Fate: Chapter 1

"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart." - Marcus Aelius Aurelius

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I'm just having fun with the sexy wolf pack.

An: Thank you to Buff82 and Wolfbane08 for their help with this chapter.

Chapter 1: Growing Up and Growing Together

Quil's excitement made me smile as I watched him fight to reel in the line on his fishing pole. How a grown man, or in that case - wolf, could be so excited over a measly little fish was beyond me, but if Quil was happy, I was happy.

Charlie had invited him along for the ritual weekend fishing trip that my father and Billy Black had been having for longer than either one of us had been alive. Quil, always eager to please my father, had willingly agreed and somehow, with much persuasion from my loving and doting boyfriend, I had been coaxed to join as well.

It was my first attempt at fishing since I was ten and Charlie had dragged me along with him during one of my summer visits. I had sat in the boat, refusing to move until he finally relented and took me back home. Unfortunately, there was no way I was going to be allowed to sit back and watch, seeing as Quil was determined to have me participate in all the 'fun' as he called it.

"That's a big one," Charlie complimented with awe in his voice.

I stood to look at the water where Quil was now reaching down to remove his catch from the hook. I had to turn away from the sight though, not wanting to see the still alive fish with a piece of metal attached to its mouth.

With that sudden movement, however, the so called 'fun' ended all too quickly. It was as if it were happening in slow motion, the boat rocked ever so slightly and I lost my footing. Even Quil was not fast enough to catch me and without further warning I toppled over the side and into the freezing cold water of First Beach.

I sputtered out water as I resurfaced, my teeth chattering as I looked at the three grown men laughing hysterically at my expense.

"Say cheese," Billy teased right before a flash went off in my eyes.

A knock on the door brought me from my memory and I looked up just in time to see Angela poke her head into my room. "You about done packing?" she asked.

I smiled at her, "Yeah, just a few things left. I'll be ready to leave in about an hour or so."

"Ok, I'm gonna finish up in my room and then I'll be ready to go too."

Angela and I had been roommates since freshman year, neither of us wanting to share a room with a complete stranger and therefore thankful that we had each other. Her boyfriend, Ben, was attending UW as well, but was staying in the boys' dorm across campus.

She turned to leave, shutting the door behind her, and I glanced back down at the picture in my hands one more time. Quil and I stood side by side—me soaking wet and glaring, him holding up his large fish and smiling broadly. I shook my head at the memory and carefully placed the photo into the scrapbook beside me.

I took in the room that had been mine for the last two years; boxes lay stacked in one corner near the window and an open one sat atop my desk waiting to be filled. Next year Angela and I would be juniors and that meant a different dorm room. I would never understand why we couldn't just stay in the same room all four years, but at least we had been lucky enough to keep the one we were in thus far.

The only items left to pack were the few things I still had in the drawers of my small desk and the remaining items in the collage I had built across the length of one of my bedroom walls. I had started the collage the month after I moved to Seattle, adding pictures after each time I went home to visit Forks and La Push as well as from when Quil would visit me on campus.

It began with random photos of Quil and I which were situated in the center of them all, ones I hung so I could see his gorgeous face whenever I wanted, and it just grew from there. Movie stubs and fair tickets were tucked randomly between various pictures, each a reminder of my time with Quil.

Off to the right of the wall there were several photos of the 'wolf girls', the name the boys had lovingly given us. Emily, Rachel, Kim, and I were all linked arm in arm, smiling like crazy. Leah, despite being the only true 'wolf girl', wasn't in most of the photos. But we all knew she was still grieving over the situation with and Sam the fact that she was the only girl to ever phase in Quileute history.

To some surprise on my part, it didn't seem to matter to any of them that Quil hadn't imprinted on me; I was still accepted as part of their family. In fact, imprinting was a subject Quil and I avoided as much as possible. Both of us knew it was a possibility, but not a possibility either of us were willing to accept. I would spend as much time as I could get with him and when the time came that he was no longer mine, I would let him go. Getting to be with Quil and being able to love him was worth the risk of losing him.

