Hello again, I just want to (as always) apologise for how long it's been between chapters. I'm struggling to write right now but I actually adore this story and I have plans for where it's going. So, if you don't mind the wait, I can't wait to see you again!

Also, just a quick one: I'm trying to make the chapters fun and not just doom and gloom, I don't always do the best job as I get carried away. That being said, I plan for River's birthday to be one of the next chapters and it should be a super happy/cute chapter, so hopefully I get that out soon and you all enjoy. Either way, I hope this one is okay, please enjoy and (hopefully) come back again!

Paul admitted defeat with a sigh, glaring down at his soft, uncooperative crotch. Clearly every part of him was feeling the turmoil that was in his heart and his mind right now.

He knew it wasn't helping things that he could hear River through the door, feigning sleep as she lay on the couch.

He knew that they weren't on the same page about the whole demon spawn thing, but he hadn't freaking expected her to announce that she didn't want to sleep in bed with him while they were disagreeing. Just like he hadn't expected his own body to betray him when he found himself looking for false comforts of the flesh.

It was already light out. Morning had long since come, meaning it was an acceptable hour for him to stumble out of the bedroom and greet both the day and, more importantly, River. Only, there was a slight issue. In that moment, reliving the conversation that had landed them in this very situation, Paul didn't want to go out there.

Okay, that was a lie. He was already going insane at not having her close enough to touch. Not being able to reach out and feel her beneath his fingertips was maddening, but he hated being at odds with her, especially when he knew that neither of their opinions were going to budge.

Look, it wasn't that he wanted to kill a baby, okay? He didn't! Hell, none of the guys did, but none of them ever got to think about what they wanted. They had a sacred duty to uphold in order to keep the tribe safe from harm. Better, Paul figured, they nipped it in the bud now than when it had already decimated their lands. Plus, having the Cullens on it's side? Well, as fine as he could finally admit that they were, they knew far too much about the res. Having that kind of insider knowledge made them a threat, especially if they chose to indulge their new child's murderous impulses. He didn't even want to think about the fact that Jake, Seth and Leah were all there to help the freaking enemy.

So no, Paul wasn't willing to cave on this one, not ever for River. As much as it killed him to find them on opposing sides of this moral head fuck, he knew in his bones that this was the right thing. After all, the right thing wasn't always the easy thing, nor was it always a palatable thing.

Not that she would understand entirely, but he was doing this all for her. Of course, it was also for the res, as his responsibilities told him, but it was more than that. He would have sacrificed anything and everything for her. She was his everything. He didn't know too much science, he wasn't super academic or anything like she was, but he knew things. He knew that the sun rose each day to bless him with the sight of her and that the moon fell each evening with a chill on her skin to bring their bodies together. He knew that the world worked the way it did for her. It was all for her and he wasn't going to let anything threaten that, not ever.

So, while it may have disgusted her, he would slaughter this creature if he had to. If that was the cost of her safety, he would pay it in an instant. He could handle her wrath for the rest of his days, so long as she was alive and safe.

Lying there, listening to her fake sleep, he felt nothing but love and adoration for her. He just wished she could have understood that his duty above all else was to her. Her safety was everything to him and, no matter how much it hurt, he could handle her being mad or even disgusted with him so long as it meant that she was safe.

As much as he didn't want for them to get into another argument over the whole thing, he didn't want to hide away in his bedroom from the person who meant more to him than the rest of the world combined. So, after slipping on a pair of boxers and his metaphorical big boy pants, he slinked out of the room somewhat awkwardly and immediately found himself staring into the already open eyes of River.

Fuck.

She looked as tired as he felt.

They'd clearly both become as accustomed as one another to sleeping together. Sleeping apart had cost them both, though he knew her human body would be feeling it more than his. After all, if he really wanted to, he could force himself to stay awake and alert for well over a week if he had to. It wouldn't be comfortable, of course, but it would be possible.

"Hey." Her voice, small and raspy, was a kick in the gut. She was usually so strong, she usually spoke so proudly. Had he reduced her to this?

Though he tried to smile at her, he knew the sadness that he felt in his chest must have showed. "Hey." He offered back, feeling the strangest thing as a moment of actual awkwardness passed over them.

