Harry apparated him and Emmett back to the cabin, all the portkeys deposited people in the middle of the living room. As relaxed as everyone seemed to be about death he wasn't going to suddenly drop a corpse on them with no warning.

So Harry and Emmett apparated to Harry's shed where Harry carefully put Victoria's body under stasis and protection charms, confident that would keep everything preserved until he had time to run some tests.

This was quite rushed because apparently Emmett, Mr. Lets-poke-Jake-with-a-dismembered-limb-until-he-squeaks-hysterically, could not deal with apparition.

He patted the revenant lightly on the back until he stopped heaving, hoping Jake was hearing enough of this inside to feel slightly better about the whole high pitched squeaking whilst fleeing a limb thing.

By the time they got in to the cabin Jake seemed to be back in high spirits, and was joining Embry in his dramatic retelling of the Volturi visit.

"They had all this cloaked sith lord stuff going on, like vamps need protecting from the cold or sunlight or something." Jake snorted, "Ridiculous!"

"And then the blonde creepy looking vamp had the effrontery to try and attack Harry with her jedi mind tricks and Harry was like, denied." Embry crowed.

"So rude." Jake agreed with a sniff. "Harry showed her, just asked if that was the best she could do and then put her in a weird vampire coma."

"And then Harry pulled out some id card like he was an magical FBI agent or something." Embry mimed waving something around. "It was prodigious."

Even Jake gave Embry side eye for that one.

"I'm just glad that Harry had the perspicacity to see they were lying through their teeth." Embry exclaimed.

"Yeah, we're lucky Harry was ready to lay all the legal kind of stuff on them, otherwise they were totally going to kill Bree." Jake patted Embry on the shoulder. "Are you alright buddy?"

Embry determinedly ignored him and continued on his roll. Whatever his roll was. "Come now my hirsute friend, we should go check if Esme has any of those hedonistic biscuits." Embry strode off towards the kitchen with Jake trailing him in confusion, but lured by the promise of food. They headed for the snack table that Esme had somehow already assembled and the rest of the room remained silent.

Seth stared after them bemused.

Jasper leaned down to whisper to Seth. "Are we not going to talk about the suddenly loquacious Embry?"

"Ever since Harry started getting more inventive with those friendship bracelets Embry has really been embracing his word of the day calendar." Seth whispered back.

"Right." Jasper still looked confused. "So he felt inspired?"

"I think he thinks if he starts using all these ridiculous words in sentences regularly Harry will have to give in to his request for a bracelet with the code phrase avengers assemble."

"That makes more sense."

"Never gonna happen." Harry interjected. "Emmett bagsied it anyway as soon as the bracelets became a thing he had a whole list of requests."

Seth laughed and clapped Harry on the arm as the rest of the wolves made their way past them and through to the new dining room Kreacher had apparently created.

They clearly weren't all that injured if they were still managing to create that level of racket.

Harry grabbed Jasper's hand as soon as he was close enough. Tucking himself in close against Jasper's side. He wouldn't be leaving Jasper's side for a while if he could manage it.

He turned back to Seth who was looking at them with a sort of exasperated sappy expression that made Harry want to hit him. He glared but Seth just grinned back at him in a really frustrating way.

Harry rolled his eyes. And pressed closer to Jasper. Teenagers were the worst. "How did all the first aid go?"

"Absolutely fine, Sam might have a couple of scars but he's got that miracle jar now so that's unlikely to be a problem." Seth shrugged, "Everyone else was already fixed up by the time we got back."

"We had some trouble with Paul's leg so he's going to be growing back a couple of bones but that was the worst of it." Bill appeared over Seth's shoulder, lent against the wall and staring down at Harry.

Oh dear.

Bill glared. "The main concern was the fact that apparently you died and then decided not to show up for another 2 hours."

Oh dear.

"In my defence I was actually dead for at least 15 minutes of that and then there was a lot of clean up to do."

Harry could see from Bill's face that this had been the wrong tack to take.

"I mean, I will contact you as soon as I wake up next time?" He tried.

Nope that one didn't seem to work any better.

"I am very sorry for worrying you."

Bill nodded. "Quite right." He patted Harry on the shoulder and Harry sighed with relief. That was far easier forgiven than he'd been expecting.

There was a tapping sound at the window.

"Is that an owl?" Bella asked.

No.

He wouldn't.

Harry looked over at Bill who was smirking at him.

Apparently, yes, he would.

He looked over to the window where a large eagle owl was tapping a claw.

Well, shit.

He moved over in daze and opened the window to let the bird in and automatically untied the letter.

A familiar red envelope.

"Best to open it right away." Bill was still smirking at him, the betrayer.

"What is it?" Jake asked.

Harry couldn't answer, he just stared down at the red envelope in his hands.

He closed he eyes briefly and sent a prayer off to someone that this would be relatively painless.

All it took was a small tear and the envelope unravelled in front of him, forming a pair of lips and a forked tongue.

And then there was Mrs Weasley's familiar voice.

At a decibel that Harry would really prefer never to hear again.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, HOW DARE YOU LEAVE US IN SUCH A STATE. YOUR SPOON HAS BEEN HOVERING OVER MORTAL PERIL FOR DAYS AND NOW WILLIAM TELLS ME YOU DIED AGAIN ALL ALONE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD." Harry winced, he wished he could say this was the first time he'd received a howler from Mrs. Weasley but it was unfortunately one of many.

Ron had been so delighted the first time it was Harry to receive a howler and not him.

