Being There
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N-Thanks for the great reviews everyone. I love hearing your thoughts, it keeps me motivated. Onto the next chapter...
Part Eleven
Bella slipped into the school office and approached the school secretary. Mrs, Featherstone had her half moon glasses perched on the end of her nose as she typed. Bella cleared her throat nervously to get her attention.
"Yes, can I help you?" Mrs, Featherstone took her glasses off and began to clean them as she looked at Bella curiously.
"Sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you could tell me who delivered this letter to the office. You asked Jessica Stanley to pass it to me earlier," Bella asked anxiously.
"Is there no name on the correspondence?" Mrs, Featherstone put her glasses back and raised her eyebrows at Bella.
"No." Bella informed her.
"A young man dropped it off my dear. Dark blonde hair, average looking, very pale skin. I'm sure I recognise his face from somewhere," Mrs, Featherstone pursed her lips as she tried to recall where she had seen the boy before. He reminded her very much of the young man who had been reported missing, Riley Biers. But of course that was impossible. This boy had vivid blue eyes; although she had thought at the time they looked like coloured contacts. Young people were always trying to change the way they looked.
"I don't know anyone with that description," Bella admitted.
"Was it some kind of love letter, my dear?" Mrs, Featherstone loved a bit of gossip.
Bella blushed. "No. Thanks anyway, Mrs Featherstone. Have a good afternoon." She fled the office before the woman could ask any more probing questions.
Embry was waiting for her when she left school, she was a bundle of nerves as she scanned the parking lot and hurried across the turf to where he was leaning against the truck. His brow furrowed as he took in her panicked reaction. "What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you when we get to my house," she said hurriedly, unlocking the driver's door as she did so.
Embry climbed up into the passengers side as she started the engine. He could see her hands trembling as she gripped the steering wheel for dear life. "Hey, Bella why don't you let me drive?"
Bella relinquished control over to Embry. Her body was refusing to cooperate with her, she couldn't stop shaking. She closed her eyes as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove toward her house.
XXXXXX
She showed him the letter when they were safely inside the house. He scanned the contents quickly and took in a deep breath. "How the hell did she get in your school?"
"I asked the secretary and she said a boy dropped it off. She only gave a vague description. It's not someone I recognise." Bella sat at the kitchen table with her head in her hands.
Embry sat down beside her and put a comforting arm across her shoulders. "It's going to be fine, Bella. I need to phase and let the others know. Jake will come here as soon as he is aware. One of us will need to head over to the school and see if we can pick up a scent. Will you be alright for a moment?"
Bella summoned what little composure she had and gave him a forced smile. "I'll be fine."
Embry wasn't fooled but he had no choice but to leave temporarily to phase. He gave her a quick hug and then left the house. When he was gone Bella's mask slipped completely. She curled up into a ball in her chair and began to cry.
XXXXXX
The front door crashed open as Jacob raced into the house. He had abandoned his patrol as soon as he heard Embry's thoughts. It hadn't taken him long to reach the Swan house. He cursed the fact that he hadn't been the one to meet her after school. He thanked Embry for looking out for Bella before heading inside. Jacob found her huddled in her seat in the kitchen. Her face was red and tear stained; as soon as she saw him she threw herself into his arms.
"I was so scared, Jake," she sobbed on his shoulder. "I thought I would be safe at school."
Jacob hugged her tight to his chest; his arms wrapped around her. "I'm here now, honey," he whispered soothingly. He rocked her gently for a while until she calmed down.
"Can I see the letter, Bells?" He asked eventually.
Bella wiped at her eyes and pulled the letter out of her school bag. She handed it to him wordlessly. Jacob studied it carefully; there was definitely a whiff of leech stink coming off of the paper. Whoever had delivered it had not been human. It made his blood run cold. Like everyone he had thought she would be safe at school because of the sheer number of others there. But it seemed that the red head was stepping up her game plan. It worried him that she also seemed to have an accomplice. They had assumed she was alone.
Jacob didn't tell Bella any of this, she was freaked out enough as it was. He put the letter away and led her into the living room. He sat on the couch and held out his arms. Bella gratefully sank into his embrace and curled up on his lap. With his warm arms holding her together she finally sought relief in sleep.
