Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight books. I'm only borrowing the characters and will return them mostly unharmed… except for Quil. He might need some therapy by the time I'm finished with him!

Thanks for all the reviewers who reminded/threatened me to update *points finger at Chi Cullen*

Do you resent missing out on so much?

Claire twirled slowly in her bedroom, checking her curled hair in the mirror and smoothing out the creases in her dress. The navy-gold pleated skirt fell to the floor gracefully and the gold lined top accentuated her full chest. She nervously checked her dark eyeliner and sparkling eye shadow, knowing that Quil appreciated natural looking makeup. She smiled as she looked at her reflection: Quil wouldn't be able to resist! She heard the front door open downstairs and idly listened to the murmuring of Quil's male voice talking gently with her mother. She took a deep breath and grabbed her burnished gold clutch, stuffing her cell phone and lip gloss into the minute purse. She opened her door and walked carefully down the stairs.

Her descent was met with a heavy silence. She looked up questioningly as she reached the fourth stair from the bottom, meeting the stunned faces of her mother and Quil. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

Claire's mother rushed forward in teary bliss, enveloping her grown daughter in her arms and sniffling at how beautiful she was. She quickly pushed Claire to Quil's side, coaxing them into a few cheesy poses for pictures. Before Claire could take a breath, her mother had wished her a good night and shoved the couple out on the porch.

"Well…" Claire began slowly. "That was… fun." She looked up at Quil, surprised to realize that he had not spoken a word to her yet. His face was tilted away from her, his eyes closed and mouth tense as he seemed to be in pain.

"Quil? Are you okay?" Claire inhaled quickly as Quil's eyes snapped open, his gaze filled with heat and want. She nearly took a step back as his arms shot out quickly, pulling her against his warm body and burying his head in her collarbone.

"Claire," Quil whispered against her neck, inhaling her perfume and pulling her tighter. "You look…" His muffled description fell into silence as she lifted her arms to slide over his shoulders and taut back, simply holding him to her.

"Thanks," she laughed, pulling away from him. "You look very handsome." She rested her hand lightly on the boutonniere pinned to his tuxedo, smoothing her hands over the sides of his suit. She felt a sense of warm feminine pleasure enter the pit of her stomach as she surveyed the man in front of her.

How could she ever let him wear casual clothing again? Quil was wearing a perfectly tailored tux with a crisp white shirt underneath. He had gone with a simple black tie that only accentuated his own natural beauty. His tan skin and striking bone structure spoke for themselves; no need for a colorful tux to bring attention to that.

She was brought back to attention by Quil gently lacing his fingers with hers and leading her to his car. He smoothly opened the passenger door, handing her in and stroking her fingers before gently releasing her hand. She watched him circle the front of his door and smiled.
_

The prom had been a hit so far. Claire and Quil had yet to get off the dance floor, the DJ switching between upbeat tunes, slow songs, and even some oldies. Claire giggled as Quil did a terrible four step that resembled a seizure of some kind. The dance tune slowly faded away and a fast-paced rap song started playing. Quil's eyes widened as he saw the dance floor start to bump and grind to the heavy beat.

"They call that dancing?" he asked incredulously. "That looks like… like…" Claire flushed in embarrassment as she realized what Quil was trying to say. Suddenly, her mind was filled with images of her and Quil moving so close together and her blush spread down to her neck. As if reading her mind, Quil smirked rakishly and asked, "Would you like to get some air?" Claire nodded mutely and allowed him to lead her to the outside patio.

She took a deep breath and looked at her surroundings. The plush greenery looked full and romantic in the moonlight, and thousands of fairy lights lay twinkling on the walls and bushes. The scent of blooming jasmine wafted through the crisp air, and a bright full moon lit the sky. The patio was empty, most teens having moved inside when the popular rap tune had come on. Claire sighed in contentment as the cool breeze fanned her slightly sweaty skin. She waited for her blush to fade, resting her hands on the patio railing and looking out idly at the garden.

Claire froze as she felt Quil's warmth envelop her back, his fingers intertwining with hers on the railing and resting there gently. She unconsciously leaned into his embrace, grateful for his presence even though she felt slightly warm already. She snapped out of her blissful daze as a question suddenly entered her mind.

"What was your prom like?"

"I never went to my prom," he said absentmindedly. "I phased into a werewolf soon after I entered high school, and after that it seemed like I didn't have time for the normal things that teens do." He paused. "Maybe it was for the better. I would have probably been on the lookout for leeches all night instead of entertaining my date." He chuckled at the thought.

"I'm sorry you missed out on so much," she said. "But you seem to be doing a good job entertaining me." Claire smiled, turning her head to look up at him. He grinned sweetly and pecked her on her cheek, tightening his hold on her slightly. They stood in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"Do you regret it?" Claire asked suddenly. "Do you resent missing out on so much?" Quil stepped away from Claire, moving towards a nearby chair. He sunk down onto the cushion, distractedly pulling Claire down onto his lap so that she rested sideways against him. His brow furrowed and he softly stroked her arm.

"To be quite honest," he began. "I don't regret a thing."

"Really? That surprises me. It must have been very hard for you to grow up so quickly."

"Oh, it was," he agreed. "I was very angry at first. I thought it was a sort of punishment. But with time I started to realize what an honor and blessing it was. I gained a new family, new powers, new awareness… a sexy fur coat..." Claire giggled.

"So… you didn't mind having to work so hard? Or all the times you were hurt for the sake of others who didn't even know that you protected them with your life?"

Quil chuckled, nuzzling Claire's cheek in front of him. "Why so many questions, Claire bear?"

"I'm just curious. I don't really know much about what your life was like before I met you." She shut her mouth against the urge to declare that she wanted to know everything about him. Instead, she nudged him in the stomach with her elbow and said, "You didn't answer my question."

Quil paused again, inhaling deeply and flexing his shoulders. "What was it again? If I didn't mind laying my life down for others who didn't even know what I was doing?" Claire nodded. "Well… No. The thought hadn't really occurred to me. I have a duty to our people, to the rez, to those I love." His gaze turned distant and she knew that he was lost in his memory.

"Sounds like a thankless job if you asked me," Claire said. "No one ever says thank you for what you do because no one is even aware of the danger out there!" Quil broke out of his thought and chuckled at Claire's begrudging statement. He shifted her closer to his chest and began again.

"Don't worry, Claire-bear," he said cheerily. "The Powers That Be haven't abandoned me to this thankless job." His voice became wistful and he said, "They'll reward me somehow. I know that everything I've done, everything that I've sacrificed, will be repaid with happiness beyond what I can imagine." Claire was startled by the certainty in Quil's voice.

"You think 'They' will reward you?" Quil's gaze met hers and he stared into her eyes, gently brushing a lock of hair from her forehead.

"They already have," he said simply. "And I hope there's more to come. Soon." Claire blushed as his gaze slowly caressed her face and body. Her eyes slid shut as his hand slowly rose to cup her cheek, cradling her head in his warm palm. Quil paused to bury his face in her hair, inhaling slowly and brushing his lips at the crook of her neck. She sighed as he lightly kissed along her jaw line, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He twined his hands in the back of her hair, pulling her head back and staring down at her. Claire's eyes fluttered closed as his lips pressed firmly to hers, stroking and gently nipping at her mouth.