Awkwardness.

It was almost a foreign concept to him, especially with her. Sure, before her, he'd experienced it like anyone else, but with her? Hell no. In fact, since he'd imprinted on her, he hadn't ever really found any of their encounters awkward, not even the ones that he knew others would have done. He knew her so intimately, so much better than he even knew himself, that the idea of anything ever being awkward between them... well, it was laughable.

Only, there they both were. Barely a few feet apart, silent air hanging between them. Awkward.

Paul briefly cleared his throat, though more to make some kind of noise than anything else. "Hungry?" He asked after a second. If he knew anything, it was that food helped everything.

River regarded him silently for a moment, thinking, before shaking her head. She didn't return his smile. "I'm good. Thanks." She responded simply before shuffling in her space on the couch to sit up, crossing her legs firmly under her. "You're seeing Sam and Em today, right? You should eat something before you go." She added, facing away from him.

There was something in her voice... no, not something. A lack of something, maybe? That was more like it. She sounded hollow.

He didn't miss the language she used. You're. You. She clearly wasn't planning on going with him. "I'm good." He uttered into the air, praying that his heart wasn't audibly breaking.

What the hell was he supposed to say now? When she'd left their bed in the night, telling him that she wanted some space when he'd made to follow her, he had vowed that he'd give her what she needed. Only, unlike the last time she'd needed space, she didn't really have anywhere to go that wasn't with him. She was living in his home, she hung out with him and with his friends. Hell, the only other place was with Skylar, but he couldn't really imagine that she'd go and hang out at work all day just to get away from him... right?

"I can stay back today." He offered into the air, not even really certain that she was listening to him as she stared blankly ahead at the fireplace. "We can talk." He knew she didn't want to talk, he didn't either, but surely this was something that they could work through. Only, as she sighed and dropped her head lightly, he felt his heart sink with it.

There was a long moment before she gave any other indicator that she'd heard him, but when she turned, the pain in her eyes was evident. She was tired, physically and emotionally exhausted. "Paul." His voice on her lips, usually so perfect, was sad and pleading.

He understood. She couldn't talk about it, not again. They'd made the same points back and forth at one another for so long, neither willing to budge. She couldn't do it again. "I can stay with Sam for a little while." He offered instead. "I can give you space." He knew that his voice was as pained as hers. If he hadn't been able to hear it, to feel it himself, the visible flinch that she made would have been enough. Fuck.

Clearly as much as she wanted space, neither of them could bear it.

Instead of answering him properly, she clambered off the couch and rounded it. He half expected her to just walk right past him and go to the bathroom, maybe to go and lie in the bed now he was up. The last thing he expected was to feel the length of her body pressed against his as her arms wrapped softly around his waist.

Her face still looked so very sad and exhausted, but he felt it relax some as she dug it into his chest.

His arms were around her in an instant, holding her close.

"I hate this." She muttered into the bare skin of his chest.

Chuckling sadly, he nodded and laid a single kiss in the scruffy mop of hair on her head. It was an odd time, he realised, to feel a twinge of sadness for her that her mom hadn't cut her hair the last time they'd seen one another. "Me too." He assured her, as if it had even needed saying. "Are you going to be okay while I'm out?" He then asked, wanting nothing more than to pick her up and take them both to bed. He wanted to keep her in his arms forever, safe and warm.

She thought for a second before nodding. It was small but certain. "I'll hit the gym a little longer than normal though, if that's okay?" He knew that she wasn't really asking his permission or anything like that, but he nodded into her all the same. "It's Skylar's birthday, too, so I've gotta hang there long enough for Jet to order some pizza. It's just this thing that he does for everyone. Likes to act like we're not all on a semi-permanent diet." He practically felt her roll her eyes against him.

As dire as the situation was, Paul knew one thing: he loved when River rambled.

The thoughts pouring out of her, unlike both of their current moods, were so free of any turmoil or moral ambiguity. It was nice to hear what was rattling around in her mind. Hell, he'd found himself wishing before then that he could have heard her thoughts, felt her mind, truly felt her in the way that he could feel all of his brothers and Leah. As much as it sucked having the others in his head sometimes, he wouldn't have minded her in there. He would have loved to show her how beautiful she was through his eyes.

