Bella got off her bike at the edge of the woods and stared at the road sign directing people to La Push. She had finally made it; she was there at the only place she ever felt that she belonged. She left the bike and took a few steps off the road taking deep breaths to fill her lungs with the distinct air that was all La Push: fresh pine and sea salt, she would recognize that smell anywhere.

How she had missed being in La Push! All she could think about those long days in Phoenix was that luscious green…

She dropped her backpack and stood against a tree closing her eyes and letting her senses absorb the fact that she was finally there.

It had been a difficult trip…

***Flashback***

She had stormed to her room after hearing the shocking news with Renée right on her heels. She was randomly throwing stuff in her suitcase needing to get out of the house as soon as possible while Renée was crying and begging her to stay. Bella ignored her.

What more was there to say? What could possibly make things better?

Renée of course thought differently. She went from crying to screaming and threatening in a matter of minutes. For all her erratic, irresponsible behavior Renée always found a way to get what she wanted. When she saw that tears and laying a guilt-trip on Bella would get her nowhere she switched to anger and threats. Bella was under age after all; she would have to do what her mother wanted. Phil tried to mediate but with little success. No one could make Renee change her mind when she got in one of her moods and she even had a valid excuse for that particular crusade.

She was trying to save her daughter from the misery of living in a godforsaken little town or even worse the Quileute Reservation! Because she knew her daughter; the first thing she would do was to run back there and get involved with them!

In the end Bella was forced to stay in Phoenix for the next couple of weeks till her eighteenth birthday. It was excruciating and pointless as Renée was wavering between begging Bella to reconsider and scolding her every chance he got. Her bike was the result of one of those begging fits, bought with Phil's money of course in the hope that it would entice Bella to stay in Phoenix.

How little did her own mother know her! It would be hilarious if it wasn't so depressing...

But Bella was done with Renée. She shrugged her shoulders and accepted the bike, because it would be stupid to deny herself something she always wanted on principle. But that did not change anything regarding her decision. It was not as if Renée would change overnight and start to care for someone else, i.e her daughter, except for herself.

She was the responsible adult in that relationship and practically raised her mother along with herself. Enough is enough dammit!

Bella was done with being the nice girl that always put everyone else's happiness before her own. This time she was determined to do the right thing for herself and that meant going back to La Push and dealing with all the things that were left unsaid.

So Bella tuned out her mother's ranting the best she could and endured the following couple of weeks keeping her mind on her goal to escape the first chance she got.

On the morning of her eighteenth birthday Bella woke up smiling for the first time in weeks. She packed a backpack; said her goodbyes and drove off ignoring Renée's enraged screeching.

Why that woman thought that she would stay put a minute longer than she absolutely had to, was beyond her. But then again, that's Renée for you. She wants something and she expects everybody to bend over so that she can have it.

Bella decided to drive her bike to La Push instead of shipping it there and catching a plane. It would certainly be a long drive but she felt that she needed the time. It seemed like forever since the last time she had some time alone. During her stay in Phoenix even before things got so awkward she never had a minute for herself. Renée was determined to play the role of the dedicated mother and tried to cram in a few weeks' time months of mother and daughter bonding experiences as she had missed her precious girl terribly, no matter that during the months that Bella was in Forks she never once picked up the phone to call said precious girl. And then the skeletons in the closet were out for all to see and Renée got desperate and started stalking Bella and badgering her relentlessly in her campaign to keep her away from Washington.

Bella found it necessary to spend some time alone before she arrived in La Push to tickle sleeping dragons. It was a cathartic process driving through states with the wind on her face and shedding one by one the baggage that kept her down all her life.

Somewhere along the way Bella managed to make her peace with her past. She finally accepted that Renée was a self – centered, superficial woman who never really cared about her but still took her away from the man she thought to be her father because it would make her look bad if she left her only child behind. Not to mention that it was the best revenge against Charlie… First you take his child away and then, after he has suffered the loss for some time you tell him that it wasn't his child after all!

Is it really a surprise that he is so bitter? Who wouldn't be?

Bella wasn't sure when exactly Charlie found out the truth and it wasn't really important in the grand scheme of things. What mattered was that she understood now his reactions and even sympathized a bit. She couldn't really forgive the way he treated her right before he sent her away, but at least she could see where he was coming from… kind of. She would have to talk to him at some point. There were still things she needed to know.

Why did he accept her in the first place when Renée asked him to take her? Why did he not just say no? Was it that important to him to keep up appearances?

No one would blame him for refusing to take in a child that wasn't his, but he would have to actually come out and say it.

And for God's sake what was Renée thinking when she decided to send her to Forks? Was she even thinking?

Somehow Bella doubted that. Renée had a unique talent to tune out the truth when it did not suit her. It was that and her total luck of common sense that made her think that she could actually get away with this. Keeping the truth hidden while they were in Phoenix was one thing; Charlie had accepted that particular reality long ago and was content to let things be. But sending Bella back to Forks was a completely different matter. It was bound to stir up trouble, but of course Renée wasn't really thinking anything beyond her convenience.

And there was the fact of her unknown father…

Who was the man that had given her half of her genes?

Renée had revealed his name under pressure fearing that Bella could be getting involved with her own brother, but she composed herself afterwards and refused to utter a single word about that. Bella asked her repeatedly, but got no answers. She even tried to provoke her hoping that Renée might reveal something else in the heat of the moment, but she had no luck.

Maybe Renée did not know anything but his last name. She was more that capable to have had a one – night stand with a man whose first name she did not know.

Bella had learned that the hard way. She still shuddered with revulsion every time she remembered the endless string of boyfriends that got in and out of Renée's life before she settled down with Phil.

