Chapter 76
Nathan didn't leave until it was midday when he was sure he'd have some semblance of control over himself. By then, Tomoeh's siblings and Natalie found out and had come into the room to offer comfort. Jjigae cried. Really cried. Nathan had never seen her whimper let alone cry like that. Rae consoled Toroeh as best she could, but he was in a similar state as Jjigae. Eventually, Nathan told Scarlet he'd be back and made the walk to his parents' house to relay the news. Renesmee and Kyle were both in the back room treating a boy who'd developed a cold. He hadn't needed to say a word. When he got to the house and Renesmee saw his bloodshot eyes and the look of despair, she knew. To start, she took Nathan in her arms and held him close. All attempts he'd previously made about not crying flew to the wind and he broke down in Renesmee's arms. Kyle finished treating the little boy and gave his mother some medicine before leaving to tell Jacob.
"How's Scarlet?" Jacob asked.
"She was still crying when Nathan left," Kyle said. "Nathan's mind noted she looked peaceful, but it hasn't help his mood. He'd been so determined to try not to cry at least for Scarlet's sake, but once mom got one look at him, he broke down."
"We'd better start funeral arrangements," Jacob said. "Toraz is here right?"
"He came up for New Year's, yes," Kyle said. "Their traditions are similar to ours. They cremate their dead. However, they'll insist the funeral be held at their tribe."
"That's no problem," Jacob said. "It's only right. How long before we can get her to the Makka?"
"It depends on when her brothers and sister are ready," Kyle said. "They're still inconsolable at the moment."
"Yeah," Jacob said, getting a little choked up himself. "I still can't believe this."
"Neither can I," Kyle said sorrowfully. "Cancer's such a rarity in anyone under 50. Medicine can only do so much."
"Don't start blaming yourself, Kyle," Jacob said, catching the lowering in Kyle's voice. "You did what was in your power. Carlisle did what he could and so did your mother. If between the three of you, there was nothing to be done, than there's nothing that could be done." A long silence passed between them as Kyle stared at the ground.
"I remember when I was in school," Kyle finally said. "I had a professor that had told us that when you become a physician, your limitations will quickly become all you see. You'll realize there are things you just can't fix and there are people you just can't save. The sooner you accept it, the longer you'll cling to your sanity."
"I remember you calling the man, 'a cynical quack'," Jacob said. Kyle nodded gently. "Let me ask you an honest question."
"What?" Kyle asked.
"Did it ever cross Nathan's mind to change her? To a vampire I mean?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah," Kyle said. "It was the first thing he thought about when we diagnosed her. He thought about it on and off since then. He never asked Tomoeh, though."
"Why?" Jacob asked.
"Because he knew what her answer would be," Kyle said. "Besides, aside from mom's family, vampires are what we fight. It's what we kill. Nathan didn't want to turn her into that. Even if it wouldn't have lasted forever, she would have been a danger to those around her."
"Indeed," Jacob sighed. "I can't believe I even thought about that having been a possibility."
"A lot of us did," Kyle said. "There would be times when she'd come to see me for medicine and I'd think, 'All I need to do is shift and bite her. Just one bite, three days, and it'll be over'. But Nathan was already having that battle. I decided that if anyone should do it assuming it was the right thing, it needed to be Nathan. But ultimately, he decided it wasn't the right thing to do. Perhaps it had been the right thing to do for Grandpa, but then Grandma had wanted to be changed. She'd nagged him about it incessantly as I'm told. That wasn't the case with Tomoeh."
"He did the right thing," Jacob sighed. "It's a shame the right thing is usually the hardest." Kyle nodded gently while staring at the ground. "Does your mother know Nathan and Scarlet are leaving?"
"She knows Tomoeh asked the two of them to travel if that's what you mean," Kyle said. "You think Nathan won't come back or something?"
"I wouldn't," Jacob answered honestly. "The only reason I came back after your mother was taken away is because your grandpa would have thrown out a search party for me if I didn't. Besides, I'm the only son so I have to be here. I'm glad I did, granted, but if I'd had my way I wouldn't have come back. Nathan has the luxury of being the youngest son and one of a pack that's quadrupled in size since I started it. I think he'll be reluctant at first but once he leaves, he'll love the travel and he'll love being able to effectively run away."
