Midnight Sun ❖ (Embry Call - The Twilight Saga)

2.04

It's been like 3 weeks and its not okay... HERE'S THAT DUE CHAPTER xxx

----

With little Riley fast asleep in his arms, Embry watched Gracie like a hawk. He wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting to observe but ever since she had her memories back, he thought everything would've been seriously different. Instead, Gracie remained her usual self. She was sitting on the couch beside Sam, talking and occasionally laughing with Emilio. Embry wanted to talk to the man, he wanted to get to know him but for some reason he couldn't find the courage. He knew exactly why he was afraid to and going by the look that Sam would often give him, he knew too that Sam had connected the dots. But Embry being Embry, was still in this state of denial.

     "Here, looks like you need some." Quil's voice snapped Embry out of his thoughts.

For the first time in a while, Embry looked away from his wife and up towards his best friend who held a cup of coffee.

      "Sorry?" Embry asked, realising he had tuned out completely. He check his sons sleeping body before looking at Quil.

His best friend laughed a little, sitting beside him. "Coffee for the wolf in fairy land."

Embry chuckled a little, shaking his head. "I'm fine, really."

Quil shrugged, sipping the cup. "What's bothering you and don't lie about this, I can tell when something gets under your skin."

     "Nothing. I'm just glad that Gracie is ok." Embry said, glancing from his wife to his best friend.

Gracie met his eyes, giving him a reassuring smile quickly.

     "Sure." Quil shortly replied, flicking his eyebrows up sarcastically.

Embry noticed the sarcasm. "What do you think makes me uncomfortable?"

     "I don't know, maybe that Gracie's dad turned out to be the opposite of bad. Tell me you didn't believe he was a bad person solely on the reflection of your own built up imagination of your own father?" Quil asked softly, putting the cup of coffee down on the coffee table.

Embry breathed out heavily. It was true. He feared this sense of another father figure due to the only experience he had with this fatherly position. Bad enough that his father was never in the picture of his life and worse that his mother wouldn't tell him anything about him, Embry feared how he himself would turn out. He bounced Riley in his arms, battling the fear in his mind of not being good enough. He loved Gracie and he loved his son but somewhere inside him was this intrinsic fear of letting them both down.

     "Long pause means a yes for me." Quil spoke again.

Embry noticed Gracie getting up and wanted to acknowledge the truth before she arrived by his side. "What if I let the people that I love the most down the same way my own father did...or...or what if her father leaves again. Gracie has been through so much already."

Quil placed him arm on Embry's shoulder. "Your father sucks. You, you're freaking awesome."

      "Damn right he is!" Gracie joined in, leaning into Embry's side with her arms reaching the back of his neck.

Embry looked up, smiling at his wife. "Not as awesome and beautiful as you."

      "Ugh...Young love." Seth chimed in from behind. leaning over the couple. "Where the little wolf, the real favourite?!"

As Seth picked up a sleeping Riley, Emilio and Sam joined the circle that had formed around Embry, Gracie and Quil.

     "Paul. Jared. Get in here." Sam said.

Gracie furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what there was to discuss this time. Everybody was looking to Emilio and Emilio scanned the circle until he began to talk.

     "I was telling Sam what I think will be happening right about now." Emilio began, pausing to see if anyone would question him. Nobody did. "The Volturi won't be searching as of yet. This I'm sure of."

      "Why?" Paul asked, scoffing down one of the refrigerated, left-over cupcakes from Riley's birthday party.

     "The Hunters."

The room fell silent.

Gracie looked to Embry, who then looked to Jared and so forth.

     "What are they?" Gracie asked since no one else did.

Emilio looked to Sam first before continuing, "Humans, usually a sort of family heritage. They hunt the likes of us; vampires and though I'm not sure - possibly werewolves too."

Embry shook his neck, leaning forward where he head fell into his hands. Gracie rubbed circles round to his back exchanging a worried look to Quil.

     "What does this mean for us now?" Embry asked, slightly agitated.

     "Embry, just listen." Sam stated, only to be interrupted by Embry.

     "No!" Embry stood up. "How much more must we endure? When will all this craziness stop because I don't know how much I can take!?"

Everybody's eyes were now on Embry. Nobody had expected him to burst out like that. Embry took a breath before leaving the room toward where Seth would be.

     "Give us a moment please." Gracie finally said before following after her husband who stood at the doorframe watching Seth rock the cradle in which his son slept.

Gracie ran her hand up Embry's arm, placing her chin on his shoulder. Embry's tense muscles seemed to relax at her touch and soon enough he turned and hugged her tightly.

      "I'm sorry. I just...I want us to live our life in peace. I want to be this perfect father and husband but I can't do that when I'm afraid." Embry spoke softly into the neck of his wife.

Gracie pulled back a little, her arms still holding him. "Embry, you are brave. You just don't realise it. You think that facing danger is brave but to me, you being vulnerable and letting your guard down to tell me your true feelings and emotions is the bravest thing anyone can do. I love you, Embry and I know that you will be the perfect father because your morals are everything our son will see and learn. I will be proud to have him be like you."

Embry kissed his wife, a sense of gratefulness spreading though. He pulled back to mumble a subtly 'i love you' before kissing her forehead.

     "Sam's going to call Carlisle over, we need all the help and strength we can get and nobody knows the Volturi better than Carlisle." Sam said, smiling at the two in their embrace.

//

rough and in a new direction, here's that long overdue chapter xx