It wasn't too much longer before they were both getting ready to go their separate ways. They showered together, though there was no funny business to be had. Once they were both clean, dried and dressed, they were gone.

Paul's chest ached as River drove away, worsened somehow by the fact that she drove off in silence. For some reason, as dumb as it was, it hurt to see that she wasn't feeling happy enough to have music on. He had half a mind to run alongside the road in hopes of catching a glimpse of her belting out her favourite tunes, praying that she chose to turn them on further up the road, but honestly he wasn't sure he could take it if he watched and she continued to drive in silence. Worse, if he watched when she thought she was alone and she cried.

So, instead, he simply strapped his shorts tightly to his leg before phasing on the spot and making his way to Sam's through the woods.

He felt his brothers in his mind the second his paws hit the floor of the woods, greeting him, probing for his mood, sharing their own thoughts and moods.

It was only Quil and Embry, patrolling opposite ends of the res, barking and laughing like school kids. Something about one of them having farted so loud that it scared a deer or something like that. Paul, however, wasn't in the mood.

While he always felt like he could talk to his brothers, especially after they all dealt with him so well the last time he and River had any issues, he didn't want to talk to them. He kept his thoughts locked down, happy enough to let the two of them remain in their bubble of stupidity. After all, if they were managing to keep their minds off of the task that they were all facing, good for them. For the first time, he sure as hell wasn't planning on ruining that for them.

Knowing that they were closer to Jake than he was, he would have wondered if their playful attitudes were simply ruses to cover up any conflicting feelings they were having. Only, he could literally hear their thoughts and feel what they felt. In that moment at least, they were both at ease and truly feeling as jovial as they seemed. Unlike the guy he was before River, he was actually happy for them. Sometimes he found himself in complete awe of her and how her kindness had already changed his wicked ways. He hadn't felt like Paul Lahote: Resident Asshole in a long time, all thanks to her.

So, as they both jumped around like a pair of young pups, Paul simply concentrated on pulling inward. He pulled his feelings back into himself, his frustrations and his annoyances. He refused to taint their mood.

Running, it seemed, was what he'd needed. There had always been something about pushing his body that had worked for him. He figured that was probably why he fought so hard when there finally was a fight; he was just trying to expel all that freaking energy that he could never seem to get rid off. Well, until River, of course. For some reason, she simply melted that out of him. For all the times that he knew the old Paul would have ripped someone a new one, would have thrown something, or would have cussed someone out, all it took was the mere presence of her within him to bring him back down.

He knew in that moment that was what he was missing. In their currently unstable state, he was missing the calming bits of her that he usually had so close. He knew that they'd go back to normal, he knew they would, but damn if he didn't miss her even right now as she was still driving to work.

There was a light burning sensation in his muscles as he reached Sam's and Em's place, something that he was glad for when he phased back into his human skin and, after slipping his shorts on, headed into their house. Of course, he'd had to run a few mile-long laps around Sam's property at full speed to get that burn, but it was worth it as far as he could see.

Inside, he was immediately greeted by the warm and welcoming scents of Em's cooking on the air. More immediately though, the kids. Some of them weren't even as old as Seth, yet there they sat at the kitchen table, listening intently as Sam told them about how to regulate their emotions. If all went well, they'd go back to school as soon as they could control themselves, but honestly? Well, Paul figured that was pretty freaking dangerous until they were in the high school where he and the others could keep an eye on them. Even then, the next year would be the last school year for him, Kim and Jared, then Jake, Embry and Quil would follow the next year. Leaving Seth to handle them all during school time felt cruel, especially given how freaking nice he was.

More than likely, they'd end up getting home schooled. After all, it wasn't like they had any huge futures to go off to anymore. They were stuck there, just like him and the others, so they'd be better off learning how to find work on the res.

The lack of River, it seemed, was noticeable. No one said anything, but Em's longing glance toward the door when he stepped in was enough. She'd been waiting to see River slink in behind him and she hadn't been fast enough to hide the tinge of sadness that had followed on her features at the lack of the other young woman.