"You're really part of the family now mate."

He loved being part of the Weasley family. "MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS KIND OF PRESSURE YOUNG MAN, I'M OF A MIND TO COME RIGHT TO WHEREVER IT IS YOU'RE HIDING YOURSELF AND DRAG YOU STRAIGHT HOME."

Loved it.

"YOU ARE NOT WRIGGLING YOUR WAY OUT OF CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR, ONE DAY WITH ALL MY CHILDREN IS THE LEAST YOU OWE ME."

Bill was actively laughing at him but the rest of the cabin just seemed shell shocked.

"YOUR BROTHERS ARE ALL WORRIED SICK AND POOR TEDDY DESERVES MUCH BETTER FROM YOU YOUNG MAN."

He winced. Well, Mrs. Weasley always knew where to hit the hardest.

The voice dropped down to Mrs Weasley's usual register and Harry shivered. The wolves were rubbing at their aching ears and the whole room was staring at him. "Bill dear thank you for the update and let that terrible brother of yours know that we love him and if he doesn't turn up for Christmas I will set Teddy on him. Oh and Harry dear, bring the boyfriend."

And on that final note the howler ripped itself into pieces and set itself on fire.

Harry turned to Jasper who was staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. "Hey love, how do you feel about doing Christmas in England this year?"

Hours later the last of the wolves finally left, a quick portkey would at least mean they made it back to Billy's in one piece.

If Harry found out which adult had crossed his age ward to hand out his whiskey he was going to do something regrettable to their nether regions.

It was probably Emmett so Harry was going to have to work out how to make a revenant itchy.

Bill had pointedly put himself to bed a couple of hours ago. He was planning on heading back to his family in the morning.

Fleur was back from visiting her mother and Bill's youngest would be playing in his first Quidditch match next week. Harry had already loaded him down with letters and small gifts for him and the rest of the Weasley clan.

He was going to have to start the campaign back into Mrs Weasley's good graces somehow.

Bill had made Carlisle promise to send him a message if Harry got in any more trouble. Because apparently Bill had a phone now.

And still didn't trust him to call for help when he needed it.

Which was fair enough really.

But as he put it, "Even your Potter luck couldn't inspire another major battle before the new year. So don't call me until after Christmas. If something happens before then It's Charlie's go to deal with it."

Which was a bit rude really.

"I am actually capable of dealing with things by myself." Harry rolled his eyes up at Bill who was gripping Harry's shoulder like he was about to run off.

"Yeah we know mate, doesn't mean you have to though." Bill winked at Jasper and Harry wilted.

Brothers were the worst. Particularly when they knew you too well.

At least he didn't have to worry about any hordes of Weasley's descending. Bill had apparently thought of that. "Don't worry, I just added mum to your mail ward, I didn't give her your address and I made her promise she wouldn't do anything mad like follow her owl to find out where you live."

Not a small risk. Mrs Weasley had once tried to transfer the family spoons to portable watch so she could track all of her children's locations. Only the boundaries of magic itself and several British laws about involuntary blood magic had stopped her.

Bill skated past his mothers tendencies towards insanity. "Told the rest of my lot that I've got your details now so if something does go wrong we have a way of reaching you."

Harry shrugged, it was inevitable he'd get some more visitors at some point. A year had been too much to ask when it came to his family and friends leaving him alone.

But he needed to make sure this was taken seriously.

"I'm happy here Bill." Harry stated simply. "If they come to visit, they go through Sharptooth, they come under polyjuice and they put up all the protections Gringotts suggests. I don't care if they think I'm dying, permanently this time, they bring this life crashing down around me I don't know what I'll do."

Bill nodded seriously and Harry was left reassured that he would do his best to keep his family reined in.

And Harry would invest in some glamours.

He needed to get some sorted for the Cullens anyway.

Merlin, this evening had been long.

The revenants left under their own steam, Edward carrying a very drunk Bella in his arms and Rosalie carrying an Emmett at Emmett's insistence. For some reason.

A reason he didn't want to know if Jasper's face was anything to go by.

Kreacher tried to kick Jasper out but Harry threatened him with a toilet deep clean tomorrow if the elf didn't back off.

Harry meant it, he would get out his marigolds and do it manually if it helped to drive the point home.

The horror of his master doing chores like a muggle was apparently enough to send Kreacher into a catatonic state. Harry just tucked him into his bedroom in the library with a bottle of the gillywater the elf always pretended he hated but bought whenever he did a beer run.

They had developed a language over the years.

Harry wouldn't call it a love language.

Because fucking hell love shouldn't include that many blood status slurs.

But mutual shits given at least.

Blesséd silence.

And finally him and Jasper were alone.

Jasper was hovering hesitantly in the living room, clearly ready to be ejected from the house in a last minute bid from Kreacher.

Harry smiled at him gently and moved over to where he was stood, always awkward.

Harry wrapped his arms around Jasper's middle and pulled the revenant into a hard hug. "I am so sorry love."

Jasper just gripped him harder for a moment before his hold loosened and gentled, Harry felt the revenant cup his face and happily raised his head to meet Jasper's lips.

A slow simple press of lips.

I'm here.

Don't worry.

I'm not leaving.

Harry rested his forehead against Jasper's, bring one hand up to play with the hair at the nape of Jasper's neck. The other hand covered Jasper's hand on his cheek. "I love you Jasper."

He gripped Jasper's hand. "I'm so sorry but I promise, I will always come back."

