FORTUNATE • E. CULLEN

- 13 -

Linda looks at Abigail as she shows off her new skills only two days later, still having to practice the perfect hold.  "See?" She holds the three oranges in her hands after juggling them and Linda claps.

"Well, I told you to take it easy and you go on a road trip and learned how to juggle." Linda says as she slaps her thighs as she stands up. "Guess you're a real teenager now." Abigail purses her lips. "Anything more to say?" Abigail glances at Emmett and she sighs.

"I was wondering if you would do me - us," Abigail grabs Emmett's hand. "The honor of dropping us?" Linda narrows her eyes.

"Dropping you?" Abigail nods. "And what exactly does that involve?"

"Well, I read that in Europe parents drop their children somewhere and they have to make their way home. Some kind of an adventure." Linda purses her lips and looks at Abigail's hopeful look. She didn't want to say no but this sounded like a heavy traject and she didn't want Abigail to over extend herself. Something that she seemingly forgot herself.

"Are you sure that you're up for it? It's going to involve a lot of walking, maybe even climbing because I don't know where you want me to drop you off and what about wild animals?" She had a feeling that Abigail didn't have the middle of the town in her mind.

"Well," Abigail points towards Emmett. "He could always carry me. Besides, we can rest in between and we'll take food and drinks with us and he told me that he has experience with camping in the wild so I think that he knows how to fend of wild animals?" The last form of her statement more of a question as she looks up towards Emmett who quickly nods.

Linda sighs and starts to contemplate the outcome of both the yes and no answer but she knew that she couldn't say no. She never could say no to her sweet Abigail. The one that she had had taken in because of her love for the sweet girl.

"Okay." Linda gives in. "But I need you to pack a big bag filled with-.."

"Already took care of it." Emmett says as he grabs a large backpack from behind the couch. Linda raises an eyebrow. "If you were going to say no, we were going to have a picnic in the garden." He sheepishly explains. Linda rolls her eyes and motions for them to go get in the car and the two excitedly do so.

Emmett hadn't expected to fall for Abigail so fast and so deeply, but he had. She was fun and spontaneous and though she was really hurting - Jasper had told him so - she was always trying to be the best and happiest version of herself. Edward told him so.

He also hadn't expected to partake in whatever adventure she figured out now and walking alongside her for the past few hours with nothing but the clouds and trees around them and their conversations to keep them occupied, he wanted nothing more ever again. He wanted to be there for all of her adventures, their adventures.

"So how do you see the future?" The question caught Emmett of guard. Abigail hadn't mentioned her future - besides the fact that she had not enrolled in any college - and he had not told anything about how he envisioned his' because he didn't want to upset her.

"That's a good question." He smiles and motions to a bench just a little further ahead. Abigail nods and they make their way to it, Emmett immediately grabbing the bag and making sure that Abigail was eating and drinking and taking a moment to catch her breath. "Well, college."

"Obviously." Abigail snorts. "I meant like.. where do you see yourself live? What kind of job? How many kids? Anything except the stupid shortsighted view." Emmett begins to laugh at her bluntness and Abigail shyly looks down with a smile. She loved his laugh and it made it all the better that she was the one to make him laugh like that.

"The deep stuff huh?"

"The deep stuff."

"Well alright." He leans back. "That's tricky." He admits. "We move around a lot for Carlisle's work so I don't really have a place in mind to settle down. Lots of cities are good and beautiful. But I think I'd like to be a mechanic. Or maybe a teacher." Abigail turns her head to look at him and Emmett shrugs at the slight tilt of her head. "And kids? I don't really see it in my future. Maybe adoption or something. There are already enough children in this world and maybe I - well, my future wife and I - could mean something to others." Abigail nods.

"Those are all really vague answers." She chuckles and Emmett smiles with Abigail's favorite dimples.

"I just-.." Emmett sighs and glances at Abigail. "I find it really hard to think about my future. Sometimes."

Abigail nods in understanding and the two start to walk once again. The sky was getting darker and it was becoming close to midnight when they came across a trucker cafe. Emmett seemed to want to walk straight pass it but Abigail nudged him softly and motioned her head towards it while sniffling a yawn.

"I could really use a coffee." He frowns at the place but he knew he couldn't say no to her.

"It's a date." He says with a broad smile stop it, butterflies! and he wraps an arm around her before the two walk inside, making it known to any pervert that she - and he - were not ones to mess with.