Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own Twilight. I make no profit from this work of fiction.
Author's Note: A brief reminder – as stated in the first chapter, this is AU.
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Alice had been steadily trying to avoid Jasper's advances. For some reason he had decided to play octopus, prompting her to move about in an attempt to keep his hands from grasping her. Esme and Carlisle had found great amusement in their antics, but it had only served to remind me what a fool I had been.
Bella had only wanted immortality by my side. And when she had aged, when she had finally become what the Americans considered 'legal', she had become more insistent. So I made the decision to leave her behind. My decision. Not any of the others, and Emmett had called me an idiot. Even Rosalie had disapproved of my actions, though she supported my choice. I think for her it was more in how I had chosen to simply abandon Bella in the way that I had.
Watching Jasper and Alice, though, had managed to bring the horrible reality of being alone for eternity to the fore of my mind. Engrossed in my own thoughts, I had not expected whatever had hit me on the top of my head. Irritated, I had looked up to find Jasper staring down at me, his hands on his hips in a pose of classic mortal defiance.
"See here, Edward. Just because I want some nookie with my woman doesn't mean that you have to go brooding and ruin my mood." The words he had chosen were playful, but the tone he had delivered them in was anything but. I had stared up at Jasper, my mouth falling open slightly as I scanned his thoughts. The phrases that repeated had only served to make me feel even worse about what I had done. Jasper, however, had been all out of sympathy. "You're a coward, Masen. You wanted the girl, she wanted you, and you didn't want to take the chance she would change her mind in two hundred years. Rather than be a man about it and aspire to doing whatever you'd have to so she'd stay with you if she ever did want to leave, you decided to tuck tail and run. You're not a common mongrel, so I haven't the foggiest why you've chosen to act like one."
Whether it was his own anger being pushed onto me, amplifying my own, or if the ensuing rage at his words stemmed solely from me, I hadn't known. At that point, I hadn't cared. The lack of concern had led me to be careless with Esme's fine things.
I had lifted myself from the sofa in a flash of movement that – given his widened eyes as I had plowed into him – even Jasper hadn't expected. My shoulder had connected with his chest, propelling him backwards. Momentum had carried me with him, and we had crashed into the flat-screen television. I had heard the crack of the plastic as the screen had shattered, and the crunch of the plaster as the wall mount had been shoved into the drywall. But hearing those sounds hadn't meant they registered as having any meaning with me.
Once I had righted myself, I had reached up and buried my fists in the front of Jasper's shirt, my fingers grasping the material tightly. Without much thought, I had pulled him away from the wall before slamming him into it again. In the brief moment the wall had been revealed, I had clearly seen the tiny cracks radiating out from the mount. Even seeing the destruction wrought by my rage had not been enough to calm me.
Jasper's fist in my face, however, had been. Though, to my chagrin, it had taken several hard jabs and at least two fractured bones before I had finally come to my senses. As I had let go of Jasper's shirt, he had nodded that he realized I was myself once more. It still hadn't stopped him from punching me across the jaw with enough force to knock two of my teeth loose. I had fallen backwards – right onto Esme's glass table. It had shattered under the force, the shards puncturing my skin in several places. Even though I knew I had brought the action upon myself, it had not stopped me from being incredibly angry with the other vampire. I had risen from the remaining frame of the demolished table intent on pummeling Jasper some more before I had noticed where his attention lay.
While I had been intent on making someone hurt the way I was hurting, I had not noticed that Alice had fallen to her knees. The broken wood paneling beneath her had clearly indicated the force she had fallen with, and I had understood then why Jasper had been so willing to dole out some punishment of his own. Her head had been thrown back, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her hands had been pressed tightly against her temple as she had bowed her spine. Jasper had called her name loudly as he had fallen down beside her, taking her in his arms. He had snarled at me, a violent sound that had startled me greatly. Esme had pulled me back while Carlisle had rushed to Alice's side. After several tense moments, Alice's head had lolled forward on her neck, gasping for air despite the fact that we didn't need it.
"Ed-edward..." Her voice had barely been audible as she called out. No words could have possibly explained the anger coursing the room courtesy of Jasper's empathic abilities. I had shaken my head in a feeble attempt to dispel the overwhelming sensation. I had not been brave enough to approach her with her mate kneeling directly beside her. "Bella … gone..."
After several attempts, the only thing we had been able to glean from Alice had been that, somehow, Bella had vanished from the face of the earth. If I had possessed a beating heart, it would have stopped. The only thing that had kept me from falling to my own knees was Esme's arms banded about my chest.
