly.

"You stay here and man the store for me. If you do a good job, I'll give you more candy."

"Yes, Uncle Hailey!" Jae answered and pulled over a stool so he could properly reach the register.

"Follow me, Lieutenant," Hailey said and led Lt. McCarthy to the back.

"So you married into the tribe too?"

"I'm married to Kevin's cousin," Hailey nodded. "Jae's not my nephew, though. He just bugs me a lot and likes me."

"He seems like a nice kid," Lt. McCarthy said.

"He's as pleasant as any child can manage to be, I suppose," Hailey said, but he smiled. Unfortunately, the joke was lost on Lt. McCarthy. They got on the cart and Hailey took Lt. McCarthy with him to the tribe. "So what do you have for Kevin?"

"A once in a lifetime opportunity," Lt. McCarthy said.

"That's a broad answer," Hailey said.

"I just don't want anything ruining the surprise. It is a life for a life, though."

"That sounds promising," Hailey said.

When they finally arrived at the tribe, people noticed the unfamiliar man that rode in with Hailey. Jacob was the first to realize who the new man was and he went to Kevin and Embry. Kevin and Embry left the house to investigate and lo and behold, there he was holding a manila envelope and getting off Hailey's cart. Edward, who was on site going over school lessons with some children beside Rosalie, was smirking uncontrollably.

"What's going on?" Rosalie asked when she saw Edward's smile.

"Just wait and see," he smirked. Kevin and Embry ran to Hailey and Lt. McCarthy.

"Lt. McCarthy?" Kevin said.

"Afternoon, Sergeant. You're looking well."

"You too," Kevin said. "How's your hip?"

"Better, much better," Lt. McCarthy said. "I'm finally able to walk on it, but I still have to walk with a cane most of the time. The doctors say that will heal eventually."

"That's good news. So what brings you here?"

"A matter of debt," Lt. McCarthy said. "You see, Sergeant, I know I've spoken briefly about my father being an educator, but I don't know if I ever told you to what degree."

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked.

"My father is the Dean at Yale University in Connecticut. Have you heard of it?"

"I've heard of it, yes," Kevin nodded.

"Good. Having said that, my uncle gave you a promotion and a medal, but that pales in comparison to the service you provided us both. As I had explained to Mr. Dauer here, I wanted to offer you a life in exchange for saving mine. So I spoke with my father, he pulled some strings and, well," Lt. McCarthy offered the manila envelope in his hand, extending it to Kevin. "We're offering you the opportunity to study at Yale University of Law." Kevin stared at the envelope, then at Lt. McCarthy. He accepted the envelope and looked inside, seeing class schedules, book list, calendars, list of required materials, etc. Jacob and Renesmee walked over as Kevin looked at everything.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked suspiciously.

"Lt. McCarthy offered me a spot at Yale," Kevin barely managed. He was speechless.

"Yale?" Renesmee said, looking at Lt. McCarthy.

"Yes, ma'am, Yale University. I studied there myself when I was young. I specialized in the law program and Sgt. Stanley agreed it was a field Sgt. Black would thrive in." Kevin kept staring at the contents of the envelope unable to believe his eyes.

"You're offering me a chance to study law?" Kevin was finally able to ask.

"Yes," Lt. McCarthy smiled. "You'll be the first Indian to ever Study at Yale and I have no doubt you'll accomplish great things. You're set up to start in the fall."

"Really?" Kevin finally managed.

"Really," Lt. McCarthy nodded. "The semester starts in August." Kevin started smiling at last while Renesmee looked at everything and started to cry a little.

"Oh Kevin," Renesmee squeaked.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Kevin finally said, smiling. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Lieutenant," Renesmee stepped forward, rubbing her eyes. "Would you like to stay and have dinner with us?"

"I would love that, Mrs. Black," Lt. McCarthy said. No one bothered to correct him and Renesmee led him to the house talking and expressing appreciation while Kevin kept staring at the papers. Jacob walked up to him and started looking at them too.

"So you're going to school?" Jacob smiled.

"It looks like it," Kevin said. Kevin returned the papers to their manila envelope and looked at Jacob. "I'm sorry to leave again, but-"

"Don't apologize for accomplishing something," Jacob smiled. "I'm proud of you, Kevin."

"Thanks dad," Kevin said.

Renesmee nearly dragged Lt. McCarthy to the house where she made him coffee, already started making dinner even though it was barely past noon, and began asking him all manner of questions about the university as well as practical questions such as living arrangements, when he would need to be there by and so on. Hailey was kind enough to return to town and notify the Inn that they would be having a guest for which Edward Cullen confirmed he would be paying for the guest's stay and to have a room ready for him when Lt. McCarthy arrived for the night. Kevin received his pats on the back from several people as the news spread around to everyone. When Kyle heard the news, he went to Kevin and asked to look at everything. When he saw it, he felt just a tug of jealousy.

"You'll be studying law?" Kyle asked after looking over everything.

"Yes, I'll study law. I think it'll do us good. With me having a law degree and learning about how the legal system works, I can be that legal voice we need."

"Won't need to rely on Grandpa anymore," Kyle smiled knowingly. "So you'll be leaving again?"

"Eventually, but I've still got the summer here before I have to leave. Besides, this isn't like me going to war."

"Are you sure about that?" Kyle asked.

"Point taken," Kevin smiled. "I'll just do what I did before: work harder and impress the right people."

"If it's not broke, don't fix it," Kyle agreed. "It says there's an option to learn a language, but it's Latin."

"Sounds about right," Kevin sighed. "I'll see about finding someone east to teach me German."

"German?" Kyle asked.

"Amber's living in Germany. She may still know French by the time I'm able to see her again, but I suspect German will be something I need."

"If all goes well, this might make seeing Amber a lot easier. You'll get a job to pay for these fancy trips to Germany."

"I don't know how 'fancy' it'll be. It'll depend on what happens with the treaty negotiations in France. Besides, I'm just concerned with visiting Amber."

"well, good luck at Yale," Kyle smiled.

"Thanks," Kevin smiled and wrapped his arm around Kyle's neck and hugged him in teasing affection.

The rest of the Cullens arrived within minutes of Lt. McCarthy's arrival and took the opportunity to speak with him and learn more about his own experience with schooling at the University as well as his father's position. By the time Kevin even returned to the house to speak with Lt. McCarthy more, Lt. McCarthy had already answered the same questions a few times. Renesmee served dinner by 3 of all hours, but Lt. McCarthy was happy to have a home cooked meal for the first time since he left Connecticut.

