Chapter Three:
Dad and I walked towards home, and when we got within a few hundred yards he bid me Farwell and headed off to find Billy.
Alone now, my mind drifted to the Toyota in Jacob's garage. The car's engine was almost useless, its filter was in dire need of replacement, and its oil nearly poured out with the slightest movement. As much as I didn't want to admit it, the car was dead.
It pained me to admit it. I really thought that if I just got her cleaned and patched up, she could at least run. It felt like defeat.
A little disappointed with myself, I reached the long wooden door, and swung it open. Inside was a tipsy Billy and a chuckling vampire.
For a moment I simply stopped. My hearing, maybe not as fantastic as vampires, was still pretty damn strong. How had I not noticed them returning?
Blaming it on the car, I kicked the door closed and greeted Billy.
"Heyyyyy sweetie Nesssssssss." He slurred with a smile. "Will you tell 'yurrr…fawthhher that I'm finnnneeee?"
Dad's eyes flicked towards mine, amused. Billy, real, coherent Billy would have never allowed a vampire that close. And he certainly wouldn't be asking for another beer.
"He's got a sprained wrist from trying to pull himself over a log, I'm going to wrap him up and send him home."
I nodded.
"Does it hurt?" I asked Billy.
"Naaahhhhhh. Just a little Tylenol will clear it right up, huh docc?" He aimed towards Dad.
In the next hour or so, Dad had finally gotten Billy's arm wrapped and was loading his wheel chair in the car.
"Here you go." I grumbled as I helped lift Billy into the sleek Volvo.
"Thankksss sugar." He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but smile at his use of Jacob's pet name for me.
Very gently, I leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
And then something happened. Billy's alcohol scented breath faded away and the silver paint gleaming of the door began to spin.
I stumbled back, clutching my head.
It was burning, it was on fire!
"Ah! Ah!" I gasped as I fell over my feet and onto the ground.
The pain radiated down my neck, and into my heart.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, it sped in my chest.
"Nessie! Renesseme! Look at me darling!"
Dads faced hovered over mine, but all I could make out was the blurry outline of his shoulders and those panicked eyes.
I tried to rise, pushing my head up, and my world burst into a strong bright light.
"How long?! How long god damn it!?"
Someone was angry. Someone with a voice that reminded me of home, of safety.
Weakly, I tried to open my eyes. God they were so heavy.
"A few hours. Listen, I know as much as you do."
A different voice, this one seemed more in control of their emotions, and guarded.
"A few hours?! Oh god, oh god. Sugar, please sugar, wake up. Come on Ness. Come on!" The voice was begging me now.
Something inside of me couldn't stand to hear that voice in pain, and with a great effort, I lifted my eyelids and peered up through my lashes.
"Ness? Oh, god Ness." The boy with copper skin crushed himself to me. He smelled so good…like…
"Jacob?" I whispered.
"Yes baby. Yes."
I let myself be rocked by him. Let myself wake up in his arms. He was trembling and frantic with a sheer sheen of sweat over his lovely face.
"Jacob…"
I tried to tell him to calm down, to not worry.
But at that moment, like a great wave, the vision came back to me.
Oh Jesus.
"Jacob!" I gasped trying to get his attention.
It was no use, he had his nose buried into my neck and was trying to calm down by drowning everyone out. I felt his tongue against my collar bone, knowing he was placing
his scent on mine.
"Ja-" I tried to start again.
"Shhhhh." He interrupted. "Give me a second. Just…let me…"
Behind him, Gramps stood, arms folded and deep lines engraved into his forehead from hours of concentration.
Seeing my expression, he reached down to Jacob, gently trying to remove his arm.
Jacob held me tighter and growled low and feral. The trembling was speeding up.
Inside my head, I was trying to make sense of what I had seen. And oh god, what it meant.
When my lips had touched Billy, to the outside world I had fallen down in pain. But in my head, after my eyes closed and surrendered to the light, I had seen inside of Billy.
I had seen the pain of losing his wife all those years ago, the deep affection he held for Jacob and the extreme sadness he felt over losing his best friend, my grandpa Charlie, last month. I felt his terror towards vampires and his hatred for my family. His intense relief that I wasn't one of them.
But that's the thing. He saw in me too. I had felt his surprise, and his new found fear. I knew now that he understood what I was, what I meant.
Jacob was beginning to calm down, and resisted only a moment when I pushed him up above me.
"Jacob."
Too shocked to speak I laid my fingers on his temple and let him see.
For a moment, there was only silence. Only a deep shock that I could feel reverberating down his spine.
Still with him on the floor, I clutched at him. The tears wouldn't come, but the wracking sobs from underneath my ribs did. My breaths became short and fast but weren't transporting air to my lungs.
When Jacob had finished watching, his eyes refocused and whispered, "No."
"No, no, no, no."
Gramps, still behind him was confused as ever, and was no leaving the room, calling for my father.
