CHAPTER FIVE:

We separated reluctantly and it felt as though Sam took a piece of me with him when he pulled out of me. I wanted nothing more than to lock Sam in a bedroom and never let him leave. But it wasn't even a minute later that I could hear Charlie and Billy myself and I knew that I had to get dressed.

You thinking Jacob and Bella hit it off?

You think we should act angry if we catch 'em making out on the couch?

It doesn't feel right to get mad, we've been trying to get them together since they were in diapers.

Charlie and Billy laughed as their car hit the gravel and I heard the tires scrape against the rocks.

"Oh god," I whined frantically, searching behind pillows. "Where's my bra?"

"I have to go Bella," he sounded so guilty as he gathered up his pants that I had torn apart. "I'm so sorry but I do not want to meet the Chief like this."

My head snapped up in surprise as I tried to put my own pants on. "You want to meet Charlie?" I asked, slightly bewildered.

Sam's cheeks darkened a bit and he ducked his head. "I mean…eventually yeah."

His words nearly made me topple over in happiness and I kissed him hard with a broad smile. He handed me my tank top before kissing me briefly once more, "I'll call you later."

Then he was gone and I scrambled to throw on my hoodie as I heard Charlie and Billie close their car doors in the driveway. Frantically I spun around, searching for my bra but it was nowhere to be found. "Hey Bells," Charlie called from behind Billy as they came through the front door.

Billy's eyebrows rose in his hairline when he saw me and I prayed he wouldn't say anything if he suspected what had just happened on his living room floor. "Hey dad," I called in a higher octave than normal and flinched when I realized I was giving myself away. "Any luck with the fish?"

Both of the chiefs were looking at me now and I wondered if I had put something on backwards. "Bells," Charlie started, "What happened to your bruises?"

"Oh," my hand flew to my mouth and I winced, "it's just the power of makeup. Jacob had friends over before he left for work."

Charlie seemed to buy it because he shrugged and pushed Billy forward to close the door. "Oh, he had to work today – I thought he was off for the day. Which friends were over?" Billy asked as he wheeled the cooler on his lap into the kitchen.

I followed behind as I tried to discreetly comb out my hair with my fingers. "Um, a guy named Sam – I think. I don't think I caught any others."

"Ah, Sam Uley," Billy set the cooler on the table and wheeled back around to me. "Good guy there, Bells – he does a lot for the tribe."

"Oh, I know," I told him, wondering if Billy was in on his son's secret. "He told me about it."

"All of it?" Billy asked, his face surprised but not unhappy.

I shrugged when I failed to understand what he meant. How much more could there be - turning into a wolf was kind of huge news. "Well, I mean we weren't able to talk for too long. But he told me quite a bit."

Charlie broke in with a grin and I winced when he sat on the couch. If he knew what had just happened on that couch…on the floor we stood on… My cheeks grew flushed at the thought. "Well, I think it's great you're making friends Bells."

I smiled at him and then glanced at the clock on the mantle, to my surprise it was already two – thirty and my stomach was growling. My day seemed to be a never-ending cycle of juggling hungers – food, blood, sex…if I wasn't hungry for one then I was hungry for another. I laughed and patted my stomach. "So, what do we have planned for lunch dad?" I asked him as I turned back to face him. "I'm starved."

"We could hit the diner on the way home," Charlie suggested and I jumped at the chance to have a garden burger. "You about ready to head out?"

"Yeah, I'm ready when you are."

We told Billy our goodbyes and I climbed into the car with a fretting frown. I still had no idea where my bra was and now I could only hope it remained hidden for decades. Neither Jacob nor Billy were very thorough cleaners from what I remembered. "Did you have fun?"

A blush spilled across my cheeks and I had to hide my face by turning to gaze out of the window. "Yeah," I answered with a genuinely happy smile. "I did. Sam's really great."

Charlie chuckled as he turned onto the main road and head for Forks. "Do I finally get to meet a boyfriend soon, Bells?"

