Chapter Seven
AN: Thanks for the comments on the last chapter! I was surprised at some of the quick responses. Hopefully this chapter eases your minds. It ended up being longer than I anticipated, but I didn't want to cut off the chapter too early. As always, please read and review.
Disclaimer: SM happens to own this world, I'm just writing in it.
Hope you enjoy!
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"Bella? What are you doing here? I saw you die. You jumped off a cliff!" Alice said.
"I didn't jump Alice, well not exactly, it's kind of a long story, and Victoria was…" Bella replied, trailing off from her explanation at Alice's confused look.
"But I didn't see Victoria, and I didn't see you after you jumped, how did you survive that?"
"Jacob saved me," she answered quietly, reaching behind her for Jake's hand, which quickly slipped into hers.
Alice's dark eyes assessed the two of them before quickly coming to a decision. "I see. Bella, I've got to go hunt, I didn't stop before coming here. I wanted to see how Charlie was, but I forgot how strong you blood is. Also, I'm going to go and I need to call Jasper, but I'll be back here in about an hour."
"Do you promise to come back this time?"
"Promise Bella. I mean it." Alice added with a smile.
Just as fast as she had appeared, she was gone. And Jacob breathed a sigh of relief.
"Before you say anything Jacob Black, I am not leaving before she comes back," Bella stated whenever Jacob opened his mouth.
He snapped his jaw shut, almost comically. A few unidentifiable emotions crossed his face before he spoke. "Well then I'm going outside to move the truck and phase to let the guys know about our new guest," he replied neutrally, and with that he was out the door.
Bella rested against the wall, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, exhaustion attempting to claim her. This was not turning out to be the relaxing day she had hoped for. A day off, she scoffed to herself, was just wishful thinking. Steeling herself, she opened her eyes and headed to the kitchen. She needed to keep busy while her mind frantically worked, and so her thoughts ran wild while she mechanically put together Charlie's dinner. Jake came back a few minutes later, and after taking one look at Bella's face, wrapped her in gentle hug, careful of her bruised chest.
"Just say the words Bells and we can leave. You don't have to stay and talk to her. Really, I'd rather us just leave. This won't end well."
"No Jake. I'm sorry to put you in this position but I need some answers that I hope Alice will give me," she mumbled into his chest, shamelessly drawing from his warmth.
"Okay, I still don't trust her though. If the Cullens are back then it can only be trouble," he spoke into her hair, nuzzling her as he gently ran his hands in a calming motion down her spine.
"I don't think they're coming back, Alice didn't even expect to see me here alive," Bella stated almost sadly, finally separating herself from Jacob and turning back to dinner.
"Bella," Jacob murmured in a despondent voice.
Bella looked back at Jacob and immediately recognized the pained expression on his face. "Oh, Jake, no," she whispered hurriedly as she placed her hands on either side of his face, drawing him down to meet his eyes with her own, "Don't think like that, this doesn't change anything between us. I just need answers," she finished with a soft kiss on his lips.
Jake just smiled sorrowfully and nodded. Bella wasn't sure she had him convinced but she could talk with him more later. After finishing dinner and covering it on the stove to keep warm, she headed upstairs quickly to change into some more comfortable clothes. She had ended up wearing some of the Jacob's sisters' old clothes since hers were soaked from her unexpected swim. Bella was grateful, but she found herself craving familiarity at the moment.
Checking her phone that she had thankfully left in her truck while at the beach, she noted that it was almost time for Alice to return. She wanted to make sure that Jake was okay before she got back. Jacob was incredibly in control of his wolf, more so than most of the other shifters, but these were highly emotional times and they really didn't need a wolf to phase in the living room. She sighed and glanced once more in the mirror. She looked almost as tired as she felt. Even sleeping half of the afternoon hadn't erased the circles under her eyes. Bella finally turned away, determined to take better care of herself. Dressed in comfortable jeans and a t-shirt, Bella returned downstairs. She made sure to walk carefully down the steps in order to avoid her normal clumsiness, so her eyes were firmly on her feet as she descended. Bella had just made it to the bottom step and turned her body toward the kitchen when she heard it.
