I　ignored　her。
  Was　that　okay？I　asked　them。　It　worried　me；　speaking　for　them　that　way；　when　I　couldn't　hear　exactly
  what　they　were　thinking。　I　didn't　want　to　assume　anything。　I　didn't　want　to　be　like　Jared　that　way。　Did　I
  say　anything　you　didn't　want　me　to？　Did　I　not　say　something　I　should　have？
  You　did　great；　Jake！Seth　encouraged。
  You　could　have　hit　Jared；Leah　thought。　/　wouldn't　have　minded　that。
  I　guess　we　know　why　Embry　wasn't　allowed　to　come；Seth　thought。
  I　didn't　understand。　Not　allowed？
  Jake；　didya　see　Quil？　He's　pretty　torn　up；　right？　I'd　put　ten　to　one　that　Embry's　even　more　upset　And
  Embry　doesn't　have　a　Claire。　There's　no　way　Quil　can　just　pick　up　and　walk　away　from　La　Push。　Embry
  might　So　Sam's　not　going　to　take　any　chances　on　him　getting　convinced　to　jump　ship。　He　doesn't　want
  our　pack　any　bigger　than　it　is　now。
  Really？　You　think？　I　doubt　Embry　would　mind　shredding　some　Cullens。
  But　he's　your　best　friend；　Jake。　He　and　Quil　would　rather　stand　behind　you　than　face　you　in　a　fight。
  Well；　I'm　glad　Sam　kept　him　home；　then。　This　pack　is　big　enough。I　sighed。　Okay；　then。　So　we're　good；
  for　now。　Seth；　you　mind　keeping　an　eye　on　things　for　a　while？　Leah　and　I　both　need　to　crash。　This
  felt　on　the　level；　but　who　knows？　Maybe　it　was　a　distraction。
  I　wasn't　always　so　paranoid；　but　I　remembered　the　feel　of　Sam's　commitment。　The　total　one…track　focus
  on　destroying　the　danger　he　saw。　Would　he　take　advantage　of　the　fact　that　he　could　lie　to　us　now？
  No　problem！Seth　was　only　too　eager　to　do　whatever　he　could。　You　want　me　to　explain　to　the
  Cullens？　They're　probably　still　kinda　tense。
  I　got　it。　I　want　to　check　things　out　anyway。
  They　caught　the　whir　of　images　from　my　fried　brain。
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  Seth　whimpered　in　surprise。　Ew。
  Leah　whipped　her　head　back　and　forth　like　she　was　trying　to　shake　the　image　out　of　her　mind。　That　is
  easily　the　freakin'　grossest　thing　I've　heard　in　my　life。　Yuck。　If　there　was　anything　in　my　stomach；
  it　would　be　coming　back。
  Theyare　vampires；　I　guess；　Seth　allowed　after　a　minute；　compensating　for　Leah's　reaction。　/　mean；　it
  makes　sense。　And　if　it　helps　Bella；　it's　a　good　thing；　right？
  Both　Leah　and　I　stared　at　him。
  What？
  Mom　dropped　him　a　lot　when　he　was　a　baby；Leah　told　me。
  On　his　head；　apparently。
  He　used　to　gnaw　on　the　crib　bars；　too。
  Lead　paint？
  Looks　like　itshe　thought。
  Seth　snorted。　Funny。　Why　don't　you　two　shut　up　and　sleep？
  14。　YOU　KNOW　THINGS　ARE　BAD　WHEN　YOU　FEEL　GUILTY　FOR　BEING　RUDE　TO
  VAMPIRES
  When　I　got　back　to　the　house；　there　was　no　one　waiting　outside　for　my　report。　Still　on　alert？
  Everything's　cool；I　thought　tiredly。
  My　eyes　quickly　caught　a　small　change　in　the　now…familiar　scene。　There　was　a　stack　of　light…colored
  fabric　on　the　bottom　step　of　the　porch。　I　loped　over　to　investigate。　Holding　my　breath；　because　the