Alice wasn't very forthcoming with information, even when Jasper finally calmed her down. The only thing she had been able to tell me was that Bella had completely disappeared from any path she was able to see. The answer frustrated me. I might have been foolish enough to leave Bella, but the last thing I wanted was for her to die. I'd left her so that she could do the very opposite. It hadn't taken much to make sure I was on the next plane to Forks.
My seat jolted violently as the aircraft's wheels hit the tarmac. I'd made the trip on my own, though it had been difficult convincing Esme not to come along. Without any clue as to where I might need to head, the last thing I wanted was for my mother – for all intents and purposes – to see me doing things that I knew full well she would disapprove of. I was barely able to wait until the plane taxied the runway and connected with the terminal to disembark. The moment I was able to leave the crowd, I sped up as much as I was able without drawing attention to myself. The last thing I needed was to have the Volturi sending their people after me when I was worried about Bella.
Dodging people as I weaved in and out of the crowd, I finally reached the door. I hadn't bothered bringing any luggage which earned me some odd looks from the other people leaving the terminal. I couldn't say I cared much about their opinions. I nearly ran over a mother with two small children as I headed to the parking lot at what she would likely consider a 'break-neck' speed. I apologized, quickly dashing to the side to avoid them. My Volvo still sat in long-term parking. Turning the key, I listened to the engine choke from disuse for a moment before it revved to life. I sped out of the parking lot in the direction of La Push.
The treaty didn't matter to me. I was wholly unconcerned with the politics of our clan and those mongrel curs. The only thing I cared about was finding out what had happened to her. I paid no attention to any speed limits posted, quickly gaining the attention of the police force. I welcomed it, increasing my speed as I led them along to my destination. Though the officer behind me wasn't Charlie Swan, it wouldn't be long before he was called to the location. And I had no doubt, with the way I had left things, that he would be more than happy to show up for the pleasure of arresting me.
I'd give him the fight of his life if I needed to, but I wanted answers. He was likely to have them. Heading to the Quileute Reservation would give me the opportunity to read Jacob before letting Charlie arrest me. I wouldn't care about spending a couple of hours in the jail if it would get me the information I was looking for. Leaving the building when I had the information I wanted would be no problem as long as I made certain to incapacitate the guard first.
When the second set of blue lights came into view in my mirror I couldn't help the mischievous grin that crept onto my face. It occurred to me that I could crash the car into a tree – as long as I jumped clear without incident – and let them think I'd died in the flames. It wouldn't get me the answers I needed though. That would only happen when Charlie Swan or Jacob Black saw my face. They would both have primal reactions related to Bella. And if either of them knew anything it would be on the surface for me to pluck out of the mire.
A third set of blue lights entered my vision as another cruiser came rushing onto the road from around the curve. Its tires squealed loudly as it swerved, the driver obviously having miscalculated the distance he had to travel to the chase. He'd probably thought the readings on the speed my Volvo was going weren't accurate. If there was one thing I could count on Rosalie for it was 'souping-up' a car. I didn't argue when she said she could make any vehicle into a car fit for the Autobahn. As I passed the third cruiser, I could almost picture her in the seat beside me, smirking as she told me to go ahead and 'gun it'. My foot pressed harder on the accelerator as I raced onward, not giving any thought to the dangerous curves and outcroppings. Or any oncoming traffic.
Arriving at La Push in what seemed like hours to me, but was certainly only mere mortal minutes, I brought the car to a screeching halt. I didn't bother turning it off. Let the officers find it with the engine running. It wouldn't matter. I ran onto the Quileute grounds, obliterating the treaty that had existed with Carlisle's coven for so long. I had nearly reached the main encampment when I heard the police cars finally roll up to the spot on the road where I had stopped. I slowed to a human pace – albeit well above average human.
The next moment I found myself laying on my back, the damp earth quickly soaking the cotton of my shirt. I blinked but was unable to move my head. The fur I could feel tickling the bottom of my chin combined with the teeth I could feel digging into the skin at my throat explained why. I tried to tilt my head slightly so that I could see which of the mongrels was slicing my skin to shreds. A growl answered my efforts.
"You know, someone is going to have to buy me a shirt when this is over." My voice was hardly more than a whisper on the air, but the wolf heard me perfectly. The absurdity of the sentence startled him just enough that he released me. Glancing toward the road as I scooted back from the mongrel, I noticed the sheriff's men were getting closer. Turning back, I blinked rapidly, surprised to see that the wolf had already shifted to human.