"How is Sgt. Stanley doing?" Kevin asked when dinner was served.

"He's well. His shoulder still bothers him, but he's come a long way. He'll be delighted to see you again once you get to Connecticut. He was stationed in the area and once he retires, he'll be staying there."

"When does he retire?" Kevin asked.

"Next year I believe. I'll make sure he knows when you're in Connecticut. He'll be eager to see you again. You should hear the man. He brags about you more than his own son," Lt. McCarthy chuckled.

"You don't say," Kevin smiled.

"He does," Lt. McCarthy said. "His son's getting jealous in fact."

"Well, it wasn't my intent," Kevin said with a chuckle. "So tell me the truth," Kevin went on. "How hard was it for you to get this for me?"

"If you want the honest truth, it was no easy task. I needed to convince my father first and he was content to just give you a check for $2000, but I told him that wasn't enough. When he finally agreed to help me get you a spot he had to," Lt. McCarthy looked at Renesmee, Natalie and all the other woman present. "Well, there are women and children present, so I won't say exactly what he said, but he needed to convince the school board and several of his friends. Though they seemed to soften quite a bit when we reached out to commanding officers at the front that confirmed my word and my uncle's that you're a war hero. That always looks good. It took a lot of schmoozing and barking up just the right trees, but we did it."

"Thank you again for this," Kevin said.

"You earned it, Sergeant," Lt. McCarthy smiled. "And as I was telling your mother earlier, living arrangements are available. We have dormitories at the University and we'll have a room ready for you."

"Actually, Lt. McCarthy," Edward spoke up. "We have a property on the East coast where Kevin can live. It's even near the campus."

"It is?" Kevin asked.

"Yes," Edward said and gave Kevin a knowing smile. "We'll ensure he has living arrangements, so you needn't worry."

"Excellent," Lt. McCarthy smiled. "I will ensure I tell my father. I'm curious where the home is."

"Gracious," Edward smiled, pretending to think hard a moment. "Isn't that terrible? I can't remember off the top of my head. I admit, we've so many properties in that area, I get them mixed up."

"My father's the same way," Lt. McCarthy chuckled. "My father's from Maine and we have a few properties and investments up there and Father can never keep track of them. That's our lawyer's concern."

"Something to look forward to," Edward joked to Kevin. "Keeping track of your clients' properties." Lt. McCarthy and Edward shared a laugh.

"So tell me, Mr. Cullen," Lt. McCarthy asked. "What is it you do?"

"I'm a bit of an investor," Edward answered, making things up as he went along. "My cousin Carlisle is a doctor, though sadly I lack his hard work ethic. I'm much more interested in putting my money in just the right hands and coming back to me multiplied."

"So you invest in stocks?"

"Yes," Edward nodded. "Most of us do. It's where most of our money came from."

"Are you new money then?"

"I suppose one might call us that," Edward smiled. "However, Carlisle's father was very well off, so when he and I came to this country, we had a good place to start from."

"Where are you from?"

"England," Edward answered truthfully. "Carlisle's father was a pastor. He already came from money, but being a pastor yields its own financial rewards."

"What about your family?"

"My parents were farmers. Sadly illness took them and Carlisle was kind enough to take me in," Edward continued, telling partial truths when applicable. "My wife, Bella, is Scottish. Her family was from Glasgow, am I right?" Edward looked at Bella.

"Glasgow, yes," Bella nodded. "My father was a violinist."

"Do you play the violin, Mrs. Cullen?"

"Yes, I do," Bella nodded. "Sadly, my daughter took far better to the piano. So did all my grandchildren."

"Please forgive me if this is forward, Mrs. Cullen, but may I say you look stunning for a woman that's had a daughter and four grandchildren. You and your daughter could be sisters."

"How kind of you to say, Lieutenant," Bella smiled.

"Mr. Black," Lt. McCarthy directed to Jacob. Once again, no one said anything. "You are the chief of the tribe are you not?"

"My father is," Jacob said, tilting his head towards William, who was speaking with Sara. "I will be chief after he passes away. I don't expect that to be for many years."

"Naturally," Lt. McCarthy said. "Does your father speak English so well as you?"

"My father doesn't speak English."

"How did you learn English if I may ask?"

"Seth, Leah and my wife taught me English."

"Your English quite good," Lt. McCarthy said. "You sound as though you've always spoken English."

"Thank you," Jacob said.

For the remainder of the evening, Lt. McCarthy asked questions and depending on the question, they would tell the truth, half-truths or, in some cases, flat out lie. He remained following dinner, drinking coffee and eating cake Renesmee had made. He found it very strange to see Natalie refuse to eat cake. He enquired about it and Renesmee explained that Natalie had an aversion to anything that was animal based. Upon being explained where an egg comes from, she simply refused to eat them or things they were in and Lt. McCarthy called it 'quite strange'. Hailey returned Lt. McCarthy to town following dessert and brought him to the inn where a room was already waiting for him. He remained a few more days and Kevin visited every day to talk about the University and to catch up on what was going on with Sgt. Stanley. Lt. McCarthy promised he would see the man when he came to Connecticut. Kevin went with Hailey into Port Angeles to see Lt. McCarthy off and promised to see him again come August.

"So Grandpa," Kevin said after Lt. McCarthy had been dropped off at the train and he'd returned home. "Where is this 'property in Connecticut' you were talking about?"

"I don't know yet," Edward said. "Carlisle and I will be going east in a few days to find a place."

"You really don't have to do that," Kevin said. "I'm sure the dormitories are fine."

"Yes, but I'm sure a little apartment unit would be much finer. You won't even have to share it with anyone."

As promised, a few days later, Edward and Carlisle left for the east coast to find a little place near the University for Kevin to stay. While they were gone, Kevin got a package from the Dymeks. When he got the package, he could tell Amber had written the address and he practically grabbed it out of Hailey's hands when Kevin got to the General Store to buy a newspaper. He returned home with Embry and Kyle, who'd joined him, and went right home and sat on his bed with the package. When he opened it, there was a little letter with his title, Sgt. Kevin William Black, written in Amber's handwriting on the note. The remainder of the box was filled with fabric. Kevin looked at the letter first and smiled. It was in French, but a lot of it was misspelled. He could still read it, though. Amber wrote that the Dymeks were wonderful and she loved them very much. Their family seemed to embrace her with open arms and Kevin was relieved to know it. She explained that she wasn't allowed to tell people about what she really was and that everyone thought she suffered a rare condition. She told Kevin about how she had tutors from her parents' synagogue that would come and teach her mathematics, science, reading and writing (all German of course), Hebrew studies, literature and all manner of other subjects. She told Kevin about how every Saturday Mrs. Dymek would take Amber to the park to play with the other children at the synagogue and she was already making friends. She told Kevin about how Mrs. Dymek would sell decorated candles and how she was teaching Amber the craft and enclosed was her very first that she hoped Kevin would love. Eventually, she ended the letter telling Kevin how much she missed him and she hoped she would see him soon.