This is impossible.
That beautiful, otherworldly voice was in her head again, reverently whispering her name, caressing the syllables as if they were a delicious treat to be savored.
She couldn't believe it, this couldn't be happening, not now.
Her brain stuttered to a screeching stop, and immediately restarted in overdrive, struggling to grasp this new development. The hole in her chest pulsed and sizzled around the edges. She froze mid stride and closed her eyes, trying to understand. His velvet voice had not cautioned her in some time, not even making an appearance whenever she faced the terrifying Victoria on the cliffs. Even now, among the other swirling emotions, she was confused, why was she hearing his perfect worried tone when she was in no danger?
That thought prompted another, much more panic-inducing idea. Was she in danger? Could Victoria b…
Her eyes opened and her gaze flicked up at a slight movement in her peripheral Her deep chocolate eyes clashed with gold ones. His sculpted, ethereal face was right in front of her, her hallucinations taking on a new level of clarity as her imagination placed him standing in her living room. Bella sensed another movement, and his pale hand rose towards her face, as if to stroke her cheek. Her heart skipped a beat and she involuntarily took a step back…directly into a familiar solid, warm chest. That perfect face in front of her crumpled in pain, as if he were hurt that she had placed distance between them. As his face fell, Jacob's large, warm arm wrapped securely around Bella's waist to steady her.
It was then that Bella's brain caught up with her and she snapped to attention, realizing Jacob must think that she was absolutely crazy for standing and staring at the empty space in her living room. She was beginning to think she actually was crazy now that her delusions had apparently stepped up to this horrifying new level. Turning to face Jacob, she frantically wracked her brain to come up with any excuse for her distracted stare.
Instead of looking at her like she belonged in an asylum, or even his usual humor-filled smirk that typically accompanied him when she zoned out, Jacob was actually staring at the exact space that her hallucination had appeared.
In fact, it was the same hateful glare that Bella had seen before.
In that instant, she realized the impossible.
"You're real?" she asked incredulously, turning back to face Edward. Her heart and brain all suddenly caught up, slamming everything together as it finally clicked into place.
"Of course I'm real Bella," that perfect voice again. Now that she was paying attention, she realized it didn't hold the caution and worry that normally laced her illusion's tone. Edward continued as confusion passed across his features. "Why wouldn't I be?" A low warning growl sounded at his voice, attracting Edward's attention to the male standing behind her.
"Bella, why don't we go somewhere and talk?" Edward asked, not taking his eyes off of the angry shifter. "Somewhere safer," he added, still holding out his hand, the expression on his face showed he fully expected Bella to take it.
That expression on his earnest face and his added words made Bella finally snap. After the stress of the last few months and this never ending day from hell, his last patronizing comment made quiet, compliant Bella crack.
"Safer? SAFER? How dare you show up in my home after months of silence and suddenly decide what you know what's best for me! Jacob may turn into a wolf when he wants, but he is the absolute safest person I could be around," Bella nearly yelled.
"Wait dear, you know what he is? And you're still staying near him?" Edward questioned in confusion, his hand dropped back to his side. "He's dangerous Bella, all of the mutts are," he stated authoritatively.
"Jacob is not going to hurt me, and the wolves have done nothing but protect me and clean up the mess that YOU left behind. And you don't get to waltz back in here and start making decisions for me," Bella forced out from clenched teeth, struggling to control the volume of her voice.
It was then that Jacob gently pulled her into the kitchen, turning her around and placing his hands on each side of her face, framing it as they locked eyes. "Breathe Bells, breathe. I'm not going anywhere, it's okay." Bella focused on Jake's face, and took slow breaths like he instructed. Funny that the wolf would be calming her down, she almost smiled at the thought.
Once Bella looked less like she was going to explode and had returned to a semi-normal color, Jacob turned his attention to the leech. "Now that you've done enough damage, bloodsucker, I think it's time for you to leave."
