Chapter Text
Going back home felt bizarre for Spencer. It had been 4 years since she had moved away from the La Push Reservation on a scholarship to a prep boarding school in Seattle. Although students were expected to go back home during summer break, she spent her time in the summer taking college classes or attending internships in the area, so going back didn't fit into her plans.
But she had just graduated from high school and decided that taking a gap year could not hurt. Seeing her family wouldn't be that bad either.
Spencer Uley had not reunited physically with Sam and Allison Uley since she left for school, only calling occasionally but always being too busy for anything else. The mother and son duo had grown accustomed to the short phone calls and vague emails they would receive from their studious family member. The Uley siblings used to be a very close pair, being only a year apart helped their bond. But since Spencer had invested all her energy into her high school career, their relationship rapidly dissipated; replaced by untold secrets and life-changing details.
The Uley girl had no idea what was in store when she went back home. She had left when she was 14 and was coming back an 18-year-old with a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree. Spencer had always been an overachiever and applying to the school she had and taking dual enrollment was no surprise to her mother and brother.
The bus ride from Seattle to La Push lasted almost eight hours, so Spencer equipped herself with two books, plenty of snacks, and a fully charged iPod to handle the ride. She had gotten the earliest ride available always enjoying the intriguing mystery that 3 am travels brought. Her brown eyes surveyed the curious characters that voyaged alongside her. a young woman sat with a sleeping baby in her arms, the dark circles under her eyes signaled the baby was still a newborn getting adapted to a sleep schedule; there was a middle-aged man, his eyes attached to a computer and a briefcase tight to his side; there were two teenagers, backpacks at their feet and shared headphones in between them. They were wearing a light blue polo shirt and her school insignia embroidered on the left side of their shirt. She had seen them in passing, two freshmen still energetic and excited for their school life. She looked at them and smiled, remembering being in their shoes four years ago.
Four hours in, Spencer had finished one book, and the bus made its first stop in Port Angeles, the place where everyone that traveled with her got off. It wasn't surprising to see from the top of her book as everyone got off, she didn't recognize any of them from the reservation so it would have been surprising if any of them had stayed on the bus. For the next four hours, Spencer continued to read her second book surrounded by a comforting silence. The sun had risen about an hour ago and a nice warmth was streaming from the bus window and Spencer felt herself drift in bliss.
Her eyes fluttered open once again when she felt the bus finally rolling to a stop. She blinked a few times as she adjusted her vision to the bright midday sun and her brain restarted normal functions. The brunette gathered the bag with her travel companions and got up from the chair she had been glued to for eight hours.
"Have a good day," the driver chimed as Spencer was walking down the bus.
"You too, drive safe!" The girl smiled and got her two suitcases out of the side of the bus.
Spencer got startled as she felt two arms wrap around her midriff and quickly swung her elbow back.
"Woah, woah, careful with those arms, Spence. It's just me," the girl turned around, a gleaming grin adorning her face.
"Sam!" She jumped onto the open arms of her older brother, seeing the years that had passed on his tired face.
"Look at you, darling. All grown up," Allison Uley smiled, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"Mom, I've missed you." Spencer hugged her mother tightly, noticing the difference in heights between her and her mother. Another thing she noticed was the strain between her mother and her brother. Before she left, they all had a very close relationship but now it felt like so many things had interlaced into their bond. "Let's go home yeah?"
"I'm, actually I gotta go to my house," Sam scratched the back of his neck.
"What house?" Spencer chuckled.
"I moved out, but I'll come over for your welcome dinner."
"Sam, she just came back. Don't you wanna spend time with your sister?" Allison begged, wanting to have both of her children under the same roof again.
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I just can't, mom. Leave it." Sam sighed. "I'll see you at dinner, Spence."
He kissed the top of his sister's head and left. He wanted to tell them the whole truth, but he knew he couldn't. Knowing that information would put them in a level of danger that he didn't want them to be aware of.
Spencer stared at the retreating figure of his brother as he ran down the street, leaving her and their mother.
