Despite her initial reservations about returning to La Push, it was just three weeks later when Rachel found herself stopped short of the turning onto the road that led up to the tribal village, tapping her thumbs on the wheel of her rental car as she psyched herself up to complete the final part of the journey.
It wasn't that she didn't want to be here, because she did, it was her family home. She, her sister and brother were born right there in the family room, she had her childhood there, her adolescence. The whole place was a hive of good memories but underneath all the good ones, the bad memories were waiting to get out and sting her.
Like that day when she was eight. An uncharacteristically sunny day for the area in general and she was playing at the front if her house with her sister and their Barbie dolls while Jacob knelt quietly a few feet away, prodding at the mud with a stick.
Her head whipped around as her uncle Charlie pulled up in his police car with the chief, and she jumped up to run to him with a grin split accross her face. Charlie stepped back and held his hand up to stop her and when her smile faltered, he quickly turned his face away and coughed hard.
She felt a small hand slip into hers and glanced down to find Jacob staring up at her. Rachel squeezed his hand in reassurance and returned her eyes to Charlie who stood waiting at the front door, hat in hand.
Billy greeted his friend with a smile, leaning his weight on to his cane as he pushed the screen door open.
Charlie spoke but Rachel could only make out muffled sounds, and then he held out a clear plastic bag and she could see something glint as it caught the sun.
Then it all seemed to slow down. The little bag dropped onto the porch and Billy was trying to hold himself up, but his legs gave out. Charlie fell to his knees infront of him, effectively blocking Rachel's view of her father and that was when she heard it. A gut wrenching cry rang through the air and made her legs shake, but when she looked down at them she realised it wasn't her legs shaking, it was the terrified four year old that clung to them.
"Where's momma?" Rebecca asked from behind her, the dolls forgotten and discarded in the dirt. The Chief of Police walked slowly over to them and placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder.
"I'm sorry kiddo." Was all he said as he led them towards the house.
Rachel puffed out a lung full of air as she shifted gears and drove up the road and onto a dirt track.
It still looked the same as she remembered although the general store seemed to have expanded a little. As she drove past, Sam came strolling out with an armful of grocery bags, followed by a fairly petite woman who she didn't recognise and assumed was Emily. He dumped the bags in the back of an old truck and grabbed her, peppering her face with kisses, and Rachel could see that she was giggling at the attention, bringing a smile to her own face as she turned the corner and lost sight of them both.
Minutes later she pulled up outside the familiar, red slatted house, which looked as though it had been freshly painted. She pulled the key from the ignition and stepped out of the car, leaning softly against the door to close it as she quietly took in her surroundings.
She breathed deeply. Pine, damp wood and salt penetrated her nose.
Home.
Rachel was pulled from her reverie by the sound of a screen door banging.
"Rachel?" She looked towards the house, and saw Jacob running full pelt towards her, knocking the breath from her as his arms enveloped her, crushing her to his chest and lifting her from the floor.
Her own arms wrapped tightly around him, her hands locking together at the back of his neck.
"I missed you." He mumbled into her shoulder.
"I missed you too Jake," she replied, releasing her grip and pushing back from him "but you could have come to visit? You weren't here last time I came."
"I know, sorry about that but, I've been really busy with work and everything" He shrugged. "Boss man is a little strict, gotta do what he says. Works kinda important right now."
"Who's your boss, anyone I know?" She linked his arm and together they walked back towards the house.
"Yeah, Sam Uley." Jacob nodded.
"Sam? Really?" Rachel mused. "No wonder he was so willing to smack you upside the head for me when I spoke to him at graduation."
"Yeah thanks for that by the way!" Jacob scowled, but the smile belied the truth.
"He actually did it?" She chuckled.
"Threw in a couple extra for himself. I deserved it, I shouldn't have left when I did." Jacob pulled open the screen door and motioned for her to go first.
"So, ah, why did you leave?" Rachel edged, and Jacob scoffed and shook his head.
"You mean dad didn't tell you already?" He smiled dryly. "My…friend, Bella. She got married to someone and I didn't exactly agree with it. He's a hell of a lot older than she is and his past isn't exactly clean."
Rachel folded her arms and watched her brother. "Think she chose the wrong man?"
Jacob sighed, and shrugged "To late now."
She opened her mouth to say something when the front door burst open, Billy wheeling himself inside.
"Hey Jake, any idea who that car belongs to?" He asked without looking up.
"The rental company." Rachel smiled as her fathers head shot towards her, "I have to return it in five days."
"Baby girl!" Billy beamed, "When did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago, been on the road since five this morning." She replied as she hugged her father. "Still got room for my boxes?"
