I'm so sorry, everyone! I know I haven't updated in ions, and I've been thinking about this story everyday. My mom was diagosed with cancer, and my whole life was kind of put on hold. But she's in remission, and things are returning to normal. I'm so sorry for making everybody wait. I was as eager to continue the story as all of you. I'm back for good, and chapter 9 should be up within the next few days! This story is only getting started!

This chapter is from Quil's POV, and I had so much fun writing it. I hope you guys get as many giggles out of it as I did.

Please enjoy and leave reviews! I love any and all feedback :).

It had been almost two weeks since Claire had returned to the rez, and we hadn't had much time together.

I had stopped by her grandmother's a few times during the week, after work at the shop, but we hadn't had time for just us. Back when she was a little kid, which didn't feel like too long ago, we made Saturdays our day. I would clear up whatever I had going on that day, make sure she'd finished all her homework, and we'd spend the day together.

Today was Saturday.

Although I had a stable job at the shop and patrol that I couldn't skip out on just because, I couldn't wait to be with Claire. We still had the night, and she was sixteen now. I'm guessing her bedtime wasn't nine o'clock anymore.

I thought of the Saturdays we spent when she was younger, sneaking out to the ice cream parlor even though she was vegan, or going down to the beach to collect seashells to add to her collection. Saturdays became my favorite day of the week.

All this crap about imprints makes me sick, came Leah's voice in my head. She let out a snarl and ran ahead, Seth trailing not far behind.

I dug my taloned claws in the moist earth and followed after. The strong, chilled wind felt good as I ran against it, passed the many trees of the forest and towards the coastal line. I could smell the salt in the wet air. It was near sunset, and the cloudy sky was turning pink as the sun descended.

The night before we had chased a bloodsucker until they had taken the easy way out and dove into the ocean. She wasn't one I had seen before; she had long blond hair and bright red eyes. Sometimes we would get new bloodsuckers just crossing the territory that easily ran when we made ourselves known, but this one was different. When she sensed us, she sent Jared flying against the trees, and slammed into Paul; breaking a few of his ribs. We lost her when she a made a dive into the ocean, and we had been patrolling the coastline ever since.

She was a threat. For our people and for us. But nothing we couldn't handle.

While Paul and Jared were healing up, we had some newbies covering their shifts. We had to use everyone in a situation like this. We had even asked the Cullen's if they knew anything of her, and came up with no answers.

It had been a while since we'd come across a vampire who was looking for trouble.

Nothing, I heard Seth's voice in my mind as we came to a halt.

We had stopped at a cliff's treeline, overlooking the beach below us. The ocean was a slate grey and the waves were calm. There was one couple walking along the shore hand in hand. No trace of a bloodsucker anywhere.

Yeah, but you can still smell her on the trees, I thought.

The smell was so sickly sweet it was near-nauseating. Even after spending hours with the Cullen's, the smell was still foreign to my nose. I didn't know how Jake could stand it, being around them day after day. I never got used to it, no matter how many vampires we ran out of La Push, and I don't think I ever would. Hopefully it would wash away in the evening rain.

The sun is setting. Our shift is over, Leah thought as her ear perked up. She was listening to the soft and quick footsteps coming in our direction.

It was Embry and two of the relatively new werewolves, Nick and Zane. Embry was telling them to stay close and breathe quietly, and Zane was grumbling about the commands. This kid was a trouble-maker who didn't like to follow directions. He reminded me of Leah.

Leah turned and snapped at me with her muzzle. I let out a barking laugh.

You guys can go, we'll take it from here, Embry thought as he came to a stop in front of us.

She didn't show herself, so you guys should be fine. But be on the alert, Leah warned them as she turned back the way we came, And don't do anything stupid, Zane.

He let out a grunt that Embry quickly silenced with a snarl of his own.

I followed after Leah and Seth brought up the rear as we dashed through the forest towards Sam and Emily's. The rain was picking up and the sky was getting darker as the sun continued to set. The first stars of the night were peeking out behind the dark clouds.