After finishing her letter, Kevin gently removed the fabric from the box and unraveled it as best and gently as he could until he saw a tall candle. It was clearly a first, but even so, it was very cute. The topmost layer of the candle was a deep hunters green while the other layers of wax that were made visible through carvings were different light and dark shades of green. There were curls that appeared to be meant to represent grass while there were carvings of trees and birds. At the top of the candle, there was a much lighter shade of green and a hollow spot where a wick was exposed. Kevin couldn't imagine lighting this candle. He was scared he'd ruin it if he did. It would, however, make a nice decoration for him out east. All the shades of green would help remind him of home. He rewrapped the candle and placed it back in the box so it would be safe and went to his desk to write his reply. He wrote his reply in French and let her know that he'd received his candle and that he loved it, confirming he would not dare burn it, expressing his concern. He told Amber he was happy to know she was doing alright and hoped things continued to go well. He also let her know the good news that he was offered the chance to study at Yale University and promised he would forward her a letter with his new address as soon as he had it available and promised he would obtain a souvenir for her once he was at school. Once his letter was written, he got an envelope, sealed it, signed the address and went into town to drop it off at the post office.

"So what did you get from Germany?" Embry asked when Kevin returned.

"It was a letter and present from Amber. She sent me the very first candle she made." Kevin pushed the image into Embry's head and he whistled.

"She made that for you?"

"Yeah, she did. I can't wait to find a place to put it once I'm in Connecticut."

"How long will you be there?" Embry asked.

"The program lasts about four or five years. Lt. McCarthy evidently studied for seven, but he also studied religion as a secondary major. Me, I'll just be focusing on Law."

"So you'll come back to Washington a big hotshot lawyer?" Embry teased and Kevin chuckled.

"I don't know if I'll be a hotshot. I'll certainly have the training to stand up for us all legally if needed. And that's what important."

"True," Embry said.

Kevin took the candle out again only one time before leaving so Renesmee could see it. She'd heard of carved candles but she'd never had the pleasure of seeing one and it was a beautiful thing. After Renesmee got to see it, Kevin made sure it was secured back in the fabric and box and tucked it away somewhere where it would be safe until he left. A few weeks after leaving, Edward and Carlisle returned home with the good news that they'd found a little apartment near campus in New Haven for Kevin to stay at. Edward confirmed it was nothing enormous. Really, it was a single bedroom home that was mostly barebones save for the necessities. It was also being rented, so Kevin would have to be mindful about decorating, but it was within walking distance of the campus. Kevin thanked Edward and Carlisle for their help and confirmed he was eager to see it.

It was determined that, once Kevin was seen off to Yale, the Cullens would return to Alaska. There was little concern over it during the war all things considered, but people were getting suspicious again and the last thing they needed were more situations like what happened with Hailey. Yes, Hailey kept his mouth shut and didn't ask questions, but the same could not be said for the people of Forks. Kevin spent the rest of the summer with his siblings. He wouldn't be back home again until the holidays and that would be a brief visit unfortunately before he'd have to return. Kevin went cliff diving with everyone frequently and, one day, Peta begged Embry to turn into a bird so they could try riding on his back. After several minutes of adamant begging, Embry eventually agreed and changed before allowing Peta to essentially pull on his feathers so he was holding onto Embry's neck. He flew around near the water a moment and Peta rolled off Embry into the water with jubilant laughter. Eventually, all the younger kids were demanding a turn.

That May, Caevia gave birth to hers and Embry Sr.'s tenth child and fifth daughter, Aiya. When she was born, Embry swore she looked exactly like Caevia. Charlene on the other hand was almost halfway through. She showed, but was not as big as she would get and she was expecting around October. Just as she was in the womb, Aiya was restless. She was always squirming and moving around and kicking and waving her arms around. With such releases of energy, she was also a bottomless pit. It seemed to Caevia that she would feed Aiya, clean her and let her wiggle around and do her thing only for Aiya to be hungry again in less than an hour. She didn't mind, though. Aiya was a gentle feeder at the very least.

Once the baby came along, Embry Jr. would torment his poor little sister in the form of tickling her toes and belly, holding her and spinning her around so she was flying and take her to the ocean to swim with the others. Embry loved that Aiya seemed to instinctually hold her breath when he dipped her in the water and she would start kicking as if to swim. Eventually, however, it was July and Kevin needed to start preparing to leave for Connecticut. Much of the preparation was done in Port Angeles in the form of purchasing supplies and clothes. Edward and Carlisle had already ensured the little apartment Kevin would stay at was fully furnished and ready for him when he arrived. Renesmee, Jacob and Kyle went along on that trip. Renesmee was just beside herself. She'd never imagined something like this would happen and she was excited and nervous at the same time. Jacob was of a similar mind. He couldn't pretend he didn't have his concerns and apprehensions, but he knew Kevin could take care of himself. If the boy could fight in a war and rank himself up to Sergeant at 15, then he could handle going to a school across the country at 16.

After he had everything he needed, they returned to the tribe and started packing everything. They needed to send everything early, so as soon as everything was packed, Edward made arrangements to have all of Kevin's things delivered to the address in Connecticut. They agreed they would meet them there and Alice confirmed, as far as her site could tell before Kevin got involved, that everything would make it by the end of July when Kevin did.

For ease's sake, Edward arranged for everyone that would be joining to have train tickets to Connecticut. They would be leaving midway through July to ensure they arrived at a reasonable time and so Kevin would have the chance to settle down before classes began. The night before he left, everyone said their goodbyes and congratulations to him. The Cullens had dinner prepared at their house and everyone was invited to attend. The ones that would be going with Kevin to see him off would be Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Jacob and Kyle. Kyle insisted he wanted to go. Edward extended the invitation to Natalie and Nathan since Kyle was going, but they both declined. Renesmee promised Sokajili that when they returned, she would show him what it looked like on the east coast. He'd never left his tribe and was curious to see something that would be so far away and that wasn't grey and depressing like the front was. At least, that was from what Kevin's memory served and what he pushed into Sokajili's mind. Kevin asked Embry Jr. if he wanted to go. He'd declined initially, but agreed after some persuasion. The next morning, those going woke up bright and early and went to Port Angeles to get on the train. The trip to the east coast took a week and a half by train. It was late at night when they finally arrived and they were able to walk to New Haven where Kevin's little apartment was. Thankfully, according to Alice's estimation, they were a day ahead of Kevin's things arriving. All he had was what he could carry himself and Amber's candle. When they neared the apartment Kevin would be staying in, they could see large church like towers in the distance.