"Yeah, Jake can move them for you, right?" Billy glanced over at Jacob, who nodded quickly and headed back out of the house. "Why don't you go and rest for a while?"
"Rest? I've been sitting in a car for eight hours, that's the last thing I want to do!" Rachel sighed "But a hot shower would be great! I'll just go get my bags."
"Oh, about that, I moved Jake into your room." Billy smiled apologetically. "He lost his temper a couple of months ago, broke his bed frame it was just easier to shift him into yours and Beck's old room. If you'd have called we could have fixed it for you."
"It's okay, dad. I can deal with a week on a mattress. Its fine." She squeezed his shoulder. "Looks like he needed the extra room anyway. What is he now, 6'5?"
"6'7 actually." Billy sighed.
"These friends of his, are they trouble?" She asked, her tone slightly more serious.
Billy smiled and shook his head. "Only if you're hearts mot beating!"
Rachel frowned as her father chuckled. "Again with the vampire stories! Still believe those old tales, huh dad?" She said as she headed to the car for her bags.
"Nothing is impossible, Rachel." He chimed behind her. "Keep that in mind."
A little while later, Rachel emerged from the bathroom redressed and towel drying her hair.
"Hey dad, what's for dinner?" She asked as she flopped onto the sofa next to him and focused on the game on T.V.
"Caught some fish yesterday morning." Billy replied taking a swig from a can of beer. "They're already to go, just need cooking. Apart from that shelves are a bit bare."
"That your way of asking me to do the honours?" She smiled, and Billy grinned and shrugged. "I'll go to the store and get a few bits to go with it then. Will Jake be eating with us, or is he working?"
"No he asked Sam for the night off, but I should warn you he has developed one hell of an appetite." He informed her, his eye's back on the T.V.
"Duly noted." She nodded, slipping her feet into a pair of flip flops. "I'm gonna take the beach path, stretch my legs a little. I won't be long."
Billy waved her out and she poked her head into the garage where Jacob was working to see if he needed anything before she followed the foot trail down past the cliffs and onto the beach.
Paul spotted Jacob as he walked from the garage, brushing thick grease from his hands onto his grey cut off sweats.
"Hey, Black!" He called, when Jake didn't notice him straight away. "I've worked the past two nights and Sam suddenly calls me to cover your ass, what the fuck's up with that?"
"It's none of your business, Paul." He replied, turning his back to him and walking towards the house.
"Like hell it's not!" Paul growled, grabbing at his arm and stopping him. "You've been back over two weeks and we're still picking up your share of patrols. You still pining for that leech lover? Well get over it!"
Paul frowned and sniffed, leaning into Jacob, a smirk splitting his face when he pulled back to meet Jake's questioning glare. "Or maybe, you already have. What is that?" He sniffed again. "Flowers?"
"Get the hell away from me Paul." Jacob ground out, his fist's clenched at his side.
"Why so touchy?" Paul grinned. "When do I get to meet the unlucky girl?"
Jacob opened his mouth but Paul held up his hand to stop him. Turning on the spot and breathing deeply, picking up on the fresh scent trail. "Maybe I'll just go introduce myself!"
Paul sped off, following the foot beaten path that led towards First Beach with Jacob at his heels, shouting obscenities and threats that were lost on his ears as he laughed with wicked glee.
"Don't worry Jake, I promise not to bite…Hard!" He laughed harder as he quickened his pace, all his effort placed in trying to stay the extra few feet in front of an increasingly angered Jake.
"Paul stop now!" Jacob yelled, reaching for him.
"You're not my Alpha Jake, you can't tell me what to do," Paul chuckled "besides, the smells stronger, I think I'm getting close."
Paul rounded a large rock that protruded from the cliff, dry sand flying back as he feet moved almost effortlessly across the surface. And then he spotted her, the only other person on the beach, a few hundred yards in front of them, her dark hair flailing in the wind, bringing the scent to his nose faster and stronger.
It spurned him on, enticing him forward. Jacob's shouts for him to stop were completely drowned out by the roar of his pulse in his ears, but the girl heard them.
She stopped and turned, merely feet away and Paul felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. His feet flew from under him, and he landed on his back and he quickly scurried back, his eyes never leaving the woman in front of him.
Arms gripped him, and pulled him to his feet. He could here a muffled voice coming from behind him but the only thing that was clear was her.
She frowned and looked past him. "Jake what's going on?"
Paul suddenly began to shake, she wanted Jake, she'd been with Jake, but she didn't belong to Jake, she was his.
Mine!
Jacob heard the rumble in Paul's throat, felt his skin rippling under his grasp and quickly moved to push him against a boulder, pining his shoulders as Paul began to snarl and shake almost uncontrollably.
"Paul!" Jacob shouted "Don't, she's my sister! She's my sister!"