"What's up with him?"
"Oh darling, if only I knew." Allison sighed grabbing one of the suitcases her daughter had brought. "Let's just head to the house so you can rest."
"Yeah, let's." Spencer gave Allison a comforting smile and wheeled the second suitcase towards the truck.
The drive home was as short as she remembered, and the house hadn't changed a bit. She walked up the steps to the porch and opened the old wooden door; it still made the same creaking sound. The house still smelled of seawater and pine, an odd mix but a comforting scent. Spencer regretted all the summers she missed here and all the days she spent away from her family.
She made her way up the stairs and entered the first door to the right. She ran her fingers through the stickers she had pasted on there when she was 13: a wolf, a rainbow, a heart, and a picture of her family. Her name was still carved at the highest point of the door and she smiled at the memory of that. She sat atop Sam's shoulder when she was just 12 years old, a trembling hand holding a pick as she carved as best as she could the name "SPENCER".
The doorknob as it was turned let out a squeaky groan and the door needed an extra push to open. The room had not changed at all. The walls were still painted a light green, the light switch still had the pink princess cover, the bedding had the little purple butterflies embroidered on them, and the pillows were all pink and purple. In a corner rested the five boxes Spencer had sent to the house from her dorm room.
"It hasn't changed a bit," Spencer commented as she felt her mother's presence behind her.
"I didn't want to change it until you came back," Allison smiled. "But I'm sure you'd like to give this place a bit of a makeover."
"Definitely," she laughed. "I think I'll go to Port Angeles this weekend, doing some shopping can't hurt."
"That's true." Allison side hugged her daughter as she laughed. She headed towards the door but stopped when she was called upon by her daughter.
"Hey, mom?"
"Yes, darling?"
"By any chance, do you know where Sam's living?" Allison's body stiffened but shared the information with her daughter. Maybe she could figure out why he'd just disappeared.
Spencer was surprised to hear he was living with a girl she barely knew. She knew of Emily Young through Leah Clearwater, but not much after that. Last thing she had heard Leah and Sam had been dating. She certainly had missed some very important pivotal points in her brother's life.
The house wasn't far, so she decided to walk there. Upon arrival, she could feel the warm and inviting aura that the quaint house emanated. The blue door called to her as she knocked on it. It finally opened and revealed her brother.
"Spence, what're you doing here?"
"I'm here to see my big brother. Is that such a crime?" She laughed.
"No, of course. Come in," he smiled begrudgingly. "I don't have much time so we gotta make this quick."
"Wow, feeling the love there," she chuckled passing through the doorframe.
"There are just some things that I have to do before dinner tonight."
"It's okay, I get it. I just wanted to ask if you could help me on the weekend with my room. I'm bringing it four years into the present, gotta make sure it looks like an 18-year-old sleeps there."
"Yeah, I'll come over Sunday afternoon and help you then. Anything else you need?"
"Well, not exactly, but it wouldn't help to catch up. You know make up for four years of chit-chat conversations and get me up to date with the happenings in your life."
"There's not much to say other than I moved out and I'm engaged." He said nonchalantly.
"Excuse me?! You're engaged and failed to mention that to me?"
"It's not that big of a deal, Spence."
"Yes, it is, Sam! You're getting married and this is the first I'm ever hearing of this or the fact that you moved out or the fact that you're engaged to your ex-girlfriend's cousin. I think it is a big deal."
"Okay, yeah. Kind of a long story on that one."
"Enough time to tell it to me?" Sam hesitated. He could hear Emily's truck approaching and two male voices coming back from patrol. He needed to get Spencer out of the house before they got here.
"Maybe another time. I'll call you on Sunday, yeah?" Sam asked as he nudged his sister out of his house.
"I guess," Spencer mumbled as she was pushed out the front door. "Bye."
"See ya." Sam kissed the side of her head and closed the door.
Spencer left the house with more questions about her brother than she had begun with but didn't want to press on. There was no use if he wasn't going to talk, so she walked back home.