"There it is," Edward said when everyone could see the towers.

"That's it?" Jacob said. "It looks like a church from here."

"It was originally founded for religious studies in the 1700's, so I imagine that's what they were going for. But as you can see, Kevin, you're within comfortable walking distance. You could oversleep on accident and still make it to your classes."

"Thank you for the foresight," Kevin chuckled. "So which one is it?" Kevin saw the row of houses that lined the street Edward had said he'd be staying.

"This one," Edward answered when they happened upon the 5th house in the row. "There is a unit above this," Edward went on to explain, "but you will be staying on the ground unit. It sounds like you have a neighbor."

"Are they nice?" Kevin joked.

"Husband isn't there, but the wife is and they have a two year old. From what I can tell, he's a law student like yourself and his wife stays at home with their daughter. They sound nice enough."

"That's good to hear," Kevin said.

"Do you think you'll be seeing her husband in classes?" Embry asked.

"According to the wife's thoughts, he's a second year, so I doubt it. Besides, he's quite a bit older than you. He was a pastor previously and decided to delve into the world of law." Edward unlocked the door and handed Kevin the key before they all walked in. It really was a tiny space. There was a kitchen to the right, a little dining set right ahead with a tiny backyard that was filled with toys he assumed belonged to the neighbors, and to the left was the hallway leading to a bathroom and a bedroom. "Like I said, it's not much."

"No, this is plenty," Kevin said, placing his things on the kitchen island. "Thank you for this Grandpa."

"No need," Edward smiled. "Whatever makes this easier. You'll have enough to worry about without having to live on campus."

"Do you suppose he'd face a lot of issues if he did?" Jacob asked seriously.

"Yes if you want an honest answer," Edward said. "But this will give Kevin a little buffer. Granted, one of your peers is above you, but I doubt he'll be any trouble. You'll probably have to deal with his wife far more often than him. In fact, she'll be coming down in the next half hour to see what all the commotion's about."

"Oh boy," Jacob sighed.

"At least you'll have something nice and quiet to come home to at the end of the day," Renesmee said. "Try to be social, though. The last thing you want is to retreat here every day without talking to anyone."

"You do realize who you're talking to, right Aunt Nessie?" Embry chuckled and Renesmee giggled too.

"You're right," Renesmee smiled.

"Try not to worry so much, mom," Kevin said. "This isn't like going to France. By comparison, this will be like nothing." Edward reached into one of the small boxes that Kevin had brought and took out the Medal of Honor that they'd framed for Kevin and found a place to hang it.

"Do we have to unpack now?" Kevin asked.

"You're welcome to rest," Edward said. "I just want to make sure when Mrs. Croft comes, she has a conversation piece to look at. Her dad was a veteran, so she'll appreciate it. Her grandfather fought in the civil war."

"North or south?" Carlisle enquired.

"North," Edward said. Once the Medal was hung, they waited an extra ten minutes before there was a knock on the still open door. They saw Mrs. Croft standing at the doorway. She was a woman of twenty nine per her thoughts and she was holding her daughter's hand, who was dressed in a little nightie and sucking on her thumb.

"Good evening," she said. "I hope I'm not intruding. I'd heard from my husband we would have a new neighbor soon and when I heard you all down here, I knew I needed to introduce myself. I'm Mrs. Tabatha Croft. This is my daughter Lillian."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Croft," Kevin smiled and stepped forward. "I'm Kevin Black. I'll be the one living here for the next couple of years."

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Black. I'm terribly sorry my husband isn't here to introduce himself. Between school and the church, the man's virtually never home. His name is Roger, though, if you ever get the chance to meet him."

"I'm sure I'll come across him eventually. Grandpa, we have tea in the pantry right?" Edward nodded, so Kevin looked at Mrs. Croft. "Would you like to come in for a while? We can make some tea for you."

"Oh, how kind of you, thank you," she smiled and stepped inside with her daughter. She pulled her daughter's thumb out, taking a moment to tell her not to do that. Bella went to the kitchen and got some water ready to boil in a pot and found the tea. "So will you be going to school this coming semester?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kevin answered. "Is your husband starting this year?" Kevin ensured he asked, even if he already knew the answer.

"Oh, no, my husband's starting his second year. I'll be so happy when it's over. I miss New York. That's where my family is."

"If you don't mind my asking, how old is your husband?"

"He's 38," Mrs. Croft said. "Might I ask how old you are?"

"Fifteen," Kevin answered honestly, and Mrs. Croft seemed shocked.

"Fifteen? You don't look that young."

"I had a growth spurt," Kevin smiled.

"Goodness. How did you obtain a spot at the university at such a young age?"

"Well, long story short, my friend Embry and I," Embry waved his hand indicating who he was, "lied about our ages and joined the war. While we were there, I saved Lt. McCarthy's life."

"You mean Dr. McCarthy's son? Oh, I heard about that from my husband! So you're the infamous Sgt. Black."

"Am I infamous?" Kevin asked.

"Certainly," Mrs. Croft said. "My husband is friends with a few people on the school board and Dr. McCarthy. He was telling me about it. Rumor has it you're an Indian to boot."

"Yes, I am," Kevin said. "My father's Quileute." Kevin looked at Jacob. "That's my dad, Jacob." Then he looked at Renesmee. "And that's my mother, Renesmee."

"Oh," Mrs. Croft seemed a little stunned. "My goodness, you're certainly a mixed family. Well, it is a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Black." Again, no one said anything. "I also hear you won a medal for your bravery."

"Sgt. Stanley was kind enough to bestow me one," Kevin smiled. "My grandpa just hanged it on the wall in fact."

"Well, you're certainly a hero, Mr. Black. My grandpa never won a medal, but he fought during the civil war. Dreadful time, that."

"I hear it was awful," Kevin nodded. "A bit before your time, naturally."

"Oh, you devil you," Mrs. Croft blushed. "It is, though. I hear they're calling this war's men the 'Lost Generation'. Such a tragic thing to be known as. Have you read the papers? Evidently a treaty's finally been completed."

"That's what I hear," Kevin nodded. "It sounds like it's punishing Germany to put it plainly. Putting blame for the war entirely on them."

