I dropped her back off at home and drove then turned around and drove back to Forks. I pulled up to our old house, I wasn't sure what I expected, maybe for it to look a bit run down and abandoned but the paint was fresh and there were new flowers around the porch.
I clicked off the ignition and sat for a minute staring, had Sam sold my dad's house?
A tap on my passenger window startled me and I jumped smacking my head into the roof. I rubbed it as I turned to the laughter but the person was already walking around to my side.
"You alright there darlin?"
"Yes." I groaned rubbing my head, "Do you know who lives here?"
"This here is Chief Swan's old house, belongs to his daughter."
"Seeing as I am his daughter and aren't living here I find that hard to believe."
He frowned at me a minute, "Well hell darlin, it is you." He grinned, "We met when you woke up all fairy elf like, Peter Whitlock."
"Right." I shook my head, "Sorry, it's been…"
"Don't worry shit all about it, come on inside, well hell its your house, you don't need an invitation. Hope you don't mind that husband of yours let us move in for a spell. I've tried to pay you back by fixing some shit up, built you a real nice patio in the back with a porch swing, I'd have done more but this human bit we got goin is an adjustment, first time I been tired in a century." He helped me out of the car and led me up the front, "Char done some decorating too with Esme's help but we kept the bones of the place, also we didn't touch none of your daddy's things."
"It looks great."
"So do you darlin." He grinned, "Not that the fairy elf look wasn't good on you too."
"Thanks." I snorted a chuckle and let him lead me inside.
"Have a look around and I'll get us a drink, are ya hungry?"
"Not really, thanks though." I sent him a smile and wandered into the living room, there was shelving along one wall, new furniture, paint and curtains. I went upstairs and saw the bathroom had been completely remodeled and had a clawfoot tub and a separate shower with a waterfall head. The tiles were a clean bright white and the walls a soft relaxing blue. I bypassed Charlie's room and looked in my old one. Peter had a shirt tossed over a chair and boots sitting beside it, Charlotte had abandoned a mommy and me book on the quilt folded at the bottom of the neatly made bed. The room was full of wood furniture that matched the floor and had white walls, it was simple and uncluttered but along one entire wall was frames of all different sizes and styles with photos of the two of them kissing in various places around the world and in styles of clothes from various decades. I slipped out a little embarrassed at having invaded their space, even if it had been mine.
I stopped outside Charlie's door and took a deep breath before letting myself in. The room was a bit musty smelling and a thin sheen of dust coated everything. The bed was unmade and Charlie's hamper was full, the white dress shirt from my wedding was hanging over its edge as though he'd just pulled it off. I bit back tears and felt my hands shaking but in the mirror above his dresser I caught a glimpse of myself and smiled, my hair was the same chestnut as his and my eyes the exact shade of chocolate his had been.
"You alright darlin?" Peter's voice from the door was gentle and concerned.
"We should turn this room into a nursery, does Charlotte know what you're having?" I turned to him with a slightly wobbly smile.
"Apparently I wasn't terrified enough of bein a father and my boys were over excited to be fertile again because we've got one of each comin." He told me, the wide grin and head shake making me laugh.
"I'll bring some boxes and start to pack up things for storage and charity."
"Rest of your stuff is, well most of its still in the living room and kitchen but the furniture and stuff is in the attic."
"We can give it away." I told him, following him back down to the renovated kitchen, "Are you and Charlotte planning to stay here?"
"Here in your house or here in Forks?"
"Both."
"Yes, to both, at least as long as you'll let us. We'd have moved nearer the Major but we aren't allowed to live on the reservation."
"I could sell it to you."
"Sell me your house?"
"I live on the reservation and its nice, someone living here, a family. I was surprised when I first saw it but I'm glad it hasn't just been empty and abandoned. Charlie would be happy a new family was starting their family in it."
Peter swallowed and nodded, "Char and I would be real pleased."
"Pleased by what, who are you talking… oh" Charlotte stalled in the door with a slight frown, "Bella?"
"Yes."
"How'd you get that so quick?" Peter asked her with a frown.
"The photos of her." Charlotte told him with an eye roll before focusing on me and shifting her feet, "I hope you don't mind what all we've done to the place. Really we just wanted to update a few things for you, make sure it was well cared for but we sort of ended up taking over."
"It looks beautiful. I think you four will do just fine here. Congratulations by the way, Peter told me you've got a boy and girl on the way." My mind shot to Kalen and I hoped the sad twinge it sent through me didn't show.
"Thank you." Charlotte grinned. "We'll have to start looking for something bigger for when the babies come," Her smile became a grimace, "The market is awful with all of us former vamps moving into town. Peter and I will probably have to move further out of the town."
"I was thinking we could renovate the attic to a bedroom, maybe put its own bathroom in, then we can convert the bedrooms for the kids." Peter spoke to her but was looking at me.
"I think that's a brilliant idea."
"Are you sure sugar?" Charlotte hesitated.
"I'm sure whatever you two decide to do with the house it will be brilliant. What you've done already is beautiful."
"Well, that'd, that'd be…" Charlotte sniffled.
"She does that now." Peter told me with a shrug, "Doc says its them baby hormones."
"Shut up Pete." She hissed at him coming over to hug me.
"How far along are you?" I asked her feeling the bump between us.