Jasper's lips crashed into his and he licked into Jasper's desperate mouth, a heady cocktail of Jasper.

They explored each other desperately, hands running up and down each other's bodies. Harry felt breathless and light headed, the press of cool lips against his felt intoxicating.

Jasper pulled away and for a moment Harry's heart was in his throat, but Jasper just pulled at Harry's jumper. Harry pulled it over his head, throwing it down on the living room floor behind them and pressing himself back against Jasper.

Harry pushed his hands up under Jasper's shirt and Jasper quickly unbuttoned Harry's. The cold solidity of Jasper under his finger tips was electrifying and Harry broke loose to pull Jasper's t shirt over his head, needing more.

His own shirt was discarded as an afterthought as they pressed back together. Skin on skin felt heavenly and Harry wanted to burrow into Jasper and never leave.

Jasper pressed desperate little kisses all over Harry's face, little points of hotcold scattered over his cheeks and forehead. The kisses trailed lingering and open mouthed down Harry's neck until Jasper's lips met Harry's new scar in a moment of searing heat.

They paused, the weight of the day felt like a physical presence.

Jasper buried a desperate sob into Harry's neck and Harry's touches turned soft, passing light fingertips through Jasper's hair. Running soothing circles over Jasper's back and Harry tried to press as much of his warmth into Jasper's skin as he could.

"I'm alive." Harry whispered into Jasper's temple. "I love you."

Jasper's desperate breaths turned deep and steady, Jasper breathed Harry in and Harry kept his lips pressed to a spot just above Jasper's brow.

Harry had done so much damage today.

Jasper deserved every bit of reassurance that Harry could offer him.

Harry dropped his shields.

He tried to press iota of love and affection he had into Jasper's body.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Then Jasper's lips were back on his and the desperation was back, their hands fumbling with fastenings until Jasper finally gave up and ripped Harry's jeans entirely. Harry laughed into Jasper's mouth and retaliated by wandlessly banishing Jasper's trousers onto the floor.

Jasper groaned and fell back onto the sofa, Harry enthusiastically climbing into his lap. Bare skin and more of Jasper. An inspired combination.

Harry pressed kiss after breathless kiss into any part of Jasper he could reach and when Jasper finally settled him fully in his lap they both moaned, the now warm slide of their bodies leaving both of them momentarily frozen.

"Jasper." Harry begged. "Jasper, please."

Jasper groaned and shifted, a couple of spells were all Harry needed to be ready and their bodies finally met in a tight stretch of bliss.

"Harry. Harry. Harry." Jasper chanted into Harry's neck, pressing scattered kisses over Harry's face, his collarbone, his chest.

They were both greedy, grasping and gasping for more and more as they came together.

All it took was one touch from Jasper's hand and white stars were bursting across Harry's vision and he shuddered in Jasper's arms as Jasper followed him into the void.

They came back to themselves slowly, breath evening out and light touches. Harry nuzzled into Jasper's neck curling up in the sense of safety he'd found at the end of a really fucking long day.

Jasper rumbled something into Harry's hair and Harry decided it was too soon to try and work out what his mate was saying. It was time for snuggling and lingering.

It would be time for moving and communicating later.

Much later.

The sun on Jasper's face and the warm curl of Harry in his arms made Jasper feel like dozing for the first time in over a hundred and fifty years.

He already knew that no matter what Harry might discover about reversing… revenantism? Revenantness?

Reversing being a revenant.

No matter what Harry might discover Jasper wasn't going to turn away from the longest possible life with his mate.

But maybe magic had a way to give him back lazy Sunday mornings, he had heard they were special and now Jasper had someone to share them with he found himself desperate for sleepy kisses and lingering touches hazed by sleep.

He wanted to dream of Harry, dream with Harry.

He pressed another kiss against Harry's hair and added it to his mental tally of kisses he had managed to sneak in whilst Harry slept next to him.

He couldn't help it. Harry snuffled in his sleep and it was too cute not to reward with kisses.

He would never admit it to Edward but watching Harry sleep was wonderful and Jasper would quite happily be Harry's pillow for the rest of their lives if it meant he got to stay this close to his mate.

Jasper was going to struggle to ever let Harry go again.

Because the last time Harry left his sight Harry died. And even if Harry couldn't die Jasper never wanted to see that again.

Harry rolled further into him and the blankets dipped down.

Jasper found himself transfixed by the dimples low on Harry's back.

The sunlight played over his skin and Jasper found himself playing his fingers over the freckles that dusted Harry's shoulders. Lingering on the curve of his spine. Trailing his hands down Harry's back.

Harry murmured against him and the next shuffling press against Jasper's side had purpose. Harry's lips found his as his mate blearily blinked open his startlingly green eyes.

Harry smiled sleepily up at Jasper and stole more kisses, nipping at Jasper's lips until the revenant couldn't help but roll into him. Now poised above a smiling Harry Jasper deepened his kisses, running his hands over the soft skin of Harry's side as it stretched over his ribs.

There was something delightfully solid about Harry, he wasn't big by any scale but all of him was delightfully dense. Whipcord taut muscles moved under smooth pale skin and Jasper could wait to explore all of Harry. Kiss all of Harry.

But for now he would settle for a longer taste of Harry's mouth and the chance to explore anywhere he could reach with his hands.

If Harry thought he would escape bed any time soon he was sorely mistaken. Harry enthusiastically returned his kisses and Jasper doubted Harry was any more willing to leave than he was.