"Well, obviously it's not entirely Germany's fault, but they did attempt to invade France."

"All the same, it seems a harsh punishment for a country simply following their contract and defending their ally. After all, France was allied to Russia who was allied to Serbia, who had a terrorist group shoot the leader of Austria-Hungary."

"Just Austria, now," Mrs. Croft said.

"Yes, just Austria now," Kevin smiled. "There are a lot of new countries in Eastern Europe now I hear."

"That's what I've read, too," Mrs. Croft said. "I take it you sympathize with the Germans?"

"I sympathize for a close friend that has to live among the aftermath," Kevin answered.

"Oh. Well, if you have friends or family, it certainly does make the situation more difficult." The water was finally hot, so Bella poured some tea and brought it to Mrs. Croft and led her to the table. "I apologize, but I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Bella Cullen. I'm Kevin's grandmother."

"Goodness, his grandmother? Why you don't look a day past my age."

"Oh, you're too kind," Bella smiled.

"I certainly hope I age as well as you have," Mrs. Croft said and took a sip of her tea. "So, Mr. Black, will you be studying Law?"

"Yes, I will," Kevin nodded. "I feel it will be an advantageous skill to have, especially for my tribe's sake."

"Most certainly," Mrs. Croft agreed. "So when did you arrive in New Haven?"

"We just got off the train a half hour ago," Jacob said.

"A half hour ago? Goodness, you must be exhausted. And here I am imposing."

"Not at all, Mrs. Croft, you're not imposing," Kevin reassured. "I'm happy to get a chance to meet a neighbor. I just hope the other neighbors are as nice as you are."

"How kind of you. I promise, once I finish my tea, I'll leave you alone. I really should get Lillian to bed anyway."

"Take your time, Mrs. Croft," Kevin reassured again.

As promised, Mrs. Croft left as soon as she was finished with her tea and looked forward to seeing Kevin again soon. Embry and Kyle remained at the apartment with Kevin for the night while the rest of the group found lodging at an Inn nearby. The following morning, Edward and Bella made sure to have an umbrella and some gloves on and they all went on a little tour of the campus. Jacob was dressed in 'normal' clothes, so no one paid him much mind unless they looked really close. Even then, they didn't usually say anything. Frankly, they all assumed Jacob must be a servant.

"The more we see, the more in looks like a church," Jacob said.

"It reminds me a little of Notre Dame actually," Kevin said. "The church, I mean. Not the school."

"There's a school called Notre Dame?" Embry laughed.

"Yeah. It's in Indiana I think. It's not as old as Yale, though. Most of the east coast Ivy League schools were established around the 1700's as far as I know." Kevin looked at Edward. "You'll forward any letters from Germany here right?"

"I've given Mr. Dauer the address so he knows where to forward those letters to should he receive them. I imagine he'll only need to do that once."

"I hope so," Kevin said. "I did tell Amber I'd be coming her and that I'd write her as soon as I'm settled. I think I'll do that before classes begin."

As they toured, Kevin took the opportunity to familiarize himself with where all his classes would be. The place seemed so big, but he was sure it would seem small to him within a few weeks. They were sure to arrive back at Kevin's apartment just in time to greet the people assisting with moving Kevin's things. It wasn't much, just a few boxes of necessities. They tasked themselves with unpacking for the remainder of the afternoon. Kevin brought Amber's candle on the desk he had in his little room so he would always, in a sense, have Amber near when he was working. By the time everything was put away, it felt rather cozy and Kevin felt at home. They all stayed for roughly a week before finally getting on a train to return back to Washington, leaving Kevin alone save for Mrs. Croft upstairs. Shortly after his family left, he heard a knock at his door. He expected it was Mrs. Croft, but was surprised to see Sgt. Stanley at the door.

"Sgt. Stanley?" Kevin asked.

"Morning, your highness. I heard through the grapevine this is where you're staying."

"That must have been a long reaching vine," Kevin joked. "I'd only had a chance to say hi to Mrs. Croft upstairs."

"Yes, and she told her husband. He told Dr. McCarthy and he my sister and she told me," Sgt. Stanley laughed. "It was a far reaching vine indeed."

"Well, come in. I'll make us some coffee." Kevin stepped aside so Sgt. Stanley could come inside and closed the door behind them before going to the kitchen to make coffee. "So how are you feeling?"

"Very well," Sgt. Stanley said. "My shoulder's almost as good as new. It's still sore and I've still got a scare, but it's no longer compromising my day to day life. I can finally write with my right hand again. Trying to write with my left was a nightmare."

"I tried writing with my left hand once and it was embarrassing. I commented that there's no way any normal person can write decently with their left hand. Do you know who proved me wrong?"

"Who?"

"My little brother Kyle," Kevin chuckled. "He's a bit of a know-it-all and teacher's pet I guess you could say. The moment I determined it was impossible to properly write left-handed, he set out to prove me wrong and God damn it he did. He has a slight tilt to his handwriting when he uses his left hand, but otherwise it looks exactly the same. My grandpa claims that's called 'ambidextrous'."

"How many siblings did you say you have? Three?"

"Yes, three," Kevin nodded. "Kyle's a year younger than me and the twins Nathan and Natalie are five years younger than me. Embry's siblings are about the same age give or take a few months. Embry and I were both born 1903, my little brother Kyle and his little sister Aidetzi were both born 1904, and then the twins and his triplet siblings were born 1908."

"Did your mothers do that on purpose?" Sgt. Stanley chuckled.

"Not intentionally," Kevin laughed. "Embry's mom is still having kids. Just before I left, she had their daughter Aiya."

"How many siblings does Embry have?"

"9," Kevin answered. "He's the oldest of ten. You want to know something funny?"

"Oh God, what?"

"Embry Sr. will get them mixed up all the time," Kevin chuckled. "Sometimes, for example, he'll need to scold one of the twins, Bayaq or Taraq, but he can't remember their names, so he has to list the kids in order until he gets to them."

Sgt. Stanley laughed out loud, "You're joking."

"No, I'm not, I've seen it! The twins are about 3 or 4 now and if I remember correctly, they were poking a frog with a stick or something and Aunt Caevia told Uncle Embry to make them stop, so he just yelled, 'Embry, stop doing that!' and Embry looked at his dad and asked, 'What the hell did I do?' From there, Uncle Embry just cursed and listed the kids in order until he got to the twins."

"That may be a sign they've had enough children," Sgt. Stanley chuckled.

"I think they have decided to stop," Kevin nodded. "We always teased them that they'd keep making kids until they could form their own village."

