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.

105. Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Embry held Heather briefly before Rosalie stole her away to bring her to Amber after having been requested. Heather was passed around from family member to family member to meet her and she would smile at any that did something to make her giggle. Embry tried not to let his gaze linger too long on Heather but he couldn't stop himself from looking in her direction when he heard Heather make the slightest whimper. She was most content when Amber was holding her, especially when she got hungry again and Amber had to sneak away for a while to feed her.

"Are you alright?" Kevin asked Embry, grabbing his attention.

"What?"

"You've been staring at your beer for minutes now. Is everything okay?"

"Oh," Embry said and then rubbed the back of his head. "Kevin, do you think we could go outside and talk for a minute?"

"Sure," Kevin said. They walked through the house to the backyard where no one was. Kevin closed the back door and they sat on the chairs on the porch. "Something wrong?"

"I guess that's up to you," Embry said and took a deep breath. "I...um….I imprinted on Heather." Embry looked at Kevin in an attempt to gage his reaction. He looked stunned but only briefly. After that, Embry had no idea what Kevin was thinking. He seemed to go still for a moment. "Kevin?"

"I'm thinking," Kevin said. He rubbed his head and finally leaned back in his chair. "I guess that explains a lot."

"Are you mad?"

"I don't know," Kevin answered honestly. "I'm surprised. No, I'm not mad. I'm surprised. But….hell I can't even say I'm surprised."

"I am surprised," Embry sighed. "I guess it does explain a lot but…I never thought I'd imprint at all, let alone on your daughter."

"I guess if it had to be anyone, I'd rather you," Kevin said.

"Really?"

"Sure," Kevin said. "You know how to take care of kids, so at least our new babysitter's highly qualified."

Embry finally smiled and chuckled, "Is that all I am? Her babysitter?"

"Until further notice," Kevin said. The two of them smiled and Embry breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was actually really scared you'd be angry," Embry said.

"Why should I be? I imprinted on Amber when she was approximately 2 weeks old. Perhaps you could have had the decency to follow my example and wait that long, but no one's perfect."

Embry laughed, "Sorry to move faster than you would prefer. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I suppose I can be the bigger man and forgive you," Kevin chuckled. "Let me worry about talking to Amber about this."

"Do you think she'll be upset?"

"I doubt it," Kevin said. "She knows how this works. Still, I'd rather be the one to talk to her about this. I'll talk to her about it tonight once everyone's gone home."

"Alright," Embry nodded.

Embry was relieved after his talk with Kevin. He'd known he was nervous to tell Kevin, but he'd not realized just how nervous he'd been until they were seated to talk. As Kevin asked, Embry didn't say anything. He did, however, go to relieve Amber of Heather a few times, putting her on his lap so she was looking up at him. He'd tickle her and make her giggle and squirm with little squeals of joy while Amber would watch with a little smirk.

"I had thought you were retired from childrearing," Amber teased and Embry smiled.

"Sorry, Amber," Embry said. "Heather's too cute not to play with." As though she'd answer, Embry took a hold of Heather's toes and asked her if he was right and Heather smiled and squirmed again. Of course, when Kevin came around, Heather was momentarily displeased to be picked up and taken away from Embry, but once she realized it was daddy, all was well again.

"So how is it being a father?" Kyle asked while Kevin was playing with Heather.

"I don't think I've ever felt so scared in my life," Kevin joked. "Isn't that strange? The lot of us have been to war, but being a father's the scariest thing I've ever done."

"I suppose it comes with being responsible for another person's character," Kyle said. "I'm sure you and Amber will do fine."

"Thanks for the reassurance," Kevin said. "Will you be this calm, I wonder, when the shoe's on your foot?"

"No," Kyle grumbled and made Kevin chuckle a little more. "If you want the truth, were it not for Evie wanting kids, I'd forgo fatherhood altogether."

"Not the answer mom wants," Kevin said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kyle sighed. "No harm in one I guess."

"And when is this 'one' going to come along?"

"The same time it was always expected: after I complete the hospital. So in the next few years."

"You've been saying that for several years," Kevin said.

"So sue me," Kyle said and Kevin laughed.

"Go ahead and hold her," Kevin said and handed Heather over to Kyle. He accepted his niece and held her in his arms, gently rocking her so she was calm, but she appeared bored.

"Be excited, kid. I brought you into this world," Kyle joked and played with Heather's foot until she finally smiled. "That's better." Evalina walked over and smiled at Heather and earned a far more enthused response. She took Heather out of Kyle's arms and went to Renesmee and Anna so they could play with Heather a little more.

A few hours later, everyone finally left so Amber and Kevin could put Heather to bed who'd grown rather grumpy from being passed around all day with hardly a moment to sleep. Once Heather was in her crib, she seemed so fall asleep instantly. Amber stared down at her for a while before Kevin stepped into the room after taking a shower.

"Everything okay?" Kevin asked.

"Everything's fine," Amber said with a content sigh. She was leaning on the crib looking down at Heather while she breathed evenly. Kevin walked over and looked at her too and smiled.

"You know, I still can't believe it," Kevin said.

"That we had a baby?"

"Yeah," Kevin said and reached into the crib brushing his finger against her soft little cheek. She twitched and kicked her leg, but didn't wake.

"Is being a father really scarier than going to war?" Amber teased just a little.

"It's up there," Kevin smiled. "During the war, whether a man lived or died was in my hands and those of my comrades. The same went for my life. Heather's life is in my hands. Well, both our hands. She's depending on us. It's a lot to take on."

"I suppose it is," Amber agreed and placed her hand on Heather's belly to rub it a little. Heather made a little grumble so Amber took her hand away. "I don't think she likes being touched when she's trying to sleep."

"Does anyone?" Kevin asked and Amber smiled.

"That's true."

"Let's leave her alone. She'll call when she needs us," Kevin said and walked with Amber back to their room. Kevin went right to bed and started reading through a deposition while Amber dressed in her nightgown for bed. Amber stepped out in the nightgown she'd not worn since she'd told Kevin she was pregnant.

"It's nice to be in my old clothes again," Amber said. "I'm happy to finally have her born. She was making me feel like a beached whale."

"You were no beached whale," Kevin smiled. "I thought you were beautiful when you were pregnant. Just like you are now."

"Such a talent for flattery," Amber giggled and went to their bed and got under the covers with Kevin. She snuggled up to him and Kevin wrapped an arm around her while he finished what he'd been reading. "You're not returning until Monday, right?"

"Right," Kevin said and put down the deposition. "I'm all yours and Heather's until then." Amber smiled while Kevin bent his head down to give her a kiss that she eagerly accepted. When they parted, Kevin laid down in bed with Amber resting her head on Kevin's chest. "Amber?"

"Mhm?"

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Nothing bad I hope," Amber said.

"No, not bad. Just important," Kevin said. "Embry asked to talk to me after he got here. Turns out he imprinted on Heather." That seemed to get Amber's attention instantly and she lifted her head so she was looking at Kevin.

"He imprinted on her?"

"Yeah," Kevin said. "He asked if I was mad at him. I promised I wasn't. I imprinted on you when you were just a few weeks old, so I'm no one to judge. I told him I'd talk to you about it when we were alone. This didn't seem like an appropriate discussion to have with a bunch of people at the house."

"No, not at all," Amber agreed. "I suppose that explains a lot."

"That's what I said," Kevin smiled.

"So much for his retirement for childrearing," Amber managed to joke and Kevin chuckled. "I'd been teasing him about it earlier, but I didn't think it would be quite so true."

"So you fully intend to take advantage and use him as a glorified babysitter?"

"Oh, shamelessly," Amber said and Kevin laughed.

"I'm relieved you aren't upset," Kevin said.

"What's there to be upset about? I've been there remember? I remember what it was like when I was a little girl. I remember that sense of trust and security you gave me even when I was little. Before I even understood what we have. If Heather has a chance to have the same, I wouldn't dream of denying her of it. For her, it will be all the better because Embry will always be just a call away."

"Indeed," Kevin said and smiled but with the slightest hint of sorrow. "I envy him that."

"No need," Amber smiled and kissed Kevin's chest. "You're only ever a call away now. And I'm happy for it."

"Really?"

"Of course," Amber said. They looked at one another tenderly a moment before Amber said, "I wish I weren't so sore. I'd love to show you how appreciative I am."

Kevin chuckled, "We'll hold that thought. Also," Kevin said, "I don't know if it'll be June or July, but I'll need to go to New York for a few months."

"Ah, yes," Amber nodded.

"If it's alright, I'd like to go a few weeks ahead of you and Heather. I haven't really gotten around to getting that apartment near the office yet. I'd prefer to have a place ready for you and the baby before I drag you to New York for six months."

"Don't take too long," Amber said. "You being away for a week was lonely enough."

"I know," Kevin said and kissed Amber's head. "There's just one more thing I wanted to tell you." Amber lifted her head again from Kevin's chest resting her chin on his pectoral muscle. Kevin reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a little envelope.

"What's this?" Amber said when she accepted the envelope from Kevin.

"Open it and see," Kevin said. Amber raised a brow and then laid back in bed.

She opened the envelope and a key fell on her chest. She looked at that a moment before proceed with removing the paperwork enclosed. She pulled out a deed and a picture in black and white of a little house that appeared to be directly on the beach with a full view of the ocean. It was a two story house with plenty of windows and appeared white, but it could have been any light color. It was directly in the sand and she could see a patio space that offered direct access. It also appeared to be completely open, leaving a large section of the bottom floor completely outside with the top floor covering it.

"It's a cute house," Amber said.

"I'm glad you like it," Kevin said. "David was kind enough to get me a really good deal on it." Amber looked at Kevin stunned.

"You bought it?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Kevin smiled. "At first, I'd been thinking it would be a nice birthday present, but when you told me you were pregnant, I thought there was no harm in telling you sooner. I bought it back in January. It's one of the places David and Carol showed us remember?"

