"I got my ticket for the long way 'round

Two bottle 'a whiskey for the way

And I sure would like some sweet company

And I'm leaving tomorrow, wha-do-ya say?"

-Anna Kendrick

Emily was speechless, at a complete loss of words. Earlier she had went to talk to TJ at her gravesite and replace her flowers, and now said girl was sitting in her living room in her favorite band tee and skinny jeans. This girl had TJ's face and body, but this wasn't her. It couldn't be, Emily was there when they buried her friend.

"I know it's a lot to take in-..." TJ started but stopped when she felt her cheek sting.

"I don't know who you are but you need to get the fuck out of here right now!" Emily screamed, shocking the whole pack, they've never heard her even raise her voice.

"It's me Em... remember that time when I found you crying about your scars and you said no one will ever love you like this?"

Emily winced at the memory, as much as she didn't blame Sam for what happened, that time that TJ caught her, it was during one of her moments of weakness.

"And you told me 'if no one could love you because of how you looked, then they never deserved me in the first place'." Her voice cracked at the end. It was a special moment that only the two of them knew about and it also marked the day that they became best friends. "Oh TJ!" Emily ran at her with such force that it almost knocked her down, but she held onto her friend as she sobbed on her shoulder.

"It's okay Em." She rubbed her friend's back until the tears subsided.

"What happened? I thought you were dead. We had a funeral!"

"Well, for starters, as you all know, I'm adopted and before I left, I found out what I am... I'm an Amazon."

Silence hung through the air as they digested her words. "Why didn't you tell us when you found out?" Jared asked.

"There was just so much going on that I couldn't find the right time." She was so worried about keeping everyone else safe that she put her problems on the back burner.

"What about the funeral?" Jacob asked.

"Amazons were born from Harmonia and Ares-..."

"Ares? Like the God of War?" Paul asked, remembering some stories from their Mythology class.

TJ nodded, "Ares is my biological father. That being said, and I didn't know this at the time but, Hades, God of the Underworld, was able to get a body to mirror mine to make it look like I was dead."

"So why fake your death?" Embry asked.

"They needed to train me. On Earth, I've only been gone for two months but there, I've been gone for a year."

"After we had our... falling out, I ran until my legs gave out and then the next thing I know, I feel sick and I'm in Greece."

"We're really sorry about that, had we of known-..." Sam started, his words getting blocked in his throat. "We didn't mean to turn our backs on you. You are pack."

"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have lost control like that."

Sam pulled her into a bone crushing hug and the rest of the guys followed in suit. They had missed their friend terribly.

"I never got to introduce myself, I'm TJ." She smiled to the three newbies. "No way," Now it was her turn to be shocked at the two familiar faces. "Seth? Leah? I didn't know females could shift."

"News to me too." Leah said.

"I bet your parents are happy." Everyone stopped what they were doing and Leah looked down sadly. "What? What did I miss?"

"Our father passed away." Seth said.

TJ gasped, not Harry Clearwater, the same Harry that used to try to teach her how to fish and hunt. She stumbled and Paul caught her, holding her back against his front as he kissed her neck in comfort.

"I'm so sorry guys... fuck, I need some air."

She untangled herself from Paul and walked outside. She took two deep breaths and prayed to the Gods to keep him safe and happy wherever he was.

"You alright?" She turned around and was surprised to see Leah.

From what she could remember, Leah wasn't always pleasant to be around after she and Sam broke up but she still tried to include her on things when she visited the Clearwater household. She felt bad for the girl, being left for someone else isn't something that's easy to deal with.

"Yeah."

TJ sat on the porch and listened to the birds chirp. She heard the pack inside laughing, and when she turned around, she caught a glimpse of Sam and Emily in lip lock. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Leah looking at them in anger. "Do you ever take the time to listen to the world around you?"

Leah gave the girl a confused look and stood next to her. "What do you mean?"

TJ looked to the forest and deeply inhaled. "The crickets chirping, the owls hooting, even the breeze gently blowing."

Leah arched a brow, "I'm still not following."

"What I mean is, if you never take the time to stop and smell the roses, you'll be sure to miss out in the little things life has to offer. I understand Sam and Emily have wronged you but at some point, you're going to have to let the hurt go. I'm not saying it has to be now or two years from now or even 20 years from now, just don't let the hate consume you. 'Everyone suffers at least one bad betrayal in their lifetime. It's what unites us. The trick is not to let it destroy your trust in others when that happens. Don't let them take that from you'. You'll love again Leah."

She left the older woman on the front porch to ponder her thoughts and came back inside. Sam and Emily shot her looks of appreciation.

"Warrior and a philosopher? I got lucky."Paul said as he pulled her into him and put his face in her neck. "It's good to have you back baby." He mumbled against her skin

"It's good to be back."