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Chapter two : Scent
I have to get out of here! My mind was yelling at me, screaming through all the pain that I could feel exploding from me, burning from every nerve ending. It was like the transformation all over again only this was worse, I knew there was no end to this. Not in less I put an end to it.
The Volturi had crossed my mind more than once, 'His' brief explanation of them and his plan had seemed dangerously nerve wrecking at the time but since the big change, there has been many times that it seemed heaven sent, almost meant for me, it was one of our final real conversations and in many ways I'm thankful. Its an option. Not one I take lightly but I would prefer to end it then hurt anyone. 'Go to Italy… provoke the Volturi…' it certainly wouldn't be hard to do.
Within a second, my body had reacted to what I really wanted and so I found myself flying through the air from my window, bouncing along the garden edge towards the forest. Running as fast as my feet would take me. I needed to get the image of the Volturi out of my head. That painting "He' had shown me. I needed it gone.
With my mind preoccupied, I was mostly running thoughtlessly, until I caught on to a scent. My thoughts immediately rearranged themselves and before I knew it I was tracking this strange smell. Definitely vampire but not someone I had encountered in this life. I felt my irritation flare at the wolves, when I had left I had assumed that Jacob Black and the others would look after Charlie until I could return and look after him. If there was a vampire out here stalking around looking for their next meal then they weren't doing what they were meant to be doing… protecting. I tracked the scent through the heavy dark bushes that the above light could not hit through the heavy overgrowth of the trees, it was at least a week old and although the weather had battered most of it away until it was patchy, somehow I was still able to follow the rough direction it led in.
After a few moments, I began noticing a clearing ahead and through the clearing a large white house. A white house I knew too well. The Cullen's old home. I froze. I watched as the shadow was thrown through the light of the living room window. Someone was home.
"Edward" I whispered. It was the first time in twenty years I had said his name. The first time I allowed myself hope that I may see him again. Hope that he is still alive somewhere.
I found my feet moving beneath me, moving without my permission. I needed to see if it was them. It only took moments before the same scent came from everywhere around me, and before I knew it I was standing looking in the three story glass wall, right into the living room. What I saw shocked me though. The place was a mess. This didn't look like the Cullen's house I remembered. The chairs were pushed aside , the dinning room table was in the center of the living room, covered with mounds of papers and books. I tried to focus on what the papers said but even with my extra sight, they were just too far away to read clearly.
The double door which was directly opposite where I was standing flew open and to my surprise Jacob walked in. He hadn't aged a day.
"Doc, I have some news" he shouted up the stairs before walking over to the large wooden table and adding more papers to the already stacked piles. Carlisle flittered down the stairs within mere moments and placed both hands on the table examining whatever Jacob had brought to him. The vampires and wolves worked together now? Maybe a lot had changed in twenty years. Carlisle still hadn't spoken. My human memories hadn't done him any justice at all, it made me wonder what Edward really looked like, maybe my memories had faded of him as well.
"Well… what do you think?" Jacob pushed for an answer. Carlisle began shaking his head, I could hear him muttering but I couldn't make out what he was saying although I could sense the anger that was flying from it.
A second more passed before Carlisle's hand swung out, causing the piles of paper to fly through the air like a party streamer. He huffed.
"NO! NO! NO! its not her Jacob!" Both hands met his forehead as he began pacing. I had always assumed Carlisle didn't have a temper and I seriously doubted him being capable of throwing … wait! My attention reverted back. 'Its not her' he had said. We're they talking about me?
Luckily now that the papers lid across the floor some were close enough for me to see. Police reports of missing girls my age, height, general description. Flyers with my picture. News reports. Newspaper cut outs. General notes about sightings. It was all about me. They were looking for me. But human me. Didn't they know? Didn't Alice see? I had always assumed she saw and the fact they didn't come for me was just more evidence that they no longer cared for me, no longer wanted me. But all this…
"Jacob I don't know what to do. We have to find her, but I don't know where else to look." Carlisle said sinking to the floor. Jacob walked over and place his large hand on Carlisle's shoulder.
"We'll find her doc" he said sincerely. I almost felt my heart breaking even more. Was THAT possible?
"I just wish I had told Edward not to leave, I should have told him to stay… I thought we were doing the right thing, I never thought…" he trailed off as Jacob sat down next to him. "We shouldn't of left. We would still be a family and she would still be here if we hadn't of gone…"
Before I could stop myself, to really think about what I was doing. I placed my hand against the glass. Although softly it was enough to get their attention. Both heads shot up as they caught view of me.
"Bella" Carlisle said slowly as he stiffened, taking in my not aged appearance. He knew instantly.
"Bells" Jacob shouted as he leaped to his feet heading for the garden doors. Carlisle grabbed his arm and lurched him back. Jacobs head swung to him and I could see him trying to control the shaking. "Doc" he choked out.
"She's not human Jacob" Carlisle said as his eyes met mine. The shakes stopped as Jacob stiffened and his icy glare met mine. Could they really be scared of me? I walked at human pace to the back door and with a single slight pull, it opened easily. I kept my eyes on Carlisle's knowing that if he remained calm so would Jacob.
"I…how…" I sighed. I didn't know what to say. Carlisle took a step towards me, obviously measuring me, taking in everything and double checking it. "I wont…" I began shaking my head as Carlisle took a step closer to me. I followed his movements and took one more towards him. Looking at him only brought memories of Edward back, standing here in this house was like pure torture. Maybe I was dead and this was hell.
"But how?" Carlisle finally spoke as he stood now only one more step from me, Jacob close behind.
"Bells, are you okay?" I had heard Jacob normal, I had heard him angry and irritated, I'd even heard him sympathetic but I had never heard him sad, not worried like he was now.
I shot Jacob a small smile "Never better" I let out a one shot laugh, which sounded more like a huff. I could feel the lines between my eyebrows deepen as I looked at Carlisle. "It's a long story but I wont fight… I mean I'm fully in control"
"Yes I see that" he spoke softly as he noted my eyes. "Golden" he spoke as a smile lightened his stressed features.
"Well, I learned from the best" my smile grew wider now. This was so natural, so normal. Like no time had passed… but it had.
I felt the hole again and I wrapped my arms around myself tightly, it was the only way to keep myself from falling apart, it was human and silly but I didn't know what else to do. I heard Jacobs ragged intake of air and flickered my eyes to his face. He watched me with knowing, with understanding.
"Bells" he whispered before walking over to me and wrapped me up in a tight hug. He'd never of held me this tight when I was human, he would have squashed me, probably done more damage than Tyler's stupid van ever could have. "Your home" he whispered into my hair and I couldn't help but tighten my arms around him. This wasn't how I pictured it. I imagined that he would hate me, detest me even. That him and the others would hunt me and try to kill me. I would have never believed that he would still care for me, still treat me like the old me. But that was my stupid assumptions. This was Jacob Black, the ever giving sun. How could I really have doubted him. It was insane.
After a few more seconds, Jacob finally released me and my feet gracefully touched the floor. That wasn't something I would ever get use to. I took one long glance at Jacob before turning back to Carlisle.
"Where should I start?"