"I do, but…..Kevin, that place was so expensive."

"Like I said, David gave us a good deal. When I told him we were going to have a baby, he gave me an even better deal. He explained it would be wrong not to ensure we have a little summer home to take the baby now and then."

"Does he know you're going to be getting us an apartment?"

"That won't be so expensive," Kevin said. "Not as much as this place anyway."

"Do you plan to open a law firm in LA now?" Amber half teased, half asked honestly.

"Let's give the place in New York a chance to flourish before we think of a third law firm," Kevin chuckled. "I like how you think though." Amber smiled and looked at the picture again. She remembered, now that he'd reminded her, what the house looked like. It was a little smaller than their house in Washington, but it had three bedrooms, an adorable modern kitchen and a massive patio space that David had explained was used by the previous owners as a dining space. Amber was inclined to agree the previous owners had the right idea.

"I can't wait to tell mom," Amber smiled. "I'd been telling her about all the houses we'd seen in LA. She'll be pleased to find out we have one."

"Plenty of bragging rights I'd say," Kevin said and Amber giggled.

"You may need to stay away from the Synagogue for a while lest the husbands voice their grievances to you. Every woman at the Synagogue is bound to ask their husbands if they can get a summer home in California."

"I wouldn't want to cause any trouble," Kevin joked. "I had thought, since we'll need to leave for New York anyway, we might head there first. Spend a few days together at the little beach house. I'll leave for New York first to get us that apartment near the office and you can spend some time with David and Carol. I know Carol would be delighted to help you get the house decorated so it's a home."

"That sounds wonderful," Amber smiled. "Do you think mom and dad could join us?"

"I don't see why not," Kevin said. "So long as Levi can get some time off."

"I'll ask them," Amber said. "So we'd go in June?"

"Yeah," Kevin said.

"Okay, I'll talk to them tomorrow." Amber turned so she could hug Kevin again and Kevin hugged her back. "Have I mentioned, Kevin, how appreciative I am to be so spoiled?"

"Never hurts to hear it," Kevin smiled and gave Amber a kiss.

As promised, the following day, Amber told her parents all about the house in Los Angeles that Kevin had surprised her with and, while Levi wasn't certain he'd be able to get the time off, Anna guaranteed that she would gladly accept the invitation to see the house. Levi promised a rain check and would let Amber know come Monday once he'd had a chance to speak with his boss. That weekend was when they invited everyone over, not just family, to see the baby. Embry returned of course and held Heather whenever he could. Whenever Heather would start to get fussy because she was tired, Amber would give her over to Embry because she knew Heather would sleep on him. Then Embry would sit in a chair in the living room and just let Heather sleep on him for however long until she woke and needed something.

All the kids were excited to see the baby. Aidetzi and Marcus were able to come over from Port Angeles and brought Naevia and Marcus Jr. to see the baby, both old enough to hold the baby without getting too playful with her. Both Marcus Jr. and Naevia had hair like their father, full and thick. Marcus Jr. had a shaved head upon his insistence. Marcus Sr. still shaved his head clean; a habit after so many years in the navy and little Marcus wanted to be just like daddy. Naevia, on the other hand, had a full head of hair. 'Full' being the operative word. Her grandma Ruth would make attempts to braid her hair so it wasn't so messy, but Naevia would never stand for it. She liked her hair in its natural fullness and had a special comb the lady at their local salon had given her so she could 'keep her afro proud' as the hairdresser had worded it. Since she'd only accept her hair as it was naturally, Aidetzi would help Naevia make sure her hair was full all over, fluffing it from the back for her. She needed the help too. She seemed to gain her Aunt Natalie's refusal to cut her hair on top of her refusal to braid it, so her full sheep-like curls went down to her shoulder blades.

Heather was especially fond of Naevia's hair when she got to play with it and would tug on it. Naevia would yell at first but Aidetzi explained she needed to be patient with Heather and so she was, making sure she was holding onto her hair whenever she noticed Heather reach to grab one of the full strands. With all the friends and family that were visiting, there was hardly room in the house. Several guests had to go outside to the backyard to get some space. Sadly, Ivory would not meet her new cousin until Christmas but she was more excited about another trip to Brazil with Nathan and the family. According to Tamara, she was already packed and ready to go. That never failed to put a smile on Nathan's face. Jaedynn tried to play with the baby, but she would get too excited and it would make Heather start to cry which hurt Jaedynn's feelings and made her start to cry, so Nathan was spending a chunk of the day comforting Jaedynn and reassuring her that Heather did not hate her.

"You're coming with us this year right?" Nathan asked Scarlet while the two of them were outside with Jaedynn whom Nathan had finally managed to calm down.

"Sure I am," Scarlet said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I just wanted to be sure," Nathan said. "I know last year you didn't get to really relax having to help with so many kids."

"I'm used to it by now," Scarlet waved her hand dismissively. "But next time you and Ada have a kid, Ariel can pull his weight and help out."

"I help," Ariel muttered and nudged Scarlet's shoulder after sitting next to her having overheard the jab from across the backyard.

"Holding your little siblings at arm's length isn't 'helping' Ariel," Scarlet said teased.

"That was once, and Jaedynn was screeching in my ear if you recall," Ariel said.

"You almost dropped her," Scarlet said.

"She kicked me," Ariel said.

"Alright, that's enough," Nathan said firmly with a sigh. "Jaedynn forgave you already. Didn't you Jaedynn?" Jaedynn shook her head in the negative with a mischievous smile. "No, you did." She kept shaking her head with a giggle. "We've been over this young lady."

"It's okay, dad. She just needs a little reminder," Ariel said as he approached and then swung Jaedynn onto his shoulder as the little girl screamed and laughed.

"Ariel!" she giggled.

"How about I make you fly? Will I be forgiven then?" She nodded with a bright smile. "Okay, Jaedynn, let's fly."

Ariel got his hands under Jaedynn's arms and got her hovering in the air and started running around the backyard so Jaedynn was being swung around and her laughter was infectious. Gabriel came outside to join the fun and they started playing Jaedynn 'football' as they called the game where they ran around and tossed Jaedynn between the two of them. Nathan used to not let them play the game, but after so many years of telling them not to and them doing it anyway with the excuse that 'Jaedynn loves it', he gave up and let them do it. They even played a game where Ariel held Jaedynn's hands while Gabriel held Jaedynn's feet so they could sway her from side to side like she was a hammock. She loved that game too.

"Are the boys abusing their little sister again?" Ada María asked after overhearing the jubilance.

"I'm afraid so," Nathan chuckled. "So did Amber tell you about their new house in LA?"

"Yes, she mentioned it," Ada María said. "Perhaps one day we'll have them repay us for letting them spend a week at our house in Salvador."

"We could always make a kid while we're there just like they did," Nathan smiled.

"No more kids. Not for a while at least," Ada María shook her head.

"Oh, come on, Ada," Nathan said. "Maybe we could have another girl."

"Last I counted you already had three of those," Ada María smiled and playfully pinched Nathan's shoulder.

"Never hurts to have another," Nathan said.

"Later," Ada María smiled and let Nathan take her hand affectionately.

Scarlet said nothing and watched her little brothers and sister play. It was moments like that where a thought occurred to her: she was twenty five years old. Twenty five, unwed with no desire to wed anyone – not from the tribe at least or anyone else that she might have met be it in town, up in Port Angeles or even in Salvador for that matter – and feeling so much older than all her siblings. She and Ada María had improved their relationship drastically since they'd first met. They were even friends of a sort now, but when Nathan met Ada María and, inevitably, started a family with her, and when Nathan had two other children – one with Tamara and another with a woman he'd known briefly in France – it felt like her father was starting over again. Sometimes she felt like a stranger in her own family, no matter how Nathan reassured that couldn't be further from the truth and no matter how he made sure in practice that it was far from the truth. She appreciated his efforts, but there was still that gnawing feeling. It wasn't just her and Nathan anymore. It hadn't been since Nathan and Ada María met and despite having a good relationship with Ada María at last and loving her siblings with all her heart, the age gap always weighed on her in a way she couldn't really explain except to say that she had been one chapter in Nathan's life and her siblings were another.

"Scarlet?" Nathan said, taking Scarlet out of her thoughts. "Are you okay? You went really quiet."

"I'm fine, daddy," Scarlet smiled reassuringly. "I think I'll play with Heather since Jaedynn's currently occupied." Hoping to avoid further prodding, Scarlet went inside to pester her new cousin and play with her.

When it was the end of May, that was when Nathan and the others left Washington for Nevada, arriving on the Monday of Ivory's last week of school before summer vacation. They arrived in the middle of the day and went to Tamara's house, let themselves in, Scarlet and got dinner ready and cleaned up a bit as a courtesy, and they waited for Tamara and Ivory to get home. When they did, Nathan smiled and stood from the couch as Ivory cheered and ran to him for a big hug. Nathan held her close and kissed her cheek, swaying her from side to side telling her how much he'd missed her and asking her about her day. He showed her a picture of Heather with her parents and she smiled, saying she couldn't wait to meet her new cousin and that she looked so cute. Then Ivory took Nathan outside to show her all the dragons she'd been taking care of.

"She's grown quite a bit since we last saw her," Scarlet said after Nathan and Ivory went outside.

"She has," Tamara said. "She's getting tall just like Nathan. I just hope she doesn't get too tall. I don't think she'd like being too tall."

"She'll get about as tall as I am I would think," Scarlet said and that earned a sigh from Tamara.

"Well, your height suits you, so hopefully it'll suit her too," Tamara smiled and gently touched Scarlet's cheek before going to the kitchen to help with a few things. Scarlet wound up going outside to see Nathan in the dragon den with Ivory, seeing all the lizards she was looking after and letting Ivory show off the biggest one they had. They would be letting the lizard out to the wild soon since it was getting too big to keep in the enclosure.