Fighting with imprints was never nice, not for any of them. He knew that they were all feeling the stake that he and River had driven between themselves and he immediately hated himself for it. So, quickly, distracting himself and Em a little, he immediately went over to her and pulled her into an awkward, one-armed hug. Immediately, she returned it.

"You look terrible." She muttered softly. Sadly. "Sit. Eat. Things will be okay."

Terrible? Jeez, she wasn't pulling any punches. Still, he did as he was told, earning a kind, almost motherly smile as Em began to load a plate for him. He didn't pay the pup much mind, but he returned the tight lipped smile that Sam offered him when their gazes met.

.

.

.

.

.

"It doesn't seem too desperate?" Skylar asked, grunting lightly as River's hand connected with the bag in short bursts.

Sighing, River shook her head. She looked at the blonde holding the bag for her and chuckled internally. For someone so smart, she sure was dumb sometimes. "You're asking this chick to meet you in a well lit, populated area and not behind the local dumpsters in the dark." She wasn't hitting as hard as she could have been, not while she was exhausted and not while they were talking. Honestly though, it was enough. She was sweaty and her muscles were burning. This was the cost of not having enough sleep. "You're being smart, Sky, not desperate."

Things were, of course, a little awkward between them as Skylar vented about her still-faceless girl. Apparently, though, this girl had quite literally asked Skylar to meet her after a shift one day, in the freaking parking lot of all places. Whether it was her place or not, River still felt protective of the older girl and simply wanted to be sure that no stupid situations were going to happen. Luckily, Skylar had a sensible head on her shoulders and had shut that idea down quickly enough.

Still, something about the whole thing seemed just a little odd to River. Of course, she didn't want to voice that, but it did seem odd.

To put it simply, Skylar was stunning. She didn't have to go on blind dates or anything like that, she truly could have just walked into most rooms and left with about anyone she wanted. So, River just didn't understand where this whole anonymous thing had come from. It wasn't that she disagreed about looks being secondary to personality or anything like that, more so that she wasn't even certain that Skylar was even talking to a woman. The whole idea of meeting alone, in a parking lot, at night... it didn't seem like the kind of thing that a young woman would have suggested.

Naturally, she joked about that, probing, but Skylar simply laughed it off. She was too infatuated to see clearly and River didn't want to overstep.

"So, do I want to ask why you look like shit?" Skylar eventually asked once River's workout was done.

Drinking heavily from her shaker, the taller girl simply groaned and shook her head lightly. If there was one thing she wasn't going to do, it was discuss her Paul issues with Skylar. Even if she could have begun to explain the whole Bella thing, she didn't want to do that. She didn't want to taint their strengthening friendship with constant reminders of what she'd done to the other girl. Plus, honestly, it was nice to just be away from the supernatural for a little while.

Instead, she changed topic. "Come on, birthday girl." She started, dabbing at the sweat that simply wouldn't stop. "What's your mom cooking up for the big day?"

Immediately, Skylar rolled her eyes and slumped down on the raised floor beneath the five-foot bags, letting her legs sit in front of her on the ground. "God. I had to literally rip a birthday banner out of her hands this morning." She groaned, laughing.

River couldn't help but smile. If there was one thing she'd learned about the Monroes, it was that they loved their daughter. Hell, they were kind of obsessed with her. It wasn't that they loved her any more or any less than any other parents loved their kids, it was just the intensity of their love sometimes. She figured that was part of why they'd been so chilly with her even during Skylar's graduation; it wasn't her that they had a problem with, it was just that no one would ever be good enough for their daughter.

So, as Skylar rambled about her mother's incessant need to try to party plan and other ridiculous things, River listened.

It took a while, but eventually she was laughing. It felt good to chat to someone that wasn't anything to do with the wolves, especially about something as human and normal as a birthday.

While the gym was quiet, River returned Skylar's favour and spotted her for a workout. They carried on chatting and laughing together, almost like old times.

Though River was only scheduled for a few hours of work after her workout, she did as she'd told Paul and stayed past the end of her shift for Skylar's birthday.

Overall, it had been pretty slow, so there hadn't been too much work to actually do when they'd both done a decent workout. River even ended up sparring with both Dante and Owen later on in the day.

