I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 17

Chapter 17 - I'll be home for Christmas

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading.

[AN: I have to introduce about a dozen people if I follow the family trees from The Guide and make up names for the others that are NOT listed. But there really isn't another way to do it. Not that I can see. Originally I had imagined this story would be posted on JBNP and I could load pictures and diagrams to help explain it all… sorry. Just ask if you're confused and I will try to explain it better.]

Old Quil gave Josh a crash course in Quileute shamanism but he was elderly and it had been a very intense day. That was all he had the time and energy to lecture Josh on, other things remained to be taught or spoken of for another time. The last thing they did, was get Josh to phase and then open his mind to the packs.

It was chaos.

He yelped in pain and phased human again.

"Both packs are alpha-less with Jake away and Billy not phased yet." Josh was starting to regret sending Bella away. He missed her and the tribe needed Jake here.

The old man looked tired. "See if you can pick a wolf. Try to filter it down so that you only hear one."

"You need to rest."

"We do this first."

Josh braced himself and phased back in. He closed them all down. Phew. Silence. Now he tried to search for just one wolf. But which one? Sam? He was his son. He let his wolf spirit reach out and he got…

Who's that?

It's Josh.

Oh… you're awake.

Josh picked up an air of confusion. And you are?

Sorry. Embry Call.

Our guard. Thank you.

The wolf flashed him a quick image of a man with his hands over his ears. Oh… sorry. Didn't mean to do that.

No, I'm sorry. We didn't know that was going to happen.

What did happen?

I suppose I owe you that. We imprinted in a dream.

Whoa. Really? That's different. So she'll be staying around?

Or staying with me.

The wolf played a memory montage of Bella. How he met her in Jake's garage. How Paul had phased in front of her when Jake brought her to meet the pack. He seemed pleased for her but concerned about what was happening recently.

Who was that? The gray wolf?

Paul Lahote. She almost attacked us. She thought we were hurting Jake.

She attacked a wolf?

She slapped him. She didn't know he was a wolf and he phased in front of her.

What? Josh was horrified.

Jake defended her. Paul never got near her. Embry sounded proud of Jake.

Ah… okay. They are good friends.

Yes.

You're her friend, too.