"Turn right, here." I told Mel pointing to the road that would soon lead to my childhood home.

When it came in view I could see that it was exactly the same as it was all those years ago. Peeling baby blue paint on the bottom of the house with a faded red only improvement was the new full porch that now wrapped around the house, whereas before Josh had only built two steps and a three foot wide porch. It looked good.

"Home sweet home." I exclaimed. Wrapping my hair in a scrunchie, I opened my door and got out. Mel walked over to me after she too got out of the car.

"So this is where you were raised huh, nice and quiet!" She smiled at me. I pushed her with my shoulder and laughed before starting to walk off towards the door. I could see that she was eyeing me sideways in an inquisitive look to see how I was doing.

"I'm good, really!" I told her before walking in to the house. "Mom? Sammy?" I yelled out.

Even though I had left with Josh I had always kept in contact with Allison and Sam. They were and always would be my family, no matter what.

"Shenandoah!" My mother came running out of the kitchen. She rushed to give me a mamma bear hug.

"Behind me I could hear Mel laughing, and then the voice of my brother. "Sheny." Right before there was a body slung on to my back.

"Hi guys...love you...too...cant breath." I wheezed out.

"Sorry." They said in unison letting me go.

"Thought you weren't going to be here till tomorrow?" Sam asked.

"Yeah we weren't but then Mel. Oh this is Mel my best friend." I introduced then continued on "Anyway her final was finished early so we left right after."

We all sat at the kitchen table.

"Do you want anything to drink or eat?" Allison asked.

"Water would be great thanks." Mel said.

"Thanks mom. I can get myself a glass of water and a fruit bar." I told her getting up. I grabbed a fruit bar and then turned to get a glass when my attention caught on my brother. Who had his head tilted to the side like he had heard something or even perhaps was listening to something. Something I or the others couldn't seem to hear.

"Is everythi-..." I started to ask sam if everything was okay, when all of a sudden it was like all the breath had left me and my body felt like it was being drawn to something. It was an odd sensation something that I had felt before but hadn't in so many years that I had forgotten the feeling. It was almost like my skin had gooseflesh and my heart picked up speed and I wanted to be as close to the reason as possible.

Just then our door opened and two things happened simultaneously. The first thing was my mom's facial features changed along with her posture. It became stiff and unfriendly. The second thing was the presence of three people walking in through the front door. A native girl who was very beautiful, with flowing long black hair and the easy and contagious smile gracing her face, despite the two scar marks that ran down her face like claws from some animal she might have gotten too close to. It is clear that she is the leader of this brigade. Sam went straight for her, kissing her scars before her lips. Two boys well men really followed after her, they looked older than me but something about them were familiar to me. It took me only a moment to figure that familiarity out, and found myself jumping up and down before rushing into their outstretched arms. Thankful they had caught me fast enough so that I didn't fall on my ass.

"Em. Jare. Sqee!" I kissed their cheeks respectively, to which they both laughed at.

"Shenandoah!" They replied in glee.

"When did you get home."

"How long are you staying for?" They set me down and asked me at the same time.

"I just got home. I am hoping to stay indefinitely." I told them.

"We have missed you so much." Embry said coming up to hug me again.

Once again that weird zinging feeling in the back of my spine and brain came zinging back.

"I missed you both too, everyday." I answered truthfully squeezing him as hard as I could. After we let go I hugged Jared. I still felt that odd feeling so I just figured it was excitement or adrenaline, so I paying no more attention to it after I had let go of Jared taking a step back.

I turned to see that everyone was looking at us.

"Sheny this is Emily, my fiance." Sam introduced the woman from before.

"Wow, your even prettier than my brother described you to be!" I said walking over to her wrapping her up in a warm hug. "Welcome to the family Emily." As I hugged her I saw that my mom kept glaring at one of the boys, I think it was Embry but I couldn't be 100% sure.

Though mom was glaring at them they seemed oblivious. Embry and Jared seemed to be having a silent conversation with my brother that only they could understand.

All the while Melanie is looking between everyone in amazement.

"Thank you Shenandoah. I look forward to getting to know you better." Emily said.

"Same and please call me Shen." I told her. Emily smiled at me going back into my brothers encompassing arms.

"Or Doah-bug!" Jared teased, using the nickname he used when we were little kids.

"No. Just by you, Brat." I responded back elbowing him in the ribs. "Holy crap you're hot…-"

"Yeah I am…" Jared interrupted.

"-haha...I mean you feel hot. Actually Embry and Sam felt hot too now that I think about it. Are you guys sick?" I pouted in concern, hoping that they were all okay.

"No we are not sick. We just got done running so…" Sam drifted off mid-sentence. It was a little weird because Sam was always honest with me, but by the avoided eye contact from him along with Emily, Jared, and Embry I knew it was a lie.

"Ah anyway guys this is my best friend from high school Melanie Ortiz. We also went to college together and were going to live together. Well as soon as we find work anyway." I laughed waving at Mel. "Mel this is Emily my brothers fiance and these two knuckle-heads are my best friends since...well birth really." I pointed them out, hoping that we were still considered best friends, taking into account that we hadn't seen or spoken to one another since we were five years I felt as connected to them now as I did all those years ago.

"Hi everyone. Dang girl you sure they are not something more than friends?" Mel asked raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"Uh no, no we're just her friends." Embry spoke before I could. His words were spoken in almost a whisper but to me they echoed in my ears. I also could have sworn that I had heard him mutter under his breath 'unfortunately'.