  vampire　smell　stuck　to　the　fabric　like　you　wouldn't　believe；　I　nudged　the　stack　with　my　nose。
  Someone　had　laid　out　clothes。　Huh。　Edward　must　have　caught　my　moment　of　irritation　as　I'd　bolted　out
  the　door。　Well。　That　was。。。　nice。　And　weird。
  I　took　the　clothes　gingerly　between　my　teeth—ugh—and　carried　them　back　to　the　trees。　Just　in　case　this
  was　some　joke　by　the　blond　psychopath　and　I　had　a　bunch　of　girls'　stuff　here。　Bet　she'd　love　to　see　the
  look　on　my　human　face　as　I　stood　there　naked；　holding　a　sundress。
  In　the　cover　of　the　trees；　I　dropped　the　stinking　pile　and　shifted　back　to　human。　I　shook　the　clothes　out；
  snapping　them　against　a　tree　to　beat　some　of　the　smell　from　them。　They　were　definitely　guy's　clothes—tan
  pants　and　a　white　button…down　shirt。　Neither　of　them　long　enough；　but　they　looked　like　they'd　fit　around
  me。　Must　be　Emmett's。　I　rolled　the　cuffs　up　on　the　shirtsleeves；　but　there　wasn't　much　I　could　do　about
  the　pants。　Oh　well。
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  I　had　to　admit；　I　felt　better　with　some　clothes　to　my　name；　even　stinky　ones　that　didn't　quite　fit。　It　was
  hard　not　being　able　to　just　jet　back　home　and　grab　another　pair　of　old　sweatpants　when　I　needed　them。
  The　homeless　thing　again—not　having　anyplace　to　go　back　to。　No　possessions；　either；　which　wasn't
  bothering　me　too　bad　now；　but　would　probably　get　annoying　soon。
  Exhausted；　I　walked　slowly　up　the　Cullens'　porch　steps　in　my　fancy　new　secondhand　clothes　but
  hesitated　when　I　got　to　the　door。　Did　I　knock？　Stupid；　when　they　knew　I　was　here。　I　wondered　why　no
  one　acknowledged　that—told
  me　either　to　come　in　or　get　lost　Whatever。　I　shrugged　and　let　myself　in。
  More　changes。　The　room　had　shifted　back　to　normal—almost—in　the　last　twenty　minutes。　The　big
  flat…screen　was　on；　low　volume；　showing　some　chick　flick　that　no　one　seemed　to　be　watching。　Carlisle
  and　Esme　stood　by　the　back　windows；　which　were　open　to　the　river　again。　Alice；　Jasper；　and　Emmett
  were　out　of　sight；　but　I　heard　them　murmuring　upstairs。　Bella　was　on　the　couch　like　yesterday；　with　just
  one　tube　still　hooked　into　her；　and　an　IV　hanging　behind　the　back　of　the　sofa。　She　was　wrapped　up　like　a
  burrito　in　a　couple　of　thick　quilts；　so　at　least　they'd　listened　to　me　before。　Rosalie　was　cross…legged　on
  the　ground　by　her　head。　Edward　sat　at　the　other　end　of　the　couch　with　Bella's　burrito'ed　feet　in　his　lap。
  He　looked　up　when　I　came　in　and　smiled　at　me—just　a　little　twitch　of　his　mouth—like　something　pleased
  him。
  Bella　didn't　hear　me。　She　only　glanced　up　when　he　did；　and　then　she　smiled；　too。　With　real　energy；　her
  whole　face　lighting　up。　I　couldn't　remember　the　last　time　she'd　looked　so　excited　to　see　me。
  What　was　with　her？　For　crying　out　loud；　she　was　married＇　Happily　married；　too—there　was　no