"By the sounds of it, they already have. I didn't realize Pvt. Call had such a big family."

"They're my family too in a way. It goes really far back, but I think either my dad's grandpa or his great grandpa was cousins with Uncle Embry's grandpa or great grandpa. We're distant relatives at this point."

"My nephew had said the tribe was rather small. Is it safe to say the bloodlines are mixed as it were?"

"It's common, yeah," Kevin nodded. "We're allied with the Hou tribe, so that spread out the gene pool a little. My aunts are married to the chief and his brother and they have their kids. We don't see them very often I'm afraid."

"So does your tribe have a monarchy?"

"I guess that's one way to put it," Kevin shrugged. "Chiefdom does go from father to son or eldest son, but failing a son, marriage or close of kin is necessary. For example, if my dad was never born or something happened and he couldn't inherit power, the chiefdom would fall on one of my aunt's husbands."

"I see," Sgt. Stanley said. "Have your people ever had bad chiefs? Every monarchy's had their bad apples."

"Sure we have," Kevin nodded. "One that is remembered is Chief Suerro. He became chief when he was far too young after he saw his mother commit suicide and his father ran away in grief and never came back," Kevin oversimplified the story. "The stories go he was very bitter because of that. And he was forced to marry a girl in the tribe he barely spoke to or knew and they had two daughters purely of obligation. Word goes that because he hated and resented his wife, he was openly unfaithful to her and once, during a visit with…..I think it was the Makka tribe, he met a woman that he instantly had a connection with and brought her back. They started having an affair and rumor has it he murdered his wife so he could marry this new woman. She was the one that gave him his sons."

"Sounds like a monarchy to me," Sgt. Stanley smiled. "Did he lead his people well at least?"

"As far as the stories tell, he was a gifted warrior, but his diplomacy was severely lacking, or so the story goes. This was at least 200 years ago, so the tales of Chief Suerro are rather muddy."

"So your people's language doesn't have a written format?"

"We didn't used to, but my mother helped construct one. She and my Grandpa and my dad are already writing everything down about our current Chief."

"That's your grandpa, right?"

"Yes," Kevin nodded. "Chief Kayechiwetchwe. But according to town, he's William. In fact, except for my Grandma Sara and my great uncle Sokajili, everyone calls my grandpa William."

"What is your father's name again?"

"Jacob," Kevin said. "He doesn't have a traditional name. Most of us don't. Embry doesn't, obviously. Aidie's named after Uncle Embry's mom, so she has a more traditional name. In fact, except for Embry, all his siblings have traditional names."

"What are all their names?"

"Embry, Aidetzi, Jae, Rae, Sharisa, Peta, Gaeli, Taraq, Bayaq and Aiya."

"Jesus," Sgt. Stanley chuckled.

"No, Jesus hasn't made the roster," Kevin joked and Sgt. Stanley burst out laughing. He took a moment to breath and Kevin stayed quiet until he seemed calm again. "I have sugar if you want some in your coffee."

"Oh, no, black's fine. My wife always puts tablespoons of sugar in her coffee. It drives me nuts."

"Sounds like something my sister would do," Kevin laughed and poured the finally completed coffee into two mugs. "Honestly, that girl would live off apples if we let her."

"I'm quite fond of apples myself, but there's nothing that beats a good peach."

"I don't think I've had peaches before."

"Stores will sell them when they're in season. Do yourself a favor and buy yourself some next time they're available. You need to wait until they're a little soft to the touch and have some give. That's when they're ripe."

"I'll make note of that," Kevin smiled. "So did you attend Yale when you were young?"

"Oh Christ, no," Sgt. Stanley chuckled. "I joined the military as soon as I was of age. My sister married Dr. McCarthy a few years later. My nephew is my only relative to have gone to University, let alone Yale. I assume, on your father's side at least, you're the first to attend University?"

"I am," Kevin nodded. "My uncle Carlisle and grandpa Edward both had higher schooling at one point, but I'm pretty certain it was in England."

"Where did they study?"

"I don't know I'm afraid," Kevin admitted. "It was such a long time ago."

"How kind of you to age your Grandpa and Uncle so," Sgt. Stanley teased. "What did they study?"

"Medicine," Kevin said. "My grandpa's more a philanthropist and investor than a doctor, though. Uncle Carlisle's the doctor. He trained my mother in medicine too. She was a nurse for several years before she married my dad."

"Sounds to me like you come from a well-educated family."

"I like to think so," Kevin agreed. "I was home schooled, as were all of us, but we have the best teachers."

"It certainly sounds that way."

"By the way, speaking of teachers," Kevin said. "You wouldn't happen to know how I might learn German would you?"

"German? Why German?"

"Well, my cousin Leah's husband speaks it, she learned from him and he taught Embry's little brother Jae. I already speak French, but I think it might be good to know German. Add another language under my belt."

"How many do you speak?"

"Fluently? I speak 3. English, obviously, French and Quileute. I know a little Italian, but little is the operative word there. My little brother knows a little Latin, but he's taken a shine to the medical profession so Carlisle's been teaching him with some of his books."

"I would think French is the most advantageous," Sgt. Stanley said.

"It's proven to be, but I'd like to add German. I have a close friend in Germany now and I'd like to learn for her."

"You mean that little girl you saved?" Sgt. Stanley asked. "How did she happen to be in Germany?"

"A German family adopted her. I had wanted to take her in but the woman looking after her argued I was too young and I was forced to agree," Kevin said, once again oversimplifying the story.

"Well, let's be honest here, you are only fifteen. A woman may be able to raise a child at that age, but a man? And all by himself? Certainly not. Such domestic matters are a woman's expertise. Forgive my saying, but adopting that little girl without a wife by your side would be downright irresponsible."

"I suppose that's true," Kevin agreed rather than argue. "The family was kind enough to send me updates on her, though. She sent me a candle that she made all by herself."

"Oh, well that's sweet," Sgt. Stanley smiled. "So where in Germany is she?"

"Munich," Kevin said.

"Where is that in comparison to Berlin?"

"Munich is southern Germany. Berlin is much further northeastern Germany."

"Ah," Sgt. Stanley sipped his coffee.

"If I can help it, I'd like to go to Germany and visit her in the future."

"Then German might be useful after all," Sgt. Stanley chuckled. "I can't say I know who you need to talk to, but I can tell my nephew and see if he can ask around. He and Dr. McCarthy are the ones that would know who's the expert in what."

"I would appreciate that," Kevin smiled. "So I hear you're retiring?"