Even as a little girl I had found them to be cute but now...dang was right. They were both very attractive and a part of me (that weird zinging, hairlifting, breathless part of me) felt almost heartbroken and sick at his words, feeling a small bit of unreasonable rejection.

"Well in that case can I have them Shen?" She laughed out loud, but strangely all I could think was MINE!

That thought took me by surprise and I had to physically shake my head.

"Sorry to interrupt this lovely and uncomfortable flirt fest but uh me and the pa-boys have a surprise for you both." Sam thankfully interrupted.

"Oh uh sorry." Mel said sheepishly. It looked like she was embarrassed while she ducked behind me. I grabbed her hand in comfort before letting it go again.

Addressing Sam I said "What surprise? You didn't have to get us anything."

"Well Shenandoah it's not really from them it's really more for from the tribes people. Billy Black as you know is now the chief since his father passed away a couple years ago, and his views are much better than his fathers were. Plus he has a daughter-in-law who is also white. Anyway Billy felt that the tribe owed you for all the horrible treatment our people caused and that his father and others forced you to leave. So he is gifting you a house on the reservation." My mom explained.

"Wait. What! Are you serious mom? I...I...I can't accept it...can I?" I asked her flabbergasted and overwhelmed at the prospect of having one less thing to worry about.

Allison and at one point Sam had told me about Billy and his 17 year old son Jacob who married his first love Bella Swan. But I really had not thought that the tribes people would feel any remorse when it came to me, especially not so intense to offer me a house. Though if I was totally honest i would love to have my own home here. I love it here in La Push.

"If you do not sweetie they will see it as an insult to their generosity and that would not bode over well." My mom told me holding out keys.

With happy tears and a tight hug I grabbed the keys before bouncing on the tip of my toes. "Sweet can I see it?" I asked.

"Good i'm glad you accepted it. Now I have to go to work but we can have breakfast together, alright? I love you kids. It was nice meeting you Melanie." Allison while giving me another hug.

"Yeah for sure mom. I love you too be safe!" I agreed

She went on to hug Sam before waving to Mel and heading out the door.

After Sam said his goodbyes he turned to me and started to speak. "Well shall we? Embry and Jared will take the car and start to unload everything that you brought in to the house. Em I will see you at home?" He whispered something into her ear making her smile and giggle before she nodded and walked out of the hose with one last hug to everyone, including me and Mel.

Jared walked up to Mel asking for her keys. As soon as he had them him and Em walked out with one last glance at me.

As soon as they left my full attention turned to my stomach. I felt really sick all of a sudden, like I was on the edge of passing out and vomiting all at the same time. It was so sudden and foreign that I missed Sam speaking.

My attention broke when Sam grabbed my arm in a slight shake.

"Huh? What?" I moaned.

"Are you okay Sheny?" Sam looked at me in concern. "I said lets go, it's just down the road from here." I noticed that he was looking at me oddly.

"Yeah Sammy I'm okay. Really. Lets go!" I tried to sound enthusiastic, but I'm not entirely sure that it came out as such. I didn't want to worry Sam or anyone else, so I grabbed onto Mel's elbow and held on to her as if she was an anchor. At her questioning look I mouthed 'Later' before continuing on walking behind Sam. I would in fact tell her later, hopefully by then I would know and understand myself as to what exactly was going on.

Each footfall that we took as we got closer to the house i noticed that the feeling decreased and I began to feel more like myself again. Once at the house I could see that the car was already unpacked, all except one small box that Sam was quick to grab closing the back passenger door before either Mel or I could even help.

As we entered the house I saw both Embry and Jared with a rose in each of their hands.

"Welcome home!" They shouted together handing Mel and I a rose each.

"Thank you." Mel spoke, albeit more timidly than before.

"Thank you both so much. This means so much to me...to us." I corrected last minute while taking the flowers being offered and once again found myself kissing them both on their cheeks, almost out of my control.

It was then that I realized the overwhelming feeling of nausea was gone.

"Wow this is so beautiful. Would it be okay if I took a look around?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah of course, it is your place too girl!" I said laughing at her silliness.

"Cool." She started to walk down the little hallway when we all heard a wolf's howl. Or at least it sounded like a wolf. "What the hell was that? I didn't know that there were wolves around here." Mel squeaked out.

"Yeah how strange, I didn't know there were wolv…-" I drifted off thankful that Mel had already recovered and left the room. I could even hear her mumbiling excitedly about something, I assumed from in one of the bedrooms.

I looked between the three boys who stood in front of me looking nervous, until all of a sudden Embry and Jared walked out to the porch. I could still see them from where I stood.

I remember years ago when I still lived here, Allison and Josh used to take me and Sam to the tribes bonfire celebrations where the chief would tell the legends of Taha Aki and the spirit warriors, and of the cold ones.

"Sam I think that we need to talk."I gave him the sister look before he shook his head yes in resignation before walking out the door meeting the other two. I watched from where I was to see the three boys take off running towards the nearby woods.

"Shen...oh my god I love this hou...SHENAND-" I barely heard Mel scream my name before I fell to my knees and started to cry. Once again it was that very weird sensation moving over my body. I curled in on myself right there in the living room floor feeling lost and dazed, like my soul or heart was suddenly absent making me feel breathless and nauseated again. This time though I actually emptied what little I had in my stomach.

Then I blacked out.