  question　that　she　was　in　love　with　her　vampire　past　the　boundaries　of　sanity。　And　hugely　pregnant；　to　top
  it　off。
  So　why　did　she　have　to　be　so　damn　thrilled　to　see　me？　Like　I'd　made　her　whole　freakin'　day　by　walking
  through　the　door。
  If　she　would　just　not　care。。。　Or　more　than　that—really　not　want　me　around。　It　would　be　so　much　easier
  to　stay　away。
  Edward　seemed　to　be　in　agreement　with　my　thoughts—we　were　on　the　same　wavelength　so　much　lately
  it　was　crazy。　He　was　frowning　now；　reading　her　face　while　she　beamed　at　me。
  〃They　just　wanted　to　talk；〃　I　mumbled；　my　voice　dragging　with　exhaustion。　〃No　attack　on　the　horizon。〃
  〃Yes；〃　Edward　answered。　〃I　heard　most　of　it。〃
  That　woke　me　up　a　little。　We'd　been　a　good　three　miles　out。　〃How？〃
  Tm　hearing　you　more　clearly—it's　a　matter　of　familiarity　and　concentration。　Also；　your　thoughts　are
  slightly　easier　to　pick　up　when　you're　in　your　human　form。　So　I　caught　most　of　what　passed　out　there。〃
  〃Oh。〃　It　bugged　me　a　little；　but　for　no　good　reason；　so　I　shrugged　it　off。　〃Good。　I　hate　repeating　myself。〃
  〃I'd　tell　you　to　go　get　some　sleep；〃　Bella　said；　〃but　my　guess　is　that　you're　going　to　pass　out　on　the　floor
  in　about　six　seconds；　so　there's　probably　no　point。〃
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  It　was　amazing　how　much　better　she　sounded；　how　much　stronger　she　looked。　I　smelled　fresh　blood　and
  saw　that　the　cup　was　in　her　hands　again。　How　much　blood　would　it　take　to　keep　her　going？　At　some
  point；　would　they　start　trotting　in　the　neighbors？
  I　headed　for　the　door；　counting　off　the　seconds　for　her　as　I　walked。　〃One　Mississippi。。。　two
  Mississippi。。。〃
  〃Where's　the　flood；　mutt？〃　Rosalie　muttered。
  〃You　know　how　you　drown　a　blonde；　Rosalie？〃　I　asked　without　stopping　or　turning　to　look　at　her。　〃Glue
  a　mirror　to　the　bottom　of　a　pool。〃
  I　heard　Edward　chuckle　as　I　pulled　the　door　shut。　His　mood　seemed　to　improve　in　exact　correlation　to
  Bella's
  health。
  〃I've　already　heard　that　one；'7Rosalie　called　after　me。
  I　trudged　down　the　steps；　my　only　goal　to　drag　myself　far　enough　into　the　trees　that　the　air　would　be
  pure　again。　I　planned　to　ditch　the　clothes　a　convenient　distance　from　the　house　for　future　use　rather　than
  tying　them　to　my　leg；　so　I　wouldn't　be　smelling　them；　either。　As　I　fumbled　with　the　buttons　on　the　new
  shirt；　I　thought　randomly　about　how　buttons　would　never　be　in　style　for　werewolves。
  I　heard　the　voices　while　I　slogged　across　the　lawn。
  〃Where　are　you　going？〃　Bella　asked。
  〃There　was　something　I　forgot　to　say　to　him。〃
  〃Let　Jacob　sleep—it　can　wait。〃
  Yes；　please；　let　Jacob　sleep。
  〃It　will　only　take　a　moment。〃
  I　turned　slowly。　Edward　was　already　out　the　door。　He　had　an　apology　in　his　expression　as　he
  approached　me。
  〃Jeez；　what　now？〃
  Tm　sorry；〃　he　said；　and　then　he　hesitated；　like　he　didn't　know　how　to　phrase　what　he　was　thinking。
  What's　on　your　mind；　mind　reader？