"I can hear them, too, parasite." I snarled at the epithet. Launching myself forward, I watched his eyes widen comically in the moment before I landed on him. A shot rang out in the air and I rolled quickly. Unfortunately, the wolf-boy was just as quick, rapidly turning me back into the path of the projectile. The high-pitched whistle as the bullet approached had the man beneath me whimpering through gritted teeth. He was holding me too tightly for me to pull back and let it pass between us without revealing what I was and calling down hell from Italy on this sleepy little town. The arm banded about my neck tightened as I tried. He growled, the sound far more guttural than a human vocal range allowed. "You're not getting my sister killed. I don't give a damn about you or however much blood you'll lose, Cullen." The bullet struck me in the ribs. I could feel the bones shattering into miniscule pieces within my chest as the bullet burrowed deeper into me. The wolf rolled me off of him, rising and staring down at me. I faked a heaving chest, blood flowing freely from the entry wound as I did. The moue of distaste on his face didn't fade, not even when the officers checked him over thoroughly before turning to me.
I let my head roll to the other side, staring into the compound. Kneeling on the ground holding her swollen belly was Leah Clearwater. The unborn infant inside her would have been directly in the path of the bullet. I couldn't help the confusion that came over me. I felt my brow furrow as I sniffed the air more deeply. I was certain I smelled wolf on her. Three wolves, actually. The mongrel that had pinned me had to be one – he had called her sister. Jacob's scent was not on her. I mulled over who the father of her child could be, since he was obviously a wolf as well.
These thoughts were spinning in my mind as I was pulled up from the ground. The wound had stopped bleeding. Though the bullet remained inside and my rib were slowly mending themselves back together, the officers assumed the shot had missed. When they had me on my knees, they handcuffed me. Still scenting the air, I finally realized why I was smelling the third wolf on her when I shouldn't have been able to. She was giving birth.
"I promise to be a good boy and sit right here if one of you will call her an ambulance." I nodded my head towards the still-kneeling woman. The wolf who pinned me turned sharply, rushing to his sister's side more quickly than he should have in front of the mortals. Intent on the scene unfolding before me, I failed to register the importance of the scent behind me until its owner spoke.
"No, he won't move." I swiveled quickly at hearing his voice. His eyes were narrowed into dark slits as he glared down at me. His hands were clenched into fists at his side. The scent of hate wafted from him so strongly I was certain that even the mortals could smell it. I continued to kneel on the ground, not trying to move as the officers rushed to help the young woman. I didn't break eye contact with the wolf standing before me, using his anger to glean the information I desired. His thoughts were a whirlwind of hate. As expected, most of it was directed towards me. But even so, the one thing I wanted to find – Bella's location – wasn't there. The only thing he did know was that Charlie refused to tell him anything other than that she'd left. I'd have no choice but to let the officers haul me in, but that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy the moment.
Even with his superior position over me, I grinned at him. It was a smirk really. Jacob Black growled, loud and low, before launching himself at me. I laughed as his fists connected, even when one of the punches broke anew the rib that had just managed to patch itself back together. He was just as sick with want of her as I was. And for Jacob, sharing anything – even an emotion – with me was worse than death.
When I'd finally arrived at the station, I wasn't the only one in handcuffs. Jacob had argued that he shouldn't be bound be their law since he lived on the Reservation. At one point he'd even tried to say that their court should be allowed to execute me for trespass. Of course, that had prompted one of the officers to remind him in a rather exaggerated way of his 'right to remain silent'. I'd snorted, which hadn't done me any favors.
They had us both booked and in separate cells before Charlie came in. He saw Jacob first and didn't seem surprised. From the thoughts rushing through his mind, the wold had been in quite a bit of trouble since Bella had... My mind blanked at the words 'gone home'. Was it possible that Bella had returned to Phoenix to get away from the memory of me? She had been devastated when I left – any fool would have been able to see that. I stared at the back of Charlie's head, trying to burrow deeper and find out where 'home' was for Bella. I didn't want to try to scent her out in Phoenix. That city was quite a bit larger than Forks, and it could take quite a long time. I didn't want to waste my time looking in the wrong place.
Charlie rubbed the back of his head, turning from Jacob. My eyes had been narrowed in concentration as I sifted through the thoughts in his head. When his eyes met mine, though, one thought overwhelmed all the others, and the ferocity of it had me reeling back from the cell door. Outwardly, Charlie appeared to be calm. He didn't seem to be overly concerned by my presence, a fact which bothered Jacob to some extent. But Charlie's thoughts told an entirely different story.
