Friday arrived after a week of avoiding both Jacob and Bella the best that I could; with the wolf pack out every night hunting Victoria and Bella keeping to herself in her room when she wasn't at school, it wasn't difficult to do. The empty feeling had taken its place in Bella's chest when Jacob was gone, busy with the pack; she would never admit it out loud but I knew her. I knew she was only trying to make sure I didn't get hurt.

When I wasn't at school or the bakery, I spent time with Emily, always making sure to arrive after Jacob left and leaving before he came back; surprise visits resulted in me scouring into the attic that the boys knew nothing about. At least, Jacob didn't know. If he did, he didn't say anything.

"Hey, baby girl." Mom appeared in the doorway of my bedroom, her eyes meeting mine in the vanity mirror as I finished applying a little bit of eyeliner and mascara. "Is there anything you need before I head off to the bakery? Have everything for your date with Noah?"

"I'm good," I smiled, twisting around in my chair to face her. "Thank you for letting me go out tonight, by the way."

"I can't keep you in the house forever." Mom said wearily. "Besides, I like Noah. He's a good kid, and I think after the week you've had, you deserve a night out."

The doorbell rang just then, interrupting whatever Mom was going to say next. We grinned at each other and Mom turned away to go answer the door before glancing back at me.

"Promise me you'll have a good time tonight. No worrying about your stalker, no worrying about Jacob or Bella. Focus on yourself and being happy."

"I promise I will."

As Mom headed down the stairs, I stood up from the vanity and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. Grabbing my jacket and purse from my desk, I hurried after Mom, smiling brightly at Noah as he entered the house.

"Hello, Mrs. Watson. Autumn," he greeted us warmly. "Autumn, you look beautiful."

"Thanks," I blushed, shifting my gaze down to the burgundy sweater I had paired with a dark blue pair of jeans. "I wasn't sure what you had planned tonight, so I picked something that was comfortable and cute."

"It's perfect for what I have planned." Noah promised, holding out his arm. "Shall we get going?"

"Be safe tonight! Call me if you need anything!" Mom called after us as we headed outside to Noah's car.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" I asked as Noah backed out of my driveway, waving to Mom one last time before driving off.

"I was thinking we could go bowling," Noah replied, a small smile on his lips. "It's a great, no-pressure first date activity."

"I love that idea." I smiled back. "It's been forever since I went bowling!"

"Bowling it is, then."

When we arrived to the bowling alley, Noah hurriedly parked the car and practically ran around to the passenger side, pulling the door open before I could even reach for the handle. He extended one hand out to me, carefully pulling me to my feet and making sure I was good before shutting the car door behind me.

"Thank you," I said as he held his arm out for me to hold onto on our way through the parking lot. "You know, most guys don't hold doors open for their dates nowadays."

"Most of them also weren't raised by traditional families." Noah pointed out. "It's a shame really. If most guys treated their girls with respect and doting affection, life would probably be a lot more happier for them."

"You have no idea..." my voice trailed off as I thought about my parents; my father stopped treating my mom with respect the minute he began his affairs, which should have been the first red flag for me all those years ago. I shook my head to put the thoughts away. "I hope you don't ever stop being chivalrous in your life. Women in your future will appreciate it so much more."

"Noted." Noah nodded, turning his attention briefly to the person at the counter. "Two for bowling."

"Shoe size?" The man asked after handing Noah back his change. We both answered his question, and he disappeared into the small room behind the counter, coming back with our shoes. "Lane 22 is all yours. Have fun, kids."

"Thank you, sir." Noah grabbed the shoes and led me over to Lane 22. "Do you want to order any food now, or wait a while?"

"We can order now." I greeted the waitress who was approaching our table. "The pizza smells delicious."

"We'll have a large pepperoni pizza and a large supreme pizza," Noah spoke to the waitress who had her notepad ready for our order. "And a pitcher of cherry cola."

"Coming right up!" The waitress beamed at us, sashaying off to her next table a few lanes away.

"Do you want to go first?" Noah asked me, gesturing to the machine where bowlers' names were entered.