Before Edward could utter a response, Alice returned and stepped into the kitchen. "Edward? How did you get here?" she asked.
"Rosalie answered when I called to check in, she said you had a vision of Bella and had left for Forks but didn't explain further. I guessed it was important for you to come, so I left Brazil and made my way here," he responded.
"Nice story, but you've all upset Bella enough and it's time for you to go," Jacob stated, his tone beginning to take on the deep timbre of his alpha voice.
Taking a deep breath, Bella turned to face the two immortals. "No, wait, Alice and I already planned to talk and I have a few questions of my own."
"Are you sure Bells? You don't have to talk to these leeches if you don't want to," Jake asked, eyeing the two suspiciously.
"No, I'd still like to talk, if you two are still okay with it?" Bella turned to Alice and Edward, who both nodded, albeit warily on the part of the latter.
They all sat around the dining table, the awkward tension in the room almost palpable. Bella struggled to reign in her temper long enough to focus on what she wanted to discuss. Finally she spoke. "Why did you come back?"
Alice quickly replied, "To determine how it's possible that you're still alive, Bella?"
Edward gasped immediately, flipping through the scene of Alice's earlier vision in her mind.
Bella told them how Victoria had been hunting her since the Cullens had left and how she had gotten too close for comfort earlier that day. Jacob begrudgingly filled them in on the male vampire that had accompanied her as the distraction, not that Edward hadn't already gleaned the important facts from picking his mind.
"Why did you leave without at least warning me of Victoria? Why wait until now?" Bella finally asked, it was something that had been nagging at her since the whole thing started. "I know you guys left, but Alice, didn't you have any visions of her in Forks?"
At that, Alice hung her head in shame. "No, Bella, I've not been looking for your future, I've actually been avoiding any visions of the northwestern US."
"But why, surely you all don't hate me that much? That you couldn't even warn me of supernatural danger? If not for me, then for Charlie?" Bella asked, her voice trembling at the end. Jacob squeezed her hands reassuringly where they rested on the table, murmuring comforting nonsense as his other arm wrapped around her shoulders. Alice's eyes flicked to Edward's in a way that reminded Bella of the silent conversations that the two had. Bella's earlier irritation began to rise again.
"What is it?" she demanded, "What are you not telling me now?"
Alice gave Edward a hard look, and with a sigh, he turned back to Bella. "Bella, I told you that when we left it would be like we never existed, and to follow through with that promise I… asked my family to also leave you alone. That included Alice and her visions. I wanted you to live a happy, humanlife," Edward finally responded, but hurried to add, "I'm so sorry Bella, I never should have left. I made such a horrible mistake. I was just trying to protect you. I love you my Bella, please forgive me."
The room fell silent again, uncomfortably so. After a few beats someone finally broke the tension. "Well at least you can admit you were wrong," Bella said.
"So you forgive me?" Edward asked excitedly, his face lighting up with relief. "I knew you would, Bella.." He reached over the table as he spoke, "I can't live without you. We'll be so happy together, it will be even better than before. I…"
"Woah, stop there," Bella interrupted, pulling her hands out of Jake's and into her lap, clenching them into fists. "I didn't say that I forgave you." She was struggling with her temper, she was so tired from the day and the exasperation was starting to really show.
"But you have to forgive me Bella, you love me," Edward stated incredulously, then turned to Jacob, whom he had hardly acknowledged the entire conversation. "Even the dog has heard you admit that you still have feelings for me."
Jacob tensed in her peripheral vision, and the tenuous hold that Bella had obtained on her sanity finally snapped. "Get out," Bella murmured.
Although everyone in the room had supernatural hearing, they all stayed still as if they hadn't heard her.
"I said get out!" she repeated louder. "You left me here, defenseless and on my own with a psycho vampire on the loose. You show up here trying to pull me away from the only people that have tried to help me. You break your promise to never contact me again. You insult my friend. And you insult me by spewing your lies!" By the time Bella finished her rant, she was standing with both hands flat on the table. Jacob's hand was now soothingly rubbing her back, trying to get her to calm down.
