A/N: there's an idea in here someone may recognize from another story. I have to give credit where it is due. I saw the idea of why Leah may not be having periods and such once she phased in a story called The Alphas Seer by TextCrazy2011, this story is in my favorites, as well as her other ones, if you care to look. Give it a read it's a fun story and hot hot hot! I hope if the author is reading this she'll take my using her idea as the compliment I mean it to be, it truly was an awesome line of reasoning. :) there's also a quote by Kahlil Gibran in this chapter. It's not mine either. There's about a three month time jump. I've been using a 2006 calendar I found online for an approximated accuracy for my timeline. Victoria died the second weekend of March.
Chapter Ten
Bella
It's the first of June. Graduation is just two weekends away and school lets out tomorrow. The past few months have flown by. The problem, was everything that has happened within these months. Harry Clearwater had a heart attack. The morning after Victorias attack I came downstairs to find Charlie in his uniform at the kitchen table just staring off into space. When I asked what was wrong he told me that Harry told him about the heart condition he was diagnosed with recently and asked Charlie, that if anything happened to him, that he would help Sue with Seth and Leah. That she'd need a friend, a shoulder to cry on. Two weeks later, at the end of March, Harry was gone. Leah phased in front of him, causing a fatal heart attack, Seth in the confusion and fear phased the same day. They're part of the pack now. Of course the official report is only that Harry had a heart attack, no one but those within the tribe and Jasper and I know about the pack.
Leah is miserable, she blames herself for her dads death even though we've all- including her mom- tried to tell her it wasn't something she could have helped, but surprisingly, we've become great friends. Mainly because when she tried to attack me in wolf form, blaming Jasper and I for her condition, I stood my ground and she realized I was a lot more than just some 'fragile human'. We talked a lot about what her phasing could mean for her, her biggest fear is she'll never be able to have a family. I came up with an idea about that though.
She's the only female in a pack of non-imprinted males. The only ones with imprints are Sam, Jared and Quil- who is now also a part of the pack having phased a few days after Victoria's attack. So I think that it's a survival thing. She stopped having her periods after she phased and I think it's so those members who aren't imprinted don't fight over her. I've noticed how very much like a real wolf pack they are. The only difference really being that they're human. So pack infighting would be a really bad thing, they'd be too busy fighting each other to fight the enemy.
The reasoning I came up with as to why they'd fight over her? I think their imprint is the person most suited to spread their genes, you know how female birds choose the male with the prettiest plumage? Well in a wolf pack the females choose the strongest male and the males choose the female most likely to produce the healthiest pups. In this case Leah would be the best choice for the single males to produce the healthiest most likely to phase children. Weird I know, but there it is. I think once she finds her true mate and imprints her cycle will start back up again because he will have claim on her and the others will stay away from her and she'll be able to have that family she wants so badly.
I haven't met Jared's imprint Kim yet. She doesn't know about the pack, Jared is waiting to tell her this weekend, now that the Rez school has let out, so she'll have the whole summer to process it. They have another year of schooling before they graduate so she'll need to know why he may act possessive when it comes to other males. I've noticed how Sam is always beside Emily when the other male pack members, or any males really, come around her looking all 'intimidating' and stuff. Warning them that Emily is off limits.
Jasper is the same with me because we're mates. It's the equivalent of, 'back off she's mine'. It's like being with Neanderthals sometimes and I've often found myself reminding myself that punching him in the face would more than likely break my hand. It doesn't stop me from telling him in no uncertain terms to get over himself. Thank God Jared imprinted because all the flirting before then drove me nuts, because Jasper would get all possessive. The sex was always great though.
Quil's imprinting kind of weirds Emily and I out. His imprint is Emily's two year old niece Claire. Jake explained to us that it isn't romantic though. He feels for her as nothing more than a protector, kind of like a big brother. They may become romantically involved once she's older but for now, they just have a sibling like affection. She's fiercely loyal to him though and doesn't like it when anyone yells at him, or when the boys are play fighting and such. She doesn't know he's a wolf though. She's too young to keep the secret.
I also spent almost all of spring break on the Rez, which made Charlie happy since I was so happy. He just doesn't know the real reason I was so happy, almost everyday all day spent with Jasper. I learned a lot about the pack, still haven't seen them in their wolf forms though- we kind of forgot about it after Victoria's attack and I just haven't brought it up again. I now know the gray mask around Jared's eyes is supposedly to mark that he has better eyesight than the others, even for a shifter. They can literally run with vampires; and their teeth are perfect for ripping them apart as well.