"Then, no, mom doesn't know," Kyle said. "She's expecting Nathan to come back after a brief vacation."
"Nathan will come back if we tell him he has to," Jacob said. "Otherwise he'll go south and won't stop until he reaches the ends of the earth."
"Because it's what you'd do?" Kyle asked and Jacob shrugged.
"Like father like son," Jacob answered somberly.
The following days passed painfully for everyone. As Kyle predicted, Toraz demanded that Tomoeh's body be brought back to the Makka tribe, so by the end of the afternoon, the whole family, both Tomoeh's that were at the tribe and Nathan's, made the trip back to the Makka tribe to make preparations. Sadly, there wasn't time to give Aidetzi, Kevin or Embry sufficient notice, so they could not attend the funeral, but a call was placed to the base requesting that Aidetzi and Marcus be notified and a call placed to the Law Firm to let Kevin know. When the large group arrived at the Makka tribe, the Medicine Man appeared already prepared to perform the final rites. Tomoeh was brought into his tent where only Nathan and Scarlet were permitted to join. The tribe had a tradition that the Medicine Man walked them through in which Nathan and Scarlet both had to give Tomoeh small trinkets of theirs so she could have them with her in the afterlife. Since Tomoeh had given Scarlet her bracelet, she didn't put the bracelet back on her mother's wrist. Instead, she took off the tiny earrings Nathan's grandparents had given her and put them in Tomoeh's hand. Having been warned he'd have to do something to this effect, Nathan gave Tomoeh his atlas: the one he'd shown her when they'd gotten married and he'd told her about all the places he'd wanted to go.
Once Nathan and Scarlet had given Tomoeh their gifts for her to take with her, the Medicine Man said an incantation and rubbed earthy smelling oils on her forehead. After which, she was carried back out before the family so they could look on while the Medicine Man wrapped Tomoeh in cloth. Scarlet sniffled the whole ceremony, so Nathan held her while they watched. Natalie stood beside Nathan with Salem in her arms and held his hand to comfort him. Soon, they were instructed to follow to a special spot on the tribal grounds. It was a strange spot where rocks were situated in a ceremonious and organized manner and at the center was a large oval shape that was recessed and had already been filled with wood. Tomoeh was placed on the pile of wood and the Medicine Man said a few more words to guide her to the afterlife. Finally, the wood was set ablaze by the Medicine Man and Scarlet cried a little harder, burying her face in Nathan's shoulder. He stayed as stoned faced through the ceremony as he could, but Nathan couldn't fight a tear falling now and then. When Natalie saw him cry, she rested her head against his shoulder to reassure they were there for him.
Once the pyre was set, unlike with Quileute custom, the family was not required to remain. Only the Medicine Man needed to remain to ensure the body became ashes. But Nathan and Scarlet sat before the fire and looked on as per their tradition. The rest of the family did the same. It was several hours before Tomoeh was finally no more than ashes and they flew away with a strong gust of wind. When her ashes flew away, the Medicine Man approached Nathan and Scarlet with a reassuring smile.
"The spirits have embraced her and she's moved on,"he advised in Quileute. "She is at peace."
Nathan nodded awkwardly and just stared at the ground. He glanced at Scarlet's right wrist to stare at Tomoeh's bracelet he'd made her. It barely fit Scarlet, but that wouldn't likely last long. Looking at the bracelet made memories flash through his mind. Happy memories. And he was relieved Tomoeh had made Scarlet keep it. It was some small way they could have her with them. Renesmee approached Nathan and gave him another hug.
"It'll be alright, Nathan," Renesmee whispered to him reassuringly. "She's in a better place now."
"Thanks, mom," Nathan muttered.
They all stayed the night with the Makka in mourning. Nathan's family returned to the Quileute tribe the following day, but he and Scarlet remained with the Makka for a time in observance of a mourning period, staying with Toroeh and Rae. A few days after the funeral, Scarlet wandered off in the middle of the night. Nathan noticed she'd left the tent and followed behind her at a reasonable distance. She didn't stop until she eventually reached a bluff and when she did, she sat on the edge and stared into the water. Nathan waited a moment before finally walked over to the bluff and sitting beside her.