I couldn't wait to call Claire.

The passed by her grandmother's home while on patrol the other night, and watched through her big bedroom window as she and Julie danced around to some pop song with a thumping bass. She was so much happier here in La Push, and I could tell as she twirled around her room.

We came to the treeline before Sam and Emily's and I phased back, pulling on the jeans I had tied around my leg before I made my way into the open. I could smell meat roasting in the oven and felt my stomach grumble. I felt bad about not staying to eat another one of Emily's amazing meals, but I needed some time with Claire.

"Thank God you're out of my head," Leah grumbled, pulling a shirt over her bare torso, "If I have to hear anything more about your imprint I might kill myself." She turned and made her way inside, a scowl on her face.

Leah was always bitter when it came to imprinting, and I could understand why. She was faced with heartbreak every day. Everyone knew about the grudge she held against Sam and Emily for being so in love, and bound together by imprinting. Leah had been cast aside and rejected, and she had to live with seeing both of them every day.

Which must suck.

"Leah's been extra grumpy lately," Seth said from behind me, shaking the dirt from his hair, "I don't think it's gross hearing you guys think about your imprints. It kinda makes me wish I had one. It must be nice caring about someone so much."

"You're a good kid, Seth," I said with a smile, patting him on the back. Even as the years had passed, Seth hadn't changed. He was still the genuinely kind kid he had always been. He saw the good in everything and everyone.

I followed him inside and passed through the kitchen, where Emily stood over the counter, chopping up potatoes. She turned when she heard me and Seth, a big smile on her face. The glow of her skin from happiness and the baby girl inside her make her scars hardly noticeable. I looked at her with awe; she was six months pregnant and still able to cook enough food for a whole pack of wolves. Emily was one tough woman.

"Seth, Quil! Welcome back!" she set down her knife and embraced Seth, then turned to me with open arms, "I have some meat in the oven and I'm starting the mashed potatoes. There's bread and butter on the table if you want some."

"Ahh, you're the best, Em!" Seth made a beeline for the table, and scooped up three bread rolls, "I'm starved!"

I pulled away from Emily's embrace and she touched my arm, "You're looking a lot better, Quil. It makes me happy." Her warm smile was contagious.

"Yeah, it's been a lot easier." It was true. I had been miserable without Claire near me, but I didn't have to worry anymore. She was on the rez, a ten minute drive from Emily's house. I could protect her, and just knowing that made it easier to breathe.

"Are you going to go see her tonight?" Emily asked, a small smile on her face as she turned to put some chopped up potatoes into the pot on the stove. I noticed her wavy hair was hanging to her waist in a ponytail, instead of her usual braid.

"Yeah, I hope that's okay," I said, feeling a bit guilty when she had spent so much time making such a meal.

"Of course it's okay, Quil!" she said, turning to me with a big smile on her face, one hand on her belly, "Say hello to my beautiful niece for me. I would say that I'd save you some leftovers, but with Seth's appetite growing day by day, I don't think there will be anything left."

I looked to see the bread basket, which had been full before we walked in, completely empty. Seth shoved the last roll in my mouth and managed, "Sorry!"

I chuckled, running a hand over my hair, "Thanks, Em. I'll come and stop by tomorrow." I grabbed my keys from the counter and turned to go, waving goodbye to Seth and Leah, who were lounging on the sofa with Emily's twin boys.

"Tell Claire I say hi!" Seth said, through a mouthful of bread.

"Quil!" I heard Emily call from the kitchen, "Have fun!"

I couldn't shake the smile off my face as I walked out to my car.

I unlocked the driver's side and hopped in the old truck. I had fixed this truck up a few months ago, after my other car got crushed mid-pursuit of a vampire during patrol one night. I had bought it off a guy who came into the shop pretty regularly. It was creaky, but it was good enough for me.

I grabbed my phone off the dashboard and called Claire. After the first two rings, I heard her muffled laughter and squealing.

"Julie, stop tickling me! Quil is on the phone!"

