"Is he going to be ok?" Emily asked with one hand over her cheek. Sam hugged her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"I really hope so..." Sam murmured. He looked over his shoulder at the spare room where Paul was passed out.

He wasn't healthy. His eyes had sunken into his face. He had massive bags under his eyes and he hasn't eaten in the past three days. He was asleep, worn out and totally exhausted. He had no energy- no life in him anymore. He was passed out in Emily's guest room. He agreed his family needed a break from his depression. It wasn't fair how he was affecting them too. They didn't even know Nicole.

"I'm so worried for him..." Emily said sniffling.

"We all are, Em... we all are," Sam said wistfully.

The feeling when you're underwater, and you have only a mouthful of air in your lungs before you suffocate- that's how she was feeling.

She felt the hibernation stage leave her body as it slowly- but surely regenerated her nerves, mended her bones and healed her. She died- yes, but soon the mermaid side effects kicked in, recharging her back to life.

She opened her eyes- fluttering like a butterflies wing as she took in the small, confined space she was cramped in. As soon as her vision perked she realised it was dark in this box she was trapped in.

She took a lungful of air- realising that there was no air to breath in.

Her heartbeat became frantic. She was lost- where was she? What had happened? She couldn't remember. The last thing she remembers is being picked up by Aro. Then it all goes black.

She kicked the wooden lid, realising that she was lyin flat in a box.

What the hell? She thought, holding her breath whilst feeling the crate-like wood blocking her from the outside world.

She kicked her feet up, banging her fists frantically on the wood infront of her.

"Hello?" She called, her voice hoarse since it hasn't been used for what? A week and a half now?

"HELLO!" She called out louder, hearing only the echoe of her voice. She sighed hysterically.

She was lossing air- and fast.

Her fists came crashing violently towards the wood. Hearing how thin it seemed to be.

If it's so thin... why can't I lift it up? She thought bending her knees in order to lift the lid off.

A tear escaped her eyes as she realised she was being hopeless.

"HELP ME!" She called out, her voice broke.

More tears sprung her eyes, she was loosing her breath.

"Sam! Phone call for you," Emily called holding the phone to him.

He walked over, shrugging off his shirt since his patrol started in four minutes.

"Thanks Em," He said as she passed the cord-phone over.

"Sam speaking," He said after clearing his throat.

Emily listened but her hearing wasn't as good as the packs so she only heard one side.

"Oh... ok. I just- Alright"

More silence.

"That's... reasonable. I guess there's no reason to stay then,"

Emily wondered who was on the phone. It sounded like a woman. She sounded so sad... like she was crying.

Then it hit her- the woman on the phone must be Mrs. Summers.

"It was a pleasure meeting you- I'm sorry about the consequences we met under. I'll tell everyone- thank you for your concern... goodbye,"

He hung up the phone silently. Sighing, resting his hands on the bench, hunched over.

"Who was that?" Emily asked tilting her head- though she already had an idea.

"Mary Summers. They've decided to move. To many memories here," Sam struggled for breath, he remembered telling Carly and Mary about the death of Nicky. He was surprised he could tell them the real version not the car accident version of her death. But he didn't question- he only provided fact.

He knew it would hurt telling them- being the cruel person enforcing bad news. But who else would do it?

Carlisle helped alot, taking in their concern and worries. He told them with remorse and showed them the right amount of sympathy, he is a doctor -he must get the occasional call to tell a patients family about death.

"They're moving?" She gasped.

"Yeah, I know, but it's what's for them," Sam said pulling Emily close and kissing her head.

"So it's official," Emily sighed.

The Summer's will move away and the rest of the reservation is going to move on with their lives, like they hadn't even existed.

She banged on the wood, she heard it chipping away above her but the air supplies was running out.

She would inhale oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide, inhale oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide, inhale carbon dioxide, exhale carbon dioxide...

She was breathing in her tainted air.