If he had been capable of it, he would have killed me on that spot. If he had known what I was, he likely would have had a great deal of fun torturing me. He might have removed a few limps before reattaching them with venom. He might have made me look like a quilt of scarred tissue. But since he had no way of knowing, Charlie simply stared at me, thinking only that he dearly wanted to see me dead. I must have let my amusement at the thought show on my face, because his collected demeanor collapsed in an instant. He rushed up to the bars, anger and grief warring on his features.
"It's your fault!" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the brilliance in that statement. "She's gone – and he's trying his damnedest to get back out into this world." The last was whispered very softly. Not for the first time I wondered if Charlie did know exactly what I was. He'd bitten his tongue on comments before, looked away from me and focused on mundane things when he'd been thinking about something which might have given me some insight into Bella. His hands wrapped around the bars as he leaned toward me, and I spent a brief moment wondering which of us was the prisoner. "When it happens, you'll know. And then, you'll really be sorry."
He shoved away from the bars, turning to his deputies. "I don't see any injuries on Cullen. Are you sure you saw Jacob hitting him?" Both of them nodded, though neither had been quick to do it. The bruises which had been on my face had slowly faded away. My skin was in pristine condition, and with not a mark on me there was no evidence for anyone to pursue a case against the mongrel wolf. Charlie turned back to me, a malicious gleam in his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You don't want to press charges against Mister Black. Do you." It wasn't a question. I shook my head. A moment later, Charlie unlocked Jacob's cell. The wolf snarled at me before leaving, one of the officers going with him to drive him back to La Push.
Charlie stared at me, not blinking. He dismissed the other deputy, locking the door behind the man. I'd never been afraid of a mortal, but with the look in Charlie Swan's eyes, I knew I had reason to be fearful.
"You don't know who she is, vampire." My eyes narrowed at having that suspicion confirmed. "Oh, yes, I know what you are. I didn't just warn her away from you because of the bond you think Billy Black and I had." I couldn't help the surprise showing on my face at the tense he used. "But that's not important right now. What is important is you leaving Forks and never coming back. And don't go looking for Bella. Whatever you might think you know, you don't. You'd do well to remember that." He turned from me, one hand on the door handle before he spoke again. "I'll talk to the Quileute. See if I can't convince them that pressing charges wouldn't be in their best interests. If I have to, I'll call in a favor from an old acquaintance to make it sink in." His head turned back to me, the glare on his face promising me death at some point in the near future. "Forget about Bella. Forget you ever knew her."
He left, closing the door behind him. I sank down to the floor, mulling over the information he'd given me – whether he'd meant to or not. He'd had a clear image in his mind when he'd said I didn't know who Bella was. He was wrong about that. I might not know all the details of her past. I hadn't even known she'd been keeping secrets from me. It didn't help that I'd never been able to read her mind. Of course, if I had been able to, then I wouldn't have been fascinated by her, and I wouldn't be sitting in a jail cell. I shook my head to get rid of the unproductive thoughts. I had no time for 'could've-would've-should've' – I needed to find Bella, to make sure she was safe.
Charlie seemed convinced she was alive, but that didn't necessarily translate to safe. So I focused my mind on that image, rifling through my memories, trying to determine if I'd seen it before. It was possible he had been trying to distract me with the image, but it didn't seem likely. The sprawling green estate with its professionally trimmed trees and the old stonework of the building had been quickly replaced in his mind by an island. The high rocks of the outcroppings appeared to dip down below the level of the sea, returning in jagged spikes further out, so that if someone had jumped from the higher plateau they would have impaled themselves before being able to reach the water. The sky in the image he'd shown me was grey, seemingly devoid of any life. I'd never known a place to send chills through me – especially not one I'd only seen in someone else's mind – but that one had.
It was well into the night before I finally recognized the green countryside of the first image. I should have focused more on the unpaved driveway than on the structures Charlie had unwittingly shown me. I certainly wouldn't be able to find the right building immediately, but at least I knew where to look. I shouldn't have left Europe to look for her.
The snoring of the guard on the other side of the door outside the cell reached my ears. It took very little effort for me to break the lock on the cell and step out. I used even less effort in leaping up to the window, punching through the glass and jumping the two stories to the ground on the other side. I didn't bother trying to get the Volvo out of the impound lot. I could run faster than the car anyway. I headed through the woods towards Seattle. Whether she was still in England I wouldn't know until I got there. But at least I would have a network I could tap in to for information. And maybe one of them would know exactly where each of those buildings was.
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