As always, in spite of the sparring only being friendly, she gave them both a good workout, smirking as Jet told them both multiple times how fucked they'd have been if it had been an actual fight. His approval had always meant a lot to her. More than that though, it felt good to feel some kind of strength returning to her. Maybe the future in fighting that she'd always dreamed of wasn't so terribly crushed as she'd thought it was.

"So, it's college soon, right, Sky?" Dante asked later on around a mouthful of pizza.

It was only the five of them there, having locked the place up a little earlier than usual. They all sat on the five-foot bags that Jet retired to live beneath the ring once they'd been all but beaten to death. With the bags placed inside the ring, they ate together within the safety of the ropes. River sat beside Skylar on one of the bags, Jet sat alone and Dante and Owen shared another bag. In the middle of their triangle, three huge pizzas called their names, piled high with toppings and multiple types of cheese.

As good as it all was, River was feeling oddly homesick. It was insane, she knew, but she was tired.

She and Paul had been bickering for what felt like weeks now, so she honestly just wanted to sleep more than anything else. Still, she kept a smile on her face and made a point of enjoying herself. After all, it wasn't everyday that she got to eat such good pizza, least of all around her unofficial coach.

Skylar nodded enthusiastically around a large bite, not caring to pretend to be any kind of dainty. Maybe she would have done around others, but not around River and the guys. "College." She mused slowly once she'd swallowed. "I'm going in a couple of weeks, actually. Just after this one's birthday." She slugged River affectionately in the arm, but there was suddenly an odd tension sitting between them.

Though she couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was, River had a feeling that it had something to do with the complicated feelings that came with missing Skylar. More than that, the feelings that she knew the other girl was still getting over. They'd worked together at the gym for years, they'd been screwing for well over a year and a half before they'd started dating. Had it not been for River's whole imprinting situation, she figured they would have ended up dating naturally somewhere along the way. It was weird, she figured, knowing that college would have come between them either way.

"You'll like it." Owen piped up, missing the change in the air between the two girls. "I mean, it's just parties and-"

"You failed out, moron." Dante cut him off, chuckling.

They all shared a laugh at Owen's expense, made louder still when he feigned embarrassment.

Once the pizza was all eaten, Jet passed Skylar a small box. They'd each put twenty bucks into a pool for a gift as well as quietly asking regulars if they wanted to donate anything. In the end, they'd totaled a little over a hundred and twenty bucks thanks to a couple of generous regulars with a soft spot for their favourite gym employee.

"You guys!" Skylar, just as River had bet, immediately let a tear slip down her cheek upon opening the small box.

They'd warred over what to get her, yoyo-ing between school supplies, gift vouchers, even groceries and filling up her gas tank. Eventually though, River had been the voice of reason, assuring them all that the money would be best left as it was. After all, what gift was better than having the freedom to buy what you actually wanted? So, as Skylar shed a tear over the wad of cash, River was left feeling secure in having made the right call.

"There's a card, too!" Owen announced excitedly, pulling a bent envelope from the pocket of his shorts.

Internally, River cringed at the state of it, but she knew that Skylar would get a laugh from it. More than that, she'd get a laugh from the front of it, too.

Of course, as Skylar took the card gratefully and opened it, the younger girl had been right again. "Oh, it's... well, it's beautiful." She could hear the laughter swelling in the blonde's voice as she tried to hold it in.

Against River's advice, Dante and Owen had excitedly returned from the store with a birthday card with a rainbow on it along with the words "Here's to another year of being you!" printed in glittery letters on the front.

"Because you're gay!" Jet barked out, sounding like some kind of mad man, though the joy was evident in his face.

"Happy gay birthday, Sky." River nudged the girl beside her, doing her utmost as keeping the grin off her face.

While she knew that Skylar appreciated the gesture and the clear adoration and acceptance that the guys had for her, she also knew that she wasn't really a fan of all the commercial rainbow stuff. Admittedly though, River wouldn't have been surprised if that changed in college. After all, it would be easier for Skylar to be out and loud in a bigger, more accepting city. Small towns were hit and miss sometimes and, if her own experiences at school had been anything, there were plenty of morons about.