XXXXXX
Charlie came home unexpectedly. He entered the house and was shocked to see Jacob sprawled on his couch with his daughter curled up in his lap. Bella had woken up when she heard the front door slam shut. She stared at her dad groggily as he glared at Jacob.
"What's going on?" Charlie thundered.
Bella flinched at her father's tone. She scrambled off of Jacob's lap and stood unsteadily on her feet. Jacob stood up too and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Nothing is going on, Charlie." He said calmly.
"That's not what it looks like to me?" Charlie blustered.
"Dad, please just stop. We weren't doing anything." Bella pleaded. Tears began to roll down her cheeks again and she wiped them away angrily.
Charlie was alarmed to see her crying. He hurried over and gave her an awkward hug. "What's wrong, kiddo? Is it that Lauren girl again?"
Bella nodded having no other excuse to give her dad about why she was so upset. "Jake was just comforting me, dad." She hoped he wouldn't hear the tremor in her voice as she lied.
"I see. I'm sorry for jumping to the wrong conclusion." He apologised. Jacob just shrugged having nothing else to add.
Bella pulled out of his arms and finished wiping her eyes. "It's the weekend now so I won't have to worry until Monday. Why are you back so early from work?"
Charlie sat down on his recliner. "I've had meetings with Riley's parents today. He has been sighted in Forks, near your school apparently. The only problem is the boy the witness saw had really vivid blue eyes. Riley has brown eyes, but he could have been wearing contacts. The witness thought so anyway."
Bella went cold, she glanced back at Jacob and she could tell he was thinking the same thing. They now knew who the messenger was. They listened quietly as Charlie gave them a few more details before he told them he had to leave again. He had only come home to collect some paperwork. "I'll be home a bit earlier tonight, Bells. We can actually have dinner together for once."
"I'd like that," Bella said softly. "Can Jake stay for dinner tonight?"
"Of course. Invite your dad too, Jake. We'll make a night of it. I've got to go. See you later." He gave Bella another quick hug before leaving the house.
XXXXXX
Sam and the other pack members arrived at the house not long after Charlie left. They all bundled into the living room, taking up most of the space. Bella offered to make them some drinks and a few snacks. She needed something to distract her while they had their impromptu meeting.
"Embry snuck over to the school and scouted around. The male was definitely a vampire from the smell. He tracked it as far as the forest's edge but then his scent petered out." Sam told Jacob.
"This means that the red head has help," Paul surmised. "Great, how many more are going to pop out of the woodwork?"
"I know who the male vampire is," Jacob confessed. The other's stared at him in surprise.
"Has Bella remembered something?" Sam demanded. "Embry told me she didn't know who it was."
"She didn't know. It was something Charlie said. He was here briefly just before you all arrived. You've all seen the posters of that missing kid called Riley Biers around town, well someone witnessed seeing him at Fork's high today. They said the only difference was the colour of his eyes." Jacob looked around at his stunned pack brother's.
"You mean he went into the school with red eyes?" Jared said without thinking.
Jacob shook his head. "As if. No the witness said he had really vivid blue eyes but they thought he may have been wearing contacts."
Sam let out a long exhalation. "Well it makes sense. It seems that the red head has made herself a friend. I'm worried that she may try to create more."
"What do we do?" Embry asked. "This is getting more serious. We need to bring her down now."
"The problem being that we have no idea where she is," Paul interjected sarcastically. "Feel free to come up with a proper suggestion, Call."
Embry pushed away from the wall where he had been leaning. Normally Paul's jibes didn't bother him but today he didn't feel like putting up with it. He stalked over to Paul and glared down at him. "Why don't you just shut your filthy mouth. Where's your suggestions then? All you do is spew out a load of sarcastic comments and upset everyone. I for one am sick of it."
"Em back off," Sam warned him.
"No Sam he is getting on my last nerve," Embry's limbs began to shake.
"Go run off some steam, Em." Sam ordered him. "I'll deal with Lahote."
Embry nodded and quickly left the house. Paul watched him go with a smirk. "Not one of you has any self control."
Jacob was just about to retort when Sam gave him a warning glare. He fell silent. Sam then turned his attention to Paul. "Everything that Embry said was true. Pull your head in, Paul. I am sick of you causing division within the pack. We have enough to deal with. Now go and sort your shit out before I make you run a double patrol shift." He ordered.