Scarlet started having that sinking feeling again as she watched Nathan and Ivory. He really did treat Ivory differently than the others, but it was for good reason. Out of all the kids, Ivory was the one Scarlet was most envious of. The way Nathan treated Ivory was nearly identical to how he treated her when she was young. Because Nathan didn't get to see Ivory more than twice a year and the rest of the year had to make do with calling her on the phone, she was special. He didn't even realize he was doing it, but Scarlet did. When she was standing there watching, Nathan noticed her and smiled.

"Did you want to play with the dragons?" Nathan asked.

"Come see Chuck!" Ivory said.

"Chuck?"

"He's the biggest one," Nathan said.

"Sure, I'll see Chuck," Scarlet smiled and approached to see the big lizard and handled him for a bit.

After playing with Chuck for a while, they finally went back inside and made sure to clean their hands thoroughly before they all had dinner together. Scarlet finished up her final week of school and the morning after, Ivory woke Nathan with a gentle nudge and hug telling him she'd made him breakfast. And, since it was still being shown in a theatre in town and because Nathan had promised he'd do so, he and Ivory went to go see Cinderella together. She'd evidently refused to go see it according to Tamara until Nathan could be the one to take her. Jaedynn insisted she wanted to go see the movie again but Scarlet, Ariel and Gabriel stayed with Tamara and Ada María. When they all returned home, Jaedynn and Ivory were singing the songs from the movie together while Nathan was carrying them both. Then, finally, the next morning, Nathan, Ada María and all the kids said goodbye to Tamara and got on the next train to the coast to go to Brazil.

Back in Washington, Amber's father was able to get two weeks leave from work, so he and Anna joined Kevin and Amber to LA to see the new house. It was a long train ride and Levi was intensely uncomfortable the whole time. He still detested trains even after so many years. David and Carol were kind enough to pick up Kevin and the others from the station. They dropped Kevin off to rent a car and Levi remained with him while David and Carol got Amber, Anna and Heather to the beach house. Once David unlocked the door, he proudly handed the key over to Amber.

"Kevin was real eager for you to see this place," David smiled and let Amber and Anna inside. "It was a pill making sure you didn't find out about it to be sure. Carol here almost spilled the beans more times than I care to voice."

"Oh hush, you," Carol said and then went to Amber. "Come see the baby's room. The rest of the house still needs furnishing, but the baby's room is ready. It's our little present to you for the baby."

"Thank you, Carol," Amber smiled and followed her up the stairs to the bedrooms. Carol led her to a room right beside the master bedroom and opened the door to the cutest little room. It was spacious enough that when Heather was older, they could change it to something more age appropriate, but for now there was a wooden crib, a changing table and dresser, a rocking table and plenty of toys all with pale pink walls accented with white. Amber didn't even mind the pink as the pale shade was demure and pleasant. "Oh, Carol, it's precious," Amber smiled.

"I knew you'd like it," Carol smiled. "And there are plenty of diapers for you in the linen closet. Honestly, if disposable diapers were available when David and I were having children, I'd have had ten." Anna got upstairs to see the room and was equally pleased with it, cooing to Heather asking her if she liked her new room. Heather slept through the whole thing.

Amber went ahead and put Heather in her crib to nap so Carol could show Amber and her mother the rest of the house. Indeed it was unfurnished and needed plenty of work. They went down to the patio that overlooked at ocean with the beach attached to it and all nonexistent furniture was forgiven. Anna praised the view and Amber said it was the thing that had made her fall in love with the house when they saw it. She just never imagined Kevin would actually buy it. Soon Kevin and Levi returned with a rental car and Amber went right to him to hug him. Then she took Kevin upstairs to see Heather's new room and exalted how kind it was for Carol and David to do that for them. The lack of furniture did inevitably come up and Kevin reassured they'd by new furniture right away.

That same day, they all went to a warehouse together that sold furniture and house wares. Heather slept soundly in grandma's arms while Amber focused on picking furniture that she thought would go well together. She wanted the house to have a nice, roomy feel so she picked furniture that wasn't overly bulky. She also picked a dining table set that was painted white iron so it would look nice outside on the patio. By the time they'd finished, it was near closing time for the warehouse and they had furniture picked out for every inch of the house that would be delivered the next day.

"Seeing as the beds and such won't be delivered until tomorrow," David said, "You're all welcome to stay the night with us."

"I would actually like to stay at the beach house," Amber said but then looked at Anna, "but you and daddy can go. David and Carol have this giant queen bed in one of the guest rooms so it's nice and spacious." Anna appeared as though she might say she wanted to stay, but Levi put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"I think that would be lovely," Levi said. "No use wasting money on a hotel. I just hope it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all, not at all," David reassured. "Though I insist you let me buy you all dinner."

"You leave me no choice, David. You talked me into it," Kevin joked and they all had a small laugh before going to the cars and following David to a nice restaurant near his and Carol's house. Levi and Anna were sure to bring pajamas and a change of clothes with them and after dinner, they parted ways going home with David and Carol while Amber and Kevin went home with Heather who was already sound asleep.

Once they returned to the beach house, Amber tucked Heather into her crib and watched her a moment as had become her habit. Heather had already grown so much. Since her birth, she'd gained about two pounds and was a few inches taller. She was already trying to stand whenever people held her up. Embry would hold Heather up so her feet were on his knees and Heather would apply pressure like she was trying to stand. He joked at Heather understood the concept of standing but merely lacked all the required skills to master it just yet. She could hold her head up on her own, she was able to roll over and lift her head, but she had a hard time crawling and she was expressive. She giggled, she smiled, and she made faces of all kinds. Amber's favorite, however, was whenever Heather was feeding. She was a sleepy baby to be sure but she preferred to keep her mind on a task at hand. So when Amber would breastfeed Heather, the little girl would start to doze off when Amber would sing to her, but she always did her best to make sure she kept her eyes open. Amber wished she could have video of it or something. She could watch Heather do that all day. Amber felt Kevin's presence when he entered Heather's room and then he stood beside her looking down at her.

"Did you want to sleep in here or should we go to our room?" Kevin asked, whispering in Amber's ear.

"We can go to our room so long as we leave the doors open," Amber said. Kevin took her hand and they walked to the master bedroom together leaving Heather's bedroom door open and their door open. The room was completely empty. The lone ceiling light with a ceiling fan was on but it seemed to make the emptiness of the room more obvious. "I can't wait for the furniture to come. It feels so empty without all the staging furniture that was here before."

"I'd thought about getting this placed furnished for you, but I thought it would be better to let you pick everything. You have a better taste for this than I do. You don't mind that David and Carol set up Heather's room for us do you?"

"Not at all," Amber said. "It was sweet of them to do that and it's nice to have somewhere for Heather to sleep. I don't mind spending a night on the floor. I assume we'll be doing this again once we get to New York?" Amber smiled.

"I'm afraid so," Kevin said. "Although Harold was kind enough to let us stay in his apartment until our place is situated. They have a crib and everything. It's in the same building too."

"Are we all going to be in the same building?"

"Yeah, that's the plan," Kevin said. "It's a really nice building and it's near work. I already sent enquiries to the selling office so they'll have places ready for us to look at. I'm sure they'll try to charge for the inconvenience, but it'll be alright." Once they were in their room, Kevin went to his suitcase and started getting his nice clothes off. Amber went to her suitcase and did the same, getting in her nightgown.

"And Harold and Anastasia are sure they don't mind if we stay at their place a while?"

"They insisted," Kevin smiled after getting out of his dress shirt and tank. Then he proceeded to get out of his dress pants before getting his clothes folded and his belt curled up in his hand. "I'm told the building already knows to expect us and will let us in."

"That's a relief," Amber said. "I'll be happy to be in our own place, though."

"With a view of Central Park no less," Kevin smiled and Amber smiled back.

"I think that will be wonderful," Amber swooned. "Oh, and Kevin, just imagine it! If Heather or any of our children go to school in Los Angeles or in New York, they'll have a place to stay already."

"Hadn't thought of that, but that's definitely true," Kevin said and kissed her. "Speaking of which," Kevin lowered his voice just a little and kissed her again, "when did you want to start making those other children?"

"Not for a while," Amber said. "Heather's plenty for now."

"She is a handful on her own," Kevin chuckled but he took a hold of Amber and started kissing her neck. "How have you been feeling?"

"Good as new," Amber smiled and wrapped her arms around Kevin's neck. "We could break in our new master bedroom if you like." She felt Kevin grin and he nipped her skin at her neck.

"We should get around to that," Kevin joked.

He reached down to lift Amber's legs so he could wrap them around his hips and once her ankles were locked behind him, he continued kissing her neck. Kevin kneeled down and laid her on the hardwood floor of the bedroom and once she was on her back, their lips met with passion. Just as Kevin's hands moved up her thighs with the goal of getting off her gown, there came a little whimper that turned into a cry. They both sighed and Amber smiled at him.

"Hold that thought," Amber said and got out from under him so she could go to Heather and attend to her. She needed changing so Amber got her cleaned up, but when she tried to put Heather back down, she started to cry again indicating she wanted to be cuddled, so Amber stayed in the room and held Heather while sitting in the rocking chair. She started to hum to Heather trying to get her to sleep. While she was humming, Kevin stepped into the room and sat on the floor beside the rocking chair.

"Heather okay?" Kevin asked.

"She needed her diaper changed and she wanted to snuggle," Amber said. Heather looked at Kevin after hearing his voice and grinned before reaching for him.

"I'll take her," Kevin smiled and reached up to take Heather. "You're supposed to be sleeping, baby girl," Kevin smiled and tried to cradle Heather, but she decided it wasn't bedtime and she started kicking her feet as though she were trying to stand.