"What are you doing up?" Nathan asked.
"I couldn't sleep," Scarlet answered.
"Neither can I," Nathan said. "You shouldn't be out so late, though, especially in this weather. It's too cold."
"I'm fine," Scarlet insisted. Regardless, Nathan moved closer and wrapped his arm around her so she'd have more warmth. She snuggled up to Nathan while continuing to stare out into the ocean. "I miss mommy."
"I know," Nathan said. "I miss her too."
"Did you really love her? Even though she wasn't your imprint?"
"I loved your mother," Nathan said. "She doesn't need to be my imprint for that."
"Do you think you would have married her if you'd not been arranged to?"
"I suspect we'd never have met," Nathan answered honestly. "By that logic, I'm glad your uncle Toraz attacked our tribe. It means I got to meet Tomoeh. I means we had you."
"Daddy?" Scarlet asked.
"Yeah, Scarlet?" Nathan asked.
"There's something I want to do," Scarlet said.
"What's that?"
"I want to put a reminder of mom everywhere we go," Scarlet said. "Everywhere we go, I want to make an ornament of a red tree and put it somewhere special."
Nathan smiled. "I think that sounds like a great idea. We'll start with the house and we'll put one here too."
"Those are good places to start," Scarlet smiled.
"How about we start in the summer?" Nathan asked. "We'll start with California. You liked it there."
"Mommy said she'd loved San Diego," Scarlet nodded.
"You'll need to make sure to make a sand castle while we're there," Nathan added.
"I will," Scarlet said.
Scarlet and Nathan remained for the remainder of the month of January. Before returning to the Quileute tribe, the two of them crafted their first tiny red tree from wood and string and placed it in a tree that looked out on the ocean. It was the spot where Scarlet had come up with the idea. Afterwards, Nathan and Scarlet finally made the trip back home, walking and taking the long way rather than running. When they did return, as promised, they put another red tree in the house. This one they put on the balcony of the master bedroom. It hung on the railing like a wind chime looking out onto the ocean.
After Tomoeh passed away, most things largely returned to normal. Nathan and Scarlet were inseparable and seemed to be helping each other feel better. As the two of them were sitting on the beach together one day after they returned, Jacob looked on as if protectively but from a distance.
"He seems to be healing,"William said from behind Jacob and then sat down beside him. "It's good he has Scarlet. She seems to be helping him most."
"If he didn't have her, I don't think Nathan would be doing as well,"Jacob replied. "I wish he didn't have to go through this."
"We all do I'm afraid,"William answered. "Death is another part of life."
"It shouldn't have been like this," Jacob said. "To lose your wife to old age after spending your life together? That's a part of life. Losing your wife to illness isn't part of life."
"It's as much a part of life as death by old age," William said. "It's simply not the part of life you ever want to experience."
"Hardly comforting words," Jacob said.
"Sometimes, Jacob, there just aren't," William said. "Sometimes, being with loved ones is all the comfort that can be offered. Scarlet and Nathan are acting as comfort to one another. They are the two most wounded. Do they insist on leaving?"
"It was one of Tomoeh's dying wishes. Not to leave would be disrespectful to her memory. Scarlet had the idea to leave little red trees everywhere they went."
"That's sweet," William smiled. "I think this will be good for them both. How long do you suppose they'll be on their adventure?"
"Well, Nathan refuses to have a plan, so who's to say how long it would be," Jacob said. "As to when he plans to leave, I don't know."
"Hm," William mumbled and stood back up to rejoin Sara.