The opposite section of wall was dedicated to the pack. Pictures of Sam, Embry, Jared, Paul, Jacob and even Seth were scattered everywhere. Them at the beach, our weekly movie night, and a few of the boys during a day of cliff diving. The only ones I didn't have up were the couple that had been taken of each of them while they were in wolf form. Those were not something that I was willing or wanting to discuss with whoever might happen to see them.

Surrounding the center photos were ones that included various poses of my pack family, each one in succession of when it was taken, the oldest being closest to the middle. The wall was similar to a roadmap of my life. You could see every moment I held dear in my heart hanging up there.

One by one I reached up to remove each printed memory before placing it in the scrapbook. I had recently bought it so that I could safely store my photos for the summer. Despite knowing I would be putting these photos up on another wall in just three short months, I couldn't help but feel as if I were closing a chapter in my life by taking them down.

The last photo nearly brought a tear to my eye. It was one of all of us outside Sam's house—Emily, Rachel, Kim, Leah and I sitting across the steps with Sam, Paul, Jared, Embry, Quil, Jacob, and Seth standing behind us, taken before a bonfire on the beach.

It had been a carefree, perfect evening; I even managed to forget that I was leaving for Seattle the following morning. The elders were there, telling the legends of the tribe to the two youngest and newest pack members. I had heard the stories several times before, but was mesmerized none the less, each and every time I listened to Billy Black spoke.

Placing it into the scrapbook, I closed the cover and stood up from the bed, carrying it with me over to the only other piece of furniture left in my room.

There wasn't much left to pack in my desk, just a few stray pencils and notebooks. It wasn't until I came across a stray item in the bottom of the right hand drawer that I found something of interest. I blushed as I looked it over, having forgotten it was in there.

The one and only photo besides those of the wolves that I would never be hanging up in my collage—Quil and I lay side by side, our naked bodies pressed up against one another. My eyes were closed and I looked as if I were sleeping while Quil looked down at me affectionately. You could tell he'd taken the picture himself, but the look of love on his face took my breath away even two years later.

It was taken later in the evening after Quil and I had made love for the first time. An involuntary smile found its way to my lips as I relived the memory of his gentle touch. Footsteps could be heard in the hall so I quickly tucked the photo away at the back of the album before placing it inside the box.

"I'm ready," Angela announced as she flung open my bedroom door for the second time. We had gotten over most of our personal boundaries towards one another since our living arrangement had begun.

"So am I," I told her as I placed the last notepad atop the scrapbook and began taping up the box.

"Good, we have to turn in our room keys to the RA before we can leave."

I looked out the side window of my beloved truck as I drove. '15 miles to Forks' the sign stated. My foot pushed down slightly further on the gas pedal, willing the ancient vehicle to go faster. It audibly groaned under the pressure, not wavering from the maximum speed of fifty-five miles per hour.

I was practically vibrating in my seat from excitement. School was officially out for the summer, my dorm was packed, keys turned in, and I was finally going home for more than just a single weekend; home to Forks and La Push, home to Quil. Just the mere thought of his name brought a smile to my face, reminding me that I would be seeing him in just a few short hours.

Sometimes it was hard to believe he and I had been together for two entire years. Once I graduated I left for Washington University in Seattle, making sure to come home every other weekend for a visit. Charlie greatly appreciated that fact as it meant he got a well cooked meal at least twice a month. Quil would always join us for dinner and then for breakfast on Sunday morning before I would make the two hour trip back to school.

Luckily I was able to take my Chevy with me when I left for college. Jake did maintenance on it every time I came in town, making sure it was in stable condition to drive. He and I had remained close friends after finally setting aside the feelings we once shared. We both were agreement that our friendship was more important. We also made a point to get together to ride our motorcycles from time to time.

I managed to get time off work so I could stay in Forks for two entire months before having to go back to Seattle. I had gotten a job at the campus library which barely had traffic coming through during the summer months, so my being there was unnecessary. The job helped, seeing as I was majoring in Literature with a minor in business. My goal was to one day open my own bookshop and café in either Forks or Port Angelas.