My eyes rolled and I crossed my arms, but my smile gave me away. "I think you might. He said he wanted to meet you – you know, like in the future." Like he had thought about it in the few hours we had known each other when I hadn't even considered it.

"Well this Sam sounds like a great guy, Bells," Charlie reached over and squeezed one of my hands. "Can't wait to meet him."

Lunch was wonderful as always mostly because the diner never skimped on the veggie burgers quality – the owner's wife was a vegetarian and she made sure her husband ordered the good ones. Small towns were funny like that, everybody knew everything about everybody else. There were seemingly no secrets…and yet there were, hidden right there in front of everyone's noses. Not even Charlie, as far as I could tell, had realized what was right in front of him.

But I knew what a treasure I had found down in La Push. Sam – with his kind eyes and strong arms that quelled the fear of my new life. Back in Forks, away from Sam, I began to realize that I didn't know myself at all anymore. My body felt foreign to me and the world was much colder than I remembered. Life outside my bedroom window was bleak without the thought of Sam to brighten my lens on life.

He had said he would call, but what would I do if he didn't?

Was it possible for me to die if I got too thirsty? Was the thirst for blood necessary like my thirst for water? What would happen if Sam didn't call and I lost my only sustainable food source. I hated thinking of Sam in such a way but buried deeper than my need for love or affection was my need for nourishment – after so long I was almost positive I'd lose the ability to control my actions.

Losing my control meant giving away my secret. It meant hurting people and possibly being arrested or dissected. The consequences of my actions no longer affected me alone, if I made a wrong choice or lost control, the ripples would affect everyone around me.

As if my present wasn't enough to try and deal with, I also had to think on my future. What would my future look like with this new, strong body. I hadn't completed a full transition but I had obviously been changed. How like a vampire was my new body? Sam had said it didn't feel or smell like one but could it move like one?

When Charlie went to sleep that night and his snores sounded softly through the walls, I decided to find out. I slipped on my hoodie to help fend off the chill and opened my window. Taking a long nervous breath, I stepped back a few feet to give myself room to build some speed and then I leaped out of the window.

My body curled like a cat and I landed gracefully with only a small thud as my boots hit the ground. A smile broke out across my lips as I took off at a dead run into the trees moving much faster than I had ever dreamed. The world blurred around me as I flew through the trees with cries of delight. I could run so fast that I crossed uncountable miles as I ran in the moonlight.

Desiring to push my new body further I leapt into a tree branch and pulled myself up. I hopped between branches with graceful jumps that spanned at least six feet and then laughed delightedly like child learning to walk. The world around me was new and exciting as I learned to swing from branches and land steadily on the forest floor. My body never lost balance as I tried cartwheels and backflips – all of the moves that I had ever envied were now easy.

I jumped small streams and ran until my legs burned before I finally slowed down. The forest crawled by me at a sedate pace as I wandered slowly in the moonlight, exploring its mysterious foggy depths. I found the forest to be more alive than I had ever imagined as I chased herds of deer for fun and leapt small ridges just because I could.

All night I played in the woods, indulging myself with my new strength, until I watched the moon begin to sink into the horizon. As I crawled back in through my window, I stripped off my muddy clothes on the way to the bed and then sank into the same welcoming darkness.

When I woke up the sun was beating down on the world and I could hear birds chirping in the forest through my open window. I swallowed thickly, trying to ease the tingle in my throat that alerted me to the fact that my midnight adventures had taken its toll. As I sat up, I found my room covered in dirty clothes and sighed.

Laundry was in the washer, coffee was brewing, and eggs were cooking by the time I had been up for half an hour. I had slept late, it was almost noon and Charlie had already headed down to the lake according to his note on the fridge. I stretched my body, reaching for the ceiling, as I waited for my eggs to cook. My body popped deliciously and I couldn't squash the quiet purr that vibrated in my chest.

The phone rang and I stretched my body out, balancing on one foot to reach for the phone. "Hello?" my voice was husky with pleasure as I felt my body stretch preternaturally.

