Chapter Fourteen

Jacob looked at me standing by the garage and dug around for the keys on the one counter in the garage.

I struggled to keep up with Jacob while asking too many questions.

"How do they know where I live? Was Charlie there? What made them go there?" I was rambling, my earlier peace gone. "Why didn't they hurt Charlie? What can I do? Jacob, where are we going?"

Jacob lurched away from the counter and slammed his lips to mine. His lips made me quiet and I felt my heart slow down.

Jacob pulled away slowly. "Bella, stop worrying." He said briskly and turned back to finding the keys. "You'll give yourself a wrinkle."

"Too late."

"Ha," Jacob's hands then went to his pockets. He grinned in the gloom and pointed to the car. "Hop in."

Inside his Volkswagen, Jacob looked less at ease. He pulled away from the house quickly and I took the cue to assume that Billy knew where we were going.

But I didn't know.

"Jacob-" Jacob's hand left the gearshift and squeezed my limps fingers.

I went quiet and squeezed his hand back, trying to brace myself.

"Will-"

Jacob squeezed tighter and I bit my lip, trying to silence my questions. I could hear a voice, talking to me almost in annoyance about the questions I asked-

The car skidded to a stop and Jacob blew out in anxiety. "Red lights, I swear."

"Jacob Black, you know Charlie is a police officer!" I cried, trying to restart my heart.

Jacob looked at me, sheepish though still on the edge. "Sorry, Bells."

I pretended to roll my eyes in annoyance and pulled my arm from my chest. I mashed my hands together and set them on my lap.

"We're going to see them, aren't we?" I asked in the quiet.

Jacob stiffened beside me. "We'd be with the Pack." He tried to soothe me.

I turned my head to the window.

I was going to see them all again, all at once.

I tried to brace myself.

The Pack stood in the darkness, dressed in light clothes. I glimpsed something white covering their chests and assumed that they were only dressed in T-shirts and shorts. I pulled my hood on as I stepped out of the passenger seat. Rain hardly fazed them, it seemed.

In the gloom, a full moon shone overhead. I took cover under a tree and squeaked when a voice gasped. I squinted and smiled in relief.

"Emily?"

"Hi, Bella," she smiled, a flash of white teeth. I realized she was holding something and took a step away from the tree to see. She was holding an umbrella.

I joined her under the umbrella and she scowled as she stared at the figures in a line in front of us. "What?" I whispered.

"They're going to get colds," Emily seemed half-amused. She met my gaze and rolled her almond brown eyes.

A gust of wind blew the rain toward us. "So are we."

Emily giggled quietly and I saw her hand reach for her hair. "I just straightened it this morning."

"Oops," I finished for her. Emily giggled louder and then someone shushed us. Sam?

"Sorry!" Emily whispered and we both went quiet. Emily was easy to be around, a second Angela. She seemed more like her cousin though. Quiet and occupied. She didn't mind silence.

Who said cousins didn't act the same?

My eyes drifted to Leah. Her hair was longer than I had last seen it, and from what I could see, it barely touched her shoulder blades. She was the only one to wear pants of her brothers. They were sweatpants, and I was sure that they were uncomfortable now. The rain had drenched me in moments, and I knew that the Pack had waited longer than seconds for Jacob and I to arrive.

Thinking about what I was about to do made me bit my lip.

"They're here," I heard Seth whisper to us. Tension filled the ten of us and I stiffened, feeling my arms begin to twitch.

I looked around from the tree Emily and I were under and realized that we were on an abandoned road. The same road Jacob and I rode our motorcycles on?

"Come on up," Sam murmured a loud in the darkness. Emily took a step forward, and I realized that he meant for us to move. Shaky, I took the few steps it would take to join the line. Leah and Jared shifted for Emily and I to squeeze in.

It didn't take long for the Cullens to come into view. I saw Edward first, and I squeezed my hands into fists. Not in anger, but to keep my arms from going to my sides.

His face was covered with shadows, and the skin the moonlight could touch was made pale, almost bleach white. The purple circles stood out prominent on his skin and his gold eyes were smoldering as he gazed at me beside the Pack.

Alice and Jasper moved to Edward's sides. Alice's spiky black hair hadn't changed a bit. It seemed like it was covered in ink, and freshly washed. Her glossy hair tousled as she turned to look at Jasper.

My eyes went to him next, the reason they had left, so Edward said. I wasn't mad at Jasper. I couldn't be. It wasn't his fault for the violent end of the party the Cullens had thrown for me. His eyes were gold as well, more gold than Alice's or Edward's. He smiled tentatively at me, and I smiled back, trying to show him that I had already forgiven him. His face changed, and confusion darkened his gold irises.