"Sure. If that's okay with you." I finished tying my shoes and stood up. "I'm going to go grab a ball from the rack."

"Of course." Noah punched a few buttons on the machine and a few seconds later, the machine at the end of the lane that placed the pins down whirled to life, ready for us.

Carefully weighing each bowling ball in my hands, I decided on a bright pink 9-pound one and walked back to our lane where Noah was pouring a glass of cola for me while he waited. His eyes twinkled as he took in the sight of my choice.

"I wouldn't have guessed you use a 9 pound ball for bowling," he smirked. "A seven or an eight, maybe. But that's what I get for making assumptions, right?"

"Well, you know what they say about assuming things about others." I joked back, playfully rolling my eyes. "Don't worry, you're not the first person to think I can't handle heavy objects."

"Would I be the first person to apologize for thinking that?" he asked sheepishly.

"Honestly? Yeah." I took a sip of my drink.

"Well then, I'm sorry. Autumn. I didn't mean anything by my comment about your bowling ball."

"It's okay, Noah. I think you're just a little scared you're going to get beat by a girl."

The shocked expression on Noah's face was priceless as I made my way up to the lane with my ball, smirking at the fact I made him speechless. As I positioned myself for the first roll, I heard his laughter echo behind me.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly went through the motions and released the ball, sending it smoothly down the lane and into the pins, knocking every single one down on the first attempt. The screen above our table flashed "STRIKE" and Noah whistled in appreciation.

"Dang, Watson. You're about to give me a run for my money, aren't you?"

"Try to keep up, Lodgeman."

I flashed a mega-watt smile at him and the first-date tension melted away, allowing us to have fun and just be a couple of normal teenagers for a night.

* * * * *

"Hey, Em." I turned to her the next morning as she was preparing lunch for the boys. She looked at me expectantly.

"Yes, Autumn?"

"This is going to sound really strange," I began slowly, "but ever since we found out about the wolf pack, I've been having these dreams."

"What kind of dreams?" Emily wiped her hands on a towel and leaned against the counter.

"Mostly about wolves. But the last few nights.... there's been a woman appearing. She's standing in the middle of a field, a fire in front of her, and there is a circle of men, transforming between human and wolf. The strangest thing is, I feel like I know the woman."

"That's because you do," Sam said from the door. "I'll explain later, Jacob's coming. "

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath as I bolted for the attic. The secret door swung shut behind me with a soft click just in time, Jacob's voice filling the house a few seconds later. I held my breath, careful not to make any noise.

"I'm not stupid, Sam!" I heard Jacob hiss as I pressed my ear against the door. "I know that you know where Autumn is. Bella hasn't seen her in a couple of days, and she's not home when I go over there. She's not at the bakery either."

My heart skipped a beat as his words sank in. Jacob was looking for me? But why? I shook the questions away and focused on the conversation taking place on the other side of the door.

"Em, come on. Help me out here." Jacob pleaded.

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you, Jacob. She doesn't want to talk to you right now, and honestly I don't blame her." Emily's tone was gentle but firm. I was grateful for both her and Sam for helping me, even though I knew it was putting them into an unfair position.

"Fine," Jacob sighed. "If you see her, will you let her know that I really want to talk to her?"

"I'll give her the message." Emily agreed.

"Go switch places with Paul," Sam ordered Jacob. "He needs to eat."

The air shifted into a tensed silence as footsteps faded from the kitchen. I mentally counted to 53 before the door opened in front of me.

"It's safe, he's gone." Sam said, looking down at me as I sat on the stairs. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy." I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "I'm going to have to talk to him eventually, aren't I?"

"Yeah, I think so." Sam held out his hand. "Let's talk about your mysterious dreams."

I took Sam's hand and let him pull me back to my feet, following him back into the kitchen. Sliding into a chair at the table, I reached into my bag and pulled out my journal, flipping to the latest entries.

"You said a woman was appearing in the middle of a field with a bonfire and men turning into wolves around her?" Sam clarified, walking over to the bookcase in the living room. I nodded in affirmation and he turned toward the books, his finger trailing the spines.