Chuckling, Skylar nodded, wiping the tear from her cheek. "This is the gayest birthday I've had yet." She mused, looking around and laughing lightly to herself. "Thank you so much, you guys. This all... it really is awesome." The emotion in her voice was clear, as was the small stream of tears that refused to stop coming.

Laughing, River slung an arm around the other girl's shoulders, pulling her in for an awkward side hug. It was, it was awkward, but it was also nice. Sure, it was brief, but it felt like another step back to being them again.

The others followed suit, standing and coming over to hug the birthday girl. Jet made some comment about being angry that he needed to replace her now, but she and River both saw it for what it was: he'd started to love her like family and he would be sad to see her go.

When the evening came to a close, River and Skylar were all but hurried out of the gym's double doors by Jet. He assured them both that he and the boys had everything under control and to just get themselves home. As nice as it had all been, River sure didn't need telling twice. Still, she walked Skylar to her car before offering one final gift once the blonde had thrown the remaining box of pizza in her trunk.

"What's this?" She asked, looking up at River with just a little too much of something in her eyes.

Ignoring it, River smiled down at her and pushed the plastic bag into her hands. "It's something from me. Just something small." She stated, watching the intrigue on the other girl's face.

"You already chipped into the pot, Nivalis." The blonde reminded her, earning a shrug in return.

Watching Skylar's face as she opened the grocery store bag was priceless.

"Oh my god!" She barked immediately, face filled with joy as she squealed and literally jumped to hug the taller girl. "River!" She smacked River's arm, hard this time.

The girl in question simply laughed. "You like?" She asked, though the answer was clear.

Inside the bag sat a single bag of candies. They were horrid little things, far to sweet and far too spicy, of all things. Frankly, River truly hated them, but Skylar loved them.

In awe, Skylar tore into the bag and immediately popped a single candy into her mouth, moaning unashamedly at the tastes. "River." She grumbled, huffing out a breath. River laughed again. "Where the fuck did you find these?" She demanded quickly, glancing down into the bag as if they'd disappear if she didn't keep her eyes on them at all times.

River simply shrugged and turned to walk to her truck. "Happy gay birthday, Sky!" She yelled over her shoulder.

"The gayest!" Skylar yelled back, laughing to herself like a little kid as she hopped into her car, candies eagerly set onto the seat beside her for safe keeping.

In the safety of her truck's cab, however, River deflated. Fuck, she hadn't realised just how much energy she'd used up just to get through the day. Of course, it had been a good day by all standards, but she was so damn tired.

When she turned on the engine, she made a mental note to be especially careful driving home.

Inside her pocket, her cell buzzed a couple of times. A message. Something that could wait, she figured, as she pulled out of the parking lot. Only, as she started driving, things started feeling wrong somehow. She wasn't sure what it was, but something in her just felt so very wrong.

Paul? She knew immediately that it must have been him.

The trees that engulfed the sides of the roads, a blur, came back into focus as she pulled quickly onto a side road barely a mile from work, stopping and yanking her cell out as it continued to buzz. The buzzing, louder with each passing second, was different now. It wasn't texts now but calls, back to back as she desperately made to answer them. On the screen, as she slid her thumb across the screen to answer, Paul's name and photo shone brightly.

"Paul?" She tried not to sound worried, tried not to panic, but she knew she hadn't done a good job.

On the other end, he panted. "Hey." His breath was coming in short, sharp bursts. A few seconds of silence passed, each one weighing her further and further down. "I'm sorry..."

In the background, she could hear Sam shouting, then the sounds of snarling and heavy feet thundering against the sodden earth. "Paul, let's go!"

"Paul?" River barked, desperate this time.

He cleared his throat on the other end, sounding like he'd got a frog in it. What had happened? "River..." He said her name as though it was the last thing keeping him sane. "Bella's gone. It wasn't us."

That was the last thing she heard.

She wasn't sure if Paul said anything else or if he simply hung up the call. Truly, she had no idea.

Through some feat of muscle memory, she drove to Emily's house, though not once did she make any kind of conscious decision. There, inside, she was all but dragged in by a crying Emily Young, dragged to the huge couch that they usually watched the boys playing games on. Kim was there, as was Billy Black and Sue Clearwater. Apparently they'd all had the same idea to go to the hub of the pack's activity.