Rosalie and Emmet went to their places. Rosalie didn't smile at me, nor did she glare. She looked strangely subdue when she gazed at me. Her eyes were less gold, dark topaz, and her long blond hair seemed almost platinum in the moonlight. Her cheekbones looked sharper, and her beauty made my fists begin to shake.

Emmet looked big as always, but he didn't look so huge when I glanced at Jacob down the line. Emmet's hands clasped together very quietly, as if he didn't want to startle any of us. His huge biceps looked threatening, but Emmet seemed at ease standing in front of eight werewolves. He looked carefree and I had to remember that Emmet was gentle and sweet instead of threatening like his muscles and sharp eyes made him look.

The parents of the Cullen children walked slowly to their places. Esme's light brown hair and heart-shaped face made me long for Renee. Her gold eyes were warm but very thoughtful as she looked at the line of werewolves. She sniffed and bit her lip. Her pale skin shone like the rest of the Cullens.

Carlisle looked the most ill at ease, it was a tie between him and Edward. He put on a welcoming smile and it made a dimple surface by his lips. His irises looked very gold, like Jasper's, and he aimed his welcoming smile at me. His blond hair seemed lighter and I felt my fists begin to burn when I tried to ignore the pain in my chests.

Here they were. Right in front of me.

I wasn't breaking down, but I longed to hold my chest together.

For a moment, no one spoke. The werewolves gazed at the Cullens, and the Cullens gazed at me.

Their beauty began to make my eyes burn and I blinked fretfully, trying to force the tears away.

Why had they left me?

I unclenched my fists, feeling blood flow back into my hands, and put my hands behind my back, my fingers playing together. The rain suddenly felt colder than ever and I shivered as I stood next to Leah.

Leah draped a warm, almost hot, arm around me, not looking at me. She pulled me to her shoulder and I relaxed against her, feeling the holes begin to go numb.

"Thanks," I whispered in her arm.

"Jacob told me," Leah whispered very quietly. She must have had an idea of what the Cullens could hear. She bothered to whisper but she knew they would all hear it.

Sam moved, and everyone's eyes went to him. He took a step out of the line, toward the Cullens. He didn't smile, only nod in greeting once.

"Hello," he welcomed them in a flat monotone. "Is everyone here?"

Carlisle nodded and my eyes went to Edward's face. He was gazing at Carlisle intently, and I jumped when both Edward and Carlisle looked at me.

Carlisle spoke however. He looked slightly sheepish and somehow sad when his gold eyes went to my face. "It's good to see you, Bella."

I nodded stiffly, the warmth from Leah's arm now feeling as cold as the rain.

Edward's eyes were intense as Carlisle spoke.

"How's your leg?"

"F-Fine," I swallowed and I could feel Edward pleading for me to look at him.

"And your head?"

My heart hurts. I wanted to tell him.

"Fine." I spoke, my voice steadier. "H-How are you?"

Carlisle smiled, a little warmer. "We're fine."

Sam turned back to the matter at hand. He gestured to Leah and she released me. I looked around, confused, and Jared grabbed my arm, ignoring growls from the Cullens. He guided me to Sam's side, and rejoined the Pack.

I looked at Sam when he spoke. "Victoria is back."

The Cullens' reaction was completely unexpected.

They all looked unfazed.

Alice spoke, and her voice tore my chest to pieces.

"We know." Her face darkened. "We've known for a week."

"Why didn't you. . ." I started but then my voice faded away. I was hurt. I had been aching the months they had been gone and I was aching now.

Edward's eyes went to my face and he explained their return.

"Alice saw you crash."

I couldn't be happy. They had returned for me.

I couldn't be happy. My chest ached too much to even smile.

Edward went on, his musical voice a murmured song in the night.

"She saw Victoria as well. We rushed back as fast as we could."

The Pack and I were silent.

Emily startled me by lurching to Sam's side. The Cullens didn't step back, but they looked slightly confused as Emily's scarred face turned to them.

Anger filled her brown eyes and I was confused to see someone so even-tempered look so furious. She was angry, not hurt like I was. Everyone except the Cullens were angry. I was angry, but at the moment, I was too breathless to be angry.

The rain turned to ice, freezing the air that filled my lungs.

Esme looked at me from looking at Carlisle. All of the Cullens were looking at me and Emily now.

Esme said in the gloom,

"We thought we could help."

Another beat of tense silence.

Emily broke the silence that had lapsed over us. She spoke, her voice almost a growl. Her anger was for the vampires.

Emily gazed at Esme, but the anger was for the people who had left me.

Emily's voice was hard when she addressed the Cullens.

"How?"