The summer came with three bits of news; one of which being wonderful while the other two were troubling at best. In June, Aidetzi went into labor and Renesmee made the trip up to the base as fast as she could. As tradition dictated, Aidetzi was in their home and Renesmee instructed her to move back and forth to comfort herself just a little. Caevia came with Renesmee so she could offer Aidetzi moral support just as she had for Rae. Mrs. Carter was at the apartment too and, since everyone was in the room with Aidetzi, she insisted on being there too. It was hours of excruciating pain and multiple times, Aidetzi cried, told Renesmee she wasn't ready and so on, desperate for the ordeal to be over. Marcus, per Renesmee's instructions, sat behind Aidetzi and held her to offer comfort and, much to his chagrin, an arm for Aidetzi to scratch and squeeze that wasn't her mother's. But after hours of pain and encouragement, she finally delivered Caevia's and Mrs. Carter's first granddaughter, Naevia Ruth. She looked just like her daddy with dark skin and a small tuft of hair on her head that felt like sheep's wool once she was finally cleaned up and dry.
"Why are you crying?" Aidetzi asked Caevia when she noticed her mother crying.
"It's my first granddaughter," Caevia said.
"Mine too," Mrs. Carter smiled and hugged Caevia rather suddenly. "And she's named after both of us. More or less."
"Alright, Aidie," Renesmee said once she returned to stand before Aidetzi on the bed. "Are you ready to deliver the placenta?"
Aidetzi cried that she didn't want to, but Caevia took Naevia so she and Mrs. Carter could fawn over their new granddaughter while Aidetzi concentrated. She'd thought, having seen her mother go through it so many times, that she'd know exactly what she was doing. She could have seen her mother deliver a million children and it wouldn't have prepared her for what she just went through. But once it was all finally over and she could finally relax a little, she enjoyed the new baby with Marcus the others. He took to being a father very well and was quick to brag about his new little girl when he returned to work the following day.
That was the good news for the summer. However, Kevin received other news courtesy of a German newspaper proclaiming that Adolf Hitler no longer held any opposition in the form of competing political parties. The paper had worded it in such a manner as to claim this was a good thing, but Kevin knew exactly what it meant: Adolf Hitler no longer had any political rivals, not that it had really mattered all that much after the 'Enabling Act' of March 1933 following the burning of the Reichstag. Yet worse news came in the form of the death of President Hindenburg. Kevin didn't receive word in the papers until August, but by then, Hindenburg was not only dead, but Adolf Hitler had merged the roles of Chancellor and president. As Kevin read the news, he felt the color drain from his face.
"Kevin," Alphonse said, stepping into Kevin's office. He'd come in to discuss a case, but he stopped when he saw the look on Kevin's face as he was staring at the German language paper. "What's wrong?"
"The son of a bitch did it," Kevin mumbled and tossed the paper on his desk. "He's a dictator, totally and completely. President Hindenburg's dead and there will be no new president. Just Chancellor Adolf Hitler." Alphonse gave Kevin a strange look and walked closer to take the paper. He skimmed through the story and, when he was done, put it back on Kevin's desk.
"Amber left Germany did she not?"
"They're in Paris," Kevin mumbled. "As long as they stay out of Germany, they should be alright. But this means more Jewish refugees fleeing Germany."
"Meaning a bigger bureaucratic nightmare," Alphonse finished Kevin's thought. "But they're safe in France at least. So long as they don't return to Germany, they should be alright."
At first, Kevin didn't answer. He felt his stomach doing flips. "He opposed the Treaty of Versailles."
"Well, of course," Alphonse said. "All Germans hated that treaty."
"I mean he opposed it to such a degree that he'd disregard it's terms. I'm concerned about what that will mean."
"An army and no longer paying war reparations," Alphonse said. "Germans will certainly love him for that."
"I'm more concerned about what they should hate him for," Kevin mumbled.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Kevin, but there's a lot of animosity towards Jews both in Europe and here in the states. That's not likely to change because some Indian boy fell in love with a Jew." Kevin finally looked at Alphonse who sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but I don't know what else you plan to do. You're already working with immigration to have her and her family made citizens. Perhaps they'll at least have the luxury of 'first come first served'."
Kevin took a deep breath and stood from his desk. "I'm going to see that immigration officer. I'll be back in an hour."
"Alright," Alphonse said and left Kevin's office. As Kevin said, he walked to the immigration officer's office and let himself in. The same girl he always saw was at the desk on the phone with someone else. She was going on in Italian about something. She glanced up at Kevin but kept her attention to her phone call. Eventually, she finally ended the call and hung up the phone.