For what felt like an eternity, they waited.

Each of them cried themselves dry, occasionally opening the doors to listen so some sounds to signify the end of things. Anything at all to tell them how things were going.

Through it all though, River couldn't help but think of Charlie Swan. Tomorrow, at work, her dad would see him. Would he know? Would anyone ever tell him what happened to his daughter, or would he be left to wonder?

She found herself looking at Billy Black and Sue Clearwater. Billy was his best friend, right? So, the way River saw it, he should have been doing more than muttering over and over about how Jacob just needed to come home. She didn't know what she expected from him, not when she really thought about it, but she expected more than whatever this mess was.

Then there was Sue. Sweet, kind Sue Clearwater. She was something to Charlie too, as least if the way they'd interacted at Bella's wedding was anything to go by.

Now hey, River wasn't completely insensitive to what they were both going through. Their three kids had chosen to side against their brothers and with the vampires in this. So, Bella was dead. Where, she wondered, did that leave Jacob, Seth and Leah? She wondered if they would still fight the pack for the sake of Bella's baby or if all of Jacob's fight would die with his infatuation with the now-dead teen. After all, Seth and Leah were there for him more than anything, they wouldn't have gone off to defend the Cullens if he hadn't.

Still, she was curious. What would the two of them, Billy and Sue, tell Charlie? Surely they couldn't live the rest of their days knowing what happened to his kid, just not telling him. Surely they couldn't. Yet, in that same moment, she knew. They could. If they had to, they would. Anything to protect the pack and the tribe, even from a grieving father.

To make matters worse, it was the worst way she could possibly imagine to end an otherwise good day.

Oh, fuck. Skylar. Skylar, who River knew had been friends with Bella. Or, at least, close enough to have been invited to her freaking wedding.

Immediately, she wanted to know. Would Skylar ever know what happened to her friend? Would Bella become some cautionary tale to tell to unruly teens who wanted to get married right out of high school?

River couldn't even imagine how Skylar would feel when she eventually -maybe- found out that one of her friends died on her birthday. All jokes of it being Skylar's "gayest" birthday felt wrong now, like bad jokes. After all, if she found out, no birthday would be the same again, they would all be tainted by the memory of finding out that Bella Cullen was dead.

As if it wasn't bad enough, River had a moment of clarity. A moment that made her feel sick to her stomach. She felt like a monster.

Bella was dead. She was gone. Her life, whatever it would have held, was over. There she was, worrying about the people left behind already, while poor Bella was barely even cold. There would be time enough to worry about those that were left to grieve for Bella, but Bella herself should have been the priority in River's mind. After all, it had been barely two months since her freaking wedding, since what had clearly been the happiest day of her life, and now she was gone.

It was truly a sobering moment. Sure, Bella had lived side by side with the supernatural, but it just went to show how life could send your curveballs and completely throw everything off course. As inappropriate as it may have been as far as time was concerned, it cemented things in her mind about her fight with Paul.

Finally, finally, a noise broke through the deafening silence that had long since consumed them all.

It was the unmistakable sound of feet the size of serving plates violently falling hard against the wet, dense ground beneath them. They beat the ground like war drums as they approached.

Immediately, everyone who could be was on their feet. The door wasn't big enough, not for all of them to crowd around. Only, as they reached it, they all seemed to draw in a combined breath as they silently asked the same question: how many of their loved ones would be coming home? She knew that they were all having the same horrid realisation, as well. They were all realising how badly they wanted their own person back. Of course they all wanted the entire pack back safely, truly they did, but she knew that just as she would have given Heaven and Earth to see Paul walk through those doors, unscathed, so would the others for their own wolves.

As quickly as they'd all piled up at the door, they were all spilling out of it, a glorious mess of limbs. In spite of their collective speeds as they passed through the threshold, the pack was faster.

Sam was the first that River spotted. His black coat was just such a contrast against the others, somehow not swallowed up yet by the night's own darkness.

Quickly, so quickly that it took the breath right out of her, nothing else mattered. She didn't know or care who else was there, not when she saw him. Paul. Her Paul.