"Yes, next year. It'll be a welcomed change. I've been in the army since I was 19. I'm eager to just live life. My wife and I are planning to take a little trip, just her and I. Poor thing's had to put up with me moving her and the kids around for so many years, she'll be happy to take a trip somewhere she actually wants to go."

"Where were you planning to go?"

"Georgia," Sgt. Stanley said. "She has family there and they have a gorgeous plantation we can stay at and relax. She'll be happy to have me at home, too. Poor thing's been so lonely since our children have grown."

"You have a son, right?"

"I have a son and a daughter. My daughter got married recently. She's been engaged for over a year but she refused to marry until I could walk her down the aisle. Her husband was drafted to fight as well, but he was stationed at the Eastern front and he was in Russia as a volunteer for a time when the Russian Monarchy was overthrown."

"That must have been interesting for him."

"He described it as 'frigid under the best of circumstances'," Sgt. Stanley chuckled. "I remember telling him I was sure Russia must have terrible weather and he said, 'Who said I was talking about the weather?'"

"So Russia wasn't very fun for him?"

"It doesn't seem like it. With the Bolsheviks taking over, the country's in a bit of a transitional period and that seems to have had the people on edge."

"I imagine so," Kevin said. "What about your son?"

"My son is apprenticing for a newspaper in New York."

"Was he too young to join the war?"

"Yes, he was just a year too early for the draft and that was fine by my wife. By the time he was of age, the war was all but lost for Germany. So it's rather recent our children have been out of the house and Gloria, that's my wife's name, has been suffering a little empty nest syndrome. She complains the house is too quiet without Justin and Linda bickering all the time."

Kevin laughed, "If that's what happens with just two children, I shudder to think what Uncle Embry and Aunt Caevia will do when all their children are grown and on their own."

"They simply won't know what to do with themselves," Sgt. Stanley chuckled.

Sgt. Stanley stayed for a few more hours catching up before he left and promised he'd visit again soon and promised he would ask around about a German tutor. Later that evening, Kevin got another visit from Mrs. Croft and her daughter Lillian. Her husband was working late again and she was desperate for some company. A few days later, classes finally began and Kevin went on campus and located his classes with ease thanks to his previous tour. Right away, with his first class alone, he noticed most of the people he would be studying with came from families that were heavily involved in politics in their hometowns. In his first class alone, he was seated beside a man ten years his senior that had previously studied business closer to home and was now at Yale with aspirations to become Mayor of his home town of Savannah, Georgia. A number of his other classmates were men that swore they'd be president one day. He would give them credit for dreaming big. Though within minutes of knowing all these men, he was rather confident he would not vote for them given the opportunity. Such opinions he kept to himself, however, and he refused to allow himself to be intimidated. His first two classes, the teachers only required they write their names on a chart, where they sat would be where they stayed for the remainder of the semester, and they were to only speak when spoken to or when they raised their hand to answer a question.

His third class was a little different. This was also the class in which Kevin was surrounded by 'future presidents'. The teacher reminded him a lot of Sgt. Stanley. He did the same as the other professors. He introduced himself as Professor Donohue and told everyone to write their name down on a sheet of paper where they were sitting and that would be their seat for the remainder of the semester, but once he had that back, he called on the names of each and every one of the students asking them why they were there and what their goals were, hence how the president topic came up in the first place. It became a little joke by the time it was Kevin's turn.

"Yes, Mr. Hennessy, I'm sure you too will be our next president," Professor Donohue joked. Then he looked at the page and saw Kevin's name and looked right at Kevin. "You wouldn't happen to be Sgt. Kevin William Black, would you?"

"Yes, sir, I am," Kevin answered.

"Well," he smiled, "gentlemen, it appears we have a hero in our midst. Rumor has it this young man saved the Dean's son's life at the front."

"You fought at the front?" one man turned to look at him.

"How did you get drafted?" another man asked. "Surely your father could have prevented it."

"Believe me he tried," Kevin said, not realizing what the man meant. Professor Donohue checked the spreadsheet.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Kensington, that Sgt. Black here does not come from a political family. The draft applied to him. Please, sergeant, regal us with your heroic tale." Kevin looked at the man a moment before answering. Somehow, he suspected the man was being sarcastic, but he played along.

"We were all sent to charge into no man's land to ward off the Germans. I saw that Lt. McCarthy was shot in the hip and about to be stabbed by one of the Germans, so I shot that soldier in the head. While I carried Lt. McCarthy back, I saw Sgt. Stanley had been shot as well, so I got him on my other shoulder and ran them back to the trenches and to the medics."

"That's quite a story, Sergeant," Professor Donohue said. "For those of you that are not aware, Lt. McCarthy is our Dean's son. Now who is Sgt. Stanley?"

"He's Lt. McCarthy's uncle, actually."

"Is that so? Sounds like you rescued just the right people. It won you a spot at the University."

"It's a tremendous reward that I'm grateful for," Kevin answered.

"Indeed it is," Professor Donohue said rather knowingly. "So tell us where you're from."

"My family resides just outside Forks, Washington. My father is son to the Chief of the Quileutes."

"Wait, you're an Indian?" one man blurted out.

"Yes, I'm half Quileute," Kevin answered calmly.

"Could have fooled me," another man said. "You look as white as the rest of us."

"I'm told I look like my mother," Kevin said. There seemed to be a prolonged silence in the room, but it was eventually broken by one of the future presidents.

"How in the shit did that happen?"

"Well, Mr. Bradley, when a man and a woman love each other very much-"

"Alright, alright," Professor Donohue interrupted, chuckling a little. "I'm sure you're tired of that question. So you're a future Chief's son?"

"Yes, I am," Kevin nodded.

"I'm also told you're a mere fifteen years old."

"Fifteen?" a few men blurted out.

"Yes, sir," Kevin answered diplomatically. "I turn sixteen in October."

"Well," Professor Donohue said, "you're a teenager with a Sergeant's title, a Medal of Honor and admission to the finest school in the world. Needless to say I expect no less than the best from you."

"And that's what you'll get sir," Kevin answered, almost challengingly. Professor Donohue chuckled and turned his attention to the man next to Kevin.

"So tell me," he glanced at the spreadsheet, "Mr. Humphrey. Can you beat that?"