"Mr. Lockley hasn't gotten in yet, Mr. Black. He should be here in another 5 minutes if you're willing to wait," she said.
"Thank you Gabriella," Kevin mumbled and took a seat in the chair across from her desk.
"I envy Miss Amber," Gabriella said with a smile. "The big stink you're making about getting her here, you must really love her." Kevin smiled weakly but otherwise did not answer. Another 20 minutes later, Mr. Lockley finally arrived in the office and, when he saw Kevin, instantly appeared annoyed.
"Good morning, Mr. Black," he said.
"I certainly hope so," Kevin said as he stood up from the chair. "I came to enquire about any progress made with the Dymeks."
"Yes, I know," Mr. Lockley said. "I'm afraid there hasn't really been much progress."
"I sent Levi all the required paperwork you told me to send him," Kevin said. "I don't understand why this is taking so long."
"Well, Mr. Black, I can give you about 80,000 reasons as to why that is," Mr. Lockley said flippantly. "That's a lot of people for us all to get through, so you'll pardon me if it's taking a while."
"There can't be that many immigrants that want to come to Washington," Kevin said.
"Mr. Black, their state of choice is largely irrelevant. What IS relevant is that they want to come to America. You should know this more than most, Mr. Black."
"And you should know I've been coming to your office at least once a week for the past year and I keep getting the run around," Kevin said.
"Yes, well, get the fuck in line, Mr. Black, because they're all getting the run around. You can't just walk into the greatest nation in the world anymore. You have to earn it."
"Fine, then how do I make sure they 'earn it' as you phrased it?" Kevin barked back. "What else needs to be filled out? Is there a test? Just tell me what we need to do!"
"You need to sit back and let me do my job!" Mr. Lockley said. "I have 150 cases that I'm working on and that's from the Embassy in France ALONE. Do you realize how many people are fleeing Italy because of crime and Mussolini? Or how about Spaniards trying to escape the festering political turmoil in Spain? How about all the Jews that fled Germany for the Czech Republic or Slovakia or who fled to England? What am I supposed to tell all those cases? 'Get in line. An American wants his fiancé?' This isn't as simple as you want it to be, Mr. Black, and I don't mind telling you that you're making this a hell of a lot harder."
"I'll make it as hard as I need to if it means the Dymeks get out of Europe," Kevin said.
"Make it as hard as you want, Mr. Black. You'll still be waiting in line just like everyone else. Now kindly leave my office or you mark my words, I will put their paperwork at the bottom of my pile!" Having reached the door to his office in the back, he slammed it closed before Kevin could offer a rebuttal. Given what he would have said, perhaps that was for the best.
Kevin returned to his own office in a sour mood feeling as though he'd made no progress to give to Levi. All the same, he wrote Levi a letter when he returned home while he and Embry were making themselves dinner. Kevin joined Embry for patrol that night desperately needing the time to run and get out some energy. It was a few weeks before he received a reply, but when he did, it was from Amber. She told Kevin they were all still in Paris and they were now one of only hundreds of Jewish families that had fled to Paris from Germany. A number of those families were people they knew from Berlin and they were even housing one couple they were good friends with. Sadly, the American embassy in Paris was further flooded with refugees. Some were content to stay in Paris, but others sought to leave Europe altogether. Some were even making plans to go to Canada under the assumption that it would be an easier move. While Kevin felt as though he'd made no progress at all, Amber thanked him for everything he was going and reassured him they were doing their part to get to America as soon as they could and told Kevin how much she loved and missed him. Even with the comforting words, the letter left him depressed.
In the meantime, Nathan and Scarlet were starting to feel better. The sting of Tomoeh's death was starting to ebb, though it didn't make her any less missed. Come August, Nathan was lying in bed while Scarlet had fallen asleep. She'd not slept in her own bed since her mother's diagnosis. Nathan stared at their family picture on the nightstand from when Scarlet was born. It was a stark contrast. Tomoeh's smile was bright and her eyes full of life, even in the black and white picture. It used to be painful staring at that picture. Now, it was comforting. Nathan swore that after they'd returned home following the period of morning, Tomoeh's smile was brighter than it had been in the photo, though that could be due to the relief that she wasn't suffering anymore.