I chuckled a bit myself, "You okay, Claire-bear?"

I could hear Julie yelling something about a shirt in the background, and Claire set down the phone to yell something back at her little sister.

I shook my head, a smile on my face. Julie and Claire had always been two very different girls. When they were younger, I used to watch both of them all the time. Julie had always been a handful, demanding that random little boys accept her hand in marriage, and throwing numerous tantrums whenever we left the park. Claire, however, would sit quietly on my knee and only ever cry if I had to leave her side. She was a good girl then, and still was now.

"Be classy, Jules!" Claire yelled at her sister, "Sorry, Quil. Julie has a date tonight and she's being difficult."

"A date already? You guys have only been here for two weeks," I said, surprised. Julie sure did work fast. It was kind of amazing, really. The girl was only fifteen and she had had more boyfriends than I could count on my fingers and toes.

"Yup, apparently she's reconnecting with an ex," Claire let out a small sigh, and then her voice perked up, "But hey, how was work? You're off now, right?"

"Work was uneventful," I said, thinking about the patrol that led us to no answers. That blond vampire had made herself drop off the grid, and she didn't want to found. But I had a feeling that we would be seeing more of her soon. Now the Cullen's had a heads-up, and Alice was watching carefully for her. We'd be prepared for whatever games the bloodsucker wanted to play, and we'd win.

"I bet you're starving," she said, taking me out of my thoughts.

"You don't even know, kid," I laughed, feeling my stomach rumble. I put the keys in the ignition of the truck and got the engine running, "I was thinking we could go to the usual place. What do you say?"

"I say yes!" Claire said, and I pictured the sweet smile that would be on her face. I couldn't wait to see it in person.

"I'll be there in a heartbeat," I said before we hung up, and pulled out of Sam and Emily's dirt driveway onto the gravel road.

When Claire was a little girl, I used to take her to a little run-down diner, called Scotty's, on the other side of the rez all the time. We had started going there when she was seven, because Embry had a part-time job there for a while. And they had the biggest burgers for the best price. But the diner had become our place over the years, even after Embry quit. After Claire moved, I was still a regular at the diner, but it was never the same without her.

The sky had turned a deep navy, full of stars. I cranked down the window and was glad to feel the cold wind on my skin. There was the earthy smell of rain in the air, and halfway through the drive it began to drizzle.

I flicked on the radio and tuned it to some rock station, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel with the beat.

It was supposed to rain hard tonight, and with two newbies on their first big night shift, I was a little worried. Zane was shitty at following orders and Nick was clumsy. If they did get a trail on the blond bloodsucker, Embry wouldn't be able to do it on his own. With Paul and Jared still recovering, Jake and I offered to be back up if they needed it.

But I really wanted to spend my night with Claire.

It wasn't long before I pulled up to the lavender colored house. It was surrounded by a flower garden that somehow thrived despite Washington's constant downpour. An array windchimes hung up from the porch, making one big song as they swayed together in the night's wind.

I took the keys out of the ignition before reaching behind my seat for a t-shirt. I usually kept spare shirts in the truck, in case I phased with one on.

Or if I forgot to wear one.

Which actually happened lot.

I hopped out of the truck and pulled the shirt over my head before walking up to front door. I had barely rapped my knuckles against the door before Claire's mother, Olivia, stood before me. She held a glass of red wine in the palm of her hand and had a raunchy romance novel tucked under her arm.

"Quil!" she said, a dreamy look in her eyes from the wine, "It's so good to see you! Look at you, busting out of your shirt! Come on in,"

I chuckled and stepped through the doorway, ducking so that my head didn't hit the wooden frame, "Hi, Olivia. Staying in tonight?"

"Yep, I'm just going to sit and wallow in my lack of romance for the night," she said, pushing her curly hair away from her face with a lazy smile on her face, "Claire's upstairs, go ahead and grab her. And make sure Julie doesn't look like a prostitute, if you could." She waved a hand above her head in the general region of the stairs, the wine sloshing around dangerously in her glass.

