Disclaimer: Twilight, and those characters belonging to it, are property of Stephenie Meyer and I profit none whatsoever from using them for the fan fiction I write.

Author's Note: Combination of end of previous Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. Small editing but no big changes.

The sun's light crept in with the morning, its warmth stretching across the land in quiet assurance that another day had arrived just before the clouds rolled in to dilute its potency. It was to those muted strands of sun that Kady woke, rolling over in the rented bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Stretching, she turned over and pushed her messy hair from her face, leaning up to look out the window. Yellow, orange, and red mingled in the sky through the open patches of grey cotton like clouds, welcoming her first morning in Forks.

20 minutes and a shower later, the young woman locked the door to her room and ran down the Inn's stairs to the parking lot and hopped into her truck. Even if she could just buy breakfast at the Inn's downstairs restaurant, she felt like heading into town and buying something to take to the Clearwater's. The memories she had of Sue's cupboards were almost always bare because her kids, not to mention their friends, had eaten her out of house. It was only fair she pay some of that kindness back.

By 6:30 most of the town was already on the go it seemed, and at 7 the closest grocery store she'd found already had near thirty cars in the lot. Pulling in one of the back spaces, farthest from the store, Kady parked by a small silver, sporty number of a car and trekked her way back to the building. At her age she really didn't need to worry about a long walk, honestly she liked them, preferred it really...

The inside air conditioning wasn't much of a change from outside, but it still caused goose bumps to appear along her skin and she rubbed her arms reflexively. Ignoring the candy, cosmetics, pet food and everything else she didn't need, Kady headed for the fruits and vegetables.

Strawberries, grapes, bananas...Kady reached for one of the pineapples, whole and covered in cube shaped stickers, only to have it pulled out from in front of her very fingertips, "Hey!"

Just over 6 feet and built like a linebacker, the guy wore a cheeky little grin and held the pineapple she'd been planning on getting out of reach, "These things kill you know."

By comparison she was tiny; short, but not as spritely as Alice, with skin that proved she wasn't one of the locals with its soft tan. I was reminded of the hostas Esme favored, her eyes lighter at the irises and darkening out to a lush green; wry amusement warring in them, "I'd fight back too if someone tried to make a meal out of me."

I couldn't stop the laugh, smoothing my thumb over the sharp edges of the fruit's protective covering, the tips breaking and falling into my palm without resistance before handing it back, "No doubt." She didn't linger beyond a few minutes, polite but easy conversation shared as I tried to determine what it was that Carlisle found appealing. Her blood wasn't as floral as Bella's had been - though Edward insisted what I thought of Bella's blood wasn't a thousandth of what he'd struggled with.

…

We ran; Quil, Embry, Jake and I around La Push in laps spaced evenly along the border of our land. Four bodies, four tracks of thought, one mind and goal.

Two moved to the woods last night. No humans on them on the way back though, just elk.

Clear here

Embry and Quil's voices were accompanied by their sight, the woods to the Northeast humming quietly. The cliffs and river had remained untouched by vampire since the Cullen's many visitors to witness Renesmee. The wildlife having returned but still subdued despite the time since the occurrence.

Stopping, my breath came out in thick puffs, ears resting back as I studied the long road leading into the reservation. We weren't supposed to be seen, even by our own people, so making sure no one was around before crossing the road was important.

Seth? Jake prodded the young wolf's mind, bringing his attention back to the present.

Sorry Jake, cl- digging my claws into the ground, I felt three other sets of shoulders tense, catching the faint whisp of that too sick too sweet scent on the air. Ears pricking forward, I stood, shaggy coat hung down with the movement, waiting for clarity as the scent filled it's nostrils. Underneath the sharp smell another only more recently known became known.

Jaws shifting, yesterday's questions about the Cullen's whispered conversation spun through each of our minds.

Why would they be around her?