When he entered he only had to listen to our thoughts to understand. His face sank as he heard my pain.
We all understood what would happen.
There were rules. Rules that demanded that a wolf and a vampire, would never be together. The pack simply wouldn't allow it.
Jacob had fought hard to keep that information locked tight away in his head, to never let anyone see. But he knew that the moment Billy came to his senses, the whole pack would know.
His jaw locked, and his arms folded across my waist as he held me.
Neither of us knew how strong an Alpha's command was. If he ordered Jacob to stay away, there was a good chance he would have too. And the separation, it would kill us both.
In one graceful motion he rose, still supporting my weight and with a stony face and hard set mouth turned to face Dad.
My Dad was still processing, still trying to fully accept what had happened.
Never before had something like this occurred. Sure, I had always had the power to let others in and in return see them, but I'd always been in control. Never once had I lost all power over it.
"Edward, tell me what I need to do." Jacob seethed.
We all sat around the dining room table.
Mom hadn't returned yet from hunting, but was on her way back after a horrible phone call.
"Mom?" I whispered into the phone.
"Yes Nessie?"
"It's happening." My voice was stiff and dull.
She had been shocked, but like always, tried to hide it.
Now, looking around what had just a few hours ago been a table full of laughter and love, had turned into a war room.
Jacob sat next to me. Or chairs were so close our thighs were pushed hard against one another's. His hand held mine in a firm and warm grasp.
Gramps, Grandma Esme, Aunt Alice, Uncle Emmett and Jasper all were looking at Dad.
For some reason, we all felt as if he was our only hope. The only tangible way out of this would be to follow his word.
Now, his hands were folded upward in front of him, and his head was bent slightly over, eyes closed, listening to the pack.
After a moment, he raised his eyes and looked at me and Jacob.
"They are furious." His usually velvet smooth voice was gravel. "Sam and a few others are outside at the perimeter. If they see her, they plan to kill her."
Jacobs's hands tightened around mine.
There was a silence, and we waited for him to continue.
"Billy has obviously told everyone. His mind is trying to protect itself, and has changed his memory."
His golden eyes burned into mine.
"He believes you tried to bite him."
I gasped. No, no this couldn't be happening. Not Billy, not the man who had always acted more like a father than anything else, not the man who had known me all my life. Who had not even a night before, accepted me into his circle. No, no.
"The council believes his story. There has been a plan set in place. But Sam is blocking most of it with a shield. All he'll let me see is that if you come back right now, and leave Nessie here, they will listen. They have no intention of letting you be with her, but Sam seems to have come up with an ultimatum."
I felt Jacob beside me tense.
"If you don't cross the boundary line in less than ten minutes, they will send someone to retrieve you, and another to kill her."
Jacob started to tremble.
"What do-?" He started, but I cut him off.
"You have to go." My voice, the one had so often been described as angels, was low and hollow. I had given up.
He whirled on me.
"What?! No, you can't be serious." He took my face in his hands, and looked deep into my eyes. "We can beat this, we are stronger than this."
Jasper was on my other side.
I and he had always had a special connection. Our bond went deep and our minds seemed to always be in sync.
My eyes slid to his, and his brows were drawn together.
Everyone knew of his background, and somehow, I needed his opinion.
"Jasper?"
His long, smooth hands rubbed each other as he looked down.
"They aren't bluffing Jacob. They will try to kill her. If I had more time, maybe I could come up with something, but now, with six minutes to go…" he trailed off.
"No! No, Ness is mine! I'm not giving her up because of some fucking prejudice!"
I looked his face now. His hands still were cradling my cheeks.
"We knew this would come. Maybe you could go and change their minds." I tried to sound optimistic but failed horribly. We both recognized the lie.
"No! Don't you understand? I can't leave you. You're me!"
I gently took his hands and brought them to my lips.
"I know. God I know. But we can still talk. Just go, talk to them, beg them, and then we can figure it out you and me."
We both saw through my plan, everyone did. It was the biggest fear. What if Sam ordered me away? What if the Council did?
"Nessie, I love you! Edward, talk some sense into her!"
Dad just kept his eyes on mine. "Jacob, you have four minutes."
"No, not you?! Somebody has got to have an idea!" He scanned each of the pale faces around him, none of them would meet his gaze, and all eyes were on me.
"Baby." I whispered. His frantic eyes came to mine.
"No, god, I can't!"
"Baby." I repeated. "I love you. But you have to go."
He froze. Never once had I uttered those three words, not one time. His eyes were boiling.
"Say it again." He demanded.
"No. Jacob, you have two minutes…you have to go. Please."
A huge tear leaked from his eye, and he grabbed me.
Ignoring everyone else, we kissed. Hard and passionate. His tears fell on my face as he murmured my name over and over.
Dun dun dunnn! What do you think? Should Jacob leave to protect Nessie and save what little chance he has left, or should he fight? What is Sam up too? Its always interesting to see what you guys think!
Next chapter up tomorrow:)