Offerings chapter 4

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading and Goldengirl2707 for helping me out.

Author's note: one thing I forgot to say, this was a pre-made banner. So I have written the story to fit with it. Bella looked scared to me, her arms wound around her body and the crime scene tape meant there had to be a crime and a cop… he he.

Jake rang his father while she was upstairs. "Dad? Got a death in Forks."

"Vampire?"

"Maybe."

"Who is the victim?"

"High school student... but she's laid out in Charlie's yard."

"Do you know who did it?"

"It smells like a Cullen... I think it might be Edward."

Billy was silent for a while. "Forks is their territory according to the treaty."

"I know and I technically breach the treaty by even working here, and they have never complained, but it's weird..."

"Phasing into wolf form will definitely break it, but how is it weird?"

"She wasn't bitten. She's had a precise blow to the back of the head. No blood spilt. She's just dead."

"Not bitten?"

"Nope. I can't see a bite mark on her and I can't smell venom but I can smell him near the body."

"They were at high school together."

"No, it's more than that. He's been in the yard."

"And the treaty only specifies 'bite a human'. Doesn't say anything about just murdering them," Billy suggested.

"The intent is there, but I have no proof, Dad."

"Is the case yours?"

"No. Murder is a State crime."

"I'll talk to the tribal council."

"Ask Sam to patrol closer to Forks.

"Can we risk it? Closer to the Cullens."

"Get him to check if all the Cullens are at home, too. Charlie asked me to stay and guard Bella so I can't come back to the rez tonight and I might not be able to phase in. But I want someone out there."

"Sure, son."

"Will you be okay tonight?"

"Yes, thanks, Jake."

"I need to go check on Bella."

"How is she?"

"Pretty."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"Shit."

Billy laughed and hung up.

Jake went back inside to be with Bella.

"I rang my father," he explained when she came back into the room. "He needs to know I am not coming home tonight so that he can get someone to help him get into bed."

"Wheelchair," she said. Her father had told her that Billy sold his truck as he could no longer drive it.

"Yeah. He can't even drive now. You've got his truck."

"Yes. Charlie said he bought it from Billy cheap."

He nodded.

"You didn't want it?" she asked him.

He made a face. "It's a good truck but a little loud and a little slow for me."

"I wish you were there to help me the first day. I kangaroo hopped a few times with the stick shift."

"It'll cope being left in second gear."

"I kind of worked that out; but I am way better now."

"I can look at it for you if you'd like."

"You're a mechanic, too? Is there anything you can't do?"

"Plenty." He passed her the coffee mug. "Drink up," he instructed.

She did. She wondered that she felt so comfortable with him after such a traumatic event.

He sipped his own drink and she studied him. He was as handsome as Edward but in a different way; he was all darkness and color. Dark eyes set above the planes of his cheekbones, dark glossy hair and his russet colored skin. His size pushed him from beautiful into the seriously impressive category.

Edward was pale and almost translucent. He was on her mind as he had been in her dreams. She shuddered suddenly.

"You okay?"

"Sorry. It's just... school."

Jake's dark eyes watched her. "It'll be difficult."

The state police arrived about then. CSI staff took photos and examined the yard. One officer said that she had to interview her. Jake stayed with her.

She told the female officer everything she could remember and answered all her questions as well as she could.

Jake didn't mention anything about his theory that it was about her, rather than Charlie, so she didn't, either.

"Do you have some ID?" the woman asked.

"It's upstairs in my schoolbag."

"I'll get it." Jake hurried up to get it.

"My license is still an Arizona one. I only moved here recently."

"I see."

Jake handed her the wallet. He squeezed her hand as he did it. She opened it and passed it to the officer so that she could see the photo ID.

"Was Lauren well liked, Miss Swan?"

"I-I think so. I've been at the school for two weeks. I know she was very popular."

"Tell me about her."

"She is... was... really beautiful, but she'd get jealous if she thought someone was interested in her guy."

"So she knew she was beautiful?"

"I guess so."

"I wonder if that was why her face was scratched?" the officer asked.

Jake answered, "Maybe. But other than that, she'd been laid out like a gift."

Bella shuddered. "I'm sorry."

Jake put his arm around her shoulder. "No, I am. We shouldn't be talking like this in front of you."