"Daddy means playtime," Amber giggled and went onto the floor so she was sitting beside him. "I guess she did get plenty of sleep today. She may just not be tired."

"And if we are?" Kevin said.

"Tough," Amber said and Kevin laughed. His laughter made Heather start laughing and she clapped her hands. "Now look what you did. You made it worse," Amber smiled.

"I think she just likes the sound of my voice," Kevin said and put Heather on his shoulder so he could rub her back and try to get her to relax so she could sleep. "How about I tell you a story, Heather. Maybe that'll get you to sleep."

Kevin laid Heather in his lap and started telling her a story while Amber rested on his shoulder smiling down at their daughter. Sadly, even after Kevin told Heather a story, she'd not fallen asleep, so Kevin and Amber decided to just sleep in the baby's room with Heather. Heather finally fell asleep on Kevin's chest and so did Amber. She slept through most of the night, but she was awake again bright and early crying for her breakfast that Amber attended to while Kevin stayed asleep on the floor. Amber's parents, David and Carol returned later that morning and helped out when the furniture was being delivered and set up. By the end of the day, the house was fully furnished. It just needed to be decorated accordingly and things needed to be put away. They all went out to dinner again that night and Amber's parents stayed at the beach house for the remainder of their time there. Levi had to leave first and Kevin left around the same time to leave for New York. Amber stayed at the beach house for another week and Anna insisted on remaining with Amber to help with the baby.

Amber didn't leave for New York until a week before the start of July and Anna returned to Washington but not before telling Amber to wish Kevin luck and hoping the business was continuing to grow and improve. She also hinted that, once Amber returned to Washington, perhaps she and Amber might venture onto their business at long last. That gave Amber a renewed eagerness.

Elsewhere on the east coast – specifically in Boston – it was the middle of the night. The street lights on the dock were on and the water was splashing against the steel poles of the docks and the rocks of the beach. A man with dark ebony hair and paled russet skin walked along the docks. He'd preyed upon a fisherman; at least he'd assumed it was a fisherman that was stumbling out of the bar after a night of drinking. He hated drinking the blood of men that were drunk. It made their blood wretchedly bitter. However, the drunk were less capable of putting up a fight and quicker to kill.

While he was walking, the lights of the street lamps started to flicker. It struck him as odd but he'd ignored it. Then the lights continued to flicker and he looked up at the lights strangely. The man had resolved to ignore it and looked forward to continue forward, but there was suddenly a shadowy figure in the distance. He couldn't smell that figure and he never heard footsteps indicating anyone approaching. From behind him, the man heard a bird, a crow, squawking and he turned to look. It was a crow of larger size than he'd seen before. About the size of a parrot strangely. Were one not paying attention, they'd never realize the crow was an unusual size. When he was looking at the bird, it started to squawk at him with more vehemence as if trying to get his attention. Unsure what else to do, the man approached the bird and when he did, it turned so it was looking out and down at the water. The man did the same as the bird and looked into the water. When he did, there was a man standing to his right.

The man yelled and looked to his right, but no one was there. Had he a heartbeat, it would be racing. He stared where the man was supposed to be, but there was no one there. The bird started squawking at him again, flapping it's wings. It was as though it was ordering him to return and look into the water. He cautiously started to approach again until he was at the railing again. Just as before, when he looked into the water, that man was there. He'd never seen the man before. He was a young man who's skin was paled from blood lose. His thought was the man might be another vampire, but there were stains at his neck and his chest where blood had clearly been. He couldn't smell the blood, though.

"Home," the word came in his native language. A language he'd not heard for far too long. It wasn't the man that had said it, though. It had come from his left. The man looked at the bird and it was looking up at him with unnaturally aware eyes. "Return home."

"Who are you?" the man answered.

"Return home," the bird said without answering the man's question.

"Natalie," another voice came, this time from the man in the water. He looked at the water again and the sad look into the water man's face struck him, but he couldn't understand why.

"Who?" the man on the dock asked the man in the water.

"Go home. To Natalie."

"I don't know who that is," the man on the dock said. "Who are you?"

"Go home," the bird repeated. Soon, the bird started repeating 'home' while the man in the water kept saying 'Natalie' over and over again as though to drive him mad.

"Suerro?" another voice, one that was actually familiar, came from behind him and he turned to face it. The bird squawked again and flew away just as he'd turned to see his companions, Romney and Ray (an abbreviation of the man's Native name). "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Suerro answered and shook his head. "I could have sworn….."

"That was a big raven if I ever did see it," Ray chuckled. "The tricksters haunting you?"

"Did your tribe have tricksters that took the form of ravens?" Suerro asked.

"Naturally," Ray said, but he was serious now. "Are you saying it was a trickster?"

"I don't know," Suerro said. "I swear I keep seeing Ravens wherever I go, but I thought nothing of it. But tonight, that Raven wouldn't leave me alone until I looked in the water."

"Did it tell you anything?" Ray asked.

"Are you honestly implying Suerro's being stalked by a damn bird?" Romney asked.

"If it's a trickster," Ray said. "So did it say anything?"

"Home," Suerro answered. "Then there was a man in the water. He had an injury to his throat and chest but I couldn't smell any blood. He just said Natalie over and over."

"Natalie?" Romney asked curiously. "Who's Natalie?"

"I don't know. I've never heard the name in my life," Suerro answered.

"You may need to return to Washington, Suerro. It's not wise to ignore the dead," Ray said.

"You're saying Suerro saw a ghost? Honestly, Ray, be reasonable."

"You and your people might have no qualms about ignoring the dead, but you don't believe in their wrath. We know better," Ray said. "If you're saying this bird's been following you, it'll only get worse after tonight."

"Why would a raven want me to return home?" Suerro asked, but he didn't wait for an answer. "Taha Aki's been dead for centuries. It can't be anything to do with him."

"Did the raven say anything about the tooth?" Ray asked. Almost unconsciously, Suerro touched the wolf's tooth hidden under his shirt.

"No," Suerro finally answered. "They just kept repeating home and the woman's name. The tooth didn't seem to come up."

"This is insanity," Romney sighed heavily.

"I don't call your big man in the sky 'nonsense' so don't call our tricksters and the dead nonsense," Ray bit back.

"Please, Ray, I don't want to have another argument with you about this," Romney groaned.

"Then show some respect," Ray hissed back. "So, Suerro, when are you going home?"

"I'd prefer not to," Suerro said.

"Don't ignore the dead, Suerro," Ray said.

"Yeah, yeah, don't ignore the dead," Suerro grumbled. "I'll leave when I leave. I just haven't been back since….well…you know the last time I went back."

"Truthfully, I'm shocked your sister or her husband don't haunt you. Who is it if not them?"

"I don't know," Suerro said. "I've never seen this kid before."

"Interesting," Ray said. "Don't waste time, alright? Do what the trickster says and go home."

"Fine," Suerro sighed, but he didn't leave that night. Although, after that, Suerro became intensely aware of the Raven that was now, without a shadow of a doubt, following him everywhere he went never giving him a moment's peace.

Back in Washington, Embry missed Heather a whole lot. He'd known the feelings of the imprinter when the imprint was away, but it was always second hand. He'd never felt it for himself and it was a hard feeling to live with. He'd call Kevin at the numbers he'd been given so he could talk to them, but really he just wanted to hear Heather's voice. She never said anything. She would just make little noises, but that was all he needed to know she was doing alright. With Kevin gone, Nathan gone, Ariel and Gabriel gone, and Scarlet gone, the pack was lower on power and shifts needed to be readjusted but thankfully; the pack was still in the double digits. Every year seemed to be the larges the pack had ever been especially now that Salem and Gabriel had awakened to their wolves most recently. Most of Embry's siblings were wolves too except his sisters, though that was by choice.

When Nathan and the others made it to Salvador, they went straight to the blue house up the hill and spent most of their first day sleeping. It had been a long morning and they wanted sleep, especially Jaedynn and Ivory. Scarlet was awake before the others and went on her own to the beach for a while. It was getting dark out, but she wasn't worried. She sat on the beach losing all track of time staring out into the ocean. She heard the footsteps of someone approaching, but by smell alone she already knew it was Nathan.

"I was wondering where you were," Nathan said and sat beside her. "You scared me there for a minute."

"Sorry, I just wanted to go for a walk," Scarlet answered. "Is everyone else still at the house?"

"They are," Nathan said. "The boys are still sleeping. The two of them sleep like I used to." Nathan smiled a little but the connotation of his statement still lingered. "So is everything okay?"

"I'm alright," Scarlet said. "It's nice being back in Brazil."

"It is," Nathan agreed. "There's no place like home, but Salvador's a nice escape once in a while."

"Yeah, no place like home," Scarlet said. She looked down at her bare feet in the sand and started tapping her heels just a little. Nathan noticed and smiled.

"You're wanting to return home so soon?" Nathan teased.

"No, it's not that," Scarlet said, trying not to betray a sad smile. "I was just thinking about when you and I first came here. When we'd gone on that adventure. Just you and me."

"Yeah," Nathan said and looked back fondly. "I taught you thinks on that trip I should never have taught you."

"You mean like pickpocketing and money laundering?"

"Insurance fraud, honey. Two very different crimes and one's easier to get away with."

"I wonder what ever happened to….what were their names?"

"Mercedes and Tulio I think," Nathan said. "You were wondering whatever happened to them?"

"Out of curiosity," Scarlet said and then started to giggle. "Can you imagine the looks on their faces when they realized they'd been had?"

Nathan chuckled, "I imagine it was priceless."

"Or the look on Mrs. Carmichael's face when you stole all the jewelry?" Scarlet reminisced and Nathan laughed harder.

"I'd be more eager to see her reaction to that letter I wrote her. She hit on me enough. I just let her husband live the fantasy."