"Well don't you sound happy to hear from me."

My lips split into a huge grin as I stretched deeper, "Do you ever wake up and stretch and it just feels so good that you push it just bit further than you could have when you were fully human?"

"That's how I found out I could do the splits," Sam laughed as I nearly dropped the phone in surprise.

"You can?" I gasped.

"Yeah, back when I first phased I had no idea what was going on." Sam sounded almost distant, as if reliving a memory. "Totally freaked out and went complete wolf – lived in the woods, hunted, and thought I couldn't ever come back to the Rez. I spent my days exploring what my body could do once I figured out how to phase back – found out I can fell a tree and do the splits. Guess I could be a lumberjack ballerina."

I laughed into the phone as I asked, "A what?"

"Oh – um, its kind of a funny story. A few years ago oh – well this might sound bad. Never mind, one of the kids on the Rez dressed as a Lumberjack Ballerina for Halloween and begged a friend of mine to take her up to get candy like the palefaces."

"That's so sweet." Before I could say more I smelt my eggs burning and cursed.

"Everything okay?" Sam asked me as I untangled myself and moved to the stove.

"Yeah, just forgot I was making eggs for a minute."

Sam laughed as I rolled my eyes and stirred my food. "So, what made you go back?" I asked him, curious as to what happened. "What made you decide you could go back to La Push?"

"I was in love at the time," Sam answered and I had to give him points for being honest. His voice didn't falter as he explained. "When I phased I had been accepted into Dartmouth and I had purchased a ring to propose with. I had had my whole life planned out. It was all ripped away from me so quickly that I didn't cope with the loneliness well. I just wanted to see her one last time – to say goodbye. Harry Clearwater had figured out what had happened and found me in the woods and told me I wasn't a monster. That I could come home."

"I can't even imagine what it must have been like." I told him as I scooped my eggs onto a plate and cradled the phone with my shoulder. "Sometimes I dream about it though – waking up as a vampire and realizing I can't go home because I keep hurting people. I wouldn't wish that kind of self-loathing on anyone."

"Me either." He agreed with a rumbling voice. "That was a dark time."

Folding myself into a chair, I set my plate on the table and then lost all interest in the eggs. "What happened, you know – to the love?" I asked, wondering if maybe I had gotten too personal but unable to take back the words.

Sam sighed and I could hear the creak of wood being sat on through the phone. "I don't suppose you'd know. But the elder's hold documented proof of soul mates." When I gasped in surprise Sam chuckled darkly. "Yeah, when they told me I was blown away. Anyways, Harry sat me down and explained that imprinting on someone was supposed to be really rare but that I had to make a choice – I could mark the girl I loved but I would be giving up the opportunity to imprint – to find my soul mate, or I could leave her and decide to wait for my soul mate to start a life."

"What an awful choice," I whispered, horrified and trying not to give away the fact that my eyes were watering over the phone.

"I've made my peace with it." Sam told me with a sad smile ringing in his voice. "She was great but sometimes the easy choice isn't always the right one."

"I wonder what it would be like," I wondered aloud as I wrapped the spiraled cord of Charlie's ancient telephone around my finger. "Do you think you'd know if you met your soul mate? What if you saw them somewhere so mundane that you miss them because you're just zoned out and then you live your whole life – never knowing you once awkwardly bumped your soul mate's shoulder in an elevator."

"You're awfully dark this morning," His voice rumbled with humor. "Are you irritated because the sun's out?"

I broke into laughter even as I tried to be annoyed with him. "More like because I'm being kept inside."

"By who?"

"By you," I answered with a roll of my eyes and a happy smile.

Sam was quiet for a moment and I heard a screen door creaking in the background. "Well, I suppose we could take this conversation outside. Anywhere in particular you had in mind?"

For a moment all I could do was smile to myself and pump my fist in the air. "Bella?"