That's not the same as fixed the truck…

I waited without comment as their discussion went on, focused on her growing proximity, moving through the woods along the road to find her sooner. A half mile from the border I saw her riding solo, shoulders relaxing. Of course they wouldn't be coming here, whatever they'd spoken about it wasn't serious enough to warrant a visit.

Who was it?

I focused, nostrils flaring in response to the other man's question, the two of us best suited to differentiating the Cullens as the only ones comfortable hanging around with them, Emmett.

Though I'd never felt any animosity towards any of the Cullen family before I couldn't control the anxiety that suddenly gripped me. The look on Carlisle's face as he spoken with Edward flashing at the forefront of my consciousness. What was this sudden uneasiness?

Go see her; she'll be at your place in a minute.

Yeah we've got this.

Jake?

Go.

…

"There's my girl." Wrapped in the strong arms of the elder La Push native, I found myself reminded of home. Not the geographical back East sense, but the warm, this is who I can come to when I need to let out what's bothering me. Sue had a strong soul, her eyes reflecting all she'd gone through since her husband's passing,

"It's good to see you too." Following her as she led me into the modest home, I looked around, nostalgia warming my insides at the surroundings that had not changed, "I've missed this place."

"You know you don't have to stay in town…" I shook my head at her offer, toying with my necklace. I didn't want to tell her I'd opted to rent a place in Forks to keep from invading what little space she had; I knew Seth's friends likely over ran the place daily. Easing from one topic to the next, I raised the bag I'd brought with me, "Up to a fruit salad breakfast?"

…

The smell of fruit hung around the house, mingling with the thicker earthy scent of my mother and Kady's tangier one. Though Emmett's lingering smell was all but gone, I couldn't keep the hair on the back of my nck from raising minutely until I'd cleared the entire house before finding them in the kitchen.

Sensing me, mom smiled, catching Kady's attention with a hand on her shoulder, "Look who made it home."

The second Kady's eyes met mine, I felt those invisible tethers swing gently between us, her answering smile soft at the corners of her mouth as I memorized her face. At her side, my mom shifted in place, setting the bowl of fruit down, look questioning. It took a second, as reluctant as I was to look from her, but I couldn't hide anything from the woman that raised me. The alarm on my mother's face caught me off guard, tension spreading through my chest and shoulders, and I struggled against the need to be defensive as she reigned the emotion in before Kady spotted it as well.

"You know, I forgot I need to see Billy, I'm going to call him let him know I'll be a little late." She disappeared, and while I regretted this caught her off guard, whether she liked it or not I had to tell Kady what had happened, and what I was.

…

We sat with our backs to the couch, the morning lost to the afternoon as we caught up; talking about Seth's studies, my graduation and break from school for a year, celebrating Leah's progress in college. Though I knew she'd gotten in on a sports scholarship it was weird to think she wouldn't be traipsing in at any moment, then again I'd had to fight the urge to ask where Harry was repeatedly, even though I knew he was gone. There was something about being in a familiar place that made you miss the people that use to be in it. Eyes closed, I kept my musings to myself, not fighting the comfort felt under Seth's arm.

All day I was questioning what had changed between us, I knew the feeling, I just couldn't get over it being Seth I had it for. He was younger than me, but not so far I even knew why I thought it. A large hand covered my own and I turned my head to see him leaning close.

Could he hear my heart? My whole body warmed in response to the proximity, was he going to… I closed the distance when he didn't move, the action compulsory, lips tingling in response to the soft feel of his. Instead of moving closer he stopped, throat clearing, "There's something I need to show you."

…

The quick stop-stutter of Kady's heart was a sound that had my hand moving of it's own accord, taking hers in mine as I helped her up, lacing our fingers together as I took her outside. Curiosity met me as I left her on the back deck, knowing mom would kill me if I had done this inside, and I turned as I made my way down the steps, "Don't worry, ok?"

Head titling she started down the steps, stopping when I looked at her. The quiet was broken before I finished tugging off my shirt, but before she could stop me from whatever strip routine she thought she was being forced to endure, I let myself phase.