He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling thinking. He remembered the days following their wedding. The two of them had not redressed until it was time to finally go back outside and she'd been lying in bed staring at his atlas. She'd been so eager to listen to him babble on and on about all the places he'd studied. She listened to him while he droned on about the Aztecs and the Mayans and the Inca and their complex, powerful empires and the admitted admiration he had for them. He remembered how she smiled while he talked about what little was known about the tribe's gods and their rituals and their temples. The more she listened to him and even played into his interest and his desires, the more he loved her.
He glanced at Scarlet who was still sound asleep. She looked just like her mother. She'd helped him so much through this hard time in his life. He'd said to Tomoeh he couldn't do this by himself. In retrospect, he wasn't alone. Nathan smiled and propped himself up on his elbow and placed his hand on Scarlet's shoulder so she'd wake up. Scarlet grumbled a little and opened her eyes just a sliver so she was looking at Nathan.
"What?" she mumbled in a groggy voice.
"Sorry to wake you," Nathan said. "I couldn't seem to get to sleep."
"I don't see why that's my fault," Scarlet grumbled and Nathan chuckled a little.
"Don't worry, it's not. I just wanted to let you know we're leaving."
"Now?" Scarlet asked.
"Yeah," Nathan said. "I'll let you sleep while I pack us a few things, but yeah, now."
"Where are we going first?" Scarlet asked, still groggy but smiling a little.
"California," Nathan answered and got out of bed. "I'll get us packed. You sleep. I'll even let you sleep while I'm running."
"Mhm," Scarlet said and nodded while she closed her eyes again.
While Scarlet fell back to sleep, Nathan rummaged through the house until he found the large bag they had used when they'd traveled before. He grabbed a few of Scarlet's clothes at random and put them in the bag and then grabbed a bunch of his and shoved them in. He found some other necessities and portable food to take and shoved them in a smaller bag and put those in the big bag. He didn't pack more than a blanket for heavy clothes. They wouldn't need winter attire for where they were going. When everything was packed, he tied the bag to his back so it was secure and went to get Scarlet. He plopped a fresh pair of clothes on the bed and gently nudged Scarlet awake again.
"Go ahead and get dressed and we'll get going," Nathan said. Scarlet mumbled a little as she forced herself out of bed and got herself dressed. Once she was ready, Nathan picked her up and got her rested against his shoulder so she was comfortable. He walked out of the house and started running south through the woods.
As he ran off, Kyle came across Nathan's trail and watched while Nathan ran off. He opened his mind since the rest of the pack could see the scene. Nathan's mind only revealed, 'Now is the right time'. Of course, Renesmee wouldn't be happy when she found out Nathan had run off without so much as a goodbye. But all things considered, it was a spark of the moment decision and Nathan was following that instinct. They'd likely reach the outskirts of California by morning.
He's not even going to say goodbye? Travis asked as Kyle watched.
We can chew him out for it later,Jacob said. We all knew this was coming.
He could have at least left a letter. That's what we did,Kevin replied.
Kevin, you and Embry were going off to war,Jacob said. I'll tell your mother, so let me worry about that.
The following morning after returning from patrol, Jacob went to his and Renesmee's room finding her still asleep when he got back. He laid in bed beside her and kissed her cheek to wake her. Once she was awake, Jacob told her the news and as was expected, she wasn't too happy to find out that Nathan had run off without so much as a goodbye and with Scarlet no less. She made Jacob promise to give Nathan a piece of her mind as soon as he was able.
As predicted, by dawn, Nathan had gotten to the beginnings of the Klamath forest and from there passed through the mountain until he and Scarlet had made it to Crescent City. Scarlet finally woke up to the sun bright and touching her skin and the site of the light house on an island.
"Morning, Scarlet," Nathan said.
"Morning, daddy," Scarlet said. "Are we in California yet?"
"Crescent City specifically," Nathan said. "You remember don't you?"
"No," Scarlet said. "I remember making sandcastles. That's all I remember."
"Well, we'll fix that, don't worry," Nathan smiled.
"I want to put a red tree in that lighthouse," Scarlet said.
