The next morning I woke to heavy rain and thunder. Sighing, I sat up. I was stiff, and my head was throbbing lightly. All night long, nightmares wouldn't let me rest. A couple times I woke up screaming. Alice only came in the first time that happened, her husband in tow, a feeling of calm spreading through the air. I nodded at them to let them know I was fine.
"Sorry. This is the norm." I told them. They made sorry faces, half smiling. "It's cool. You can't hunt demons and dream of normal things." I added before I rolled back over.
I opened my door and walked downstairs, hearing the most beautiful piano music I've ever heard in my life. Forgetting the smell of coffee that filled the air, I followed the sound. Edward sat pressing away at the piano keys, his eyes closed, his body in perfect piano player position. He was gorgeous. They all were, in fact. I wondered what Dean would look like, when I would get to see him. Edward stopped playing and turned to me, smiling softly.
"Do you play?" He asked.
"Not even Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." I answered, laughing nervously. "You're very good." I noted.
"Thank you. I have a lot of time on my hands." He answered.
"Must suck." I said. He began to make his way towards me. I tried my best not to stiffen.
"It's less boring once you get used to it." He commented. "Can I get you something to eat? A cup of coffee?" He asked, smiling.
"You read my mind." I joked.
"I tend to do that." He answered. I walked to the kitchen and saw Alice sitting in a chair, staring at a cup of coffee in front of her, a confused look on her face. When I sat down next to her, she pushed the cup to me. I
"Three sugars, no milk?" She asked. I nodded, thinking that this must be the most "every-day" way I've ever seen someone use his or her precognitive ability. Sam should have taken a page from Alice's book. Alice still stared at my coffee as I drank it.
"You've never had coffee before?" I asked, incredulous.
"I don't remember anything from my human life." She shrugged as she spoke.
"Sorry." I said.
"It's not a big deal. I don't have my past, but I have the future." She said, winking. I laughed.
"I guess it's a fair trade." I said.
"No, it's better." She paused, looking at Edward. He was looking at her, and I thought I saw his head move slightly. I sensed that something was happening, it felt like commotion in my head. Then I knew. Alice was using Edward's ability to speak to him privately. I sighed, my abilities telling me there was no reason not to trust them, despite the fact that they could communicate without me knowing. A moment later, Edward was gone. Alice looked at me.
"Bella just woke up." She told me.
"I thought you guys didn't sleep." I said.
"Bella can." Alice smiled. I nodded and sipped my coffee. "You came at a very odd time, Kay. We're in the beginning of a war." I almost spit my coffee out.
"Between who?" I asked. This could not be a coincidence, that I was sent here with my vampire-turning-brother at the start of a war.
"Well, the werewolves are pretty pissed at us, but there's this vampire, Victoria. Her mate attacked Bella last year, hurt her pretty bad. Emmett and Jasper killed him for Edward. Now Victoria is after Bella for revenge. She's been in hiding for a while now. Last time she came close to Forks, the werewolves banged her up pretty bad. But she's the reason everyone's on edge…for the most part. There's also been a string of killings in Seattle that lead us to believe there are too many newborns in that city for comfort."
I sat and let that information process.
"I'll fight with you if you need me." I said. Alice nodded, but I could tell she didn't expect anything from me. "Alice, I mean it. I think I'm here for a reason. I always am somewhere for a reason."
"We appreciate it. It's just that, I'm not sure there's much you could do." She admitted. "You are still human."
"I've kicked demon ass before. A lot. I'm sure I could do something." She smiled but let the subject drop.
"What do you want to do today?" She asked. I fidgeted.
"Actually, I need to make a few calls. I need to go get my laptop." I told her. She nodded and jumped down from the high bar seat she was sitting in. I jumped down after her, not so gracefully, landing with a thud and laughed. She laughed too.
In the living room, sitting in front of my laptop, I checked much too hopefully for an e-mail from Sam before I called the roadhouse, Missouri, Bobby, and everyone else's number I could get my hands on. Ash offered to send some hunters out to find Sam, but I told him no, thinking that there was something bigger going on than vampires. I couldn't ask them to do that, they could get hurt. I only told Missouri about Dean's condition. She would have found out eventually anyway. The whole time I made these calls, Alice watched, captivated. When I finished my last call, it was three, and she leaned back in her chair.
"You guys really branch out." She noted. "You're a bigger community than I thought."
"We just like to stick together." I explained. Alice turned to the Television, and we watched it for a while. I suspected neither of us was really paying attention. I was just trying to keep my hands from twitching nervously.
