A/n: Hey yaaaaay I'm in your good graces, I actually thought I'd be flamed for not letting Edward get a happy ending and then suddenly I was getting people upset when they thought he WAS going to get a happy ending ha ha! Oh this pleases me! Thanks for being so awesome guys, like I said in one of my previous notes its truly amazing how passionate you are about my story I really do appreciate it. In my last notes I mentioned how I wasn't entirely happy with this chapter so I've been re writing it and because of the re write it looks like there maybe more chapters coming than I had predicted lol so I better get writing up some new chapters fast so I can continue with the speedy updates! I'm just going to hope that this re write prooves successful like the last one. So please read, review and most importantly enjoy x
Chapter Twenty Five - Bridges
"I'm just... not in love with him,"
This surprised me, "Sarah, we thought you...?"
"Yeah well so did I," she said, "But after I changed, I didn't see Edward in the same light as I had done before. I love him like a brother now but he sees me as something more, he keeps looking at me and all he's seeing is you, I still don't think he's over you mom, and I don't need a relationship like that, it's just… wrong."
"So he hadn't moved on at all?" Jacob muttered, "He was using Sarah as your replacement," he turned to me then. If Jacob were still able to 'wolf out' he'd be quivering right now.
"Daddy," Sarah wrapped her arms around her father, "I'm okay, really. Oh and this is okay," she said talking about her hugging her father, "You've got too much of Caleb's scent on you for this to be unbearable. I'm so relieved." She smiled but Jacob seemed uncomfortable in Sarah's cold, solid embrace, it would take him a while to get used to it but I couldn't tell whether it was because he was still angry or not, his muscles were always tense when he was angry, "I just want to come home and live with my family again," she whispered
"It's not going to be that simple, Sarah, things can't just go back to the way they were before, I mean, are you strong enough to handle being around people in La Push, being around the pack or even going back to school and finishing your senior year?" I told her
"I think so, I'll keep at my exercises they help with my temper, but my self control around humans, providing I can keep my temper in check is good," she explained
"We'll need to talk to the Elders and the pack about this," Jacob muttered, "They won't like it," Jacob was now one of the Tribe leaders, technically his father is chief of the Quileute's and when he passes away Jacob will have that authority. Even though now the decisions of the tribe are based on what all the council elders say.
"We want you to stay, honey, we wouldn't want it any other way, no matter what you are you are still our baby girl, but you are a vampire, Sarah it's not going to be easy, people are going to be extremely uncomfortable around you, they may not like it and it'll be hard on you," I continued
"I understand that," Sarah nodded,
"Okay" I sighed, "Well we shall talk more about this in the morning, darling, your room is still there for you, but right now I think sleep would be good for everyone," Sarah cleared her throat and I almost slapped myself for being stupid, "Of course, you don't sleep do you?" she shook her head
"Don't worry about me, I'm not going far, I may go for a hunt or something, like you said, we'll talk more in the morning," she smiled
"Sarah, are you… happy this way?" Jacob asked, "On the day of the accident, did we make the wrong choice for you?"
"Oh, god no!" she cried, "Daddy, the Cullen's did save me, I'm still here, it's not so bad, really,"
I wrapped my arms around my daughter and planted a kiss on her cheek, "No matter what happens, I'm always, always here for you, Sarah, both your father and I, we love you,"
Both Sarah and I looked to Jacob and he smiled and wrapped an arm around her waste and kissed the top of her head, "Of course we love you," he said, "This is just a lot to take in for me though, Sarah, so please be patient with me while I get used to it,"
"Sure," Sarah nodded,
"Now, go... hunt." He told her and forced a smile for her, she nodded understanding how much he was trying to accept her for who she is now, and took off out the window "Oh and away from La Push, there's still a treaty here remember," he called after her
Jacob closed the window and we both sank back onto our bed, curling up together in our usual spot. I could tell Jacob was still angry about Edward still being in love with me. I could feel his muscles tense as he lay beside me. It was an automatic reaction for him now, as a pack brother, he became so used to having to tense up to stop himself from shaking and phasing into a wolf that the habit had stuck with him now. I pulled his arms further around me, wrapping myself up in him as much as I could hoping to help him calm down. "I'm with you, Jacob," I murmured, "I love you, you have nothing to worry about,"
"That's not why I'm mad, Bella," he replied, "I'm mad because our daughter nearly died because he used her, that she's now a vampire all for nothing. How could anyone be so selfish?" Jacob was right, I hadn't looked at it that way before, but he was completely right. I used to believe that Edward was once the most selfless person I knew but as time went by I saw that everything he did revolved around me and me only, not caring about the consequences for anyone else. "…And I'm afraid for her," he continued, "I'm scared that she's not going to be accepted here, that she won't feel at home anymore or feel like this is her real family anymore,"
I turned to face him and I placed a small kiss on his lips, "We won't let that happen," I told him, of course I couldn't guarantee that, Jacob knew that as well, but saying it made us both feel better, we were still united as a family first and foremost and we'll both do whatever it take for Sarah to feel at home.
