From Hell to Heaven
Beta/Proof Reader/Advisor: Maria Vilson
Chapter 9
Bella woke up the next morning with the sun glaring into her eyes, her muscles in her neck, shoulders, and legs screaming at her to be set free from the position she was in. She had fallen asleep staring out the window into the night as she let her mind wander after her blow out with Charlie and must have fallen asleep.
She groaned as she tried to straighten out her limbs and hissed in pain. With her neck hardly mobile, she tried to reach up to massage the stiffness with her hand only to feel the strain in her shoulder from her head lying on her arm all night. Using her other arm she squeezed her neck muscles trying to make it possible to move, more than what she could now, which was barely.
As she straightened her legs out, they too screamed in pain from being beneath her all night. Her knees were stiff, but with a groan she finally straightened them out and hung them over the bed and put a little weight on them.
After sitting there for a few minutes, she grabbed hold of the bedpost and pulled herself up slowly as she gradually felt the blood return and pulse through her veins where they had been denied for so long.
With the tingling in her legs she slowly made her way to the bathroom holding on to whatever she could so as not to fall and begin her morning ritual to start her day. Once finished she felt better but there was still a slight stiffness in her neck, but she could at least move her head somewhat.
She grabbed her bag and made her way downstairs hoping the house would be empty so as she could eat her breakfast in peace. She was starving, having missed dinner the night before. As she softly made her way downstairs she saw Charlie asleep on the sofa and could hear his loud snores.
She cringed as she tiptoed into the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed one of the pop tarts from the box, and forwent the toaster, peeling off the soft silver paper and pitching it in the trash.
She also opened the refrigerator finding some juice and poured some into a paper cup she found on the counter, then put the container back into the refrigerator, and made her way out on the back porch to eat her pop tart alone.
As she sat there finishing her breakfast she heard her cell phone ring. She wondered who it could be because she hadn't given the number to anyone. She hoped that it wasn't Renée, she hoped that she hadn't found the number somehow, and was calling to demand her to return home. She dug into her bag and pulled out the phone and looked to see who it was.
Her heart jumped in her chest when she saw it was her step-dad and answered quickly.
"Phil!" she yelled, and then realized her mistake, looking around to make sure that Charlie hadn't heard.
"Hey sweetheart how are you doing?" he asked sweetly. When a pause came he said her name again trying to see if they had somehow been disconnected.
"Bella? Is everything alright?" he answered, knowing it wasn't with the talk he had yesterday to her great-granddad.
"Um…yeah, I guess," she said, not knowing what to tell him. Bella didn't want to tell Phil what was going on, because she had promised she would try to get along with everyone and she didn't want to disappoint him.
"Bella…honey, I have to tell you that I know things aren't going well there," Phil said and Bella sighed.
"How did you find out?" Bella whispered, hoping Phil could hear her.
"I talked to your Great-Granddad, and he says Charlie's been giving you a hard time. Listen honey, I know you promised me that you would try, but it takes two to make it work, and if your father isn't doing that then I release you from your promise," Phil said giving Bella some relief.
"Now, your Great-Granddad says you can stay with him if you wish and he will keep you safe and show you the love that you deserve…but honey I'm telling you right now, that if you don't want to be there I'll understand and I'll come get you and bring you home," he continued and Bella shook at the thought of being back there with Renée.
"But I have to say that I think your Great-Granddad wants to show you just how much he loves you," Phil said.
Bella thought about what Phil had said and honestly she had already thought of moving in with her great-granddad, but she was afraid he wouldn't want her there. Hearing that Phil had talked to her great-granddad, she seriously was considering it now. She had just about enough of Charlie, and if he wanted to get to know her then he would have to come to her.
"I'd thought about it, but I didn't think he would want me there so I kind of blew it off," she told Phil.
"No honey, your Great-granddad loves you. I knew that from the first time I talked to him. He actually had tears in his eyes when I first Skyped with him. He wanted nothing more than for you to come to him, but at the time you were still under age and I knew your mom wouldn't allow it," Phil said.
"Oh," is all she said shyly.
"Listen honey, why don't you try living with him and if it doesn't work out, all you have to do is call me and I'll come get you. How does that sound?" he asked. Bella was quiet once again, she really didn't have a choice, she couldn't go home and she really did like spending time with her great-granddad.
"Okay, I'll try," she said with a giggle.
"Good honey…so tell me why your dad is being so mean?" he asked. Bella gasped, not wanting to tell Phil why Charlie was treating her the way he was. She felt that if she told Phil that he would think Charlie would make her change her feelings for him and she would never get to speak to him again. Her mind raced trying to find an excuse for the way he was acting.
"He's trying to keep me in the house and not let me meet my other relatives," she said, not really lying, because that's exactly what Charlie was trying to do.
"I see, well don't worry about him. I've got a feeling that your great-granddad has a little more pull on the Reservation than Charlie does, so I think he can protect you from his wrath, like it or not," Phil said.
"Yeah, I think he does too. I think I'll like it there and I'll get to meet the pack soon," Bella told Phil.
Phil laughed, "I'm sure you will. Listen honey I've got to get off the phone, I'm at the office and the guys are waiting for me, so you have my number if you need me for anything, just call. I love you sweetie," he said.
"I love you too Phil, talk to you soon," Bella said and heard him say good-bye at the same time she heard Charlie tell her to.
"Get off that damn phone!" Bella swung around closing the lid to the phone at the same time. She rose to her feet as she saw the glare in Charlie's eyes. She picked up her cup and bag, shoved her phone into it, and pushed past Charlie. She put her bag on the kitchen table, threw away the paper cup and walked toward the front of the house.