They can hear each others thoughts while in wolf form but only Sam and Jake can hear alphas of other packs, which apparently there are others within other tribes- they just aren't wolves. We also found out, thanks to Jasper, that if a gift is used on Sam alone it still affects the whole pack. They hate the smell of vampire and vampires hate their smell as well, so how Jasper and the pack can stand to be around each other is beyond me. Sam has what's known as an alpha voice, Jake does too to an extent but until he takes his place as alpha it isn't as strong, which can be used to make the pack obey him. Like say if Paul lost his temper and Sam alpha commanded him not to phase, Paul couldn't phase. That's why Jake couldn't tell me what that first bonfire I came to was about. Sam ordered him not to.
I also learned some things about them that I only learned by observation. They're all fiercely loyal of one another. Mess with one, you mess with all. They see Emily as the alpha female and look to her for guidance as well as Sam. Sam isn't as comfortable being alpha as he should be and I can only conclude that it's because Jake should be alpha. They respect each other. They may rib each other and wrestle and play but at the end of the day, they truly respect the other and what each wolf brings to the table. Including Seth, the youngest at fifteen. They are truly a pack of brothers; and a sister. I also noticed that they protect each others imprints. Sam, Jared, Quil and by extension Jasper, can fully trust that Emily, Claire and I- as well as eventually Kim- will be safe within the pack.
Quil's grandfather, Old Quil, left the tribe a couple days before Harry died. No one, not even Quil or his mother, is sure where he went. He's just disappeared. He left a note saying he was going and to mark his words, 'the voiding of the treaty would bring down the whole tribe' and pretty much condemning Harry and Billy. Of course when he left he didn't know about Harry's condition or that just a couple days later he'd be dead. Who knows what Old Quil might have said then. Probably that it was an 'omen of doom'. Wherever he may have gone, I'm still afraid he'll cause trouble sometime down the road.
Jasper and I have been going strong. He still sometimes watches me at school or Newton's but not often. We both had a couple of edgy times though, when the feeling of being watched came back. It only happened twice but it was unnerving to say the least. Especially since we now know it's not Victoria. As it stands though, we aren't too worried about it.
Since Harry's death Sue and Charlie have been spending a lot of time together. At first it was just to talk about Harry and share their grief but recently I've been wondering if it isn't developing into more. She comes around a lot with food and other stuff. If it wasn't for the fact that I want Charlie to be happy and Sue makes him happy, I'd be a little irritated with her. I mean, I do cook and clean for him. Oh well.
At the moment I'm waiting for Jasper to get here so we can talk about the plan we've made for after graduation. We've decided that it will be best to fake my death. This way Charlie will let it go, where if I just disappeared he wouldn't, and he'll have Sue to lean on. I'm not so worried about Renee. She'll cling to Phil for comfort for a little while and then move on. We were close, but it's not in her nature to really question things. I'm musing over all that's happened when I hear a light knock on the door. I know it's Jasper so I just tell him to come on in.
"Now what would you have done if I were someone else darlin'?" It makes me smile when he calls me that, his deep, smooth voice and that slight Texas accent do things to me. Delicious things.
"Well since I knew it was you that question is pointless now isn't it?" I turn to see him with a smirk on his face. He knows I've got him.
"Ok, I get it. When's Charlie due home?"
"He's on the late shift tonight so not until the morning. Come on, we'll go upstairs and discuss the plan." I hold out my hand and he takes it, letting me lead him up the stairs and to my room. We lay down on the bed and get comfortable. This may take a while after all.
Jasper
I can't believe the time is almost here to change her. It seems like it was just yesterday we were finding each other again in that meadow. She brings me out of my musings as she runs through the gist of the plan.
"Ok, so the plan we've decided on is that two months after graduation, sometime at the end of July beginning of August- we have Emily and Sams wedding the last weekend of July to attend after all- I drive down to Portland. I pick a time when the weather will be calling for heavy rains. On the way back I hit that curve by the Hoh River about thirty minutes outside of Forks, that comes across the bridge and it's supposed to look like I lost control and the truck went over and I was swept away by the current. That sound about right?"
"Yes Bella. Now we have to go into more detail. The pack will be helping us with this of course. So the excuse to go to Portland is that you're going down to take a tour of the campus at U-Dub, in prep for going to classes there next fall. The reason behind having to go at that specific time is that you will be unable to do so any other time before the fall semester starts and you can't go earlier since youre trying to save up some money from working the summer season at Newton's; and that you want to try and find a job near campus so you'll be asking for applications, that you want to be better acquainted with the campus and surrounding area before you're attending classes. Correct?"
"Yes." She nods her head for emphasis, letting me know she fully understands that part.
