AN: I know this is short, but it's something, right? I haven't given up on this story or any of my other ones, but I've had a lot going on. I'm sorry!

Interlude: Big Quil

Big Quil wasn't all that sure that his return had actually helped anyone. Sure, he'd killed the nomad that attacked his children, but he'd also thrown their human lives into absolute turmoil.

His years as a wolf had passed in a dizzying fashion. He'd quickly lost track of time in that disorienting form, and lost years in the process. It was still hard to believe that his children were nearly grown.

The wolf's possessiveness of his "pups" was something else he struggled with. Before he'd phased, he'd made his peace with watching his kids grow up from a distance. When he became a wolf, he'd had a nebulous concept of his offspring, but once his wolf came in contact with them, he needed to be closer.

When Quil was younger, he'd lacked direction. His father was disappointed that he showed no aptitude for the duties of shaman, and no real desire to do much of anything with his life. His high school girlfriend had tricked him into marriage by faking a pregnancy, and her father set Quil up with a job on his fishing boats.

By the time Joy's deception came to light, Quil was bitten by the fishing bug. He loved escaping the reservation for months at a time, sailing far out to sea and putting in at different ports. He stayed married out of duty, but he was far from faithful.

Renee Higginbotham was the first to approach the wayward man, telling him she was pregnant. He told his wife, who refused to divorce him, and they reluctantly set up a fund to quietly pay her child support.

Of course, Quil never expected the wiley girl from California to rope in his cousin to fill the role of Isabella's father. That rankled a bit more than he liked, but he had to admit that Charlie was a good dad. Not that it made missing out on Bella's life any easier.

Tiffany was a different story—Quil actually dated her for a few months before she made her way down to La Push. She was heartbroken to find out he was married, but she agreed to stay close so he could watch his sons grow up together.

Yes, by that point Joy was expecting Quil V. Embry was only born a few months before his younger brother, and just a year and a half after his older sister, but Quil loved them all.

Old Quil put his foot down after that and told his son he better straighten himself up before he lost all three of his kids. Joy still held the purse strings through her family's business, and if Quil wanted to raise at least one of his kids, he better stay on the straight and narrow.

He tried—really, he did. But he'd never been one for settling, and he'd never really loved his wife. There were just too many beautiful women in too many ports, and he didn't even have to try that hard to get them into bed.

The one compromise he did make was protection. While he truly loved his kids, dealing with their mothers was an issue he did not enjoy. He preferred for his one night stands to remain in the past—not come knocking on his door with a swollen belly a few months later.

There was only one girl in La Push who caught Quil's eye—and she was very much a girl when he met her. He actually met her at a bar in Port Angeles, and her fake ID led him to believe she was older. They danced, and they drank, and they danced some more, until he finally talked her into a sleazy motel room for the night.

Quil didn't remember much of that night, but he did know he'd screwed up again when he woke up alone, and there were no discarded condoms to be found. He laid there with his head pounding, holding onto pieces of memories—a beautiful face, shy smile, and a name—Linda. Her name was Linda.

Dragging himself back to La Push, Quil realized something. The restless desire to leave, to travel, was missing for the first time in his life. Of course, as luck would have it, he was scheduled to leave the next day for an extended trip up the coast. It was a trip he would not come home from.

When he picked up little Quil at the school that afternoon, he was stunned to see his mystery girl leaving the high school with a giggly group of girls. She looked much younger without all the makeup on her face, and he felt a little sick when he recognized one of her friends, who was a freshman.

In all his philandering, the one line he had never crossed was legality. He double checked ID's to make sure his partners were of age, as the last thing he needed was Charlie coming to arrest his ass. Now he'd managed to do his worst—an underage girl from La Push.

Once Quil returned home after his years as a wolf, he'd been holed up at Sam and Emily's, trying to figure out a reasonable explanation for his reappearance. The other thing he was doing was avoiding women. He'd seen the traumas inflicted by imprinting through the pack mind—Sam was still heartbroken over losing Leah.

Quil wasn't sure what would happen if he was to imprint on Tiffany—or, Spirits forbid—Joy. Instead, he'd done some research, both late at night in the library, and online, and he'd tracked down his mystery girl. It was a task his wolf approved of wholeheartedly, and one that took a little more effort than he had originally expected.

He found her in a yearbook, one that at first only confirmed his biggest fears. She was fifteen when they met all those years ago. When he brought the name to Sam, the alpha had sat him down and pulled some paperwork from the tribal center. Nine months after Quil left—after that night—Linda gave birth to a son.

All those thoughts were racing through his head as he raised his hand to knock on the door of a rather large house. Linda's father owned a car dealership in Port Angeles, and he'd provided well for his daughter and grandson. That was one relief for Quil, after seeing Embry's memories of his childhood struggles.

Quil didn't recognize the man who answered the door, but by the sneer on his face it was clear he knew who Quil was. Still, Quil sucked up his pride and stuck his hand out. "Uh, Mr. Littlesea? I'm-"

"I know who you are. I'm on the council if you haven't forgotten. And if you think I'm going to let your wandering wolfy ass in my house you have another thing coming. My daughter doesn't need to see you. She's done just fine all these years."

Quil tried to keep his wolf in check, but there was no way a mere human was going to keep him from Linda- or his son. He raised himself to his impressive full height and lifted his chin in warning. "With all due respect, sir, I have every right to meet my son. I would prefer to see his mother first and offer an explanation as well."

The men were locked in a staring contest and neither heard the soft steps coming to the door. "Dad? Who's there?"

Quil shivered when he heard the soft voice, one his memory had kept fresh all these years. He glanced into the house and felt his world settle into place. His wolf all but rolled over on his back as he started into the eyes of his soulmate.

"Quil? How is this possible? You were dead! What? I don't understand!"

As she got more flustered, Quil smoothly sidestepped her father and pulled the young woman into his arms. She burst into tears at the feel of his warm, solid arms around her. She'd been terrified when she found out she was pregnant, then horrified when the father was declared dead after being lost at sea. She'd poured herself into raising her son, telling him about his father without telling him his name.

Quil felt whole for the first time in his life as he held his imprint, Linda Littlesea. When his youngest son walked up behind them, he knew he'd finally found his place in this world. He was home.