I shook my head and let out a husky laugh, "Will do."

I patted Olivia on the shoulder and watched as she turned down the hallway and disappeared into the living room, her steps slow and a little clumsy.

I made my way up the stairs, where I could hear the muffled noises of Claire and Julie arguing about something. I took my time, examining the familiar photos that hung on the wall leading up the staircase. The pictures of Olivia and Emily when they were little girls, smiling at the camera with missing teeth and matching braids. The picture of Claire and Julie when they were little, sitting in a bubble bath together with soap all over their faces. The old black and white photograph of Claire's grandmother when she was young, looking beautiful and just like Claire.

I listened for a moment behind the door, pausing before I tapped my knuckles against it.

"You can't just suck the color out of it," I could hear Claire say.

"But my shirt looks so much better in this color! Don't you think?" came Julie's voice.

"Jules, seriously, put the color back."

I wrinkled my brow at this strange banter, and knocked softly on the door, "Hey, Claire, it's me. Ready to go?"

The door quickly swung open to reveal a scanty-clad Julie. Her curly hair was pulled up in a bun, revealing the deep v-neck of her blue sweater. She smelled like her mother's perfume, and her shorts could hardly be called shorts. More like another set of underwear on top of the ones she was already wearing.

If she was wearing any, that is.

"Hey Quil," she said nonchalantly, pushing past me and into the hallway, "You kids have fun tonight." Julie sauntered into her room, clicking the door shut behind her.

I stood in the doorway, momentarily stunned by Julie's choice of outfit, before stepping into Claire's room, "When your mom said Julie might look like a prostitute, I thought she was kidding."

Claire sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed, dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt that said 'Santa Monica High School' on the front. Her sleek brown waves were let down, falling over her shoulders. Her eyes were closed, fingertips pressed to her temples.

I chuckled and sat beside her, vaguely wondering if she had changed her normal blue comforter out for an identical white one. I shook off the thought as she opened her big hazel eyes, rimmed by dark, long lashes, and looked at me. I turned soft at her gaze and wrapped my arm around her thin shoulders, glad to have her so close to me at last.

"Sometimes I just want to punch Julie in the face," Claire sighed, leaning into me. I took in a deep breath of her smell: lavender, the light floral scent of her favorite perfume, and something else that I couldn't place. It had been driving me nuts ever since she got to La Push. Something was different; I just had no idea what it was.

"She's a tough one, I don't blame you," I said, letting out a laugh.

"I missed you," Claire said softly, and I nearly turned into mush. It was these moments that I lived for, that gave my life meaning. All I needed to keep going was to be needed by her.

"I missed you more, kiddo." She had no idea. I squeezed her shoulder softly, a smile on my face, "Well, I'll tell you what. How about we talk more about your desires to beat up your sister over a plate of French fries?"

She pretended to consider this for a moment, "Very tempting. I don't think I can pass that one up."

"Good, because I'm growing faint from hunger," I mimicked a fan with hand, and we both started laughing. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face if I tried. Claire's laughter, like a little tinkling bell, was the greatest sound I'd ever heard.

But I really was starving.

I felt my stomach gurgle and growl, complaining about its emptiness. The patrol had really worn me down, and I could have really used a huge burger from Scotty's.

"Lemme throw some jeans on," Claire said as she hopped up from her bed. She walked towards the closet and pulled out a jacket and a pair of dark jeans, "Talk to me while I change?"

I nodded and watched as she stepped into the bathroom attached to her room, then turned my attention to the rest of her room. She had a glass jar full of seashells, mostly ones we'd picked together off the La Push shores, sitting on her dresser beside the music box her father gave her. Her bookshelf was full; now stocked with authors like Austen and Picoult instead of Dr. Seuss. Her walls were bare and still in progress; the only pictures hanging were a large photo of the Santa Monica pier on canvas, and a shot of me and Claire from the barbeque at Sam and Em's around two weeks ago.

"How was work?" I heard Claire ask from the bathroom as she changed.