"Daddy," Scarlet started laughing. They both laughed. It was a long desired moment alone with Nathan that she'd not had in a very long time. And she missed it a lot. "I miss those days. When it was just the two of us. Partners in crime traveling south to see the world. Putting those red trees everywhere we went. Do you think they're still in their hiding spots?"

"I hope they are," Nathan said and looked up at the stars.

"Do you still miss my mom?"

"Every day," Nathan said and looked at Scarlet with a distant smile. "I never stopped loving your mother, Scarlet. Imprinting on Ada never changed that. And Tomoeh gave me you. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay." Scarlet smiled back at Nathan and felt herself get a little teary eyed. She scooted closer to him in and sand and hugged him and he hugged her back.

"I love you daddy," Scarlet said.

"I love you too Scarlet Willow," Nathan said and kissed her head. "Don't ever forget that okay?" Scarlet nodded and hugged Nathan a little tighter.

"You don't ever get tired of me being at home do you? You don't ever feel like I'm in the way?"

"Of course not," Nathan said. "It's crowded in the house, sure, but that's not your fault. Wouldn't hurt your little brothers to get jobs, though."

Scarlet snickered, "You mean like you, daddy?"

"I at least have a pension that brings some money in," Nathan said but he was smiling. "Besides, I just want them to start building up their lives. They might not be very old in actual age, but they've already grown on me. Ariel's already a man and Gabriel's well on his way. I just wish it hadn't been so fast. Even now, it hurts that I wasn't there when Ariel, Ivory and Jaedynn were born."

"You were in Europe," Scarlet said.

"I know, but I still wasn't there," Nathan said. "That'll always loom over my head for the rest of my life. Even if it was due to serving the army." Then Nathan looked at Scarlet with a soft smile and kissed her heard. "I'm glad I could see you into the world at least. Gabriel too."

"Are you saying that makes us special?" Scarlet teased.

"I'm saying I feel like I was a better father for it," Nathan said. "But then, with you I was still a kid myself. You were patient with me, though. I always appreciated that."

Scarlet smiled, "Of course, daddy." Nathan and Scarlet sat on the beach together for a while longer looking out at the ocean. It was the first time in a while that Scarlet felt close to him again. "Daddy?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Do you every miss when it was just the two of us?" Scarlet asked.

"That's hard to answer," Nathan admitted. "When we'd traveled together, that had been a really hard time in my life. In both our lives honestly. We were both trying to move on but still honor your mother's memory. You helped me through a lot of that but there was always a feeling of loneliness. I would never want to relive that lonely feeling again. When I met Ada, I didn't feel that way anymore. When we worked things out and started over, I felt better than ever."

"You started over," Scarlet said.

"Yeah, in a way," Nathan answered. He'd not meant it the way Scarlet was taking it. She knew that wasn't what he'd meant, but she still felt the sting of the implication of being a different chapter of Nathan's life that he'd just closed when he met Ada María. As if sensing her feelings, Nathan gave Scarlet a light squeeze on the shoulder. "Don't ever think that means I don't love you or don't want you around. I'll always want you around. You're my little girl."

"One of three now," Scarlet said.

"Wouldn't matter if it were one of ten," Nathan said. "You're still my little Red Tree. Always have been. Always will be."

"Do you mean that?" Scarlet asked, feeling herself getting teary eyed again.

"Of course I mean it," Nathan smiled and kissed her head again.

Scarlet cried a little and hugged Nathan tighter while he did the same and began to rock her from side to side like she was a little girl again. So they wouldn't fall asleep on the beach, Nathan and Scarlet returned up the hill to the house. Ariel and Gabriel were still sound asleep on the couch while Ivory and Jaedynn were playing with their dolls. When Nathan came home, Jaedynn got to her feet and ran straight to Nathan and hugged his leg. Nathan chuckled and lifted the little girl into his arms and gave her a kiss. Ivory, never one to be left out, went to Nathan too and hugged him. She also received a little kiss after being picked up. Scarlet smiled and rubbed Ivory's leg affectionately.

"I see Ariel and Gabriel have been slaving away," Scarlet said absently. Ada María looked at the boys and smirked.

"Indeed. They've been invaluable," she joked.

"Want me to wake them? Did you need help with something?" Nathan asked.

"Nah, leave them be," Ada María said.

"Ada," Nathan said and put the girls down, "since the boys are out cold, do you mind if I talk to you about something?"

Ada María nodded and Nathan walked over to her in the little kitchen space and spoke with her about thinking it was about time the boys got themselves working. Ada María looked at the boys with a motherly look and spent a moment protesting that they were still young, but Nathan held his ground on the matter and Ada María eventually agreed and promised she'd talk to her boss at the bar and see about getting the boys work there. Scarlet looked at Ariel and Gabriel while they slept and couldn't help but smile just a little at their expense. By the next day once everyone had gotten some sleep, they finally started enjoying themselves and all went to the beach together. Jaedynn and Ivory built sand castles together with Scarlet's guidance, Nathan played the guitar while Ada María sat by his side and, having obtained a soccer ball, Ariel and Gabriel were playing soccer. When Jaedynn noticed the boys playing soccer, she left a half finished castle and went to them instead wanting to play with them.

Since Jaedynn had invited herself into the game, Ariel and Gabriel made a point to play a little more gently so the ball wouldn't hit her too hard and so it was easier for her to catch. Of course, while chasing the ball, Jaedynn had tripped and fallen on her face in the sand which made her cry. Nathan stopped playing and went right to Jaedynn ready to calm her down and make sure all the sand was off her face. Jaedynn snuggled with Nathan for a good hour before she was alright to return to playing with the others. While in Salvador, Ada María made a point to go to the bar and check up on things. Marcelo had kept things in good working order as reflected by the generous cut he ensured was sent Ada María's way to convert to American Dollars. Her parents were not currently in Brazil according to Marcelo. Last he'd heard from them, they were in Argentina, so a visit with Ada María's parents was not on the agenda for this trip to Salvador. After a week or so in Salvador, they traveled through the Amazon together for some camping and hiking. It was Ivory's favorite part of the trip. The final destination was Cusco, Peru as it had been previously.

Upon reaching Cusco, they went to the beaches nearby first since Ivory wanted to go to the beach again. For anyone else, that was a good 12 hour trip. For Nathan and the others, it was 2-4 hours at most. While they were there, Scarlet realized she didn't want to leave. She just wanted to stay at the beach. She sat in the sand and looked out to the ocean while everyone else played with Ivory and Jaedynn. While she was staring out at the water, she saw something faint in the distance. It looked like someone standing on the water, but that couldn't be right. Eventually she realized the slightest hint of a sail from a boat, but she shouldn't see the curve of a boat. She couldn't really see who it was. Probably a fisherman. Whoever it was, though, the person wasn't moving.

"Scarlet!" Jaedynn's voice came just before the little girl practically ran into Scarlet wrapping her arms around her neck. "We're playing tag! Come play!"

"Well, Jaedynn," Scarlet said after she regained her balance on her butt, "I'd be plain silly not to join you for tag." Having the answer she wanted, Jaedynn tugged on Scarlet's arm to get her to stand but before playing, Scarlet looked out at the water again to see the figure was still there and still very much not moving.

Scarlet played tag with her siblings, but she kept looking out at the water at the figure. Sometimes when she'd look, she could swear she saw the water moving in a way that seemed unnatural. She thought she saw and heard that figure go into the water once but it came back minutes later. When it was starting to turn to nightfall, they returned inland to the ancient temples in the mountains and took shelter there for a few days. Scarlet, on the other hand, frequently returned to the beach curious about the figure she'd seen out in the ocean. The following day, the figure wasn't where she'd last seen it, so she walked along the coast trying to find it. She eventually returned when day broke and followed the same ritual the following day and the day after that, but she never did see that figure out on the water again. Nathan asked her about it, but she insisted she was just in the mood for the beaches rather than the mountains and that seemed answer enough for him. When it was their last day in Peru, they went to the beach again. They needed to be on the boat to California by 2 that afternoon. Scarlet stared out at the ocean while everyone played. She wound up seeing the figure from before, it seemed to be going south from what she could tell.

"Scarlet," Nathan said after they'd spent hours on the beach. "We'd better get to the boat."

"Oh," Scarlet said and stood but then she looked out again. She didn't want to leave. "Actually, daddy, I think I'll stay here for a while."

"By yourself?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah," Scarlet said and smiled. "I just want a little time to myself. Don't worry, I'll be home before you know it."

"Scarlet, I don't want you alone here," Nathan said.

"Honestly, daddy, I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me."

"Might as well ask me not to breath," Nathan said.

"Don't be mellow dramatic, daddy," Scarlet smiled and hugged Nathan. "Really, I'll be fine. I just want to have a little me time. I swear that if I need anything at all, I'll call you at the house. Okay?" Nathan didn't look convinced, but eventually he took a deep breath and breathed out.

"Alright, fine," Nathan said and hugged Scarlet. "Be safe, okay? And don't be away too long. Don't talk to strangers, don't get into trouble, etcetera, etcetera."

Scarlet giggled, "Yes, daddy." Nathan kissed the top of her head, rubbed her back a moment and finally let her go. As he was walking away, he turned to face her.

"I mean it, Scarlet Willow. Don't be away too long, you hear?"

"You'll barely have time to miss me, daddy," Scarlet promised.

"Too late, kid. Miss you already," Nathan smiled and walked away.

Scarlet waved goodbye and waited for them to be further down the coast before walking the opposite direction. She ended up walking for hours. By the time it was nightfall, she gone far enough down the coast that she was nearing Chile. She didn't see the figure again out on the water but her curiosity did not relent. When it was too dark and she'd gotten tired, Scarlet pulled out a blanket from her suitcase and rested her head on the case with the blanket pulled over her. She found a rock that seemed sufficient for night's shelter and fell asleep under the stars. She was, however, awoken by something intensely annoying. She hadn't realized it at first, but she felt something wet on her face, but it felt as though it was poking her. She groaned and turned around in the sand but then she felt the wetness on her shoulder.