"I was just thinking that actually," Nathan smiled. "I brought those with us, so we can make that after we eat some breakfast. I figure I've got enough food to last us until tomorrow. Then we'll worry about getting more after that."
"How will we get more?" Scarlet asked.
"I'll just be taping into an old talent," Nathan said knowingly. Nathan adjusted Scarlet so she was sitting upright and got out some fruit from the bag for them to eat. He'd still be hungry, but Scarlet would be alright and that's what he was most concerned with. Once they'd eaten, they crafted the little red tree and snuck onto the island placing the little ornament on the railing of the roof of the lighthouse so it was looking out onto the ocean.
They didn't stay long in Crescent City. Soon Nathan ran them down the state to San Francisco and then down finally to San Diego. When they reached San Diego, it already looked so different compared to when Scarlet was little. There were more buildings, new shops Nathan didn't remember, and a more depressing scene of people lining up for soup dampened the previous memories. Nathan took Scarlet to the beach and they watched the ocean change its current with the rising moon. They finished off the last of their food while they watched the tides.
"What are we doing for breakfast in the morning?" Scarlet asked once their food was gone.
"We'll get some, don't worry," Nathan said.
"Are we going to wait in the soap lines?"
"No," Nathan said. "I'll get us something better."
"If you promise," Scarlet said. "What's that talent you were talking about?" Scarlet asked.
"Just something I'm good at," Nathan said. "How long did you want to stay?"
"In San Diego? I don't know. At least a few weeks if we can. It's really pretty here."
"A few weeks it is," Nathan smiled. "I'll have to find us a place to stay. We'll look for a place tomorrow after I get some money."
"Isn't that hard to come by?" Scarlet asked.
"It can be," Nathan said. Then he laid back in the sand and stared at the sky. "I have to admit, traveling like this is something I've wanted to do since long before your mother and I met. I never imagined I'd bring a daughter with me when I did this."
Scarlet laid back and stared at the sky with Nathan. "Would you prefer to do this alone?"
"Not anymore," Nathan said. "Now, there's no one else I'd want to do this with."
"I'm happy to hear it," Scarlet smiled. "So for the time being, we're just….what's the word? Gypsies?"
"I can live with that term," Nathan chuckled. "I guess we'd better learn to be entertainers."
"I think you're entertaining," Scarlet said.
"You're biased," Nathan answered and patted Scarlet on the head. "Now let's find a place to sleep for the night."
Nathan and Scarlet got up from the sand and snuck around the city until they found a little inn. Though, given they had no money, Nathan just found an open window of a vacant room and snuck them in. The following morning, they left the inn through the window they had come in and went about their day. They returned to the beach where more people now were. A few people had gone with food, so Nathan and Scarlet would discretely pick off their plates when they weren't looking. While Scarlet enjoyed herself playing on the beach, Nathan stayed close watching from the boardwalk. If a man in a really nice suit passed, Nathan would walk passed the man, reaching for his purse and would take out the paper bills without him ever being the wiser. By the end of the day, he had procured $200. That would do them well for a place to stay and some food. Nathan went back to Scarlet on the beach where she'd managed to make a whole sand city complete with a castle and little houses.
"Does it have a name?" Nathan asked.
"Coral City," Scarlet said proudly and finished the town off with a little 'town sign' in the form of a seashell facing the city. "I think I did a good job."
"You did," Nathan smiled. "Next time I become a wolf, I'll make sure your grandpa sees this. He'll love it."
"When will that be?"
"Tonight if you must be so impatient," Nathan teased. "Let's focus on finding a temporary place to stay for now."
"How did you get all that?" Scarlet asked, stunned by the wad of dollar bills.
"A talented sleight of hand," Nathan smiled and patted Scarlet's head. "How about we rent an apartment for the month? We might even be able to afford something really swanky."
"One that comes with furniture?" Scarlet asked.
"I wasn't thinking about that, but thanks for reminding me," Nathan sighed and patted Scarlet's head again. "Let's find a place to stay and then we'll worry about furnishing it."