"Stay." Harry mumbled into his mouth. "Forever, please."

"Always." Jasper murmured back.

When Billy first told Jake that he had a long lost, British cousin who had suddenly decided to move to Forks Jake was of the opinion that anyone who chose to move here must be mad.

It rained constantly, there was nothing to do and in the last couple of months Jake had discovered that Forks was full of dangerous supernatural creatures. One of which was him.

He felt fragile and indestructible at the same time. His body was strong, built for something bigger than he was. A duty to his family, a birthright from his ancestors, a responsibility to the tribe.

But no matter what he did his brain just couldn't catch up. He knew there were more important things going on but all he could think about was Bella. She didn't want him and if she didn't want him nobody would want him.

He had the pack in his head, poking fun and telling him to get over it.

His dad had just tried to ignore it, focusing on what he could do to keep Jake in food and clothes.

He couldn't put more pressure on Billy, not with his sisters so far away and the fixed income they had from Billy's disability checks.

So he wasn't particularly excited to meet a new cousin.

And then that new cousin has smelt like lightening and danger and Jake's wolf brain was yelling at him to run.

He'd almost turned. Right there in his kitchen. In front of an outsider, someone new.

He tensed, ready for Harry to run, avoid him the way the kids at school who weren't pack had started avoiding him. He knew that he now set off human instincts the way Harry's smell was setting off his wolf.

But the tiny little British kid just smiled up at him like nothing happened and offered his hand.

He was nice. He let Jake natter on about motorbikes and didn't seem bored.

He'd taken him out to see the bikes and then he had somehow ended up telling him the whole sorry story and he had cried.

He had cried the way he hadn't cried since his mum died. Sobs bubbling up in his chest as months of fear, anxiety and sadness rushed out of him in waves.

And Harry had stayed friendly, and calm. Just sat there with a teenager he'd just met making soothing sounds and running his hands through Jake's hair in a way that felt so much like love that when Jake stopped crying he couldn't even bring himself to feel embarrassed.

When he tried to apologise Harry had just waved him away. "I know you don't really know me yet, but you and your dad are family of a sort and I don't have much of that left. I'm always here to listen if you need it."

Jake almost burst into tears again.

If what Harry wanted was family than he would have it.

And then Jake's prediction had turned out to be right in the best way, Harry was completely bat shit crazy.

It was awesome.

Bella felt like she was wading through some kind of weirdly realistic fever dream.

This was meant to be her last year at school, time to get the best grades she could, spend time with her friends and her dad.

Enjoy her last year as a human before she was turned into an immortal vampire.

It was feeling like she was almost getting used to things, almost working out how to balance things in her life again without constantly feeling like she was drowning.

A new kid joined and initially all she felt was relief, something else for the student body to obsess over. And then she felt guilty, Charlie had told her about Harrison Black. He was an orphan, parents murdered back in Europe somewhere, and living up in the woods somewhere alone.

Bella had been confused when Harry joined them at their table, apparently happy to chat to everyone but leave her to herself.

Even if he sometimes managed to ignore Mike. Bella couldn't really blame him.

She focused on her sandwich, trying to ignore how much she missed the familiar presence of Edward beside her.

How ever since Italy whenever Edward was out of her sight she convinced herself that he was leaving her again.

Abandoning her back to the void that had made up most of last year, the gasping hurt of his absence made it hard for her to focus on anything else.

And then Harrison had turned to her and asked her about Jake and the whiplash felt like violence.

He turned out to be Jake's cousin and all the guilt and frustration Bella had been feeling for the last couple of months felt like it was going to burst out of her.

She bit her lip, determined to keep the rush anger and shame in when Harrison made clear something she already knew.

That she'd fucked up with Jake.

Like she didn't know that, her feelings for her childhood friend mixed up in a cocktail of depression and desperation. She missed him like a limb but Edward's absence left her without breath and she'd rather limp through the rest of her life than be without Edward.

But she wanted both of them.

She started to get her hopes up when Jasper fixated on Harrison with a startling intensity.

If Harry was going to become one of the Cullens with her then maybe she would be able to keep Jake in her life. They were family. Maybe she could have this.

She watched eagerly as Edward's brother, who had barely spoken to her the entire time she had been dating his brother, glowed with happiness whenever he was around Harrison.

Edward's brother who had tried to kill her last year. Who had apologised by staying away and voting for her to be able to make the change, become a vampire. Who had barely ever spoken to her, or anyone else at school.

People had been confused when Edward had started talking to Bella, he rarely spoke to anyone outside of classes. But he did speak to people occasionally.

Jasper rarely even spoke in class. Angela swore that he was actually very friendly in Spanish but most people assumed that he only spoke to her because speaking was literally part of the class.

He chatted happily away with a smiling Harrison.

A weird feeling was worming its way through Bella, she felt uncomfortable looking at them.

It took her over a week to work out what it was.

When Jasper stared at Harrison it didn't look hungry, it looked besotted.

She knew Edward loved her. He did.

Edward was the best thing that had ever happened to her, no matter the difficulties he had brought into her life

He was brave and wonderful, so unlike any boy she'd ever met.

But she looked at Jasper and Harrison and felt something ache.

Alice concentrated hard on the new kid.

When Alice had told him that something good was coming it had been true. Over the last couple of day's the Jasper in her vision seemed happy. Really deeply happy in a way that Alice had never seen him before.

And based on Jasper's reaction to him it had something to do with this kid.

