Southern Comfort
Disclaimer: This story is mine, everything else belongs to the talented SM.
Ch. 7: A Bad Day
BPOV
The days since my father's death had turned into a blur with only a few coherent spots in my memory, like the conversations the morning after. Sam and the Clearwater's had become a near permanent fixture in the house. Sue, along with my Charlotte, made sure I ate regularly. I spent most of the time in numb haze and barely registered all the people that showed up to offer condolences. When the unwelcome visits became too much, my family ran interference for me. There was little doubt in my mind that they were my family; several times a day that was proven as wolves, vampires and the older humans – Sue and Harry – blended into a seamless unit. Unfortunately, we were two members short because Twatward called last night so Alice and Jasper had to leave to rejoin the Cullen's before the mind reader grew suspicious.
Today was Charlie's funeral and while my mind was freed from its haze, I was even more emotionally numb and my body felt unusually cold. My mate had been holding me when I woke up and, in what had become routine, had helped me with my morning ritual. After a quick shower and dressing in the clothes that had been laid out on the bed, she led me downstairs where Sue had a plateful of breakfast waiting for me. Part of me was amazed that the older woman had managed to save even that much food considering how much the wolves ate. With Char's unspoken permission, I moved around the table and gave everyone a hug and kiss before I sank into an empty chair than ate the food while Sam, Lee Lee, and Seth gazed longingly at my plate. I looked around and noticed that Torie and Peter were missing.
"They're out getting appropriate clothes to wear at the funeral," the petite blonde vampire explained when she noticed my puzzled expression. I nodded then tucked into my food before one of the others tried to help me polish it off.
The memorial service was held in a large field on the outskirts of town because the church was too small to hold everyone from Forks and La Push that were in attendance. Reverend Webber had waited to start until I arrived. Everyone's eyes were on me when I finally arrived surrounded by my new family. There was a lot of whispering as we made our way to the section of seats that had been set aside for us but they died after the mixed group of supernaturals glared into the crowd.
After a brief sermon and a few prayers, one by one, people made their way to the front of the assembly and gave an anecdote or two before they returned to their seats. Sue was coming back to her seat from telling a story of story of how she and Charlie had gotten together; the crowd grew silent and I knew it was my turn to speak. Slowly, I stood up then moved to the front of the gathering. Several seconds ticked by as I organized my thoughts.
"My dad had difficulty talking about his feelings but I knew how much he loved me; it was in the little things he did for me that spoke louder than words ever could. As much as he loved me, he loved this town and La Push. As much as it hurts that he's gone, it helps to know how much both communities loved him as well. Thank you," I said hoarsely then ran back to my seat while tears flowed down my cheeks.
The memorial ended with the presentations of the two small urns to me and Sue then everyone started to head back to their cars. Harry gave me a hug then carried a coffee can that held the bulk of Charlie's remains to his truck. He and Old Quil were going to take his boat out and scatter the ashes in their favorite fishing spot. Sam took Sue, Leah and Seth back to their place but promised they'd come over tomorrow to help get things boxed up. Apparently, my stomach had been growling because Torie suggested we head to Port Angeles to get me some food then maybe catch a movie because we all needed to decompress after all the raw emotion of the memorial.
Char cuddled in the back seat of the rental with me while Peter drove. The four of us stood in front of Port Angeles' best seafood restaurant a half-hour later. Outside of The Lodge in Forks, this had been one of my father's favorite places to eat. Not long after we were seated at a table, four off duty State Troopers came in with their families. One of them must've recognized me because the gaggle of people wandered over then offered their condolences. I hadn't realized just how many people had known Charlie. They drifted off and I was able to enjoy my meal, the owner informed that the Troopers had already taken care of the check when my new brother asked for it.
I went the bathroom before we left the restaurant; there were still a couple of hours before our movie started and the others wanted to see the sites. Something hadn't felt right when I exited the women's room but I chalked it up my imagination. I heard the men's room door open and close behind me then a large russet skinned hand covered my mouth as I was jerked back. The arms that held me were too strong and I was dragged out the exit door by the restrooms.
"A promise is a promise," the familiar voice of Jacob Black hissed in my ear at the same time I bit one of his fingers hard enough to draw blood.
"CHARLOTTE," I managed to scream when he pulled the hand away but the bastard spun me around then smashed my face with his fist and everything faded to darkness.
JPOV (Jake)
I'd thrown my unconscious mate over my shoulder then bolted into the forest before her bloodsuckers could interfere. My mind was preoccupied with all the things I was going to do to Bella that I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings. A dark haired leech with ruby red eyes stepped out of the trees in front of me. I dropped the dead weight I'd been carrying and, not too gently, kicked her behind me then glared.
"I'm afraid whatever plans you made have gone out the window. That girl is going to be my dinner. If you run away now, I promise not to chase after you," the bloodsucker commented in a French accent.
"You're the only one that's going to die today, Tick," I spat just before I phased.
?POV
When I'd reached Las Vegas, it hadn't taken long to find the house the Captain and Sergeant shared with another vampire. The place had been empty but the scents were strong enough that I knew I hadn't missed them by much, maybe a couple of days. My orders were to do recon only but I didn't know if they planned to come back. There were two choices before me; I could continue to track them or report back empty handed and face unspeakable wrath. In the end, it really was a no brainer and I locked onto the strange vamp's scent and followed it.
The trail ended at a house in Bum Fuck, Washington. There were other vampires scents, including the Major's, and something rank but the most startling scent was that of a human. This house was empty as well but the trail led me to a park where some kind of function had taken place. By this time, I needed to feed so I headed towards the neighboring town of Port Angeles to find a victim.
I stumbled into a small clearing where some nomad and an oversized wolf circled each other. Not far away, a human girl lay crumpled on the grass. The wind blew my direction and I instantly recognized her scent from the house my prey had been staying at. While I contemplated my next move, the sound of three vampires running through the forest drew my attention. The Captain, Sergeant and an unknown female vampire with red hair stalked out of the trees. The redhead crouched by the human girl protectively while her companions entered the fray.
The original vamp and the wolf were so focused on each other, they hadn't noticed the others arrive. I watched as the Captain made short work of the dark haired nomad then his attention, like mine, focused on his mate fighting the wolf. She was a seasoned warrior and normally would've made quick work of her enemy but the small blonde obviously felt the need to make the awful smelling mutt feel a great deal of pain. Eventually, the Sergeant grew tired of playing with the animal and snapped its neck. I almost gasped and gave away my position when I saw the beast change back into dead Indian.
With a satisfied glint in her eyes, she rushed back over to the unconscious human then began pull the girl into her arms. Obviously, the human was important to my quarry so I decided to fade back into the shadows and started to make my way back to base. Maria was going to reward me for finding leverage to use against her wayward soldiers.
