[BamaFan121s]

"How on Earth did they get here so fast?" I walked around the car to join Edward. Renesmee and Jacob walked across the lawn to meet us wearing huge, identical triumphant smiles.

Edward stood in Jacob’s yard in defeat. He was the fastest person I’d ever met, easily quicker on foot than any of the rest of the family or the pack. He was not accustomed to losing a race. As he shook his head in disbelief, Jacob merely shrugged. "I offered you a head start."

He motioned for us to follow him. I could hear a montage of voices echoing from inside the small, red barn like house. It sounded like the entire population of La Push was here. A very strong, odor hung in the air. I reflexively wrinkled my nose. A thin line of smoke snaked its way up over the house from the back yard, visible against the overcast, gray sky. I recognized it as the smell of food being cooked on a grill. It smelled very unappealing.

At one time this place was like a second home to me, but suddenly, as we walked up the stairs, I felt very self conscious and out of place. I slowed my pace, pausing at the door before entering. Renesmee, eager for me to join the party inside, trotted back and grabbed my hand, pulling on me with all her might and urging me forward. "C’mon!" I swallowed hard and stepped forward into the small living room of the Black household.

The babble of voices from inside suddenly stopped as all eyes turned to focus on the two vampires that had just entered a house full of wolves. The silence only lasted a few seconds before it was broken by a familiar voice. "Hey look….it’s my favorite vampire!" Seth eagerly hurried forward scooping me up in a hug that would have surely broken a human in half. Over his shoulder, I briefly caught sight of Leah’s scowling face just before she turned and stormed out of the room. Nevertheless, the excited voices resumed as everyone else hurried forward to greet us. My anxiety vanished immediately. The whole pack seemed to be here in addition to several other familiar faces.

"Hi Bella!" Sue Clearwater called from the kitchen, waving a spoon that seemed to be covered with potato salad. Beside her stood Emily, her face as friendly and welcoming as ever as she waved too.



Renesmee and a girl I recognized as Emily’s niece, Claire, giggled from the corner. Although I knew otherwise, Claire seemed to be smaller and younger than Renesmee by a few years but they didn’t seem to mind.

I turned around to face Edward, beaming. He however, was already deeply involved in a conversation with Quil and Embry about the Ferrari. "Bella, I’m going to walk out with them to look at the car…?" Anyone other than myself would have interpreted it as a statement of fact, however I recognized it as more. I nodded my head. I had worried about our acceptance here unnecessarily, it appeared.

I felt someone nudge my side. "Charlie’s out back with Billy," Jacob said to me quietly.

"Charlie?" My hand instinctively shot to my throat. It had been months since I’d seen my father.

"C’mon…let’s go see him," Jacob whispered. He placed his hand lightly under my elbow and began to gently lead me towards the back door, away from the turmoil inside the overly crowded house. Jacob guided me out into the back yard. There were several long tables set up under a large, ancient looking tree, each covered with a plastic red and white plaid table cloth and laden with enough food to feed a small army…or a dozen hungry werewolves.

Between the tables sat the large silver grill that omitted the foul smell. Standing over the grill was Sam, whose size could only be matched by that of Jacob. Billy sat to his left. Standing in front of both of them, with his back to me, was Charlie. Neither Billy or Sam had acknowledged my presence, although I knew they’d seen me approaching with Jacob. Jacob leaned forward and whispered in my ear, so low that the three men before us had no chance of hearing it. "We didn’t tell him you were coming. Figured we’d let you surprise him."

"OK, who invited the cop to the party?" I called, teasingly.