He seemed ordinary if you didn't look to closely. Just another kid trying to get through the last year of school. He was friendly and he smiled at people a lot.

He was gorgeous. Dark hair, bright green eyes, athletic in an understated way. But still very human.

His accent was sending most of the female half and the some of the male half of the school into flutterings.

Mike Newton had all but flung himself into the seat next to the new boy in Chemistry, muscling out a pouting Lauren and that was the first time Alice saw the mask slip.

It wasn't for long but when Mike sat down next to him the boy sighed. Under his breath, quietly but audible to her enhanced hearing.

Apparently Harry was not a fan of Mike and when Mike continued to speak through the whole lesson Alice could see the tension in Harry's shoulders rising. By the time Chemistry was over Harry almost flew out of his seat.

Alice wasn't sure how the boy even managed to get all of his books away before he was already speeding through the door.

He probably wasn't aware he was muttering a very swear heavy diatribe against stupid teenagers who would let him learn anything about chemistry.

Harry really didn't like Mike.

Alice may not be able to see this boy in any of her visions but that didn't mean she couldn't watch and wait. She'd do anything for her brother.

So when Emmett mentioned a potential mate bond she didn't panic.

When continued attempts to look at any future with Harry in it failed she didn't panic.

When Edward turned a perfectly lovely lunch with Jasper's future mate into an outright attack she didn't panic.

And when she woke up from that attack to find her family unharmed. The cafeteria unmarked by the crackling power Alice had seen destroy it before she went under. Alice had smiled because that was what Jasper needed.

Someone powerful enough to stand by him. Someone kind enough to fix the damage and reassure the partner of the man who had just attacked him.

Alice liked Harry, he would need to stay.

Which is why she decided to tell Jake about the whole imprinting thing at the first opportunity. She wanted Harry as a brother-in-law this century and if he was left on his own Jasper would just hover around Harry mooning and she wasn't willing to sit through that.

She may not be able to see Harry's future but if he made Jasper that happy he had to be good for their family.

Lauren brushed her hair back from her face and evened out her lip liner before she lightly pouted her lips and fluffed up her fringe in the mirror.

Perfect.

She scooped her makeup bag from where she'd left it on the bathroom counter and sneered at a girl from the year below when she dared to make eye contact.

Lauren hated that she couldn't get any privacy at this school. Perfection was work to maintain and all of gawking idiots made it hard for Lauren to make it look effortless.

She'd never seen Rosalie Hale even wipe an eyelash, Lauren may not be able to maintain her eyeliner without effort but at least she knew when it was done it was perfect.

Jessica was chattering away next to her about something Mike had said to her the previous evening and Lauren rolled her eyes. As if anyone was interested in anything Mike had to say.

Still Lauren would always get the satisfaction of knowing that Mike had been interested in her first, had asked her out first.

Had even asked out the forever, tragically dressed Bella before settling on Jessica.

Lauren smirked, she wasn't going to settle for second best.

At the beginning of the year Lauren had been excited to go back to her will they/won't they romance with Tyler. It would certainly do more to cement her as the most important girl in their school if the best jock in the school was wrapped around her fingers.

If the school continued ignoring the Cullens, who didn't talk to anyone anyway, and Bella, who had a blip in popularity last year but had become such a non-entity since, she had a real chance to end her high school career on a high.

Secure in her position at the top of the pecking order and with a swarm of boys hovering around her to prove it.

But the new school year had started and now she had a different target in mind and he was far more interesting than Tyler.

Harrison Black was almost as pretty as Lauren was.

He was charming and British and even though he was a little shorter than her boyfriends had typically been in the past Lauren would happily wear flats.

He was sporty without belonging to any teams so he had the physique of an athlete without needing to commit to all the after school practices. Which meant it would be easier to organise dates.

He was clever but didn't look like a nerd and Lauren could make sure he pulled back from his nerdier side when they started dating.

Everyone was talking about him.

He was an orphan which was just so beautifully tragic. Lauren could already see herself offering for him to spend Christmas with her family, it would be the perfect story show the whole school how caring the most popular girl in school was.

They would be perfect together.

Now she just needed to get some good info on his likes and dislikes from Angela who sat next to him in Spanish and she could start cornering him.

He'd apparently befriended that blonde Cullen boy somehow and it was getting frustrating to try and track Harry down without the creepy teenager getting in the way.

Honestly, if Lauren didn't know better she would think they were dating or something.

Seth thought Harry might be some kind of fairy.

Obviously there was the whole magic thing. And that had been a surprise but also completely not a surprise at the same time.

And don't get him wrong, the magic stuff was cool as fuck.

But there was something beyond being able to wave a wand and make a squirrel chase Quil for a week that made Harry special.

Harry was a ball of endless energy and chaos, if something exploded Seth would just have to look around and see Harry somewhere smirking.

You always had to be cautious when Harry handed you anything.

He couldn't be trusted near your school bag unaccompanied and if you accepted a sweet off him without questioning it you deserved what you got.

But Seth felt like he'd found something he was missing. Harry actually read books, was always happy to sit down and watch a new film with him and would put anything he was doing aside to listen if Seth needed to talk to someone.

He was fun to be around, he effortless made the people around him comfortable and within minutes of finding out that there was tension between the Cullens and the Pack Harry had given voice to the concerns that Seth had been having for months.

Given Seth the words he needed to express how uncomfortable he was with the rivalry.

Stopped Jake's rage and anger at the Cullens for long enough for the teenager to actually think about it.