"You'll leave early the morning we choose, the one with the heaviest rains. You'll actually go to the campus so, if Charlie checks up on that for some reason, they'll be able to actually say you were there and took the tour, as well as ask for applications from a few businesses around that area. Then you'll come home later that day, the roads will be slick from the rain and we'll make it look like you hit the bridge at speed, like you couldn't wait to get home. This is where the pack and I come in. I'm going to meet you in Amanda Park and take over driving. About a mile or two before we get to the curve I'll pull over and Jake, Quil and Embry will be there with a change of clothes for you. This way we can use what you're wearing to scatter pieces further down river like they had been torn as you were pulled down river. I'll tear the seat belt to make it look like it broke when you hit. We'll make sure there's the appropriate skids since I'll be driving the truck over the bridge."
"I still don't like that part. I mean I get you're pretty much invincible but I still don't like it."
"I know love but it has to look authentic. That river leads to the ocean and after a rain like what we plan on, it'll be rushing and it'll probably be thought that you were swept out to sea. They'll search but after finding just some pieces of clothing and no body, they'll call it off and you'll be declared missing presumed drowned. We'll have been at my house for a while by then. Since we can't leave until we know for sure that Charlie will give up searching. Afterwards, we'll head to Peter and Charlottes." The plan is to go there so I'll have Peters help during her newborn phase. I called them last week and they were of course glad to help.
*flashback to conversation with Peter and Charlotte*
"Hello?"
"Peter it's Jasper." I can practically hear the grin in his voice and know what's coming.
"Well now Major, if your voice ain't good to hear. To what do we owe this honor? Someone need killing? I'm down for a good fight, I'm getting a bit bored ya know. Which is why we were thinking about headin' your way sometime this summer." Typical, he's always bored.
"Well Peter this may take a minute so get comfortable. You may want to get Charlotte to pick up the other line." I can hear him yell for Charlotte before I hear her sweet voice on the other phone.
"Well Major it's nice to hear from you, what leads to this call?" It always made me laugh to think how different Peter is from Charlotte and how much they shouldn't suit each other but yet they do. Her sweet, gentle nature balances out his general abrasiveness. Where Peter is quick to action, suspicious, and loves to fight- which he's very good at and the reason Maria let me talk her into allowing him to live- Charlotte is gentle, trusting. They're complete opposites.
"Ok so you know about the Cullens-." Peter interrupts before I can go on.
"Yeah we know about the Cullens, and their weird diet. I still think you're a fool for eating bunnies and shit but hey, as long as you're happy I guess." He and Charlotte have always disliked the idea of killing animals for blood. They feel like most, that it's unnatural but it helps keep me sane so they leave me be about it for the most part.
"Ok Peter I get you don't like their diet, can I finish now?" I take his silence as assent.
"Ok well last March Edward met a human girl, his singer." I hear their hisses through the phone.
"He didn't kill her did he, Major?" Charlotte asks.
"No, he thought he fell in love with her and her with him. Anyway, I attacked her on her birthday. She cut her finger and the blood lust that hit me from everyone else was too much and I went for her." Again Peter interrupts.
"You didn't kill her did ya?"
"No, stop interrupting! Let me finish. Anyway, I went away for a few days, came back and the others were gone. Yes, even Alice. She left me a note explaining that she wasn't my mate, that Bella was and that I needed to stay and protect her because a nomad named Victoria- whose mate we killed, long story I'll tell you later- was looking to kill Bella for revenge. All that's been resolved, Bella knows we're mates and wants me to change her after graduation. We're going to fake her death and I need a place to take her during the burning and for some of her newborn phase. I was kind of hoping I could bring her there." After a couple seconds silence I hear them talking it out, then Charlotte comes back on the line.
"Sure Major, you can bring her here. Will we need to stock up on human necessities or will you be doing it right away?"
"She's wanting to do it right away so it'll probably be as soon as we get there, so no. We'll be leaving early in the morning sometime after we fake her death, we need to make sure the search is stopped and Charlie- her dad- has truly given up, she'll be staying at the Cullen house with me until then. It's a long trip so we'll be stopping at hotels twice on the way, more than likely one in Boise and then one in a town called Firestone, just outside Denver, before we continue on to your place. We should get there mid- afternoon, two days after leaving Forks. You still live in Elbert?"
"Yeah Major, well enough outside of the town no humans will discover what we are, but close enough to get supplies every now and then. Is she sure this is what she wants? I mean, it sounds like she's got family to leave behind and having to fake her death and walk away from them for good, knowing they're mourning her is going to be hard." Peter states.
"Believe me, she and I have talked this over a lot. She's absolutely sure."
"Alright then, as long as she's sure. I'd hate to face a newborn with issues over feeling guilty." I get where he's coming from on this. Her emotions, as well as her senses will be heightened until she can process everything properly. We're at our most confused, angry, thirsty, strongest and fastest in the first few months after awakening. Then the emotional upheaval will stop and the ability to take in new information at a steadier rate will kick in.