Scarlet nodded and the two went back into the city and looked around for a complex of tiny apartments on the beach. Nathan went to the landlord of the complex and paid for one month of renting a free apartment and found their temporary home. Then they went to a shop and got some food to bring back to the apartment and wound up eating on the tiled floor in the tiny kitchen.
"Sorry about eating on the floor," Nathan said.
"I like it," Scarlet said reassuringly. "It's a fun change of pace. It almost seems silly to furnish the place too much. We'll only be here a month."
"Yeah, I suppose that's true," Nathan chuckled. "We've got blankets and pillows, so maybe sleeping on the floor will do fine."
"What do you think grandma would say?" Scarlet asked with a giggle.
"Which grandma? You've got a few, remember," Nathan chuckled.
"Any of them," Scarlet said.
"Well, my mother and grandma Bella would probably be horrified," Nathan laughed. "I know Aunt Alice and Rosalie and Esme certainly would be. We can't let them know where we're staying; otherwise they'll make their way here and furnish the apartment."
Scarlet laughed, "Line the walls with satin and gold?"
"Nothing too crazy," Nathan joked. "Just line the floors with sheets of marble." The two of them laughed and kept eating their dinner.
"So what are we doing tomorrow?" Scarlet asked.
"Anything you want," Nathan said. "We can look for a good place to hang the red tree. Will it still be facing the ocean like the others?"
"If we're on the coast, then yes," Scarlet nodded. "We'll have to be a little more creative when we're inland. We're going back inland after this, right?"
"To Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas before we run into Mexico. Now that's where all the real fun will begin," Nathan grinned. "Once we reach the Yucatan, we'll find the ancient Mayan cities and maybe even live there for a while."
"Really?" Scarlet asked eagerly.
"Really," Nathan grinned. "I'm sure there are inhabited towns nearby, so we'll have food and what not."
"We should probably learn Spanish, don't you think?" Scarlet teased.
"One thing at a time, Scarlet Willow," Nathan said.
They smiled and finished up their dinner together. Then they went to the beach together again to stare into the sky at the stars and moon. They ended up falling asleep on the beach and woke up bright and early when the sun was rising and shining in their eyes. Aside from Renesmee being irritated with Nathan's sudden departure, no one had been surprised when they found out about Nathan and Scarlet leaving. Jae told Natalie the morning he'd found out before having to leave for work. Now that Natalie was back in the house, the kids stayed home with her, but it was a hard change for JJ. He'd gotten so used to going to work with Jae that he didn't like being left behind, but he got used to it eventually. Jae would still take JJ to work with him every now and then, though. A few days later when Natalie and Jae were in bed together after tucking the boys into bed, Natalie was laying down ready to go to sleep expecting Jae would be leaving for patrol, but he got into bed with her and cuddled close to her.
"You're not going on patrol?" Natalie asked, turning her head to look at Jae.
"In a minute," Jae said and kissed Natalie's shoulder. "How are you feeling? Since Nathan left I mean."
"I'm alright," Natalie answered. "He's always wanted to do this. I'm a little jealous, honestly."
"You mean about traveling I hope," Jae joked and Natalie smiled.
"Of course about traveling," Natalie said and the two shared a quick kiss. "I just think it would be fun for us to go to California one day. Nathan's memory of San Diego sounds like so much fun."
"The boys playing on the beach while we watched sitting on a beach blanket?" Jae smiled. "That does sound fun."
"You know what we haven't done in a while?" Natalie asked.
"What's that?"
"We haven't gone to the hot springs in so long," Natalie said.
"That's true," Jae lamented. "I'll tell you what: tomorrow when I get home from work, we'll drop JJ and Salem off with either of our parents and we'll run off to the hot springs, just us. You know the boys will want to go, so on Sunday, we'll all go together."
"They'll like that," Natalie smiled. "How do you think Scarlet's doing?"
"I think she's probably having the time of her life," Jae said. "Nathan's certainly making sure she is at least."
"I hope so," Natalie said. "I hope this will turn out to be just what they need."
"I think it will," Jae said and kissed Natalie again. "I'll get to patrol. You get some sleep, okay?"
"I love you," Natalie said with a nod.
"I love you too," Jae answered back and kissed Natalie one more time before leaving for patrol.