The remainder of class was rather awkward for Kevin. He could feel everyone staring daggers at him and it remained when he went to his next few classes. It seemed word traveled about what happened in Professor Donohue's class. By the end of the day, Kevin felt rather isolated. This day, he went straight home. When he got back, he saw Mrs. Croft playing outside with Lillian. Lillian saw him through the window and waved. Kevin waved back at her and went to his room and placed all his books and work for the day on his desk and started working. He glanced at the candle Amber had given him and sighed a little. He always missed her, but at the moment he really missed her. He realized he'd not checked his mail after an hour of working and went to his mailbox. He didn't have much, but what he did have made his day. It was a letter that had been forwarded to him from Washington from Amber. He went inside and made himself some tea before going to his kitchen table and reading. When he opened the letter, he realized tucked inside was a family photo.

Mr. Dymek was standing beside his wife who was sitting on a chair with Amber on her lap. Mr. and Mrs. Dymek were both dressed very nice and Amber was in a sweet little dress. The picture was black and white, but even so, Amber's eyes seemed to shine when she smiled. Upon closer look, Kevin realized she was wearing his dog tags in the picture. The site made him almost tear up a little. Mr. and Mrs. Dymek both looked so happy, as did Amber. It seemed he really had made the right decision letting the Dymeks take Amber. He could tell they loved her and Amber loved them too. Amber's hair was all done up with a big bun with small curled ringlets framing her face. Her hair had gotten longer it seemed. He would need to have this framed. He placed the picture down and read Amber's letter. She wrote to him in French as she had before. Her spelling had improved a great deal. She told Kevin about all her friends and family, she told him about a wedding she went to, she told him about her tutor, she told him about helping Mrs. Dymek with making candles etc. But something more serious caught his attention. According to her letter, the Communist party was on the rise in Germany and there were a lot of fights breaking out in the streets over the matter. Red flags and posters were being put up and ripped down all over the city. She recounted how she and Mrs. Dymek had been out shopping and gunshots started sounding and they ran out of the square and saw people forcefully pulling down the statue of the former Kaiser in fits of rage. She ended the story assuring she was safe and things had calmed a bit, though. The reassurance did nothing to calm his own nerves.

After finishing Amber's long letter, Kevin went back to his desk and began writing his response. He started his letter by thanking her for the picture saying she looked lovely and happy. However, he immediately began pleading that she and her parents remain safe among the political turmoil that was clearly bubbling up in Germany. He debated whether to be brief or detailed regarding his first day at University. He decided to be honest and told her all about his day, when happened in Professor Donohue's class and told her seeing her candle when he came home had made him feel much better. When he finished his letter, he was about to seal it, but he realized she'd sent him two gifts already and he'd not sent her anything. So he placed the letter down, left the house and returned to campus. He remembered the shop that sold all the books had little trinkets and souvenirs. When he got to the shop, the young man that sat at the register was reading the paper. He went to the section of the shop that sold little Yale paraphernalia including Yale banners and other Yale labeled items. He grabbed a mug for himself and saw a little bronze statue of the school's mascot Handsome Dan. So he grabbed that as well. It was one of the more expensive items in the shop but he wanted to send Amber something. He walked over to the counter and the young man looked at Kevin once he placed the items on the counter.

"$13 right?" Kevin said, reaching into his wallet.

"Yes," the young man answered and started ringing the register. Kevin paid for the items and left the shop returning home once he procured a box.

Once he was home, he wrapped up the dog statue as best he could and placed it in the box with his letter, labeled it with his address and the Dymek's address and took it to the post office. It was late by the time he finally returned home and got back to his studies. He wound up falling asleep at his desk, but was awake again bright and early thanks to overhearing Lillian crying upstairs and got back to work before classes started again. On the way home back to Washington, Jacob complained a little about being called 'Black'. However, Edward convinced Jacob that he was being overly critical and that, perhaps, taking on that surname would be a good idea. After several days on a train of Edward convincing Jacob that a surname was a good idea, Jacob finally relented on the top, though he had no intention of signing anything and making it legal. Later that night, seeing as Jacob had decided to just accept Black as a surname, Embry Sr. decided he may as well take on Call as a last name since his son had. Embry talked to Caevia about it and she agreed. By all intents and purposes for the future, they would be known as Call. However, Jae didn't really want to take on that name. If he were to have a last name, he wanted it to be something with more meaning to it than a name that his brother pulled out of thin air when he was put on the spot.

"My dad and siblings are all going by Call now," Jae said to Hailey when he came over to visit one day.

"Is that so?" Hailey said while he finished the books. "Well, Mr. Call, a surname never hurt."

"I actually wasn't going to take Call as a last name."

"You're not?" Hailey looked up at Jae. "So are you not taking a last name at all?"

"I had a different name in mind, actually."

"What name did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking Dauer." Hailey stared at Jae a moment.

"You want to take my last name?"

"Yeah," Jae nodded. "When my brother picked Call, he did it because it just popped into his head. There wasn't any thought put into it. If I have to have a last name, I'd rather something with a little history behind it and I'd like it to belong to someone I respect a lot. So Dauer seems like a good choice." For a moment, Hailey wasn't sure what to say. He was actually really flattered. He'd not realized he'd had such an impact on Jae's life that he felt Hailey's name was worthy of taking.

"Wow," Hailey finally said. "I'm not really sure what to say."

"I guess yes or no," Jae shrugged. "I hope you'll say yes, though. Otherwise I'll be racking my brain for last names."

"If you want to take my last name, that's alright," Hailey finally said.

"Are you alright, Uncle Hailey? You seem a little shocked."

"I am," Hailey said. "I guess I never realized you thought so highly of me."

"Of course I do," Jae said. "You're like a second father to me."

"Is that what I am?" Hailey managed. He was actually getting a little chocked up. Just a bit. "You know, Jae," Hailey finally continued. "Most children I've been around, they're loud, they're obnoxious, they're troublesome, they're ungrateful. I've spent my whole life hating kids. Frankly, if more children were like you, I might not have hated kids so much."

"I suppose there's an exception for everything."

"I guess so," Hailey agreed. Hailey and Jae stared at one another a moment before Hailey sighed heavily. "Come here, you little runt."

Jae laughed and jumped down from the counter and went over to Hailey and hugged him and Hailey hugged him back. With Hailey's blessing, Jae made it official that he was taking Dauer as a last name rather than Call. When Leah found out, she wasn't the least bit surprised. He might tease the boy and he may be mean sometimes, but she knew deep down Hailey loved Jae the way one might love a son. Embry Sr. and Caevia didn't argue over it either. Jae had already said he didn't want to take Call as a last name and once he'd told them, they had a feeling what he would want to name himself instead. So while his siblings were Embry Call, Aidetzi Call, Rae and Sharisa Call, Peta Call, Gaeli Call, Taraq and Bayaq Call, and Aiya Call, he would be Jae Dauer.