-¿Señorita?- a voice came, but based on the accent, Scarlet could tell the man was not a native speaker. –¿Señorita, estás bien?-

-Sí- Scarlet grumbled.

-¿Estás sufriendo un enfermidad de alcohol?-

"No!" Scarlet said and finally sat up and looked at who was talking, but when she saw him, she was no longer angry.

The man before her had black, expressive eyes that appeared amused. He was smiling as well indicating his humor. He was a man with a strong square jaw and tan skin. Tanner than her. His features appeared vaguely Asian but he was clearly of a Native American lineage dominantly and his hair was curly and long pulled back into a bun with stray hairs poking out around his head. He was muscular and only in a pair of torn up pants that were made to be no lower than his knees and rested low on his narrow hips. He was muscular and had tints of black on his shoulders and chest. Tattoos. On his left shoulder was a sun from what she could tell and on his left shoulder seemed to be a moon in a very distinct native style and on his chest there was a scene. It was a man in a particular style on his right lower pectoral muscle and on his left upper pectoral muscle was a shark and the man was harpooning the shark. He also wore a necklace made from shark teeth. He was standing on a flat wooden boat out on the water's edge and was holding a harpoon like in the tattoo on his chest. He chuckled at her reaction to his question and his smile took her breath away.

-Lo siento, Señorita. Era solamente preocupado para tí- he said. He had a rich voice that, again, held an accent that was clearly not Hispanic.

"No, it's fine," Scarlet said in a bit of a daze. She could feel her center of gravity shift. Suddenly the man looked relieved and chuckled again.

"Oh, good, you speak English. I admit Spanish isn't really my strongest language."

"I could tell by your accent," Scarlet said absently.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he smiled. "Though judging by your accent, you're not Hispanic either. American?"

"Yeah," Scarlet nodded. "I'm from Washington."

"State?" Scarlet nodded. "You're awfully tan for someone from a place that never sees the light of day."

"We see it sometimes," Scarlet said, "though clearly not as much as you seem to."

"In all fairness, I'm usually out at sea," he smiled. The man stepped into the water from his boat and approached Scarlet. He held out his hand as if to help her to her feet. "I'm Kai by the way. Kai Aulani."

"Aulani? That sounds-"

"Hawaiian," he smiled. "I was born on the island currently known as Maui."

"I hear it's beautiful there," Scarlet said, accepting Kai's hand and standing up.

"Oh, it is," Kai grinned. "Clear blue water, tall palm trees, vibrant flowers and fruit trees as far as the eye can see. The largest island has the volcano. Now I did not give you my name just to be snubbed. What's your name?"

Scarlet giggled a little at his joke, "My name's Scarlet Willow."

"Scarlet Willow," Kai repeated. "It's beautiful. Can't say I've ever seen a red willow tree before, but I'll take your word for it."

"Oh, no, to my knowledge there's no such thing as red willow trees. My parents had just wanted to give me a 'natural' name I guess you could say. If I'd been a boy, my name would have been Crimson Ash."

"Doesn't have quite the same ring to it," Kai chuckled. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Scarlet Willow."

"Just Scarlet's fine," Scarlet said. "And it's a pleasure to meet you too Kai Aulani."

"Just Kai," he said and they shook hands. "You had me worried there for a minute. When I saw you on the beach, I wasn't sure if you were alright."

"I'm fine, really," Scarlet said. "I was just walking along the coast and got tired so I slept on the beach."

"I slept on the beach once. Learned my lesson," Kai chuckled. She was growing to adore his laugh. "I woke up the next morning soaking wet because the tide had come up. And I was only a boy at the time, so it nearly carried me away."

"That sounds dangerous," Scarlet said.

"The ocean's always dangerous I'm afraid. That's what makes it exciting though. So tell me, Miss Scarlet: what brings you all the way to Peru from Washington?"

"I was traveling with family," Scarlet said. "We come here every year. My stepmom was born in Peru but she spent the majority of her life in Salvador, Brazil. We have a little house in Salvador that we stay at when we come every summer. My little sister likes to go hiking and camping through the rainforest and we make our way here to Peru and return by boat to California and then by train back home to Washington."

"Every year?"

"Every year since my father returned home from the war."

"Your father fought in the war?" Kai asked and Scarlet nodded. "I'm thankful for that to be over with, let me tell you. That war kept me stuck in Australia for longer than I'd care to be. I love Australia, but I prefer to visit, not live there."

"You've been to Australia?"

"Oh, yeah," Kai smiled. "I have a route I do. I start from my home island in Hawaii and make my way to Japan. From there, I sail to the Philippines, I'll stop through Indonesia and then on to Australia. Then I stop here in Peru or Colombia, then back to Hawaii. I'm never in one place very long."

"And you do this every year?"

"It takes about a year and a half to do a full circle. Or bean I guess from the map's perspective."

"Do you have a favorite place you visit?"

"Home," Kai smiled. "Always home. Though after meeting you, Peru's becoming a close second."

"Aren't you a charmer," Scarlet giggled.

"At the best of times," Kai grinned. "So are you hungry? How about I take you fishing?"

"That's awfully kind of you. I'd love to," Scarlet smiled and followed Kai onto his boat. She was waiting for him to retrieve a paddle or something, but he never did. Once moment they were still, the next she felt the boat elevate a little and they were traveling swiftly out to sea. "Did you need me to row?"

"Nah. I've got it," Kai grinned and undid the sails so it could catch the wind. When they were far enough out, he brought down the sail and the boat seemed to come to a complete stop. "So how hungry are you?"

"Pardon?"

"How hungry are you? It'll tell me what size fish to get you."

"I'm not picky," Scarlet said. "Whatever takes the bait I guess. You'll need to get enough for you too."

"I already ate, so I'm fine," Kai said. "Stay here. I'll be back in a minute."

Before Scarlet could ask where he could possibly be going, Kai dived into the water and Scarlet went to the edge as though she might stop him. She stared where he'd dived for several minutes until, on the other side of the boat, she heard the splash of water and someone gasping for breath. She turned and saw Kai pulling himself on the boat soaking wet with a fish in his hand that was flopping around and fighting to get away. It was certainly a generously sized fish.

"How's this?" he asked.

"That's plenty," Scarlet said, a little stunned. "How long were you down there?"

"Not that long. Five minutes at most."

"How were you down there so long? Didn't you need to breath?"

"I can hold my breath a long time. My record's seven minutes," Kai winked and held down the fish until it eventually stopped moving. "How about we get to shore and I'll cook this up for you? I have some new spices I'm dying to try on someone."

"Sure," Scarlet said and, once again without a paddle, he got them back to shore and got to work right away on getting a fire started. Once he had that going, he got out a large knife and ran it against the grain of the fish's scales. "So what are these spices you're eager to try?"

"Things I got from Korea. Sometimes I'll swing by there and this time I did. I got something called gochukaru by the locals, I got some lemongrass and ginger. I admit I just love the smell of ginger, so I'll rub it on the wood of my boat. The gochukaru is red pepper flakes, so that'll really depend on if you mind spicy food."

"I love spicy food," Scarlet said. "I'm used to chilies in food whenever we come here."

"Good, because this stuff is spicy," Kai chuckled. Once the fish was de-scaled, he gutted the fish, deboned it and grabbed a large green leaf from the boat, the spices and wrapped them all up in the large leaf before putting on the fire to cook.

"What's that?"

"It's a banana leaf," Kai said. "Very durable and very useful. I apologies in advance if I overcook the fish. It's been a while since I've cooked."

"I would think you cook every day if you eat a lot of fish," Scarlet said.

"I really only eat the big ones," Kai grinned.

"I take it that's what that tattoo on your chest is from?" Scarlet said.

"This?" Kai glanced at his chest and then at Scarlet. "Yeah, I got this after my first fishing trip when I was young. A shark had mistaken our boat for prey and attacked and I skewered it with my harpoon. Became a local hero for a while," Kai chuckled. "My mom and I have more shark teeth jewelry than we know what to do with. This is the only one I wear, but I made my mom earrings, a necklace, a little dangling piece for her hair, a bracelet and I think an anklet too. I still have shark teeth that I haven't used, though."

"You sound like a regular Hephaestus," Scarlet smiled. "Though much handsomer."

"Aw shucks, you're going to make me blush," Kai chuckled and then, using just his hands, turned the large, fish filled banana leaf to cook the other side. "Who's Hephaestus?"

"Oh, sorry," Scarlet smiled nervously. "I guess Greek mythology isn't always common knowledge."

"No, I can't say I'm well versed in Greek mythology. I'm more familiar with Japanese and Hawaiian folklore. How about you tell me about Hephaestus and I'll tell you a Japanese tale."

"That sounds fair," Scarlet said. She told him the story of Hephaestus and, once she was done, Kai told her the story of Momotarō which was evidently extremely well known. By the time they'd exchanged stories, Kai had flipped the banana leaf a few time and pulled it off the fire to a rock he'd cleaned. He opened the banana leaf and the aroma was wonderful. "It smells delicious," Scarlet praised.

"That's the ginger," Kai grinned. "Give it a moment to cool. I think I have some chopsticks. They're made of silver and everything."

"Silver?"

"Yeah. In Korea, it was believed that silver could detect poison. It's not true, but the rich still each using silver chopsticks." Kai checked the compartment in his boat and found the fabled chopsticks he'd been talking about and handed them to Scarlet but she just stared at them.