"Please..." She cried. Her fists bleeding and looking like they had been rubbed against a cheese-grater.

Finally after two minutes of banging and kicking a rewarding pang of word splinted pouring black soil into the cabin she was enclosed in.

She kicked harder, creating a bigger opening but more dirt gushed through, pressing down on her stomach making it harder to breath.

She lasted this long since her lung capasity was used to holding her breath underwater and was used to the air pressure but this dirt was crushing her, pinning her to the bottom of the box.

With a last onze of energy she punched the rest of the wood away, covering her entire body with the black soil.

She kept her mouth shut and her eyes firmly closed as she blindly moved her arms up- the soil pressing down harder she clawed a hole over her face.

She opened her eyes to see the darkness, she shut them again and sturdied herself as she regained the energy and pounding into the dirt into a tunnel.

Come on Nick, don't hold back! she encouraged herself. Her lungs giving up and she felt her ears popped.

She ignored the pain in her lungs, and the tiredness overtaking her body.

she felt like closing her eyes and just giving up.

"I don't want to patrol tomorrow night..." Brady said twisting his fingers nervously in the hem of his shirt.

"Why not?" Sam asked furrowing his brows over the dining table. Everyone but Paul was there as they made awkward small talk. It would be a lie if anyone said everything was back to normal.

"Because um... I don't wanna?" He shrugged looking down at the table.

"Aren't you meant to be patrolling with Paul tomorrow?" Seth asked dully, his usual happiness vanished.

"Yeah but- I... " He couldn't finish that sentence- there was no need.

"I don't think Paul's getting up anytime soon. Don't bother swapping," Jake said.

He came back four days ago, enough time to make it to the Cullen's wedding.

The new gossip around town was the infamous Edward Cullen was marrying his beloved highschool sweetheart- people have already forgotten the tragic death of the newest resident of La Push.

It was heart wrenching to see people spread the newest 'scandal' and not what really counts.

"This isn't right..." Embry said smacking his eating utensils on the table. "The legends don't say-"

"The legends don't say jack-shit about what happened!" Jared said angrily.

"So that means this sort of mess shouldn't happen!" Embry replied.

"Guys..." Quil said quietly, but no one heard him.

"Mess? How can you say that? It's worse then a fucken mess! Paul's suicidal, did you know that?" Jared yelled.

"Please, guys," Quil spoke a bit louder.

"What about Nicky! You guys only think of her as Paul's imprint! She's her own person! Paul does not own her!" Leah included her bit.

"Yes he does! Paul owns her but she owns Paul! They're two halves of a hole. They can't live without eachother! One dies, both dies!" Jared stood up in his chair, making his opinion known.

"Guys, shut up for a minute!" Quil yelled.

"Why are you talking about him like he's souless. He's just mourning, he'll get over it- won't he?" Collin asked quietly.

"NO HE WON'T! That's the point! He can't live without his imprint!" Jared argued.

"There you go again! Talking about her like she's only known as an imprint!" Leah shouted, standing up, shoving her chair to the ground forcefully.

"Stay out of it Leah, you didn't even know her!" Seth said angrily. He was tired of everyone pretending they cared- pretending they knew her just so they got attention.

"Well now I won't get the chance," She said icily earning a few glares.

"Oh, real nice Leah. Just make more smiles while you're at it!" Embry glared.

"Oh like you're making a difference," She scoffed.

"We aren't helping anyone! Paul needs comfort right now, he doesn't need people shouting accusations across the room! He needs support, support that none of us are giving him!" Quil shouted over everyone. He sat back down quietly, pushing the napkin into the collar of his shirt and finishing his meal.

Everyone sat down after that, eating quietly and not making eye contact.

Everyone had their own opinion, their own thoughts...

Damn it! She cried mentally.

She dug and dug eventually making a round arch of the moist soil big enough for her to sit up. She carefully took off her shoes, trying not to startle the mould she had made.