Anticipation hit me once again as I began driving through town. I saw the high school off to my right and Newton's sporting goods store where I had worked for a brief period of time. I then chuckled to myself as I passed the diner; Dad has probably been eating there every other night since I moved out and then over at Billy Black's house ever night in between. It had been just over a month since I was last in town, finals and end of school activities had kept me away.

Finally I made the turn onto my old street, driving on auto pilot to my former home. I pulled the truck into the drive, shutting off the roaring engine and smiled broadly when I spotted Charlie already making his way towards me. I stepped out of the cab and enveloped him in a hug.

Charlie and I were still uncomfortable with expressing our emotions towards one another, but we always shared a brief hug upon my arrival. He released me before reaching into the bed of the truck to retrieve my suitcase.

Angela's boyfriend, Ben, had been kind enough to carry down my suitcase and the four packed boxes and load them into my truck before the two of them left separately for Forks in their own car. They were meeting Angela's parents for an early dinner.

"How was the drive?" Charlie asked while we walked side by side into the house.

"Pleasant," I answered simply as I stepped through the front door.

He set my bag down next to the door and I took my time removing my coat and boots before following him into the living room.

"How were finals?" he asked.

My father was not a man of many words but when it came to me and my education he seemed to find a way to speak. Not to mention we had grown closer over the last two years, learning to open up to one another more. "They were good dad. I passed them all so I'm officially a junior now," I boasted.

Charlie beamed and I could tell he was proud of me. It made me once again take notice of how happy I was to have moved in with him when I did. I'd never realized just how much I needed Charlie in my life or how much he needed me in his.

"So what time is the ceremony next Sat?" I inquired. It was the entire reason I was home a week earlier than originally planned. Quil didn't know I was home yet and it was going to be fun to surprise him.

"Noon I think."

I nodded. "Are we meeting everyone there or at Jake's first?"

"I think we're meeting them at Jake and Billy's," he told me as he stood to retrieve a beer from the kitchen. I followed to get a glass of water. I had made the two hour trip without a single stop and was parched.

I jumped while reaching up into a cabinet for a cup as Charlie spoke, "Quil's coming over for dinner." I hadn't realized he was still in the kitchen.

"He told me when I called him this morning. You didn't tell him I was here did you?"

Charlie scoffed. "Who am I to ruin your surprise?" he asked mockingly.

I rolled my eyes and filled the cup with water, taking a long sip. It was strange… as much as I expected for my father to dislike any boy I brought home, he seemed quite taken with Quil. I assumed it partially had to with the fact that in Charlie's eyes, any boy was better than Edward Cullen.

Edward—that was a name I hadn't thought of in quite some time. In over two and half years I hadn't heard from him once. About a year ago Alice contacted me, apologizing profusely for the face she hasn't tried to talk to me sooner. She explained it was Edward who made her promise not to, no surprise there.

I forgave her of course and now she would call once or twice a month to check in. A few months ago she even met me in Seattle and I allowed her to take me shopping. She said that buying me a few nice outfits was the least she could do.

I told her about Quil and she listened intently without judgment. She already knew of the werewolves which made my explaining the situation that much easier. She also came to realize the reasoning for no longer being able to see my future—apparently she can't see the wolves in her visions. Of course that frustrated her to no end while I was simply relieved. I liked the idea of my future being my own to decide.

By now Charlie had returned to his sports and so I took the opportunity to carry my suitcase upstairs to my old room. I had packed only the one suitcase, simply packing my favorite pairs of jeans and long sleeved t-shirts, while leaving everything else in the boxes in my truck. Alice, of course, would disagree with my clothing choices.

It took me only a few minutes to unpack, hanging a couple items in the closet and placing the rest in my old dresser. The travel of the day and the fact that I would be seeing Quil in less than an hour prompted me to take a shower so I grabbed my toiletries and a change of clothes before heading off to the bathroom.

A nice warm shower later and I was ready to start dinner.

No sooner had I stepped foot into the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I broke out in a cheeky smile before darting towards the door. "I'll get it!" I called out over my shoulder on the way.