"Excuse me." A male voice said. I turned. Carlisle stood in the doorway to the room. "I wanted to discuss your living conditions."
"Sure." I said awkwardly. There was not much else to say.
"Your brother should be finishing up his transformation sometime tonight. He won't be okay to see you for another two weeks at least. You seem to have no smell, which will help, but we just want to be careful. After that, it will be months before he can go out in public, and he'll have to stick to rainy forested areas." He explained. I nodded. My brother's hunting career would be limited. "You and your brother can stay with us, indefinitely, if you'd like. Your brother is welcome to join our coven, and you are welcome to join our family." Carlisle smiled. I was speechless. It was a generous offer. Alice did say something about me staying for a while. She must have seen this coming.
I couldn't leave Dean, but I had a job to do. I could always take trips to do jobs. I doubt Dean would let me out of his sight once he was okay again for a while anyway. I looked at Carlisle. It couldn't hurt. And while I was the only…functioning Winchester, I wanted to make sure that Dean joined a coven that would help him with his thirst problems.
"Thank you, Carlisle. I'd love to become a part of your family. And I'm sure my brother will be thankful for your help." I said, the kind words sounding strange out of my mouth.
"Alice and Jasper are going to help Rosalie and Emmett with your brother tonight. I have work, and Esme is coming along. Edward will be here later; Bella is spending time down at the reservation with a friend." I could tell Carlisle was leaving something out, but I didn't press it. He stood up, and I did too. "Welcome to the family, Kayla." He said, before he cautiously stepped forward and kissed me on the cheek. I smiled.
"Thank you, Carlisle." I said. He nodded, smiled, and then walked out the door. Before the door could even close behind him, Alice and Jasper were standing in front of me. Alice squealed.
"Alice that was almost something only a dog could hear." I joked, rubbing my left ear. She ignored me and pranced forward, engulfing me in a stone hug. It was crushing me.
"Alice." Jasper warned, smiling.
"Oh, right." She said, letting go before kissing my cheek. "Sorry." She said sheepishly, glancing at my arms to make sure they weren't hurt.
"I'm fine." I breathed, smiling. Jasper walked forward and held out his hand. I gave him mine and he kissed it.
"Welcome to the family." He said. It took a second to gather my thoughts again.
"Jasper, stop trying to charm her." Alice scolded playfully, shoving him a little. Jasper laughed and Alice turned to me. "We're going to go help Rose and Emmett with your brother. We'll be back later."
"Tell him I'm okay." I said. Alice nodded. "And tell him I said I can still kick his ass any time of the day." I added, shakily. She nodded again and smiled before leaving. I sat back down on the couch behind me and stared at the TV screen. The news was on, and they were describing briefly the murders in Seattle. I let my hunter's mind get preoccupied with these. The victims' bodies were never found, and the victims showed no obvious connection to one another. It was mysterious even to me, and I agreed with Alice. It was probably the doing of someone inexperienced.
"Kay?" Someone called from the doorway. I turned, startled, hands in the air ready to fight. It was just Edward. He was smirking slightly at my position. I let my fists drop.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." He apologized, gliding up and taking a seat next to me.
"You didn't scare me." I corrected.
"You looked as if you were scared." He noted.
"I was prepared. There's a difference." I said, slightly sad. My brother used to say that every time I scared him.
"You were close." Edward noted. For a second, I wondered what he was talking about until I remembered he could read minds.
"Yeah, me and Dean were real close." I answered.
"But you had another sibling." Edward commented. I wondered why he was so interested.
"His name's Sam. Was Sam. I don't know." I tried to explain. "We were all pretty tight. Me and Sam were probably least close, though."
"It's difficult not knowing how a loved one is fairing." He said.
"Sure as hell is." I said and glanced at the clock. It was eight now. Dean would be waking up soon. I took a deep breath.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Considering."
"How long have you been a hunter?" Edward asked. I looked at him.
"Why are you so interested?" I asked, not to be rude. I was just curious.
"What makes you think I am interested at all?" He asked, his eyes playful.
"I sense it. You're not just trying to make conversation." I noted.
"That's a helpful ability. Do you know how it works?" He asked me.
"Nope. I try not to mull over those kinds of things." I answered. Before he could speak again, I answered his question from earlier. "I've been hunting since I was twelve. My brothers have been hunting since they were little though. My dad would never teach me. Dean ended up being the one to do it when Sam moved out to go to college."
"What college?" Edward asked.