"I can't say I know how to use these," Scarlet said.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Kai chuckled and took back the chopsticks. He took a moment to show her how to use them and once she was finally holding them correctly, he walked her through the muscle motions needed to use the chopsticks. By the time she'd learned how to hold them properly and move them on her own let alone with any strength behind it, the fish was cold and she just ate it with her fingers.

"It's alright," Scarlet said. "I trust you not to try to poison me."

"My assurances that I would not," Kai smiled back. "So where are your relatives? You said you come here with them did you not?"

"They've gone home," Scarlet said. "Daddy wasn't too happy with leaving me, but I told him I just wanted some time to myself and would stay here for a while."

"Oh," Kai said. "I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to bother you."

"No, you haven't," Scarlet said. "I'm rather enjoying your company. Speaking of parents, where's your mother? Does she stay in Hawaii?"

"Most of the time," Kai said. "She'll join me for a voyage now and then for a change of pace, but she prefers to stay on the island."

"Was she there was the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor?"

"Indeed she was," Kai said, suddenly more serious. "I nearly had a panic attack when I found out about the bombing. I was in the Philippines at the time. I rushed straight home and found my mother where I always found her, but she'd handed me a Newspaper saying the United States had declared war on Japan and that Germany had declared war on the United States. So mom and I retreated to Australia for the duration of the war. She hated it, though. She was so homesick for Hawaii. When we received news at last that the war was over, mom had the boat ready and was nearly dragging me to it."

"What's your mother's name if you don't mind me asking?"

"Luana Mahealani," Kai said.

"Your last name's Aulani right? Did you mom remarry or something?"

"Oh, no, Luana Mahealani is my mom's full name. Kai Aulani is my full name. I admit I don't actually have a last name. What about you? What's your last name?"

"Black," Scarlet said. "Scarlet Willow Black."

"Colorful," Kai joked. "You said your dad fought in the war?"

"Yeah," Scarlet said. "It's a very long story."

"I'm always open to a story," Kai said and made Scarlet smile.

"I wonder if I really should tell you the whole story. I don't know if you know me well enough to believe me."

"I'm pretty good with my suspension of disbelief," Kai said with a wink.

Scarlet blushed a little and smiled. He was her imprint, so what was the harm? Scarlet thought to start from the beginning, wanting him to get to know her. So she told him about her mother and how she'd died when Scarlet was young. She talked about all her adventures she and her father had, how they ended up in Brazil, how her father met Ada María, the messy break up for lack of a better word, all her younger siblings up to when her father returned home. Kai listened intently and she was relieved he didn't seem the least bit surprised by anything. Though he did raise a brow when she'd mentioned being able to become a wolf.

"So you're familiar with vampires then?" Kai said, surprising her.

"Related to them no less," Scarlet said. "So did you believe a single word I said?"

"The vampires sure," Kai said. "My father was one and I made my mom was after she gave birth to me."

"Really? You're a half-breed?"

"An old one too," Kai said. "I've never heard of the Volturi, though. Perhaps the east wasn't high on their list of priorities."

"I can't imagine why," Scarlet said. "But I'm relieved they were never an issue for you. So, when you say you're old, how old is that?"

"Hell if I know," Kai chuckled. "It was before white men came to the island for the first time. I know that."

"Oh," Scarlet said. "So you're at least over 150 or something right?"

"Older than that," Kai grinned. "Actually, I guess I'm not quite as old as to say I've been alive since before white settlers came to Hawaii. Legend has it that there was a shipwreck of Spaniards. In fact, I was born after the outbreak in Hawaii of Cholera. So….early 1800s? Somewhere in there? I was still a boy when missionaries came to Hawaii. Their religion took off, but my mother never accepted it. She always kept me aware of my heritage and taught me about the old gods."

"So you're not Catholic?" Scarlet joked.

"Not at all," Kai chuckled. "Are you?"

"I'm baptized as Catholic, yes," Scarlet said. "A practicing Catholic on the other hand, no." Kai chuckled and Scarlet blushed a little.

"You keep this up, Miss Scarlet, your whole face might turn red," Kai teased and Scarlet felt like she'd done just that. "So how were you planning to get home?"

"I actually hadn't thought about that if you want the truth," Scarlet said. The grin Kai gave her made her heart flutter. There was something seductive in that smile. Normally she'd consider such a smile presumptuous, but with Kai, she couldn't muster the criticism.

"That's not good," Kai said. Then he pretended to have a wonderful idea. "I have an idea. How about I take you home? We can stop in Hawaii first. You'd love it there I know. Then once you've had your fill of the island, I'll sail you back to Washington. Just show me on a map where to take you and I'll do the rest."

"Why, Mr. Kai, that's an awfully generous offer from a man I barely know," Scarlet said.

"I'll tell you what," Kai said. "We'll stay here in Peru for…let's say a week. After that week, if you don't feel comfortable with me taking you home, I'll scrounge up the money for your boat and train fare myself. What do you say?"

"I think that's fair," Scarlet smiled. Kai held out his hand and Scarlet accepted, shaking on the agreement.

"One more week in Peru, then," Kai said.

Back in Washington, Nathan and the others finally returned home and, as they'd discussed, Ada María got to work on getting the boys work at the bar. Ariel was able to nab a job as a bartender and Gabriel got a job as a bouncer. All he really had to do was make sure the drunks didn't fight and convince them to take a room if they were too drunk to drive or, in the case of the locals, help wobble them home if they were too drunk to even walk. They had been a little grouchy about it at first, but they soon grew to really like working at the bar. Gabriel frequently got away with just talking to some of the patrons outside even keeping them drinking longer making the bar a little extra money and Ariel discovered a rather avid liking and talent for drink mixing.

Natalie was happy to see her nephews working, especially when they'd become really good at their jobs really quickly. Of course, the jobs for all three of them meant they rarely went on patrol. Especially Natalie. She would do it whenever she felt like she needed to clear her head in a manner. Otherwise, she was working at the bar. She'd gotten extremely good at her job and even liked it a great deal. When she was home, she felt a great sadness come over her and it would take everything in her not to read Jae's letters. When she was at work, she was busy. She was talking to people. She was fulfilling orders or singing or paying attention to anyone and everyone except herself. It was a phenomenal distraction. JJ would come to the bar after work whenever Natalie was working even if only for a little while to check on her and make sure any of the sailors or fishermen or any other men just getting off work behaved themselves. Of course, most of them knew Natalie well and knew to leave the stunning widow alone.

"Mom," JJ said when Natalie was approaching his table. She went to him and hugged and kissed his head.

"How was work, JJ?"

"As it always is," JJ said. "Are you singing tonight?"

"I think so," Natalie said. "I haven't had a chance to talk to the boss yet. Did you want anything to eat?"

"No, just a beer," JJ said.

"How about water?"

"Mom," JJ grumbled.

"I'll get you a soda," Natalie said and kissed JJ's cheek before running off. He overheard someone at the other table teasing JJ, but he ignored them. Natalie returned with a soda water that JJ accepted.

"I'm old enough to drink, mom," JJ grumbled again.

"Jae Jacob, you will drink soda water and you will like it," Natalie said firmly with her hands on her hips.

"You know, mom, if you'd let me drink a beer, the bar would make more money. Beer's fifty cents. This is only a dime."

"You can have five soda waters to make up for it," Natalie said. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"

"Positive," JJ said. "Did you eat anything?"

"I don't need anything. I'm not hungry," Natalie said. She'd gotten a little better about eating since working, but she still didn't eat enough. Kyle scolded her constantly about it. She was easily ten pounds underweight and it wasn't healthy. JJ was no one to talk, though. How he had any meat on his bones, let alone some semblance of a developed musculature, was anyone's guess. Likely from Hailey's demand that either JJ eat something at lunch or he'd be sent home without pay. JJ knew Hailey meant well, but it always infuriated him.

"If you say so," JJ finally said. "Just this one soda water will be fine."

"Okay," Natalie said and kissed JJ's cheek. "Don't stay too long. You have to work tomorrow too remember."

"Yes, mom," JJ said and Natalie walked away. Finally, the man that had been snickering finally spoke up.

"Glad to see your mother's in good enough spirits to scold you," the man chuckled.

"That's one way to look at it," JJ sighed and finished his soda water. He put the money he owed plus a generous tip on the table before walking out without saying anything to Natalie. She was sad he'd not said anything. She'd talk to him about it when she saw him in the morning.

"Natalie," Ada María said as she approached and Natalie looked at her. "Boss wants you to sing while the rest of us take a break. Can you hand the orders to one of the others?"

"Give me a second and I'll ask Cindy to take my tables for a bit," Natalie agreed and located Cindy to make her request.

Once Cindy had the orders, Natalie retreated to the dressing room in the back and got changed into the outfit that had been picked out for her. She wasn't too keen on it, though. It was a woman's navy uniform. Likely from all the naval men that were in the audience that day. They had gotten into the habit of coming every Friday evening. Rumor had it the seamen adored her and, when they arrived, always asked to hear Natalie Dauer sing. Natalie didn't know if it was true. It didn't really matter. The regulars were usually able to keep them away from her regardless. It was always made clear Natalie was a widow and wanted nothing to do with the boys. All the same, Natalie got dressed in the uniform that had needed to be specially made to fit her. All the other costumes were too big. It had become another source for more people to tell her she was too skinny and that she needed to start eating this or that or just eat period. She took it without complaint, but she detested it.

Once she was dressed, Natalie got on stage in front of the large microphone that had been set up for her and the light shinned on her. This was always the hardest part of her job when she had to sing. The music always catered to the troops, so the songs were always about missing a boy, or loving him so, or reminding him that he was hers and so on. Romantic music that always, without fail, instantly made her think of Jae. She'd gotten better as the years went by, but she would always need a moment to herself to recover and compose herself. This time when she got on stage, the music that played indicated a newer song she'd been taught recently. It was a song that rejoiced a lover's return. Somehow, that song stung more than any of the others. The music was chipper and happy, unlike her mood. All the same, Natalie smiled a bright smile and sang. She looked through the audience not really able to see anyone very well but she still made sure she looked at all the men so they felt special. A little trick Ada María had taught her. It always ensured Natalie received rather generous tips.