"Only 15 weeks." Charlotte grinned, "Carlisle says I might not carry full term because there are two of them and he's monitoring us real closely, well Jack is, since Carlisle has bigger things to deal with and Edward offered but we never got on so great before and I just love Jack. You know for his nursing program he worked with a midwife for a year? He's a nurse at the clinic but he's become the sort of unofficial midwife to pregnant ex-vampires since Rosalie got pregnant."
Peter got up and started on dinner, first opening another beer for us and making a cup of tea for Charlotte. I sat at what I realized was a refinished and slightly reworked version of the table I'd always sat at with Charlie and I smiled as I ran my hand over an edge of wood before focusing back on Charlotte as we talked about her pregnancy so far, Rosalie's pregnancy and the twins. The room darkened around us and Peter flicked on the light.
"I should get going. I'm sorry to have barged in like this."
"Well now, first thing bein this is your house." Peter told me with a stern look, "second thing, I invited ya in and thirdly we're mighty please to see you anytime even after we buy this place."
"Thanks and thank you for making Charlie's house a home again." I stood up and hugged them both.
"Sure you wont stay for supper?" Charlotte asked sinking back into her chair with a smile.
"I'm sure. It's time I got home or we'll have the whole pack out." Peter chuckled and nodded, "I recon so darlin." He walked me outside and across the street to my truck and watched me pull away before waving again and heading back into the house. I smiled softly to myself and then rolled my eyes as I caught sight of a wolf running in the woods. I debated stopping and calling whoever it was to get a ride with me but decided to just let him run.
I drove to Paul's old house and Alice was waiting on the porch, "A vision?" I ask her climbing out.
"A crying baby." She chuckled, "I love her but Belle Selene has some pretty intense lungs on her and I've got another headache." She glanced back at the house before frowning at me, "Don't tell Jasper though ok?"
"I promise not to if you tell me how you're really doing." I offered walking up to the porch and making myself comfortable on one of the deck chairs, they were the same ones Paul had out there before.
"You look tired." She told me gently curling up in another chair near me.
"I am but don't change the subject."
"What do you want me to tell you?" She shrugged, "I live with a constant headache, half the images I see aren't clear and it's like I have no filter anymore, I mean I didn't always choose to have visions before but I could and when I didn't only really strong ones, important things just took over, or came because I was sort of watching for them. I might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown and all night I dream in visions so I'm not always sure what's real and what I saw but I have constant déjà vu." She sighed and shook her head, "No wonder my human family locked me in an asylum."
"Alice." I sighed, not sure what to say, "I'm sorry." I told her.
Alice just frowned at me, "For what? You didn't do anything."
"I did this." I waved at her, "Made you like this."
"Human?" She snorted, "You made me human and you think I regret that? Have you seen my husband? He laughs Bella, he laughs and he plays and I'm pretty sure he has simultaneous man crushes on your Sam and Rylan. Whatever you did to us, however you reversed the venom, it's like you pulled out all the darkness in us too, all the suffering and loneliness, the fear and anger. You took the bloodlust and never ending existence and gave us life Bella, you gave us something we didn't know we'd lost, the will to really live."
"You live in constant pain." I remind her.
"I existed in constant pain as a vampire." She didn't contradict me as she explained, "The bloodlust was always there, we always suffered from it and from not being able to change as time passed, to not have kids, to always be on the fringes of life, even trying to live as humans we could never really be part of that world. I love my family Bella, but it's a lonely existence and a very long one."
"I still wish I could help you, make it better for you."
"Jasper worries Bella, you don't need to. I'm ok, yes the migraines suck but I just need to relearn how to live with my gift. Believe me, it wasn't easy in the beginning as a vampire either. And I'm happy Bella, I'm really happy."
"Good." I smiled at her and yawned.
"You really are exhausted, did you come to see Emmett?"
"No." I shook my head, "Jasper, but I'm tired and it can wait."
"What is it?"
"I was hoping he could help me with the paperwork or whatever to sell my house to Peter and Charlotte."
Alice grinned, "They'll be so excited, they love that house, but, oh, are you sure Bella? Charlie lived in that house since the year you were born."
"Now he's gone and I live out here with Sam, it's a house for a young family and Peter and Charlotte will make it a home again."
Alice sniffed and smiled at me again, "I'll tell Jasper and we can meet with Peter and Charlotte tomorrow. They'll be so happy."
"They know. I just came from there actually."
"You were in Forks?" Then she frowned at me, "Carlisle said holding that glamour gave you a headache, you know you can let it go here."
I smiled and shook my head, "I'm not trying, it's just, this is how I see myself, as Charlie's daughter."
"You are his daughter Bella, just like I'm Carlisle and Esme's, how we look or where else we came from, it doesn't matter. Our parents will always love us for who we are."
I nodded and smiled at her, standing up, "I should get going, if Jasper can stop by tomorrow or the next day we can get things started and have it all settled for Peter and Charlotte right away."
Alice stood up and I smiled at her hugging her tightly, "You shouldn't have to learn to live with these migraines Alice. I'll figure it out."
"You've already given us to much." She whispered back, "Worry about yourself now and just be happy with your mate. You both deserve a little peace."
I pulled away from her and walked back down to my truck, when I looked back at her she was curled up in the chair again, forehead scrunched from the pain even as she gave me a last small smile and wave.