"It kind of helps to think there might be a reason, even if it is one that I don't comprehend, yet."

"You will get through this," the police officer said.

She might, but other people didn't. "Poor Lauren."

"Was she dating anyone?"

Bella shook her head. "I don't know... I think she had a crush on E-" She stopped talking.

Jake gave her a quizzical look.

Edward. The guy who terrified her. Epically weird Edward. Lauren had a crush on Edward.

She looked at Jake and he gave a tiny imperceptible head shake. Or at least she thought he did.

"-Eric," she finished after a pause that was too long. "Or was it Tyler?" She fiddled with her hands. "You'd need to ask someone else who has been at the school longer."

The officer thanked her and went off to report to the others.

Standing, Bella moved agitatedly; back and forth.

"You want another coffee?' Jake asked.

"No," she snapped.

"Okay then."

She leaned down and whispered at him, "Why did you shake your head?"

"Later."

At least he didn't deny it. "Tell me," she insisted.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her.

She looked at him. She kind of did. Even though she had known him for an hour or two at the most; she did trust him. And she wasn't sure why that was.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Fine," she snapped. When she stood upright, she noticed they had started moving the body. She gasped.

Jake stood quickly and from behind her, he could see it also. She turned and buried her face in his chest. After a moment when he seemed surprised, his arms lifted and he hugged her.

They stood there for some time, until Jake said, "It's safe now."

She wiped at her eyes. "Sorry," she said. "I am always apologising around you."

"It's okay."

"Tell me... now."

He sighed.

"Please, Jake. There is something really weird going on and I know you think it concerns me and you didn't say that to the State cops."

"Are you hungry?"

"Is this avoidance?"

"I'm hungry and I would rather have this discussion on a full stomach."

"I don't want to cook. I think Charlie has Pacific Pizza on speed dial."

"Awesome." He rang in an order.

Sitting in silence, her arms folded and her brain running around in circles, she kept silent. So did Jake. He closed his eyes, legs stretched out in front of him and he looked as if he took a power nap.

When the knock at the door came Bella went to answer it. She looked at the delivery guy in disbelief. "Three pizzas?"

Jake reached around her to pay.

"Oh, hey, Jake," said the guy.

"Thanks, Will."

Bella looked between them. "Is this a frequent thing?'

Will looked confused. "Yeah, Jake's one of our biggest customers."

"I guess he is."

She let him carry the pizzas to the kitchen and eat half of one before she said, "Start talking."

He finished the piece he had in his hand and then licked his fingers. "Right," he said. "Where to start?"

He was talking to himself and she knew that but she said, "I was going to say Edward not Eric."

He nodded. "I know you were."

"How did you know that?"

He ignored the question and asked one of his own. "You've met him?"

"Yes."

"Do you think he's impressive?"

She looked at him. "Honestly?"

"Yeah, go on, tell me." He waved his hand in the air. "Oooh. He's so rich and so beautiful-"

"He makes me vomit."

"What?" He looked incredulous. "Vomit?"

"I almost threw up on his shoes."

Jake snorted. "Seriously?"

"He weirds me out, he stares at me, he makes the hairs on my arms stand up and I feel scared and sick when he is around."

He stood, leaned across the table and kissed her with an exaggerated mwah sound.

"Hey?" she complained.

"My turn to apologise," he said. "You are the only girl who has ever said that. Tell me why he affects you like that," he said as he helped himself to more pizza.

"I don't know why no one else notices, but his eyes change color and his skin is too white; he looks like a piece of rock. He cannot be real."

Jake was shaking his head. "So he's not your friend?"

"Good god, no. The closest he is, is my lab partner."

"So why has he been in your house?" he asked quietly.

She stood suddenly. "What?" She almost panicked.

"Bells... he's been in your bedroom."

She put both hands over her mouth.

"Hey... hey. Don't waste the pizza."

"M-my room? How can you know that?"

He looked very serious. "I can smell him."

"What? Jake, you aren't making sense."

"You know how he makes you feel sick? To me he smells like rotten candy."

"Yuck."

"Exactly."

"Shit! So he hurt Lauren?"

"I think so."

"Why didn't you tell the cops?"

"And say what? I can scent suspects? They will just lock me up."

She mumbled something that might have been an agreement and sat back down. "You went straight to Lauren's body. Did you smell it?"

"Yeah."