Paul couldn't go against a direct Alpha command. He sloped off silently, giving Jacob a vicious glare as he passed. Bella chose that moment to return, she carried a tray piled high with food and was shocked to see the room half empty. "Where are the other's?"
Jacob took the tray off of her and put it carefully on the small side table. "Em and Paul have just gone off to run a quick patrol." He lied smoothly.
Bella looked at him for a moment. She had heard raised voices; she guessed that Jacob was trying to sugar coat the situation for her. "If you say so. Maybe you could save some of the food for them when they get back." She said eventually.
"Will do honey," Jacob gave her a fond smile.
Jared had already helped himself to one of the cakes she had made the night before. He bit into it and let out a blissful moan. "Wow Bella this is awesome."
Jacob and Sam glanced at each other and burst out laughing at his words. He ignored them and picked up another cake and crammed it into his mouth whole. "You definitely should go into business and sell these. You'd make a fortune." He said with his mouth full.
Bella turned beet red with embarrassment. Jacob flung his arm across her shoulders and gave her a quick kiss. "He's right you know, Bells. You're an excellent cook." He took one of the cakes and bit into it. A smile crossed his face as he chewed.
Sam tried one too. He nodded his agreement as he slapped Jared's hand away as he reached for the last one. "You've had enough Thail."
"I've got more in the kitchen," Bella revealed with a small smile. Three eager faces looked her way making her laugh and lightening her mood. "I'll go get them."
Embry returned not long after this and he too praised Bella's cooking skills. No more was spoken about the danger facing them all as they spent a pleasant hour just talking and sharing banter. When all the food had been eaten, Bella cleared everything away and retreated back to the kitchen to wash up the dishes.
"How has she been holding up?" Sam asked Jacob when she was out of earshot.
"Not great." Jacob admitted. "Bells can be strong, but getting that letter has really spooked her. I can't let her go to school unprotected now. The red head could try and pull the same trick."
Sam sat down in Charlie's recliner; a contemplative expression on his face. "Someone needs to be with her. Either that or she has to pull out of the school. It's impossible to guard her near there properly. There is nowhere for us to conceal ourselves without being spotted."
Bella came back into the room, having heard the tail end of the conversation. She took a seat next to Jacob and leaned into his side when he put his arm around her. "I'll have to go sick." She suggested.
"You can't keep that up forever," Sam said regretfully.
"Well it will work in the short term. There is no way I can convince my dad to let me change schools and no one can exactly come with me." Bella sighed.
"It's the only solution for now," Sam agreed. "We need to step up our efforts to catch the red head." He stood up and turned to Embry. "Come on and show me the trail her accomplice left behind, maybe he went a different way or something."
"Okay. I did a thorough search though." Embry shrugged his shoulders. "There's no harm in you double checking."
"Jake you stay with Bella. I'll catch up with you later. Jared you can take over with Paul in about four hours." Sam stood up preparing to leave. "Don't worry, Bella we'll get her."
Bella gave them all a grateful smile. She could never repay them for what they were doing on her behalf. "Thank you."
"Just make us some more of those cakes," Jared quipped.
"Will do," Bella promised. They bid her and Jacob goodbye before leaving.
When they were alone, Bella found solace in Jacob's arms. "I'm glad that Sam let you stay with me." She confessed.
Jacob stroked her hair back from her forehead. "He knows that I would have kicked off if he hadn't."
"I'm so grateful for what you're all doing. I'll never be able to repay any of you." She whispered, guilt weighing heavy on her heart.
"I told you Bells, this is what we do. Stop fretting," Jacob reassured her. He leaned down and kissed her, trying to distract her. It worked, within moments they were in the middle of a heated make out session.
Jacob was just about to suggest that they head upstairs when a loud howl made them rise to their feet. Bella clutched Jacob's hand in fear as he listened intently to the sound of his pack brother's call.
"What's happening, Jake? Is it Victoria?" Bella asked tremulously.
He shook his head, a frown marring his forehead. "No."
"What then?" Bella questioned, becoming increasingly anxious.
Jacob sighed. "Someone else has phased."
A/N-Thanks for reading!