Her mother had gone out, possibly grocery shopping for tonight's dinner, giving Spencer time to catch up on some much-needed sleep. She walked up the stairs and into her room, plopping down on the bed not caring how she landed. All she wanted was to close her eyes and rest.
By six in the afternoon, her eyes fluttered open once again. She could smell the dinner her mother had been cooking. The room had darkened as the sun was going down and thankfully her mother had turned on a lamp for Spencer to have some vision. The girl got up from bed and grabbed some clothes from her suitcase to take a quick shower before dinner. She stripped all her clothes off and let the water wash away all the hours of the day. As soon as the water started turning cold, she shut it off and got out.
For a second, Spencer stopped and stared at herself in the mirror above the sink. She barely recognized the girl staring back. The bags under her eyes were deeper than the last time she had seen herself in this specific mirror, her cheekbones were more defined than before, her skin paler than usual since she hadn't really seen the sun in a while.
It didn't take her long to change into some new clothes and head downstairs, where she saw her mother on the phone. Disappointment was evident in her eyes.
"Sam, it's your sister... please... ok, fine. Just don't flake on her on Sunday," Allison sighed, turning off her phone and slamming it on the counter.
"Everything okay, mom?"
"Oh, yeah, darling. Your brother won't be able to join us, but Billy and Jacob, and the Clearwaters are on their way, and I also invited Charlie and Bella Swan. I hope you don't mind that they join in."
"No, I don't mind. What about Paul?"
"You know I've never liked that boy, honey." Spencer stared at her mother. Refusing to continue the conversation until Allison answered the question. "I did invite him, but he couldn't come."
"I love seeing you make an effort," Spencer laughed and kissed her mother on the cheek. "I'll set the table."
"Thank you, darling."
Spencer grabbed the 10 plates needed for the night and the respective cutlery. She still remembered how her mother liked the table arranged and set it as such. She set the vase filled with fresh flowers in the middle of the table, leaving space on the sides for the dinner platters. The arrival of the guests was soon after. Spencer had grown alongside Jacob and Leah, and on the summers, she would spend her time with the Swan girl. Once Seth was born, he became very close with the Uley girl.
"My oh my, Spencer, how you've grown." Billy Black grabbed Uley's hand and smiled up at her, with the warmness that summer brought.
"Indeed, I have, and you haven't aged a day in four years. What's your secret?"
"It's in the genes," he laughed alongside the young girl. She'd always been a charmer, he thought "You remember my boy, Jacob, right?"
"How could I ever forget? Hey, Jake!"
"How you've been, S?" Jacob approached his friend and wrapped her in a hug. "Been an awful long time."
"Four years, that's not much," she smiled. "Come in."
The father and son duo entered the house, and next came the Clearwaters. Harry, Sue, and Seth. No Leah. They had always been close to the Uleys, a bit of divide coming after the rupture between the eldest offspring of each family.
"Oh, wow, where has the time gone?" Sue commented, greeting the girl with a tight hug.
"4 years really do go by quick, don't they?"
"They sure do, Harry." Spencer smiled, motioning the couple in.
Finally, Seth walked in and engulfed Spencer in a tight hug. The girl was 5 years his elder, but he considered her one of his best friends. Seth and Paul were the only two people Spencer kept in close contact with other than her family. For some time, Paul and Spencer had drifted apart but Seth always sent his monthly excited letters, updating her on what he had been up to.
"I missed you, Spence!" Little Seth spoke into a bundle of brunette hair.
"I missed you too, Seth." She smiled as he walked past her, joining his parents.
The last to enter were Sheriff Swan and Bella. The cop smiled at the girl and gave her a quick hug, commenting on how much she had grown, a low chuckle leaving his throat. Bella entered with hunched shoulders, possibly not wanting to be there but she still smiled at her old friend. Vague memories filled the girls' heads of summer playdates and days at the beach.
"It's been quite some time, huh?" Bella muttered.
"It sure has. It's great to see you again," Spencer smiled. "How have you liked Forks now that you're back full time? Still hating cold weather?"