Seth loved Jake. Looked up to Jake.

But jeez, the guy had a temper even before the whole wolf thing came along and no one could deal with nuance when they were that angry.

Harry had stopped Jake in his tracks and within ten minutes had Jake considering that maybe not all the Cullens were terrible.

It made a certain amount of sense that Harry was actually 43 and by the sounds of it had enough life experience to fill several lifetimes. There was a steadiness to him that gave Seth confidence.

That gave Seth enough confidence to start standing up for himself.

Seth knew he was easy to ignore, he just had a natural tendency to stay in the background. His dad had been the same, at home it had been him and his dad who built the peace their household thrived on and now he was gone Seth sometimes felt like he was drowning.

His best friends were the three loudest people Seth had ever met and with them it was easier, they naturally made space for him.

The pack was different, it was loud and chaotic and full of conflict. And he didn't know how to make space for himself when he was so vastly overawed by the other wolves.

Being around Harry made him feel like he could do it.

Because sometimes Harry was like Jake. Angry, driven, willing to throw down with anyone who disagreed with him.

But that hadn't been what convinced Jake.

Harry had been, calm, certain and quietly immovable.

Seth could finally see a way to be himself and not feel spineless.

And then there was the way that new magical birds kept showing up in his cabin.

So Harry was definitely some kind of fairy.

Charlie didn't want to start down this road but he starting to think there was something seriously weird going on with Harrison Black.

When he'd first noticed the stop sign on the road up to Harrison's new cabin he just assumed that one of the delivery trucks heading up to the new house had just clipped it.

But then it kept moving.

Every time he saw Harrison drive he could see exactly what had happened. The boy was a terrible driver, one of the Cullen boys had explained that Harry had learned to drive on the other side of the road.

That did not explain the constantly burning clutch and the complete lack of understanding of road signs.

The boy was possibly the worst driver Charlie had ever seen.

And yet there was not a single mark on his car and the kid must be carrying around quick dry concrete to be doing the kind of repair jobs he was seeing on some of the infrastructure around town.

Signposts didn't just suddenly move ten foot down the road on their own.

Charlie didn't know how he was doing it but he knew he was doing it.

But Charlie had other problems, missing teenagers for one, the first murder case this district had seen in decades, his daughter and her frustrating boyfriend arguing constantly.

Don't get him wrong, Charlie would pop a cork on something sparkly if the Cullen's youngest finally left his daughter's life for good.

And it was nice to see Bella getting some of her spark back.

When she was yelling Bella looked like Renee in a way she hadn't in over a decade.

But Jesus, he just wanted some peace and quiet whilst he ate his dinner and drank a couple of beers.

He'd go back to the whole Harrison Black problem once more pressing manners were resolved.

Like why the hell his lawn had gotten so long in the last week, and whether he needed to call the wildlife service to come out and check these new birds who had moved in.

Charlie had never seen anything so blue in his life and his quick shuffles through his bird watching book was giving him nothing.

Could they be someone's pet that had got out?

They seemed happy enough, and Charlie was always happy to have some more quiet company.

If nothing else Charlie was happy to pick up the occasional pretty, speckled feather. Maybe he'd see if anyone down on the reservation would be willing to make him something out of them once he'd collected enough.

It would be nice to start putting some life back into his home after all these years.

Emmett was of the opinion that Jasper just needed to man up and fuck Harry. The guy was clearly willing. Jasper clearly didn't want to eat Harry the way Edward did Bella.

He didn't know what the hold up was.

Harry was great, Emmett was finally looking forward to having someone in the family who wasn't constantly pretending to be an adult.

Obviously, they were actually meant pretending to be teenagers but everyone else seemed to be determined to pretend to be boring teenagers.

Not Harry.

Harry was weird and proud of it.

He was not so secretly nerdy and weirdly willing to just sit and read for someone who clearly had too much energy in his tiny body at all times.

The guy practically vibrated and Emmett knew some of that had to be magic but Jesus the guy just didn't look like he could sit still for more than 20 seconds without exploding.

But give him a book.

Or a Jasper-shaped vampire to cuddle and the man practically melted into a calm that Emmett sometimes found himself very jealous of.

In some ways Harry fit in with the Cullen family better than he did.

But then Harry would say something ridiculous.

Or decide that now was the time to introduce Alice to crystal balls. Or Esme to some weird blood infused chocolates he'd picked up from some vampires in Romania (when he'd gone there Emmett had no idea). Or introduce Carlisle to the concept diplomacy. Harry apparently was trying to instil some basics into Emmett's very bemused father figure.

And then he'd turn Edward's hair pink for no apparent reason and stare at Emmett's livid brother blank faced and innocent when Edward demanded that he turn it back.

Emmett needed to learn how to look that innocent. He had a feel that expression would have a different impact from him. Rose called him cute but very few other people would agree.

Harry blinked up at Edward and asked, "Why would you assume I had anything to do with it? I thought you were just trying something new."

And Emmett could have sworn that even Edward was no longer sure if Harry was to blame for his hair magically turning pink.

And then Harry, the genius, turned to have a not so quiet conversation with Jasper under his breath about whether this reaction made Edward more or less of an alien.

Because Jasper had somehow become someone who was willing to take a joke whilst Emmett wasn't looking.

So clearly they should just fuck already.

Harry made Jasper funny and Jasper made Harry calm.

But no, apparently Emmett's advice wasn't appreciated and he should 'go find Rose to entertain you before I ask Harry to hex you'.