"It was good. Exhausting." I called back, distracted, moving off her bed and to the picture of us. Emily must have developed the pictures from that day and given this one to Claire not too long ago.

It was the two of us, completely candid, pulling away from our first embrace in five years. I was looking down at her with my hands on her dainty shoulders, a soft look on my face and mouth half-open as if I was saying something. Claire looked absolutely stunning, her brown waves falling down to her mid-back and her milky skin contrasting against my deep tan. Her hazel eyes peered up at me as she gave me the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

While looking at that photo, it was as if I was seeing Claire as a young woman for the first time. How hadn't I realized it earlier? Claire had always been pretty as a kid, but she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was almost seventeen, and was absolutely gorgeous. And I wasn't just saying that because she was my imprint, but because she was truly, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Auntie Em gave that to me," I heard Claire behind me, and turned to see the beautiful girl from the photograph standing in front of me. The jeans she had changed into tightly hugged her slender legs and hips, and the olive green of her jacket made her hazel eyes seem even lighter.

"What?" I managed, almost breathless, while not taking my eyes off her. I could feel something shift within me, and I had no idea what it was.

"The picture, meathead," she said, giggling. That beautiful smile came over her face.

"Oh."

"Okay, we seriously need to get some food in you. I think your current state of emaciation is making you all weird," Claire said with a crooked smile. She walked over to her closet and pulled on a pair of brown ankle boots, quickly tying the laces.

"That must be it," I said under my breath, rubbing a hand over my face and letting out a big exhale. I tried to shake the weird feeling I was getting. She was probably right: I just need some food in my system.

"Claire, I'm leaving! Caleb's waiting in his car outside." Julie announced, suddenly in the doorway of Claire's room. She had traded out her barely-there shorts for a pair of black jeans, thank God. She let her curls down from her bun, and was wearing a sweater identical to the one she had on before, except in white instead of blue.

"I see you changed," Claire raised an eyebrow at her sister, who gave her a smug smile before disappearing down the stairs.

"Have fun on your date!" I called after Julie, shaking my head and running my hands over my hair. When turned around to face Claire, I noticed something…off. I stared at her bed in disbelief, wondering if I was really so hungry that it was making me see things, "Wasn't your comforter white just a second ago?"

Claire furrowed her brow and gave me a small smile, giving me the sympathetic look you give someone you think is crazy, "Quil, you really must be out of it. It's always been blue." She shook her head and came over to me, placing her hand on my arm, "C'mon, let's go to Scotty's. I could really use those fries right now, and apparently so could you."

"Apparently," I said, letting out a sigh and cracking a smile. I was probably just feeling weird from being exhausted and starving after a long day of patrol, I told myself. I wasn't going crazy. My stomach gurgled at the thought of one of the gigantic burgers at Scotty's, and I started to follow Claire out of her room. Before flicking off the lights, I took one last took of the photo of us, and then looked back at Claire.

It was crazy how much she had grown up. She had turned into the beautiful girl in the photograph. I watched as she stopped on the stairs, looking up at me with her hazel eyes. She ran a hand through her dark hair, which had been lightened only slightly by the California sun. I could see the soft sprinkle of freckles across her nose and cheeks, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. She was beautiful.

"Quil, let's go," she said, a small smile on her face.
"Comin'," I made my way down the stairs behind her, pressing my hand into the small of her back. It was like I was seeing and touching Claire for the first time, and I felt something swell in my chest. I couldn't make sense of the feeling. We called our goodbyes to Olivia, who barely looked up from her romance novel, and then walked out the door. I was glad to get outside and feel the night's cool wind on my face.

I put my arm around Claire, pulling her close as we walked to my beat-up truck. I was glad to be spending my Saturday night with Claire, just like old times. I pushed the strange feeling I had, the worry about the pack and the bloodsucker running loose, and took a second to enjoy the moment. Claire was in my arms, safe and sound, and that's all I'd ever needed.

"I really missed you, Claire."

"I missed you, too, Quil."