"Princeton. Dad hated it. He thought Sam was a traitor. I did too for a while." I answered. Edward whistled.
"Princeton is a big deal. I've always been interested, but the weather has never been to my liking. It sounds like any father would be thrilled to have their son attend, though." Edward commented, looking at me intensely.
"My father only got thrilled after a hunt. That's all he ever wanted for my brothers. And he wanted nothing for me except to be safe. He was so bent after my mother died." I looked back at the TV. Commercials were on, but I stared intently, trying to signal Edward that I did not want to talk anymore. Images of my father's body on the hospital floor and the yellow-eyed demon flooded my mind. I didn't want to think of that anymore.
Exit light. Enter night. Take my hand, off to never never land.
Metallica sounded through the room. It was Dean. I bounded for the phone and snapped it open so fast it almost broke.
"Dean?" I asked, panicked.
"So, you think you can still kick my ass?" A slightly silkier voice than Dean's answered. But I knew it was still him. I sighed in relief and fell back onto the couch.
"Dean." Was all I could breathe.
"Don't sound too surprised. How weak did you think I was?" He asked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Dean." I answered.
"You sure? No injuries?" He asked, very business-like.
"I'm fine." I answered again. "You?" I held my breath.
"I'm perfect." He said slowly.
"Don't get too big of a head. You might be gorgeous now, but I'm still better looking." I teased quietly.
"I guess now I can beat up more of your boyfriends at a time, then." He retorted. Then he paused. "Have you heard from Sammy?"
"No. I called everyone we had in our contact list. No one's heard from him. Ash offered to send some people out, but I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Or if he's…turned…I wouldn't want a hunter to turn on us and hurt him." I answered.
"We'll find him, Kay. I have to go, though. I'll call you soon." He said.
"Take care of yourself, Dean." I said.
"Duh. And wait, who's there with you?" He asked. I heard someone mumble something in the background. "Edward?" Dean asked. "Tell him that if anything happens to you, I'll hunt him down myself." He practically growled. Edward chuckled next to me.
"I'll be fine, Dean."
"You better be. I'll talk to you soon." He said.
"Yeah, I'll be near my phone. Bye." I said.
"Bye, Kay." And he hung up.
I barely had time to look at Edward before his cell phone started vibrating. He had it open in an instant.
"Bella?" He asked. I listened in. He was nosey with my conversation, after all. Bella mumbled on the other line, and Edwards brows came together. "I'll be right there, Bella. Stay where you are." He said. She mumbled some more. "No, I won't break the treaty. I'll go to the boundary line and Kay will go the rest of the way." Bella mumbled again. I could tell she was crying by now. "She can handle it. We'll be there soon, Bella. I love you." She mumbled something and then Edward hung up.
"Where am I going?" I asked.
"I need you to pick up Bella from La Push." He stated. He was leaving something out, I could tell.
"Why can't you do it?"
"I can't go to La Push." He answered.
"Why not?" I asked. He disappeared for a moment, and when he returned he had his jacket on, along with another jacket draped over his arm. He extended it to me.
"I have a jacket." I told him.
"It's leather. It will ruin in the rain." He said. I took the jacket from his arm. It must have belonged to Rosalie; it was too big to be Alice's.
"Why can't you go to La Push?" I asked again. He sighed, walking to the door. I followed him.
"Stay here." He said and disappeared. Moments later, a silver Volvo pulled up in front of the porch. I walked down the steps and into the car. We began moving as soon as my door closed. Edward looked furious, now that I had a moment to take it in.
"Why can't you go to La Push?" I persisted. He turned to me, though we were going over ninety now. It scared me a little, but I pushed it away to stare him down.
"Bella went to visit her best friend. He upset her and she wants to go home. I can't get her because he's a werewolf. Vampires and werewolves don't mix well. I'm not allowed on their land." He explained. I was quiet for a moment.
"Why is Bella there, then?" I asked.
"Her ability allows her to function as a human." Edward said.
"I thought Carlisle said she could block things." I remembered.
"Yes. Right now I imagine she is blocking her vampire related abilities, and her scent. Hold on." He said, and held his arm out in front of me. The car screeched for a few seconds as Edward pressed down on the brakes. I slid forward in my seat, despite the seatbelt, and Edward's arm kept me from banging my head against something. I gripped my seat tight, for once not caring about preserving a leather interior, though the thought did flash through my mind. When the car stopped, Edward took his hand down.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yes." I answered.