"They aren't lies Bella, I do love you, I should have never left. I never stopped loving you," Edward pleaded, his expression earnest.
"That's not what you told me that day in the woods. The day you left me there like trash. You told me that you were tired of me, that you didn't want me anymore, that I was weak. Either you were lying then, or you are lying now. With that, how am I supposed to trust you?"
At that, he had the decency to guiltily look away. "I'm sorry Bella."
"I don't want your apology."
"Bells, I hate to interrupt but Charlie's here," Jacob said.
At that, Alice and Edward exchanged knowing looks. "Can I come by tomorrow Bella? We'd like to discuss the next step in getting rid of Victoria," Alice asked.
Bella sighed tiredly, all of the adrenaline beginning to leak from her system. "Call me in the morning and we'll see how it goes, I'm guessing you didn't forget the number?" she asked.
"Tomorrow," Alice promised, and just like that Jacob and Bella were alone in the kitchen.
The sound of Charlie's keys in the door snapped Jacob into action. "I'll be back after I talk to Sam," Jacob whispered quickly, pecking her on the cheek, "at least three of us will be near the house." With that he was out the back door and sprinting towards the woods.
Somehow, Bella made it through dinner with Charlie and a few hours later found herself sitting on her bed in her room. Although if asked, she would not have been able to recall how she arrived there. Startled by a noise at her window, she peeked out to see Jacob standing on the ground below. As quietly as possible, she opened the window and stepped back, knowing her clumsiness wouldn't help his landing. Jacob made it into her room without incident and quickly shut the window behind him. He turned and looked at her uncertainly, but she wasted no time wrapping her arms around his waist. As usual, Jake wasn't wearing a shirt and Bella nuzzled his warm chest.
"How are you Bells?" he finally asked.
"I'm okay Jake. I'm sorry about earlier. I don't know where that temper came from, Paul must be rubbing off on me," she tried to joke.
Jake indulgently smiled back but then turned serious. "Hell of a day Bella, its okay to snap every now and then. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really, but I guess I need to, they'll probably be back tomorrow." Bella sighed and let go of Jake, plopping down on the bed and covering her face with her arm. Jacob lay down beside her, easing her arm away so that he could look her in the eyes. "They don't have to step a foot near you if you don't want them to. There's a whole pack that will keep them well away from you," Jacob said with conviction, "and they are damn sure not staying in Forks."
"No, I don't think them staying would be a good idea. The pack really would explode with that many vampires around. But maybe they can help with getting rid of Victoria," Bella said.
"We don't need help from stupid leeches to kill another stupid leech," Jacob muttered.
"No, probably not, but what can it hurt if they can get rid of her without you or anyone else in the pack putting yourselves in danger?" Bella asked quietly, before yawning hugely.
"Let's worry about this tomorrow Bells, I think you've had a long enough day," Jacob said, noting once again the dark smudges under her eyes.
"Can you stay?" Bella asked quietly, almost as if she didn't want him to hear.
"Of course I can, I'll stay as long as you want," he soothingly stroked the hand he was holding, calming Bella. A slow fire spread from everywhere his warm hand moved, even over the scar that seemed to be permanently colder than the rest of her. The crescent shaped bite mark on her arm that surprisingly didn't repulse Jacob the way she thought it would. As she tried to let her mind drift to sleep, her thoughts wandered back to the first time he had seen it.
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Sam gathered the pack around his living room, the house crowded with the large shifters. They all eventually found seats and turned their attention to Bella, who blushed and shifted closer to Jacob, uncomfortable under their scrutinizing stares. Sam spoke first, "I called everyone here because Bella has information about the redhead and what she might want." A few of the newer wolves growled lightly at the mention of Victoria. Bella stuttered a moment before launching into her tale.