Taking off the heels that she was wearing -though she could not see the colour or style in the pitch darkness- she stood up, bracing herself as her lungs burned.

She only had a few moments before she passed out.

She closed her eyes, collecting her momento before stabbing the dirt around her. It caved in but she quickly got to work digging her way out with her heels.

She felt her limps feel like metal, she couldn't give up- she was almost there.

So close.

She kicked her feet, digging her way up through the ground she realised she was dug under.

She briefly thought she was in a coffin but she pushed that thought aside.

Her body restricted painfully as she pushed the last bit of energy she had she punch her fist one more time in the soil achieving a cold chill of fresh, crisp air from above.

She mentally happy danced, glad that she was almost free.

She almost jumped in happiness as both arms pushed away the remaining dirt and jolted herself up into the open, gasping as her head reached the surface. She gulped in as much air as possible before pulling the rest of her body out of that underground prison.

She rolled away from the rectangle of dirt that will no doubt collapse under any weight since she broke free.

She opened her eyes, her skin covered in dirt and grass stain.

Her whole body was worn out- she could just sleep.

She shook her head, she had to find out where she was.

Was she still in Volterra?

Was she still in the castle courtyard?

She barely had the energy to look up but when she did she might or might have not cried when she saw her name on a tombstone.

She looked down at the dirt she crawled out of.

That was her grave?

She looked around, the stormy grey clouds above threatening to pour rain down any second.

Tears shed as she realised... people thought she died.

Her breathing became even more uneasy if that was possible as thunder rolled loudly in the sky.

A single lightning bolt flashed through the sky before heavy rain dropped form the skies.

Her hair that was once mattered with dirt was now soaking wet.

The dirt, grim and grass was now becoming a muddy substance thanks to the rain. She stood up slowly, her knees feeling weak under her what seemed like her heavy body.

She was exhausted. And now she was... confused?

Shouldn't her body be changing? Turning into the form she last remembered being in before digging herself out of her own grave?

She shrugged it off- she'll deal with it later.

She didn't know where to go but she had a feeling she was someone familiar... some where that felt like home.

She couldn't find the energy to speak- to call out for help.

But she still found herself following the graveyard stone path leading into the winding roads of La Push.

The rain made it easy for the cars driving passed to not see her. She didn't want attention- she wanted home.

She didn't even think about hitching a ride.

She was lost. She looked around almost in a panick like state.

She was confused, wet, filthy, tired and cold as ice. So she closed her eyes, in the middle of the footpath. Her barefeet standing in a puddle.

She felt a tug on chest, she strangely accepted the pull and didn't fight it as she followed her heart and walked towards where her conscious felt right.

Bright lights shun ahead from a few houses, she skipped them completely knowing that's not where she was meant to be.

Her feet finally stopped. Right infront of a single story house with all the lights on.

This was home.

"So if I take tomorrow- can someone swap with my Thursday 5 o'clock shift?" Embry asked.

"Well I could take your Thursdays but you'll either have to have my Friday morning or Saturday afternoon shift- up to you," Jared said quietly.

The atmosphere hadn't changed. It was still tense and awkward to speak. Sam didn't even bother to stop the commotion, he didn't care anymore.

No body did.

knock knock knock

Three quiet knocks from the front door haulted everyone's conversation.

Who would be coming over this time at night?

If it were anyone from the pack- though it couldn't be because they were all present- they would have all marched on in, swinging the door closed behind them without knowing the definition of knocking or ringing a doorbell.

"I'll get it," Emily said weakly, she stood up from her chair silently walking at her fastest pace to answer the front door down the hall.

"I'm coming," She called out.

The boys at the table could hear the swing off the door opening and Emily's breath leave her before a loud bang caught their attention.

Like something heavy fell onto the floorboards with a thud.

Sam stood up- already taking action. While the rest of the pack stood up to flank him.

"Betcha ten bucks it's a zombie at the door," Collin joked. The boys all glared at him.

Oh how close his guess would be..