Or maybe she had just clammed up and refused to speak out of resentment and sheer stubbornness. Who could tell when it came to Renée?

Bella realized that she had no way of knowing. Some of her questions would never be answered and for the rest of them she would have to wait until she got to La Push.

One more reason to get back sooner than later…

The pull to La Push was getting stronger and stronger every day. It was a weird feeling like something was calling her back urgently. Bella ended up speeding through more than half of the trip. Self discovery was good and all, but she felt that she needed to be there and that made her anxious. She has always felt connected to La Push, well she knew the reason now; she actually did belong there, but this feeling wasn't like anything she had ever felt before. Did it really make such a difference that now she was finally aware of her Quileute blood binding her to the land and the Reservation?

Because that was exactly how she felt. She knew beyond doubt that she would never be able to turn her back to La Push. Whatever bond she had to that land before, it had grown ten times now that she knew the truth. Blood does speak apparently. Even if Paul never accepted her as his sister she would still try to build her life in La Push.

Paul…. Her brother…. She still couldn't believe that somewhere out there she had a brother.

What was he like? Was he older or younger than her? How would he take the news of having a sister? Would he like her?

She had always longed for a sibling, someone to play and laugh with and someone to stand by her side when things got hard. She never got it of course and as she grew older she stopped wishing for one.

If, God forbid, Renée had ever got pregnant, she would have probably got rid of it or maybe pass the baby to Bella and forget all about it!

But now, that she knew that she actually had a brother that old dream had woken up with a surprising ferocity. Bella wanted to spend time with Paul, get to know him and build a relationship with him. She wanted them to become a family. But first of all, she had to meet him…. And that meant that she had to get to La Push.

Funny how everything that mattered to her was in that tiny bit of land…

Bella couldn't wait to get there. It seemed that her life was in La Push now.

***End of Flashback***

Bella opened her eyes and shook herself of her daydreaming. She slid down the tree till she met the ground and sat with her back against it. She was finally there and now she had to decide what her next step was going to be.

Staying in the forest was obviously not an option; she had to get to the Reservation and start talking to people, but who should she go to first?

She should probably talk to Sam first… He was her best friend after all and she trusted his opinion.

How she had missed Sam these weeks in Phoenix!

Yeah…. She should go to Sam and spend some time with him before tackling the issue of her heritage. She would need his strength and unwavering support in the days to come. She would tell him everything and ask for his advice. Sam was a good listener and had always stood by her side. He knew Paul and could give her some insight into his character. He could even introduce them. This way it would be less awkward than ringing Paul's doorbell and introducing herself like his sister.

Is that the only reason you can't wait to run to Sam?

What? Of course! Sam was her best friend!

Keep telling yourself that, if it gets you through the night…

Oh, how she hated that small voice in her head that whispered hard truths she would rather forget!

Maybe Sam wasn't the best choice after all… It was painful to admit, but Bella was never one to lie to herself, not deliberately anyway…

How could she face Sam with all these jumbled thoughts in her head? Did she really have feelings for Sam?

No, not Sam then… Not until she had a better idea about her feelings. The last thing she wanted was to use Sam as some kind of rebound relationship and hurt him.

Should she go to Jake?

No, not him either…. Jake was distancing himself lately. It's been ages since the last time she thought about him as her best friend. Sam was occupying that spot in her heart for some time.

And not only that spot, but let's not get into that right now…..

Besides Jake could be so immature at times; Bella wasn't comfortable confiding in him, not when it came to such an important secret that would change so many lives.

Were Paul's parents even on the Reservation? How would they react to an illegitimate child appearing out of the blue in their lives?

She felt so selfish for not having thought about Paul's family before…. She didn't want to cause trouble for him or his family, but she could not just let the past be. She had to meet her illusive father. If he didn't want to acknowledge her as his daughter it was not a big deal. She had spent most of her life with an absent father; she could do it again. But she needed to have some answers at least and she wanted, no she needed to get to know her brother, keep him in her life if possible. No, she could not let their possible reactions stop her, but these were delicate matters and discretion was needed.

Jake was definitely not an option. No one could ever accuse him of being discreet!

Maybe she should go to Billy…. He would know about Paul's family of course. He could give her some advice how to approach them without causing a scandal on the reservation. But that meant that she would have to confess everything to him.

Would Paul get mad if she spilled family secrets to Billy or anybody really, not that Sam was anybody really but that's not the point, before she talked to him?

She knew that had it been her in his shoes, she would want to know before anyone else. As her brother he had the right to know first that he had an illegitimate half-sister.

Yes, Paul deserved a warning before she aired the dirty laundry for everyone to see.

She should go to him directly and tell him everything, give him a chance to absorb the shock and prepare his family. It was the right thing to do considering that she was about to drop a megaton bomb in his life.

And wouldn't that be a pleasant conversation, no awkwardness at all! If only there was another way….

But since Renée never took responsibility for anything she would have to do this on her own…. Get the nerve up to knock on his door and spill her guts…

How bad could it be anyway?

Worst case scenario was that he would want nothing to do with her. Rejection was not pleasant at all, but at least she would have some kind of closure. Not knowing would surely drive her crazy before long. And who knows? Maybe she would get lucky and finally have a family…. Yes, that was what she would do, go find Paul and to hell with the consequences!

Bella stood up, picked her backpack and walked back to her bike.

Better to leave for La Push now, before she started second guessing herself.

She still didn't know what she would say to Paul once she found him, but Bella could not wait any more.

She would have to be brave and improvise. A premade speech would just make her look ridiculous, not to mention calculating like she had ulterior motives. Better to be authentic and hope for the best….

Having made her decision, Bella climbed on the bike and drove off to La Push right as a new day dawned over the horizon.