Lucia threaded her fingers through her espresso-coloured waves, gathering the soft curls into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. A pale light shone across her tan complexion, her green eyes twinkling like stars over the vast expanse of the night sky. She was unoccupied today, opting to abandon studying for the time being and set out to make some lunch for Charlie and Bella.

She had heard in passing how a friend of Charlie's was coming over with him a bit later to help him work out a plan to catch the wolves that roamed the forest. She couldn't count the number of times Charlie had received a call while at home from worried townsfolk who had seen these towering wolves.

Lucia quickly washed her hands and set about retrieving the ingredients to make panini -- one of the very first dishes her grandmother on her father's side had taught her. She opened cabinets, pulled out various ingredients and arranged them on the countertop. Most had been bought by Charlie who had grown quite fond of Lucia's cooking and rarely ever ate out anymore. Why would he when he got such tasty food right from home?

The Barone girl looked up at the sound of hurried footsteps thumping on the wooden stairs. She watches as Bella walks into the kitchen, her steps hurried and a bag on her back, making a beeline for the fridge. She yanks open the door, causing the bottles lining the door to clank together and rattle on the shelf they were on, grabbing an apple and a bottle of water.

"Where are you off to?" Lucia asks, pausing entirely in her task and momentarily forgetting about it at her cousin's hasty movements.

"A hike," Bella replied bluntly, running water over the apple. "I've got to keep my legs moving, you know."

"Mhmm." Lucia watched as Bella turned off the tap and quickly shoved the bottle of water and the apple into her bag before she took notice of the worried look being sent her way. Lucia runs her fingers over the wooden cutting board, feeling the smooth surface beneath her fingertips. "You seem to be eager to meet someone with how fast you're moving. Got a new boyfriend or something?"

"What? No." Bella looked positively aghast by the insinuation she could possibly move on from her blood-deinking lover. A pain as sharp as a knife pierced her heart at the thought of him, attempting to hide the expression of heartbreak from her face.

"I found this pretty spot with Ed..." she swallows thickly, "Edward a whole back. I'm hoping I can find it again."

Lucia worried her lip. Charlie and that strange Sam Uley guy had both warned her away from the woods, hinting at the dangers that were inside it and the thought of Bella heading in there without worry concerned her. She was sure her uncle had warned his daughter to stop with these erratic and careless actions. It was truly a mystery how Bella hadn't ended up dead yet with how she went about living.

"Alright..." Lucia trailed off. "Just... be careful, yeah?"

"Of course." Bella went to move towards the back door but paused, tightening her hold on the strap of her bag. "Would you like to come along? The company would be nice."

"Uh, no. I'm good," Lucia declined with a hesitant smile. She pointed at the ingredients before her. "I'm about to prepare lunch. Charlie will probably be hungry when he gets here, you know?"

"Yeah, no, I get it. I'll see you later." Bella turned and exited the house, the back door closing behind her. Lucia watches through the kitchen window as Bella stalks towards the forest and disappears in the thick brush. With a soft sigh, she returned to her task of making panini.

Gently, she picked up the crusty loaf of bread, the crust crackling under her touch. She sliced it into thick, even slices, creating the base for her panini. Reaching for a knife, Lucia began to layer the ingredients -- thinly sliced prosciutto, sharp provolone cheese, juicy tomatoes, and a generous spread of pesto.

As she worked, Lucia found herself humming a soothing, familiar tune, the melody flowing effortlessly from her lips. It was Merry-Go-Round-of-Life from Howl's Moving Castle, a movie Lucia watched frequently with her mother. She could remember her mother's incessant teasing over her crush on Howel, a reminiscent smile pulling at her lips.

Lucia carefully placed the assembled panini on the panini press, the appliance sizzling to life as she closed the lid. The delicious aroma of toasted bread and melted cheese soon filled the air. She leaned against the counter, watching as the panini slowly crisped to perfection, occasionally adjusting the heat to ensure an even cook.