My spine stiffened and I almost laughed. "Well, the weather is unusually nice. Why don't we take a hike through the woods – I want to see you phase and I have to show you this new thing I can do."

"Where do you want to meet?" Sam asked and I could hear excitement vibrating in his dulcet tones.

For a moment I thought about all the places I could remember, but then I realized I was thinking like a human when all I wanted was to explore this new side of me. "Come and find me," I purred into the phone and then hung up as I heard Sam growl.

My hands were shaking as I left my eggs forgotten on the table. Quickly, I dashed out the back door barefoot and into the woods. Weaving in and out of the trees, I tried to think of where La Push was in relation to me at all times. I tried to plot the most likely routes he would use but I knew he knew these woods far better than I did. So, I had to trick him, not outmaneuver him. I ran fast, my bare feet laying trails of my scent for Sam to follow – dead ends that I doubled back in to confuse him.

I used the highest branches I could reach to swing large distances to try and lose my furry tracker. Finally, I made my way the long way around Forks and then headed towards La Push. By this time my heart was beating so fast as adrenaline pumped through my veins that I feared it could be used as a homing beacon to guide Sam straight to me.

My senses were heightened and sharpened as I anticipated the attack. I knew I probably wouldn't hear Sam before it was too late but I listened for even the slightest disturbances. What surprised me wasn't that he found me, but that instead of creeping up behind me he stepped out of the brush in front of me and I came careening to a halt.

I almost bolted at the sight of a black wolf towering over me – as large as a horse – but when I met it's gaze I found the same warm, inviting black eyes that drew me to Sam. "Sam?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

The large lupine head nodded and my body moved forward. "You're – I mean I know you said wolves but I didn't expect – It would be terrifying to be chased by you. Have you ever had a vampire just run away in fear?"

Sam blew out puffs of air that tickled my face and I almost thought he was laughing. "So," I drawled excitedly as I pulled back to look him in the eye again. "The most important question – are you fast?"

The giant black wolf huffed so hard I felt myself get blown back and he growled as he ducked into stance to leap. I laughed in joy as I said, "Alright on three okay?" When he huffed in agreement I continued, "One…Two…"

I took off as "…Three…" fell from my lips and pushed my body as fast as I could go. The trees blurred as I dodged and swerved – pushing myself ever faster. Sam's thunderous claws were gaining on me quickly and I chanced a quick glance – only to find him beside me. Once more I skidded to a stop and stuck out my tongue. Sam let his own long tongue hang out his mouth as he gave me a toothy smile.

"Fine, fine," I conceded with a winded laugh. "You're faster – but can you do this?"

I launched myself off the ground and into the tree where I hopped from different branches before landing silently on the ground. Sam had followed me from the ground and he bumped my cheek with his wet nose. "You don't have to say it," I told him with a proud smile. "I know it's cool. I spent like an hour last night trying to figure out how to land so that I don't make any noise."

Sam's fur was soft beneath my finger tips as my hand found purchase on his powerful neck. I could feel the strength of the rippling muscles beneath my hand and I shuddered. Sam was just so powerful – from his frighteningly large jaws to sharp claws that dug into the dirt by my feet. "Ok, at what point in our friendship do I get to ask you for a ride? Is that like a 'we've hung out a few times and kicked back a few drinks' thing or is it more of a 'I need to bribe you with naughty sexual favors' thing."

I watched as Sam stumbled backwards and now I was certain he was laughing because he his lupine chest rose and fell erratically. I went closer, reaching out to pet him and then just as my hand was about to touch Sam's nose I leapt into the air and landed on his back. My hands gripped tightly and I leaned up as I watched his ears fall back, flat against his head as I whispered, "Sam."

His ear twitched and told me he was listening. "Run."

The speed and power of Sam was unimaginable as raced through the woods with such speeds that my hair whipped back behind me and the world blurred into soft streaks of color around us. Slowly, I let go of the grasp I had on the soft black fur and raised my arms up. Sam was so fluid in his gate that it almost felt as if I were truly flying through the forest.