"Describe what she looks like," Emily placed a fresh mug of hot chocolate down in front of me.

"She has long, black hair that goes down to her waist. Her eyes were a sharp emerald color. Um, she was wearing a long dress... or maybe it was a skirt? No, it was a dress. It was white and lacey with some ruffles. and she had gold bands around her arms, above her elbows. And there was a dark gray pouch bag around her waist." I said as I skimmed through my journal.

"Her name was Giuliana De Angelis. She fled to America from Italy after a fire destroyed her home, and came here to La Push in search of her half-sister. Their mother had been a Quileute and she was kidnapped by another tribe, sold into a slavery business, and shipped off to Italy." Sam sat down across from me, sliding a book toward me. I looked down and met the mischievous gaze of the woman from my dreams. As I traced my fingertips over the page, Sam continued.

"When Giuliana discovered the connection to the Quileute tribe before the fire, she had begged her mother to let her come into America. Her father had forbidden her and then tried to kill the entire family one night in a drunken state. After the tribe heard her story and saw the birthmark on her shoulder, which was similar to her mother's, they took her in and taught her everything she needed to know. Giuliana took a particular interest to the tribal magics, specifically those of healing natures."

"How does she fit in with the wolves?" I asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

"She fell in love with one of the tribe's warriors." Emily chimed in, a small smile on her face. "She was expecting a son when he was killed."

"That's a story for another time," Sam said, his eyes shifting to the door as the sound of a twig snapping caught his attention. A few seconds later, Paul jogged up the path and into the house, immediately heading for the food Emily had placed on the counter earlier.

"Have you seen Jacob?" He asked between bites. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't switch with you?" Sam cursed under his breath when Paul shook his head.

"Jared came and switched with me. Why, is something wrong?" Paul asked, confusion slowly creeping over his face.

"He knows you're here, Autumn." Sam said darkly.

"And now he knows about..." My voice trailed off as Sam nodded. "Earlier, when you said I knew the woman?"

"She's your ancestor. On your mother's side," Sam confirmed. "That's why the tribal elders let you and your mom become honorary members of the tribe. They had an agreement with your mom that before your 18th birthday, you would find out the truth of your heritage, and only then could you become part of the tribe."

"Wait, she's a Quileute?" Paul stared at me before turning back to Sam. "When did you find out?"

"The day Autumn and her mom moved to Forks. That's not important right now. We need to find Jacob." Sam said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Silence settled over us as Sam's confession shockingly stunned us. I chewed on my bottom lip as I tried to wrap my head around his words, pieces of my childhood finally falling into place as I thought about the subtle ways Mom tried to include our Quileute heritage into our lives without Dad noticing. As my mind wandered, I got a strong feeling I knew where Jacob was.

"Let me," I turned to Sam. "It's time I faced him."

Sam nodded and closed his eyes, Emily squeezing his hand comfortingly. I quickly shoved my journal back into my bag and threw it over my shoulder, bolting out the door. There was only one place I knew he would want to meet me, I thought to myself as I turned onto the trail that led down to the beach. Please be there.

As I broke through the tree line, my eyes scanned the beach for a sign. Trailing down by the log where Jacob first told Bella and I about vampires, I sighed in relief when I saw him sitting on the fallen tree. Slowly, I made my way to him, terrified he was going to leave as soon as he saw me.

"Took you long enough," he called out when I was a few feet away, his eyes humorless as he glanced at me. I stopped in my tracks, my cheeks growing warm from his harsh tone.

"Yeah, well. I didn't exactly want to see you." I replied, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets. "You can't seem to take a hint."

"Have you been hiding out at Emily's this whole time?" Jacob asked darkly. "Is that why Bella hasn't seen you outside of school? Or why you're never home when I stop by?"

"Does it really matter?" I hissed back. "You've been avoiding me since we found out you're a wolf! So, why don't you explain that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He mumbled, staring at his feet. My blood boiled and something snapped inside me.