"Something smells good," Lucia heard Charlie's familiar voice as he entered the home, two pairs of footsteps meeting her ears as they made their way to the kitchen.

"I decided to make panini today," Lucia replied turning to her uncle. A man with neck-length grey hair covered by a cap followed after him, smiling a warm, father-like smile. "Oh, hello!"

"Lucy, this is Harry Clearwater," Charlie introduced, Lucia shaking his hand. The older gentleman wanted to coo at Lucia at how much she resembled her father. He'd been close to Luca Barone during the time he was alive -- the man had been as charming as his daughter was. With forest-green eyes and dark brown hair, almost black, he was a catch and Eryn knew that immediately.

"You look just like you're father," Harry told her which caused the girl's smile to broaden, her posturing straightening in pride. "Cheeky thing, he was. I see you've got it too."

Lucia grinned as Harry gestured to her eyes, nearly bouncing on her toes at being told she looked just like her father. She'd heard it countless times growing up and it never failed to send a rush of happiness coursing through her body at the statement.

"Thank you." Lucy beamed, resembling a ray of sunshine which caused the two older men to chuckle. "I made some food if you'd like some. I know Charlie would eat it all if he could."

Charkie ruffled her hair and Lucia scowled playfully, swatting his hand away. Harry smiled warmly. "That would be delightful. I know first-hand how much this old oaf can eat. It's a mystery how he isn't as round as Santa yet."

"All right, this isn't a 'Shame Charlie' party," Charkie chimed moving to the fridge to retrieve two cans of beer. "Want anything to drink, Luce?"

"I'll have a glass of coke," Lucia replied, posting the panini before retrieving the Tupperware to place the rest inside. She places the plate on the table in front of Harry and where Charlie had just taken his seat, the older man handing her the glass of cola. "Thank you."

The two men began to talk about the wolves and Lucia swiftly tuned them out. She placed her drink and food off to the side as she set about cleaning the kitchen and washing her dishes, placing them on the dish rack to dry. The domestic atmosphere was brutally shattered by a door swinging open and banging against the wall, followed by a set of hurried footsteps.

Bella appeared round the corner, her hair dishevelled and her cheeks pink. Her eyes were wide with obvious shock at what she had seen out in the woods. "Dad! I saw them!"

"What's the matter?" Charlie asks after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"In the woods. They're not bears!" Bella emphasised, clearly flabbergasted by what she had witnessed.

"What do you mean in the woods?" Charlie questioned, his eyes shutting monetarily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He looks at her again, a look of tired exasperation lining his features. "Bella, what the hell were you doing out in the woods?"

"They're wolves," Bella continues, ignoring her Dad's clear annoyance with her shenanigans. "I mean they're huge wolves."

"Are you sure about that, Bella?" Harry inquired carefully, hoping against hope that she would say she wasn't sure. But, there was no such luck.

"Yeah! I just saw them. They were after..." she pauses in her speech, struggling to find a word. "... something."

"Wolves? You saw 'em?" Charlie asks to which Bella nods, her eyes earnest. The man sighs and nods, looking at the Clearwater man. "All right, well, Harry? Feel like going hunting? Get some of your guys together?"

Harry hesitates subtly which Lucia notices. She frowns. What was he hiding?

"Sure, yeah, I'll just..." Harry trails off gesturing to the landline before leaving the kitchen.

Charlie takes a final bite of his food before reluctantly pulling himself up from his seat. "I should go down to the station. Luce, will you put this food away for me? I'll eat it later."

"Yeah." Lucia nods.

"Bella, for the love of all things good, just stay in the house," Charlie instructs her with a somewhat pleading tone, turning to look at his daughter one last time. He was getting sick of her running head-first into danger, consequences be damned. "I think we've had enough of this for today."

Charlie leaves the kitchen and heads up the stairs to change. Lucia turns to her cousin, noticing her skittish movements. Bella looks at her before she stumbles to the stairs, hurrying up to her room. The brunette watches for a moment, confused, before releasing a breath and moving around the kitchen to clean up. She truly didn't have the energy to even try and unravel that.