It was a long while later before I heard the most comforting sound in the world to me, the sound of Jacob's deep even breathing that slowly fell into a light snore, I soon fell asleep to those sounds.
I woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon. I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes and looked over in the bed beside me Jacob was already gone, I could sense him downstairs. I climbed out of bed, pulled on my dressing gown and padded downstairs to the kitchen where Sarah was stood over the stove cooking breakfast, Jacob was leaning against the kitchen counter and they were talking. "Morning, mom," Sarah called with out looking around,
Jacob looked up and came over to me, wrapping his arms around me and kissed me, "Good morning," he spoke into my ear,
"Good morning." I smiled, "What's all this?" I asked Sarah
She finally turned to me and I noticed that her eyes were slightly less orange this morning and more gold, "Making breakfast for you, Dad and Caleb. I don't eat this kind of food anymore it's just that I have a lot of time on my hands these days," she said, I saw on the stove she was cooking what used to be her favourite breakfast, she'd made us pancakes with sausage, bacon and egg. "It's weird that this repulses me now," she commented, "Not even the smell is appealing to me anymore,"
"Yeah… that is weird," Caleb muttered as he returned through the front door, he turned to his dad, "Told the boys Sarah's home, they've agreed with my decision to call a council meeting, they've gone to round everyone up," he said
"Thanks son," Jacob replied, "I was going to do that myself, it is in everyone's best interest to know Sarah's come home,"
"So she's staying then?" Caleb muttered, "This shall be interesting," he said with raised eyebrows
I couldn't understand Caleb's behaviour, Sarah and Caleb used to be so close, "Caleb, Sarah is still your sister,"
Sarah plated up three breakfasts and put them on the table where all four of us took a seat in the same places we sat every night for dinner before anything was different, I smiled at that small action. Some things never change. "You made me breakfast? Why?" Caleb queried
"Think of it as an olive branch," Sarah said, "We're brother and sister and even though things are different now I want us to get along, we've both got a long future ahead of us,"
Caleb looked down at his plate, "Sarah, it's not that I don't want to. You just don't realize how hard this is for me," he murmured,
"Well you don't exactly smell so hot to me either dog!" she spat, but as soon as she said she covered her mouth, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. These mood swings are crazy,"
Caleb sighed "Sarah, being around you is… difficult. I know what happened to you isn't your fault…" I could tell he was struggling to find words for it,
"I understand what Caleb is trying to say, Sarah, I remember how it feels, as a wolf being around you right now, every instinct inside of him is telling him that you are the enemy and it's hard to ignore that,"
"I will try, you're still my sister, sort of… you're a complete freakshow, but your still Sarah. I'm sorry if I end up snapping at you all the time it's going to be hard," he made his peace by picking up a fork and started eating the breakfast she made, he'd accepted her olive branch. Things weren't yet completely okay between them but they were building a bridge towards it. And I knew they'd work it out in the end.
That was when Embry walked in, he hadn't aged a day since the wolf gene had kicked in for him. He'd not yet found his reason to quit. He eyed Sarah carefully and then his eyes flickered between Jacob, myself and Sarah. I could tell what he was thinking, how were we safely sat so comfortably close to her? "The elders are gathering together at noon at the usual spot," he said trying to sound as casual as possible but I could see how difficult it was for him, Embry had been part of my extended family for many, many years and I loved him dearly, and he loved Sarah as a niece, he was even her God fatherm, it wasn't easy for him to see her like this.
"Hi Embry," she smiled at him, he nodded stiffly back and forced a smile.
"Sarah, it's good to see you," he said,
Jacob rose from his seat and pulled Embry to one side, "Sarah, Caleb, can you give us some privacy please?" he asked, Sarah nodded and swiftly left the room followed by Caleb who carried his breakfast away with him, not before tipping the rest of my plate onto his.
"Embry, aside from Quil, you are my oldest friend," Jacob began, "I'm going to need your help with this, bro, Sarah just wants to come home and be with her family and this is going to be tough on everyone I just need to know you're on our side on this,"
"Jake, look, like you said I'm you're my oldest friend so I'll be frank with you, I've always seen Sarah as family, you know that, but this… I don't know what to make of it yet, but you're practically my brother so I will stand by you and I know Quil's got your back too. But I need to warn you that nobody and I mean nobody is happy about this, have you even begun to think of the repercussions with this?"
"I know it could be dangerous…" Jacob said
"Dangerous, that's not the only problem with her being here Jake, with her living among our people," Embry interrupted, "You should know, think about it. What happens to this tribe when vamps begin to hang around?"
"Oh god," I whispered,
"That right, you got it, Bella," he said then turned back to Jacob, he'd also figured it out but Embry said it anyway, "There will be a rise in the wolf population here in La Push,"