Charlie yelled for her to stop where she was as he was close on her heels.
Bella turned and looked at Charlie and could tell he was mad at her once again. She sighed and dropped her head.
"Look Charlie, I'm leaving, we're never going to get along and to tell you the truth I can't take this any longer," Bella told him. Charlie continued to glare at her while shaking his head.
"You're not going anywhere Bells," he said as he heard someone come through the door. Bella and Charlie looked towards the door at the same time as Old Quil walked in and pulled Bella into his arms.
"What the hell is wrong with you Charlie, why are you yelling at Isabella?" Old Quil asked. Charlie stared at Old Quil giving him an evil stare.
"What business is it of yours, and who in the hell do you think you are walking into my house uninvited!" he yelled at the Elder.
"It is with my good grace that you were welcomed here son, don't make me hate my decision," Old Quil told him.
"Fuck you old man, I'll take my family and leave this damn reservation," Charlie chided.
"Then do so, but Isabella is coming with me, she is welcome at my house as long as she wishes to stay," Old Quil said, rubbing Bella's arm comforting her. Charlie sneered.
"She's not going anywhere with you, she's my daughter and only I say where and when she can go," Charlie spat.
"You forget Charlie, she's of age and perfectly capable of saying where she can go and with whom," the old man said.
"You forget that I'm chief of police and can have you arrested for entering my home without permission," Charlie said with a smirk.
"But…he was asked," Seth said as he and the pack entered the house and stood behind Old Quil and Bella. Charlie gasped at the entire pack that filled the entry way of his and Sue's house.
"Seth…this is my house and I say who comes and goes and since you don't have any respect for that or anything else that goes on in this house, you can go as well," Charlie said in a huff. The room got quiet for a few second as Seth glared at Charlie, and then Sam spoke up.
"That's alright Seth, you can stay with me, and when your mother finds out that Charlie kicked you out of her house, Charlie will need a place to stay as well," Sam told him.
Charlie's eyes widened, they all could see the fear in his eyes. Charlie hadn't thought about Sue, and Sam was right, once his wife found out what he had done, Charlie was in for it. He started to retract his words to Seth telling him he was sorry, that Seth was right and this was more Seth's home than his, but Seth only shook his head in disbelief.
Seth thought maybe more people on the Rez knew his mother as well as his immediate family did. Because, they all knew that Charlie was crapping his shorts right about now. Old Quil turned to Bella and ran his hand softly against his great-granddaughter's cheek.
"What do you say sweetie, want to go live with an old man his great-grandson and granddaughter," Old Quil asked. Bella looked at Old Quil with a curious expression.
Granddaughter? She hadn't heard or even seen another woman around his house, but she had to admit that she had only been there that one time. She must be young Quil's mother, she thought, but then thought she could ask him about her later, there were more important things to think about at the moment. She looked at young Quil who was nodding his head vigorously wanting her to say yes. She smiled and looked back at her great-granddad.
"Okay, sure Pop, I'll give it a try," she said. Charlie began to reach out and grab for Bella angry with her choice, when he was face to face with the whole pack that moved so fast that Charlie didn't see it happen. They all stood in front of Bella and Old Quil and growled, warning Charlie to step back, which he did; he was shaking he was so angry.
"Isabella, why don't you run up stairs and grab your belongings while we wait here for you," Old Quil offered. Bella nodded her head and ran up the stairs and grabbed her satchel and ran back down the stairs.
On the way back down she looked into one of the eyes of the pack, and gasped. When their eyes met she felt as though something had just happened. She didn't know what it was, but it was almost as if a small earthquake moved under the house.
The guy she was looking at gasped as well and held eye contact with her, he had the most gorgeous dark eyes she had ever seen. He was taller than the rest of them and his muscles rippled with every move he made. He had the silkiest black short spiked hair that accentuated his handsome face nicely. He was the most handsome guy she had ever laid eyes on.
"Isabella…sweetheart are you alright?" Old Quil asked. Bella released her eye contact with this god above men and looked at her great-granddad.
"Yes, um…I still have to get my bag that's on the kitchen table," Bella said.
"I'll get it," young Quil offered excitedly, and in seconds he was back handing Bella her bag with a huge smile.
"Here ya go cuz," young Quil said happily.
"Thank you Quil," Bella said.
"Let's go then," Old Quil said, as he grabbed Bella by the arm and led her out of the house, shortly followed by the pack. Old Quil jumped into the truck and young Quil jumped into the driver's seat, followed by Bella who sat next to her great-granddad.
"We'll meet you all at the house Sam," Old Quil said as Bella looked at the man her great-granddad called Sam. She gave him a small smile that melted Sam's heart. Sam only nodded in answer to Old Quil not taking his eyes off Bella, as young Quil started the truck and drove them home. Bella took a deep breath, happy to be away from all that hate and jealousy. She was happy to finally get to know her family and the pack.
Bella didn't know what to think when these large men entered the house. She almost disappeared from sight being engulfed by these guys, but she immediately felt safe, for some reason she knew they would protect her. Bella finally felt that maybe she was going to find comfort in her family and friends. She closed her eyes and let out the air she thought she had been holding since she had arrived here.
She was finally at home, or at least she hoped so.
A/N: So, I'm sorry this is such a short chapter, but I will update again real soon, but hey, at least Bella is away from Charlie and she has seen Sam, and has felt the imprint even if she doesn't understand what she felt as of yet...
I also want to thank all of you for reading and for all the awesome review...they mean the world to me, as always...until next time...bigg huggs.