"I understand Peter. Hey, do you still have the horses and such then?" Peter likes to have a few farm animals around, reminds him of his childhood. He usually has someone take care of them when he and Charlotte get the urge to travel. It's usually another vampire, one of the nomads they met during previous travels that are also looking for a change of scenery for a bit.
"You know I do. I hope you won't get the desire to eat them though. I am quite fond of them after all."
"Haha very funny."
"We'll I thought it was." He says, his guffaws loud in my ear.
Anyway, we won't be coming for a couple more months. We have her death to fake and the plan is already set up for that."
"Alright Major, just call us when you're comin'." Peter says.
"Sure thing guys, and thanks." After a couple of "your welcomes" and "goodbyes" we hang up.
*back to the present*
Bella
"Ok so we have the plan set, now as it's late I'd like to go to bed." I grin and get up to get ready for bed. Coming back from the bathroom I see he's lounged out on the bed, shirtless and pantless.
"Looking good there cowboy!" He gives me a cheeky grin and holds out his arms. I make my way to the bed, climb in and snuggle into his arms. It doesn't take long for my breathing to even out and I fall into a deep dreamless sleep.
The next morning I wake to a beautiful bright sunny day. At least I know Jasper doesn't have to worry about anyone seeing him today. He'll be at the Rez with Sam until after I get home later this afternoon. Thankfully Charlie has the night shift today so he'll be gone around two and won't be home until about one am. How he manages to wake up early enough to go fishing after working so late is beyond me, but hes alwayd been an early riser. Shaking my head I get out of bed and get ready for school, I only have three exams left- in English, Science and Math- the rest of the day will be free periods. The only reason we still have a full day of school is to make up the last snow day.
There's a note on my night stand, "Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
I know he hates having to leave me, but at least in another couple of months we won't have to worry about that anymore. The reason I won't see him right after school lets out is that I plan on going to Angie's after school to help her with her graduation invites. Her family is bigger than mine. She has tons of aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents to invite. Me? Just Charlie, Renee and Phil. I figure I'll invite the pack, Sue and Emily too. I wish I could invite Jasper but he's promised me he'll be where he can see me walk across the stage but not be seen. I don't know exactly how he plans that but at least I know he'll be there.
Angie and I had a nice talk while working on her invites. It's about five and I'm just walking through the front door when I hear a knock at the back door, knowing it's my man- he uses the back door so none of the neighbors see him- I run to the kitchen, open the door and I throw myself into his arms. The excitement of the day finally hitting me.
He laughs at me as I exclaim, "Exams are over! Today was the last day. I have a week left until graduation and I can't wait. Our plan is in place and now we just have to wait for a rainy weekend. I can't help but think about the people I'll be leaving behind. Renee and Phil will be fine once they're over the grieving period. Charlie will be harder but at least he'll have Sue, Seth and Leah- they've promised me they'll watch out for him. My school friends will all be going to college in the fall so they'll have that to occupy their time. Speaking of which Angie was telling me today when I went to help her with her invites that she and Eric are going to be living together. I guess they decided since they're going to the same school, Rocky Mountain College of Art+Design, and they've been good friends ever since their break-up, that they should get an apartment together and share living expenses- Ben and her broke up recently as a counter measure to what they think will happen with the long distance I guess- so it makes sense she and a friend share living expenses, right? It's not weird they're exes or anything I suppose. They're supposed to be going to look at places and the campus right around the same time we'll be heading to Peter and Charlottes." Jasper just laughs at me.
"Bella darlin', slow down! I get it. You're excited. You're throwing so much excitement and energy at me right now it's hard to think of anything else. Please, I can only handle so much at a time, calm down just a little."
"Oh God Jasper I'm so sorry. I forgot! Ok, ok. Let me think calming thoughts and maybe you could throw just a little calm at me to help?" He looks at me, unblinking for a moment and I can feel the calm he's pushing at me as I start to slowly calm down. I forget sometimes that too much emotion, no matter whether it's good or bad emotion, can be too much for him.
"Better?" He asks. I place a quick kiss on his lips,"Yes, better. Thanks cowboy."
"You're most welcome ma'am. So, what time does Charlie get off?"
"Not till late tonight. About one. Why?"
"Oh I have an idea, as it's such a beautiful sunny day, I was thinking a picnic dinner at my clearing, maybe followed up by me making love to you?"
"Mmmmm," I pretend to think it over, "yeah, I think that sounds ok." I say mischievously and give him a wink. He grabs me around the waist and pulls me to him, "You Miss Swan, are gonna get it!" I kiss him again, a long hard kiss then step away from him.
"Promise?" I say and laugh as I run up the stairs to change into something more appropriate for our 'date', leaving him standing in the kitchen, a look of shock on his face. Before I hit my bedroom door I hear him laugh, a deep sexy sound that makes me anticipate what's to come.