"That's crap and you KNOW it, Jacob Black!" I yelled at him. "I'm not stupid! Everyone knows you have a crush on Bella! Except for Bella, apparently. That's why you won't look at me, really look at me, because you want it to be her you imprint on!"

He didn't answer me as my voice broke off, trying hard not to let out a sob.

"No matter how hard I try, I'm never going to be enough... It's always going to be Bella, and I can't keep doing this to myself. I can't keep loving you, knowing you're in love with my best friend!"

Tears swelled in my eyes, spilling onto my cheeks as I turned away from him. My heart dropped into my stomach as my breathing became ragged, hiccups threatening to explode from my throat. Before I could run away, Jacob spun me around, his hands gently grasping my shoulders as his eyes held mine.

A small gasp escaped from Jacob's lips as he stared at me. I could see the wheels turning in his head as something shifted between us, the electric current sparking more intensely. My body burned under my clothes despite the cool air blowing from the ocean. Time slowed as the realization of the situation dawned on Jacob and he dipped his head down, softly brushing his lips against mine. Fireworks exploded the moment we kissed, and I knew Jacob felt them too because his arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me closer.

"Does that answer your question?" He whispered when he finally broke away. "It's always been you, Autumn. Ever since I first saw you. It just took me a really long time to figure it out for myself."

"Took you long enough," I whispered back, repeating his words from earlier. He grinned and pulled me into his chest, resting his cheek on top of my head.

"I love you too," he murmured into my hair. "In case it wasn't clear."

"Maybe you should make it more clear," I teased as I looked up at him and batted my eyelashes playfully. He laughed heartily before kissing me again, his hands cupping my face.

"So... what's this I hear you had a date last night?" He teased lightly, no jealousy apparent in his tone or his expression.

"Well, I wasn't going to wait around for you forever." I shrugged playfully. "Besides, it was nice being normal for a while... no werewolves, no vampires. Just plain old human stuff."

"Ouch." Jacob clutched at his heart dramatically. "Okay, I deserved that."

"Yeah, just a little bit. You've been a jerk for weeks now." I laughed.

"Come on, then. We have a lot to talk about with Sam," Jacob said as he slipped his hand into mine. "Starting with your ancestor."

"You did hear that."

"I did." He shrugged. "I knew you were there. The extra mug on the table gave it away."

"Oops."

"I understand why Emily was hiding you. And I'm sorry, for everything." Jacob grew quiet as we walked back to the trail leading to Emily and Sam's place. "I know it wasn't fair to you or Bella, the way I've been acting lately."

"I know you were conflicted, about your feelings. Jared sort of explained the whole 'the pack can hear your thoughts' thing. And the imprinting. It was really hard to go through all of that on top of phasing, wasn't it?"

"It was," Jacob admitted. "I'm grateful that I had the pack to help me though. I don't know what I would've done without them."

I squeezed his hand reassuringly and he smiled as we came into view of the cabin. Emily and Sam were both on the porch when we made our way up the path, knowing smiles on their faces.

"It's about time you came to your senses." Sam told Jacob, his eyes twinkling with laughter. "I'm sorry, Autumn, but we have to go. Jared spotted Victoria in the woods, where Charlie and some of the tribal elders are 'hunting' for us."

"I'll be back later." Jacob kissed the top of my head. "Invite your mom over for dinner at my house."

"Okay." I beamed as the guys took off into the woods, the air shimmering as they phased past the tree line, out of sight. Emily turned back to me and smirked.

"So? Cup of tea and you can tell me everything?"

"Sure, that sounds good." I laughed as I followed her into the kitchen, a weight lifting off of my shoulders that I hadn't realized was there.

After I told Emily what happened on the beach and the conversation shifted into stories about the pack from Emily's perspective, we both turned at the sound of gravel crunching in the driveway. Emily stood up slowly as she recognized Jared's Jeep, Jared's face staring at us through the driver's window. Sam appeared next, jogging up the trail. His expression matched Jared's - grim, like someone had passed away. His voice carried through the air as he approached the house.

"Harry Clearwater had a heart attack. Charlie is at the hospital, and he can't find Bella."