"What are we going to do?" she asked him.

"You are not going to do anything. You are going to stay in this house where I can keep an eye on you."

He was onto the second pizza. She knew guys ate a lot but two pizzas seemed unreasonable. She watched him eat for a little while; he wasn't even slowing down.

"What?" he asked her when he noticed her scrutiny.

"So what is he?"

"He's a creep. You already know that."

"You're lying." Her eyes narrowed. "There is way more to it than that."

He shrugged eloquently.

Food. Jake ate two whole pizzas and the Cullens ate nothing. "They don't eat," she said.

She got a look for that. "You are a lot like your father, you know."

"I am?" She noticed that he hadn't answered the question. Maybe it wasn't a question. Maybe she was right.

"Yeah."

"Neither of us talk much," she conceded.

Jake gave her a weak smile. "You're doing a good job so far."

"I'm not nearly so chatty at school."

"I don't believe that."

"No, really. Here in Forks is the first time I have been popular."

"At school?"

"Yes."

She looked at Jake; tall and good looking with muscles on his muscles and she could not imagine him being anything except popular. "I bet you were popular at school."

He chuckled. "At the tiny little rez school?"

"Do you deny it?"

"No. I am the son of the chief."

"My point, exactly."

She pulled pieces of topping off the pizza without eating them. "Should I go to school tomorrow?"

"Up to you. Nobody would object if you didn't go."

"He might be there." Her voice sounded small and terrified.

"And I'll be here," he said.

"So I will be, too." She reached across the table and put her hand on top of his arm. "Thank you."

They sat in silence for a little while. The second pizza disappeared.

She yawned. "I need to sleep... but-"

"You don't want to sleep in your room."

"No."

Jake stood and crushed the empty box in his hands. "I'll chuck these in the trash and then walk you upstairs."

She snorted. "That sounds so weird."

He grinned at her.

She was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when he came back inside.

She led the way. "Did you notice the scent when you got my wallet?"

"Yeah."

She paused in the doorway, unable to enter her own room. "I hate this," she muttered.

Jake touched her gently, both hands on her shoulders. He gave her the tiniest push. "Get what you need and then you can go back downstairs."

She spun to face him. "It's my room!"

"I know."

"Where has he been? Tell me!"

"You're sure?"

She nodded emphatically.

They kind of did a dance in the doorway to let him past her.

"Right..." He moved around the room, with his head cocked to the side. "He came in the window, up that tree I think... and he sat in this chair."

"That's my rocking chair. From when I was a baby." She shuddered.

Jake looked worried.

"I feel as if I should burn it."

"Only way to get rid of it. He spent some time in the chair as if-" He stopped talking suddenly.

She made a leap of understanding. "He watched me sleep," Bella said. "That is so... gross."

"He's crossed a line."

"From creeper to murderer if you are right."

"Did you feel ill at home? Here?"

She tried to think about it. "Yes! The first night after I threw up at school, I felt awful and I had-" She stopped talking now.

"Bells?"

She stared at the floor.

Jake stepped over closer to her. "Tell me."

He had his hand out; palm up. Beseeching just like Lauren's body.

She reached out and took his hand. He squeezed gently. A comfort to her.

"I d-dreamt about him."

"Edward?"

"Yes. I was chasing him." She looked up at Jake's face. "Why do I dream that? Chase him? I don't want to chase him! Why on earth is that my nightmare? That he leaves me and that I run after him like some crazy, obsessed person. That isn't me."

"It's the venom," said Jake. "Exposure over time changes your behavior."

She blinked. "Venom?"

"Shit. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's the same thing every night... has he been in here every night?" Her voice was rising as she panicked.

"Bells!" He said it forcefully enough to derail her.

She took a deep breath and then felt sick again. "I need to get out of this room."

She stood at the top of the stairs and told Jake what to fetch for her and where it was. She didn't say clean panties; that felt a little too much to ask him to do for her.

When he exited his face was serious.

"Pyjamas?" she asked as she saw what he had in his hands.

He shook his head.

"He touched my pyjamas?" she demanded.

A nod.

She darted quickly into the room, pulled a drawer open in the pine dresser, grabbed clean panties and a large t-shirt and dashed out again. She didn't wait at the top of the stairs and then she was two steps down when the wave of nausea hit her.

She fell.