While Natalie was singing, she heard the door to the bar open, but that wasn't strange. She only continued to sing and swayed her hips cheerfully. Another trick Ada María had taught her that always won her better tips. Moments earlier outside the bar, Suerro walked through the streets of Forks. He'd known that a town had been erected since last he'd been to Washington. He was even familiar with the turmoil that had come with the Quileutes begrudgingly agreeing to a peace treaty of a sort with a trade agreement that was tolerated at best. Of course, he'd never seen the town. It was dark out and he'd arrived moments before. He'd hear a squawk if he started wondering the wrong way. He'd intended to go directly to the tribe, but that was evidently the wrong way. When he arrived in town, the raven flew into view and seemed to have a direction in mind that he followed.

Eventually, the raven perched on the railings of an inn that had a sign on it indicating it was also a bar. He heard music coming from the bar and a woman singing. Suerro stood outside a moment and when he didn't enter the bar, the Raven squawked at him again, flapping it's wings impatiently. Eventually Suerro finally approached the bar and looked at the raven as he approached. The raven flapped its wings and squawked again. Suerro sneered at the bird having had enough of the bird since it had begun stalking him and then finally went into the bar. He went straight to the bar where a young man was working. He was talking another woman in what he figured was Spanish from what he could tell. He noticed the kid look directly at him cautiously a moment but he quickly returned his attention to the woman he'd been speaking to.

The song ended and the men roared with applause. Suerro looked towards the stage at the woman that had been singing. Her hair wasn't particularly dolled up. Just a bun atop her head that had been hurriedly put together and she was wearing a sailor's uniform. That seemed to get a kick out of the navy boys in the crowd. Suerro couldn't say he blamed the men cheering her on. She was stunning. A little skinny than what Suerro thought she appeared she should be, but she was stunning. Her hair was like the night sky, her skin a healthy tan but she was paler than he'd been when he was human. Her features seemed to indicate she was Native American but there were certainly pale face features to her. She had the brightest smile he'd ever seen, but something about that smile seemed strange. It seemed forced. Despite it, though, Suerro felt himself drawn to her. She continued to smile and wave at the crowd and even blew a kiss to a few of them.

"Can I get you something?" the young man at the bar asked Suerro, making him look away from the woman on stage. Another song began to play and the woman continued to sing.

"Nothing, thank you," Suerro said. "What's her name?" Suerro asked.

"The woman on stage?" the young man asked. "That's Aunt Natalie."

"Aunt?"

"Well, she's my aunt," the young man answered. "Her name's Natalie Dauer. Usually she waits tables but she'll sing for the troops to give the dancers a break."

"She has a beautiful singing voice," Suerro said as he watched her.

"She does," the young man said. "She does a good job but she doesn't really like it. She'd never tell the boss, but she doesn't like having to sing."

"Why not?"

"All the music they make her sing makes her sad. I caught her once after a performance crying in the dressing room."

"Why should it make her cry?"

"It reminds her of my Uncle Jae. I never knew him but according to everyone, to know him was to love him. He died during the war." Suerro turned to look at the young man.

"How'd he die?"

"A German sniper got him. If I remember correctly, he took a bullet through the neck and the heart," the young man answered.

"I see," Suerro said, feeling a chill come over him. "So she's widowed?"

"Yeah," he nodded. Someone called for the man's attention. "Excuse me," he said to Suerro and went to the end of the bar to the man that had called for him and Suerro returned his attention to the woman on stage.

Suerro watched intently while the woman sang. He couldn't believe she was old enough that the man at the bar was her nephew. She looked so young. He tried to concentrate and single out her scent among all the people in the bar. There was no burn in his throat. He'd had blood before entering Washington through the Canadian border. He noticed something odd about her smell when he finally found it. It was piney. Like the evergreens. There was a floral hint to her scent but the smell of pine was the strongest smell. There was a hint of dog…no….puppy breath? It made him think of puppy's breath but it was extremely faint. There was a wet dog smell, but it wasn't coming from her. It was coming from the bartender. When he realized it, his eyes shot open and he looked at the boy again. It wasn't exactly the same as Taha Aki had been, but it was the smell of dog and Suerro was instantly uncomfortable. He remembered how the boy had given him a strange look when he entered. He must have known Suerro was a vampire the moment he'd entered. He didn't seem to pay Suerro any attention, though. He was focused on the other patrons at the bar.

Suerro dared to return his attention to the woman on stage and, somehow, the sight of her relaxed him again. She was finishing up with the second song and the men swarmed the stage as though they were hoping for her attention. She appeased them with a smile and bended down to give each man a moment of her undivided attention before going to the next man in line. The longer he listened, the more he was drawn to her. Her voice was like a siren's song: tempting, alluring and unforgettable. He would get momentary glances at her eyes and they were the black of a woman from the tribe yet they were vibrant despite the sorrow he could see there. Finally, she finished the song and stepped aside from the microphone so she could bow to the crowd, smile at them and wave. She looked around the bar seeming to try and give everyone the same treatment when their eyes met. When they did, something in that instant struck Suerro in a way he simply couldn't explain.

Natalie, after singing and waving to the crowd, looked though the bar and her gaze fell upon a man in the back. She felt something pull and, in an instant, she was taken. However, unlike the others when being happy to find their imprint, Natalie felt sick to her stomach. She recognized him from her dreams instated, started to feel dizzy and knew she needed to leave the stage immediately. She tried to smile and appear normal, waving as she left the stage, but she did little to hide the rush she was in the leave the stage.

"Is she alright?" someone asked and Suerro looked at the man who'd asked the question who appeared to be speaking to the young man from before. "She was in quite a hurry to get off stage."

"I don't know," the young man said, but he looked right at Suerro. Then there was a small flicker in his eyes that appeared to be awareness. Suerro didn't care for it. "She could just be exhausted. The lot of you have been ordering drinks like they're water tonight."

"I've only had two beers!" the man defended himself and several other patrons stepped into the conversation.

In the back, Natalie ran to the dressing room and forced her way in. The dancers as well as Ada María were in there getting ready for their next show and they all looked at Natalie who'd entered appearing to have tears in her eyes.

"Mrs. Dauer?" one of the young women asked.

"Out, all of you," Ada María ordered. In the years since working at the bar, she'd worked her way up rather quickly to being the head dancer and, therefore, in charge of the other girls. It was a power she was known to take advantage of, but tonight Natalie was grateful for it. The young women quickly finished dressing and left the room leaving Natalie and Ada María alone. "Natalie? What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Natalie forced through tears that were forming as she forced the uniform off her. "I just need to go home. Can you tell the boss I needed to leave? Just say I got sick."

"Sure," Ada María said. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you want me to send Ariel or Gabriel home with you?"

"No, no, it's alright." Natalie got herself dressed in her normal clothes trying not to cry.

"Really, Natalie, what's the matter? You're so pale all of a sudden. You look as though you've seen a ghost."

"Not seen one," Natalie said. "Just being haunted."

"What?"

"Nothing," Natalie said and slipped her dress on. "Tell boss I'll be back tomorrow. I just need to leave."

"Sure," Ada María said and watched as Natalie took her purse and hurried out the dressing room and out the back door.

Once she was outside, she took a deep breath into her lungs of fresh night air. She took a moment to look around and when she was sure no one was there, she let herself start to cry as she walked away from the bar. As she was walking, her tears started to persist and she kept shaking her head until she was crouching down just crying. She heard a raven in the distance, but she ignored it. She didn't hear any footsteps, but she noticed a sweet smell. It was alluring, though. Masculine and woodsy with other scents she couldn't pin but were enjoyable.

"Miss," the voice came. She knew the voice. She'd heard it in her nightmares so many times. That the voice made her shiver made her feel vile. The owner of that voice approached her and kneeled down beside her. "Miss, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Natalie managed and tried to stand. She had to be still a moment as she felt herself get dizzy when she stood too quickly. "I'm sorry. I need to go home."

"Where do you live, miss? I'll walk you home."

"You don't have to," Natalie insisted. "I'll be alright by myself." Natalie started walking away and Suerro overheard her mumble over and over 'I'll be alright by myself'. The raven squawked grabbing Suerro's attention and it appeared agitated. It kept hoping from side to side and Suerro finally tried catching up to Natalie since that appeared to be what the bird was telling him to do.

"Here," Suerro said, offering Natalie a little handkerchief that he carried in his pocket.

"It's alright, but thank you," Natalie insisted and kept rubbing her eyes.

"Natalie," Suerro said and she stopped in her tracks.

She started crying more and went to her knees again, but Suerro caught her before her knees could touch the ground. In truth, he wasn't really sure what he was doing. He just knew he needed to hold her. So he held her close why she cried. It was so strange for him. He wasn't exactly known for being affectionate or caring. The woman that changed him could attest to such a fact, but something about Natalie tugged at his heart and he needed to comfort her. Suerro rubbed her back and tried rocking back and forth but soon, she either realized what was going on or was embarrassed and pulled away shaking her head a moment.

"Really, sir, it's alright. I'll make it home just fine," Natalie said.

"Natalie, please," Suerro said and she stopped again. "You're clearly not alright. I can't in good conscience let you walk home alone. Just tell me where you live and I'll walk you home. Please?" Suerro offered Natalie his hand and she started at him and his hand a moment. She continued to have a sinking feeling that battled with a deep desire to accept his hand. She already loved the man and she knew it. And she hated herself for it. Finally, she gave Suerro her hand and he took it so he could get her to hold his arm for support and started walking in the direction she'd been going.