"Yeah," the pale girl chuckled. "But it has its better days."
The girls joined in a quick giggle before joining the rest of the group at the dinner table. Allison had already set the table and had said her hellos to the group.
The three males had engaged in sports conversations and the teens were all huddled in the kitchen munching on cheese and crackers and engaging in small chit chat.
"So, Spencer, 18 and already a degree, how does that feel?" Jacob asked, stuffing his mouth with cheese and ham.
"Well, as good as it can be. Don't know exactly what I'm gonna do now. All I know is that I'm taking a year off and taking a breather for the first time." Spencer chuckled.
"I just can't believe you'd spend all this time going to school, twice as much. I don't like school at all," Seth chimed in, picking apart the cheese and filling his mouth.
"So, you spent these past four years studying, including your summers?" Bella added.
"That's correct," Spencer smiled. "And now I have a degree and nothing to do with it."
The group chuckled and moved toward the adults as they were being called to dinner. In the center of the table was a big platter of spaghetti and meatballs, Spencer's favorite food, a tray of toasted garlic bread, and a bowl of a colorful mix of spring salad.
Spencer always enjoyed her mother's cooking. Even on her saddest days, Allison's cooking could warm her heart at any time. She and her mother had a very close relationship, even after four years of distance. Since her father left early in her life, her mother had always tried her hardest to make sure both her children were loved and cared for. And she stayed wondering where she had gone wrong with Sam and hoping Spencer didn't stray away as her eldest had.
The dinner group had all taken their seats at the dinner table and were passing around the various platters, serving themselves their desired portions. Jacob and Seth were overfilling their plates, receiving a laugh from their respective parents. Charlie, Harry, and Billy were filling their plates with more protein than carbohydrates and the moms at the table smiled at the males engulfing the meatballs. Spencer looked around the table and smiled. It had been a long time since she had sat down with the important people in her life and was relaxed, even if two of them were missing.
After everyone was served, everything went almost quiet. Some background music could be heard from the living room and the sound of forks hitting plates and mouths chewing filled the environment. Everyone was comfortable with the silence, but there was still one question in everyone's mind.
"Where's Sam?" Seth spoke up, voicing everyone's question. The whole table paused in action and Seth felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Sue softly elbowed her son. "What?"
"It's okay, Sue," Spencer smiled. "He couldn't be here, bud."
"Maybe he was feeling bad, like Leah." He added earning a burning stare from both his parents.
"Maybe, Seth."
"I just wanna apologize for our daughter missing this dinner. I know she really wanted to see you, Spencer."
"Oh, Harry, it's really no problem. I'm sure I'll catch up with her soon enough." Spencer smiled trying to ease the tension felt in the room. She could see her mother gripping her fork tightly as she kept her head down. "But I would also like to apologize on behalf of Sam, I know he wanted to be here."
Everyone simply nodded and went back to their plates. The rest of the evening was enjoyable. No one mentioned the pair that was missing, and Spencer's past four years were questioned in depth. She had an answer for everything except "What are you gonna do now?"
She didn't know and that's what she answered. She mentioned she wanted to study medicine, having finished a degree in biology, and always loved taking care of other people. Sue was excited, being a nurse herself. But Spencer had landed at a standstill in terms of her life and career. A vast portion of her life had been defined as a student and now that this part was over, she didn't know who she was.
The dinner festivities were over soon thereafter, leaving Allison and Spencer to clean up after the group. The Uley pair put everything away in silence, exhausted from the eventful day. Spencer could see as her mother wiped away a few stray tears, sniffling behind her hair. The girl knew better than to bring the topic back up and left her mother with a kiss on the temple and a good night.
Upstairs, Spencer prepared herself for bed. The event had drained any energy still left in her and she plopped down on the bed with a small thud. She had prepared her clothes for the next day, knowing her energy would also be drained but still excited to have this change. Her eyes fluttered closed as she heard in the distance her mother's quiet footsteps on the staircase, darkness overtaking her.