"A few months ago I was with the C…Cullens in a clearing outside of Forks. They were playing baseball and I was watching. Before we knew it, three nomads approached the clearing, claiming to have caught the scent of many vampires and wanted to investigate the coven. James, one of the vampires, noticed me before the C..Cu.. they could get me away, and became infatuated with what he considered the "coven's pet." He was obsessed with the challenge of a human protected by vampires. He decided that he wanted me then and there, but he wasn't allowed. Facing seven vampires to his three he left, but he promised to get me soon. I returned to my house and packed my bags, starting a fight with Charlie. It was the only way to keep James away from the house and keep Charlie safe. I told him that I hated living in Forks and I was going to Jacksonville to see my mom. Al…Alice and Jasper took me instead to Arizona, near my old home, to hide me from James. As it turns out he was a tracker, a vampire with the incredible ability to find anyone once he'd caught his or her scent. The second day that I was in Arizona, I received a call. It was my mom, and she was pleading for me. James told me that he had her at my old ballet studio, and that he would only let her go if I arrived alone. I tricked Jasper and snuck out to go to the studio. When I arrived, I heard my mother calling for me again, but when I reached the room, it was just an old recording from my eighth birthday when I went missing and my mom searched for me. James stepped out from the shadows then, holding a video camera. He wanted to…re.. he wanted to record my death so he could leave it for them to find. He…um… knocked me into the mirrors and broke my leg before he bit my arm. Then..."
"Bullshit!" shouted Paul. The wolves had been mostly quiet as she stumbled through her sordid tale, and Paul's sudden out burst made Bella jump slightly. "No human can survive a vampires bite, either they turn or die," his angry words spoken harshly across the room.
A moment passed as Bella struggled to come up with an appropriate response and failing. Without uttering a word, Bella rolled up the sleeve of her arm and revealed the crescent shaped scar to the room. She merely raised her eyebrow at the angry wolf. There were many gasps of surprise and even a few growls, the loudest of which came from Jacob. He grabbed her arm and closely examined the scar, running his thumb over the ridges embedded in the skin. "How is this possible?" he whispered quietly, looking up at Bella. She was distracted a moment as his touch brushed away the chill that normally resided in the mark.
"Like I said, he bit my arm," she continued to explain. "Sometime later, and I'm not sure how long because the venom began to spread and I couldn't think, the Cullens arrived. They took care of James and sucked the venom out of my system. I woke up a few days later in the hospital; they told my parents that I had fallen down a flight of stairs. I'm clumsy enough to do something like that, and it seemed the best way to explain my injuries." A few guys made agreeing noises to that, they had seen her clumsiness first hand. "Whenever I ran into Laurent in the woods, the vampire with the dreadlocks that you guys killed, he told me that Victoria had sent him to find out about me. She was furious that the Cullens had killed James, who was her mate, and she decided that she would kill me as revenge, so Ed… so that he would know that it was like to lose a mate." She tugged her arm out of Jacob's hold and wrapped both of her arms tightly around her waist, trying to stop the burning. After a beat, Bella found the strength to continue. "I tried to tell Laurent that they had left, but he decided that he would kill me himself. He thought my blood was too sweet to resist."
Finally finished, Bella let out a deep breath and sat back, keeping my eyes down so that they wouldn't meet any of the sure to be accusing glares in the room. Jacob had reclaimed hold of her arm, lightly pulling it from around her waist and began lightly rubbing her scar, warming the chilled skin.
"Hell," Paul finally said after a long silence, "who knew you were such a trouble magnet?"
The comment eased the tension in the room, allowing Bella a small smile.
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Jacob's hand tracing mindless patterns on her arm brought her back to the present. She sighed, expecting another restless night. After all the events of the day, she should be dead to the world, but for some reason her mind was too keyed up for her to sleep.
"Come on Bells, just close your eyes and rest," Jake mumbled in a low voice, "I'll be here to protect you."
"Thanks Jacob, my mind is just running to fast for me to sleep right now," she replied sullenly.
Without a reply, Jacob merely pulled Bella closer so that her head rested on his warm chest and her arm was slung across him. He began lightly singing what sounded like a lullaby. After a moment, Bella realized it was in Quileute. She quickly fell asleep listening to the beautiful song.
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AN: So what did you think?