The pack was close now, close enough that Paul and some of the others phased back and continued the last twenty or so feet in their human skins.

Everything around them melted as River began to run, eager to meet him as close to half way as she could manage.

He swept her up and off her feet in his strong arms, knocking the wind from her chest for a second. It didn't matter though, she didn't need to breathe, not like she needed him. She didn't complain, instead throwing her arms as tightly around his head as she could manage as her face fell into his neck.

It didn't matter that he was naked or that he was carrying her. All that mattered was that he was safe. "I'm so sorry." He grumbled into the side of her head as his powerful chest heaved with each breath. They'd clearly run back as quickly as they could.

She shook her head firmly. "No." She stated, insistent. Quickly, she pulled her face from his neck, looking into the depths of his eyes. "It's okay. Everything's okay." She assured him.

His face, full of worry and adoration, softened. "River-"

"I don't care." Her voice was firm. Around her, she was sure that the others were making the same assurances, but she didn't care to stop and listen. "Whatever you did... whatever you had to do, it's okay. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're safe; that you came back to me." She meant every word, truly every single one. She would have given the Earth to ensure his safe return to her, so she knew. Whatever it was, whatever he had done, things would be okay.

Nothing, nothing, would come between them, not ever.

"Where's Jacob?" There was such a sorrowful note in Billy Black's usually chipper tone. For the first time in her life, River heard him sounding defeated and deflated. Only then did she allow herself a moment to look around.

Paul lowered her to the ground, though his grip on her stayed firm. He wouldn't let her go, not quite yet.

As she glanced around, unphased by the nudity, she realised something. Jacob was the only one missing. Even Seth and Leah were back, both hugging the life out of their mother as she returned their embrace. "Jake's okay." Seth stated, but it was clear even to River that something was off. He was holding something back.

At the lip of the porch that none of them had thought to help the chair-bound man off of, Billy breathed a harsh sigh of relief. "Where is he? Where's my son?"

The wolves collectively shared a look. Even Paul looked away from River to check in with his brothers. Odd.

Sam, ever the leader, stepped away from Emily and motioned to the house. "I think it's best if we all head inside and take a seat." He still had an arm around her as he spoke, holding her close. There was an authoritative note to how he spoke, setting the wolves in motion before the humans could question anything. "Billy, Jacob's completely fine. We just need to hang back and-"

"Jake imprinted!" To the shock of no one, it was Quil who had loudly blurted it out.

Holy shit!

A silence gripped them for just a second, then there were laughs. They were happy, joyous noises, not at all mocking or teasing. Among them, Billy. "Imprinted... well, where the hell is he then?"

"On who?" Unlike almost everyone else, Sue's mind was already on the details.

Oh god. River's stomach turned. Other than Bella, who was dead, that only left vampires. Had he really imprinted on one of them? Oh how the thought made her skin crawl.

"Silence."

River wasn't stupid. She knew the difference in Sam's voice and exactly what it meant. An order. An alpha order. Something that none of them could resist, not even if they'd wanted to.

All eyes fell back to Sam. "Like I said, I think we should all head on inside and sit down. Billy, if you hang back, we'll talk."

As she imagined they all were, River couldn't help but be so fucking curious that it practically felt like it was eating her alive. As they all headed inside though, the only thing that mattered was Paul. They held one another, not letting go. He even managed to pull on some spare shorts without letting go of her hand.

No one protested as Em stayed outside with Sam and Billy. Instead, they all went in and found somewhere to sit. The wolves with imprints and loved ones held them close while the others hung nearby, each of them seemingly feeling some sense of safety in their numbers and togetherness. River found herself pulled onto Paul's lap, atop a cushion beside the couch, telling Seth and Leah how good it was to see them both. She was thrilled to receive hugs from them both along with smiles.

When Sam, Billy and Emily came back inside, Sam delivered the news.

Jacob fucking Black, future leader of the tribe and alpha of his own pack, had imprinted on a god damn baby. Bella and Edward's hybrid baby.

What the fuck?

Hello! Welcome to the end! Thank you so much for making it this far, I honestly appreciate it more than I know how to put into words.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts and feelings in reviews or messages, they truly make my day. Further than that, I won't keep you longer, have a great day!