"Here." He said, and before I knew it, his door was wide open, and my door was being opened. He helped me out of the passenger seat and ran me around the car bridal style before setting me down in the driver seat. "Go straight down this road. Make a left turn at the high school, and follow that road down. Then make the third right turn. It's the second to last house on that street. Bella should be inside, alone." Edward said. I nodded. "Be safe, Kay. You're brother might actually kill me if something were to happen." He smiled softly.
"He would definitely kill you." I said, troubled by the thought, imagining it. Edward chuckled and closed my door. I put my foot to the gas and followed his directions. The scenery looked beautiful, but I could barely see it through the rain in the dark. The houses looked meager, and I thought that La Push must be a happy place to live, wrapped in a community, a family.
The house Bella was in was slightly wider than the rest, with a ramp for a wheelchair in the front. I wanted to be discreet, so instead of blowing the Volvo's horn, I zipped up Rose's jacket, walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.
Inside I heard yelling, but I couldn't make out what was being said. The door swung open suddenly, and a tall tan form was standing in front of the door. He might have been intimidating, if I wasn't used to things one hundred times more grotesque.
"I'm here to pick up Bella." I said, slipping my hands out from my pockets incase I needed to use my ability.
"Who are you?" The man asked.
"My name is Kay. Who are you?" I asked back.
"I'm Quil." He said, still not opening the door. "I'm afraid you've been included in something out of your hands. Go tell the Cullens that Bella is staying with us."
"Sorry. No. I know exactly what I'm included in, and I'd appreciate it if I could see Bella." I retorted.
"That's not an option." He said, and began to close the innermost door. I reached forward and tore open the screen door, beginning to step inside. He placed his hand on my chest to hold me back. It was quivering slightly, and I sensed that wasn't good.
"Move out of my way. I know she's here." I said. It was true, I sensed that, too. She was in the house somewhere.
"Go back to your bloodsuckers, little girl. Tell them the mutts said hello." He spat out, pushing me back. Swiftly, I raised my hand and pulled his off my chest, turning it so that he spun to avoid breaking it. He was definitely shaking hard now. A growl sounded in the room, it seemed to come from his chest. Now that I looked at him, he looked to be nothing more than a teenager, not a man. Werewolf.
"Quil!" I looked up to see who called the boy whose arm I was twisting. Another two tall tan boys came down from a set of stairs farther into the room. I let go of Quil. He got up and sprinted out of the room.
"Where is Bella?" I asked, looking at the boys coming down the stairs. And then, I couldn't stop staring. The first boy that came down the stairs had an incredibly menacing facial expression. He looked like he wanted to snap someone in half. The second boy to come down the stairs, though, was beautiful. He glided carefully, never looking down. He met my eyes and stopped where he was. His face fell, and a soft, more childlike feature replaced the carefully composed mask he had been wearing. The first boy spoke.
"None of your business. Go home to the leeches." The boy spat.
"Who are you?" The beautiful one asked.
"My name is Kay." I said.
"I'm Jacob. This is Embry." He answered. I couldn't think straight while looking at him, so with an effort I looked down at the ground.
"I need Bella, and I need to go. I don't want any trouble. I just need to get Bella." I said.
"It'd be safer for Bella to stay here." Embry said.
"I'm not leaving without her. And I'll take her if I have to, because I am leaving." I said, frustrated. What was the issue?
I heard Jacob sigh. "Bella? You can come down. Your friend Kay is here to bring you home." He sounded so sad. I wanted to take it back, tell him everything was okay. I looked at him. He looked composed again, but I sensed there was something more.
Bella came prancing down the stairs. She moved past Jacob and Embry and looked at me when she reached me.
"Let's go." She was angry. Even I could tell, and I had only seen her once before.
"No problem." I said, and took one last glance at Jacob—his face was composed again—before I turned and followed her out the door.
In the car, Bella called Edward and soothed him, carefully telling the story but leaving nothing out. I was interested, but I couldn't concentrate on anything. My mind was racing, and I couldn't explain the sadness I felt while I drove farther and farther away from Jacob. When Bella hung up, she looked at me.
"Thanks." She said. "Do you know how to get back to the Cullen's house?" She asked. I nodded, distracted. "Okay. Edward's already there. So we can just head home." She said, looking out the window. I just drove faster.
When we reached the house, I tried my best to clear my mind. Bella pranced to the porch and waited for me there until I was next to her. I was trying my best to clear my mind as I walked inside, up to my room without glancing at Edward or Bella as they hugged each other tightly. I hit my bed hard, and was asleep within a few minutes.