Emmett just rolled his eyes and went back to Mario Kart, Alice told him his top times would be under threat soon so clearly he needed to brush up his skills.

Carlisle let out a silent sigh of relief as the last of the Volturi passed out of hearing range and felt the tension leave the rest of his family.

That had been close.

Far too close.

Everyone had made it out alive, somehow, even miraculously the newly back from the dead Harry.

Carlisle had a lot of questions about that, both as a doctor and a revenant. He glanced over to where Harry and Jasper were arguing, any of his questions could wait.

He watched Jasper, his son was almost desperate with concern, and found himself feeling similarly hysterical.

They should not have come out of this intact.

The Volturi had been here.

And Jane had made it very clear that any of the old goodwill between him and Aro had been exhausted.

He hadn't expected the Volturi to take his family's breach of the rules with Bella easily. It was a rule, and it was a rule for a reason. They would check in. They would scrutinise his family for decades to come.

He knew they were on thin ice.

But he still hadn't expected the Volturi to be so willing to move against his family, it wasn't a move in the open yet but now this first move had been made it would only be a matter of time.

And the only reason the Volturi hadn't succeeded in completely wiping out the Cullen Coven in it's entirety was stood right over there, hugging his son and telling him that everything was going to be okay.

Something Harry had earned the right to say because behind those words was the promise that Harry would do anything necessary to guarantee the safety of his family.

Carlisle had never wanted power, he just wanted a family. He was starting to realise that if he wanted to keep his family he was going to need to take some pages out of Harry's book.

But for the first time in over a century Carlisle thought about the Volturi and felt hopeful.

Embry stared at the envelope in his hands.

He should probably be more surprised that the thing was delivered by an owl but after Harry's continuous presence Embry was getting used to weird.

He was more interested in the intricate coat of arms pressed in wax on the back.

What the fuck was a Gringotts?

He could hear his mom rattling around in the kitchen and felt a momentary relief that his mom hadn't spotted the owl.

He hadn't had patrol in a couple of days so she hadn't woken up to find him missing again, he wanted to hold on to their fragile truce for as long as he could.

Random owls turning up and chucking post at him wasn't going to help on that front.

His mom wasn't a fan of surprises.

It meant at the moment his mom wasn't a particularly big fan of Embry. All he could do at the moment was surprise her.

He had heard her describe it to one of the neighbours who'd heard them shouting as his 'rebellious' phase. Embry tried to pretend that didn't hurt.

They'd always been a team. The two of them vs the world.

And now he was on a different team, a team with bigger problems than food on the table and money for the heating. And he couldn't even tell her.

She wasn't an Elder. She wasn't even Quileute.

The Makah tribe were close by and usually there wouldn't be much point forcing that distinction, most people had Makah relatives in some way, but they were dealing with a tribe secret so secret that most of the tribe didn't know it.

Let alone a single woman from a different tribe.

Embry grimaced and refocused on the envelope in front of him.

He could Quil's voice in his head yelling at him to get on with it and before he could spend any more time thinking about it Embry broke the seal.

He shivered and pulled out several thick pieces of some kind of parchment. If he needed any further confirmation that Harry had something to do with this after the owl the parchment would have confirmed it.

Dear Mr Embry Call,

We are writing to inform you that as a member of the Quileute Tribe Pack you are eligible to a support stipend from the Marius Black fund.

Embry blinked, a stipend? Billy had mentioned some kind of fund Harry had set up to support the pack but Embry hadn't expected to hear anything about it so quickly.

Billy and Sam had tried to refuse it but Harry could make himself really hard to pin down and had already done enough of the paperwork that it was going to be difficult to undo.

Apparently they'd given up on undoing it.

Huh. Well, he hadn't had the time between the pack and school to pick up any of his usual odd jobs. A little bit extra each month would hopefully be enough to soften that loss of income for his mom.

In addition to this stipend you have also been identified as a direct descendant of Marius Black through your father, Joshua Uley-

The letter continued on to say something about a education support package and something else about a lump sum but Embry eyes were blurring.

His father.

Joshua Uley.

He had wondered-

He had hoped-

He blinked rapidly.

He had a name. He finally had a name.

He traced his fingers over the name as his lips twisted up into bitter smile. Too late of course.

Joshua Uley had disappeared over a decade ago. Embry had heard about it through Jake, the guy had run off to parts unknown, leaving behind his wife and his young son.

Leaving behind Embry too.

Well, Embry had always know that whoever his dad was he probably wasn't going to be getting any awards for father of the year.

There was a knock on the door and Embry could distantly hear his mother talking to whoever was at the door. He couldn't spare the attention too focus on the letter still clutched in his shaking hands.

He wiped his face and took a harsh breath.

It had been suggested when he first turned that his dad would have to be Quileute. He, Quil and Jake had all muttered about various names, even Billy's name had been thrown in the ring. Jake excited enough about the thought of having a brother that he could ignore the implication that Billy would have had to have cheated on Jake's mum.

He heard his mom leave, calling out a goodbye as she left for work.

Embry had dreamt of having Billy Black as a father.

What that would mean to have more family.

Billy would have been there for him. Would have helped. Would have helped make this all easier.

Of course it couldn't be Billy.

"Embry."

It was Sam, filling his doorway in the way only a 6"7 shapeshifter could, there and real and definitely not the person he wanted to see right now.

Embry covered his face, eyes pressed tightly together and whole body braced for the blow he knew was coming.

Sam wouldn't want this getting out. He already had to deal with fallout from having an absent father, no one would want to add cheating bastard to Joshua Uley's already short list of accolades.

He couldn't do this. Not now.

"Embry, I swear I didn't know." Sam's familiar warm hands settled on his shoulders and Embry shuddered. "I promise, I would have told you if I'd known."

Embry sobbed, the tears he'd been so desperately holding back running in heavy streams down his cheeks. It didn't change anything, he was still fatherless. He was still Embry Call. Why did it hurt so much to know?

He found himself unable to speak, throat thick and clogged with tears.

Sam didn't recoil the way Embry expected him to, instead the bed creaked as Sam settled next to him. He wrapped one of his massive arms around Embry's shoulders and made soothing shushing sounds as he calmly rocked Embry against him.

Embry found himself, almost unwillingly, calming. Settling against Sam's solid chest and letting the tears run themselves out.

Shuddering breath, after shuddering breath.

When it was finally quiet again Embry found himself weirdly unwilling to move. Wanted the still comfort to last as long as it could.

"He was a bastard you know, Dad." Sam muttered quietly. "But Granddad Charlie was great, he used to take me fishing whenever Dad was drunk and angry again. And Uncle Tom is great, he still takes me fishing."

Embry kept his eyes pressed closed and just focused on his breathing. He didn't know why Sam felt the need to rub it in but Embry couldn't bring himself to turn away from the comfort.

"You should come next time he's around." Embry blinked rapidly as he looked up at Sam, his eyes were still blurry with tears but he could only see sympathy on Sam's face. Not sympathy. Empathy. "He'd love to meet his new nephew."

There was some reassurance in both of them having shitty fathers. Or the same shitty father.

Oh god he was going to cry again. "Really?"

Sam just nodded and hesitated a moment before pulling back slightly so he could look Embry in the face. "I'd love to go fishing with my new brother."

Embry sucked in a harsh breath.

Brother.

Brother. He had a brother.

Embry opened his mouth before shutting it sharply.

He didn't know what to say but he'd left it too long and Sam's face was crumpling. "You don't have to obviously, and I completely understand if you want nothing to do with-"

Embry crushed the larger man to his chest. Driving all of the air out of Sam with one massive squeeze.

"Please." Embry muttered. "I would love that."

Sam laughed and hugged him back. "Thank god. I've always wanted a brother."

Embry just grinning up at him. "As long as you know that this opens you up to pranks from the Marauders."

"I wasn't aware that I was currently getting a free pass." Sam commented, voice dry.

Embry just laughed. And if it was as little hysterical no one would judge him, it was just family after all.

Jane moved past this month's human receptionist with a poisonous smile, her tongue coming out to play over her teeth as she imagined the shock on the woman's face if Jane decided to just take a nibble.

A little snack on the way in.

The snack just smiled at her and gestured her towards the doors. "They're ready for you."

Only Alec pressing lightly on her elbow kept her moving further through the doors, a feeling of sharp dread rising in her chest.

She had never failed Aro before.

Felix and Demetri hadn't been willing to share any more information on the treaty the Cullen's new human had referred to. Even when she turned on her pain they were frustratingly silent.

It left her feeling uncertain and uncomfortable.

They made it through the final distance to approach the dais, Aro was stood front and centre as usual a friendly smile fixed on his face. "Ah, wonderful, you have returned! And how was dear Carlisle?"

Jane tried to smile back but it felt wrong on her face so she settled back into blankness.

Caius moved forward before she could respond. "Are the Cullen coven intact?" His eyes scanned quickly behind Jane and her brother, narrowing on Felix who had born the brunt of Jane's frustration on the journey home.

Jane stopped herself from wincing. "They are."

Aro was no longer smiling.

"And the newborns?" Aro asked sharply.

"Mostly dealt with." Jane answered, barely keeping a shake from her voice.

Aro glance between the four of them, gaze lingering on Felix for long moments.

"A full report then my dear." Aro reached out his hand.

"Yes, my lord." Jane reached out to touch him, desperately trying to keep her hand steady.

Aro looked down at her for a long moment before he sighed.

"Oh Jane." He whispered. "I am so disappointed in you." He tightened his grip on her arm and used his other hand to backhand her. The crack of his knuckles across her face reverberated through the cavernous room, sending cracks spiralling through her cheek.

She gasped, holding her cheek and for a moment a familiar rage filled her, white hot and burning.

"Caius, Marcus, we need to make some plans." Aro walked away, leaving Jane holding her cheek on the floor. "Felix, make sure Jane is appropriately punished. At least a month should do it I think."

A month.

A month.

No.

Alec was poised behind her, clutching tightly at her arm, holding her back from something she might regret. A slight tremble to his hand gave away his anxiety and Jane felt bad for worrying her twin.

Not bad enough to stop.

Jane snarled and ripped her arm away, dropping into a crouch. Ready to attack, she was the strongest, the most powerful. The best. How dare Aro judge her. Tell her nothing and then judge her.

How dare he.

Suddenly the rage bled out of her.

Aro was like a father to her, if he said she deserved punishment than that was what she deserved.

Aro was like a father to her, she had let him down.

Aro was like a father to her, there was nothing more important than making him happy.

She straightened, brushing off her robes and turning to walk over to Felix. Time to report for her punishment.

When she walked past Chelsea she noticed the older looking vampire was staring at her and nodded an acknowledgement.

Aro was just trying to make her better.

Next time she wouldn't fail.