A/n: Hey guys this should have been finished by now but my head keeps spewing out more and more ideas and I get confused on which ones I should go with… anything I think I've got the ending in my head now but anyway here's the next chapter for you, hope you like. Please keep submitting those fabulous reviews! Much love! Enjoy x
Chapter Twenty Six – Trial
This was the first time a Quileute council meeting had felt like we were going on Trial. The Elders consisted of my father-in-law Billy Black, he was the oldest one left now, Old Quil had died about ten years ago, Sam, Paul, Jared, Quil, and the remaining members of the wolf pack were all Elders in the council now, Leah was the only female elder and then of course there was Jacob.
We all sat around a large circular table in what used to be Jacob's old garage. When Jacob had moved out to live with me the garage space was made wheelchair friendly and was transformed into the meeting place of the tribe elders.
"Can we begin?" Billy asked, "Where's Seth Clearwater?"
"He's doing a final patrol he said to go on without him, he'll be with us soon," Embry informed him.
"Okay, well he's not here now so he will have to miss the vote." he then looked up at everyone and raised the pitch of his voice when he spoke again, "We come here today to discuss the matter of Sarah Black," he said drawing in everyone's attention, "We all know what a weight this is on our hearts, Sarah was one of us and her transformation was sad news to us all. She returns to La Push a tame vampire wishing to live among us like she did before. We need to consider this thoroughly it is not a decision we should make lightly. First we shall invite her in and let her speak for herself and then we'll handle this delicate situation with a vote," It shocked me to hear Billy speaking about Sarah in such a cold manner, it should be a no brainer for him, she was his granddaughter. "Sarah you may enter," Billy called to her, she was stood waiting outside. She walked through the door and the first thing everyone looked at, were her eyes. Already judging whether or not she had fed on a human.
She looked to me and Jacob for support, I smiled at her and nodded, "Go ahead, sweetie," a few faces looked at me with distaste but I ignored them.
"Hello, everyone," she said, "I know how you must all feel about my being here. I'm sorry about that. What happened to me, it wasn't my fault. But I've lived with the Cullen's for a while and I've learnt control. I feed on animals, not humans. I will admit I have a bit of a temper which I am learning to control but apart from that you have no reason to fear me, I just want to be home with my family. La Push is the only real home I've ever known and I don't know why but still feel I belong here as crazy at that sounds. I implore you all to let me live here in peace. That is all I have to say," she took a few steps back and I closed my eyes for a brief few seconds praying that everything would work out alright.
Quil was the first to stand, "It's a difficult decision to make, she could be dangerous for us, but I firmly believe she has no ill intent being here. This was once her home and if she wants to be here again then I have no problem with it."
Embry was next, "I'm with Quil. We've got a pack to protect the people just in case."
"Yeah but what good is the packs protection after she snaps and kills a bunch of people?" Paul rose, "I'm sorry but she's a leech now and we can't trust it living among us, so I say no,"
"Paul's right" Jared said, "I'm sorry, Jake, it's got to be a no."
"It's such a tough decision," Sam said, "She's clearly tame in the presence of humans but then again she admitted she's got a problem with her temper. Like Quil said, I believe she's here of no ill intent but with Sarah around the pack will more than double in number, my son, Micah has just turned 20, it's not too late for him, and Luke is 16 he'll be sure to change, but I don't want either of them to go through that. I want them to grow up and live normal, safe lives so I'm going to be selfish here and put my own children first. I'm saying no,"
Leah was just looking at Sarah in disgust, "Forget it," she muttered "no way,"
Caleb stood next, I hoped he'd stand by his sister, "I should probably be the last person to say yes, I'll have to live with her and breath in that disgusting vamp stink all day. But Sarah's my sister and I love her, I can see she's not dangerous so yes, Sarah I want you to stay,"
Jacob stood next, "You all know my vote and you all know why. Sarah's my baby girl no matter what. She stays."
Everyone then looked at Billy and I held my breath, it was down to him to break the tie, four no's and four yes's. He looked at Sarah and then to us with a sad look in his eyes, "I'm sorry, I really am." He said, those words made my heart sink
"Dad… what the hell?" Jacob cried and slammed a fist down on the table
"I've got to think of the entire community here and so I cannot be selfish with my answer, Firstly I'd like to eloborate on Sam's point, we don't need our latest generation to change just because of Sarah, if there was a way to keep them in the dark about all this until it is absolutely necessary then that is what we shall do. They need to grow up and live normal lives. And secondly Sarah is still a danger to us all. Tame or not. She can't stay, she needs to go back to the Cullen's and surround herself with her own kind. She's technically still a newborn, she couldn't possibly have that much control, so I'm not going to risk lives if one word could make her snap "
"No you can't do this, you can't send her away!" I got to my feet
"Bella, your emotional ties to her are blinding you," Billy said, "Can you not see what a catastrophe this could be? I'm sorry, but you have no vote in this council anyway,"
"How dare any of you turn her away?!" I yelled, "She has been a part of our family from the day she was born and I don't just mean the Black family. We're all family here, all of us. You have all had a part in raising her as Jacob and I have helped with your children." I started sobbing now, "Look at her, she's my baby. What if this was one of your children stood before you? Would you turn them away?"
"Mom, please. Don't do this," Sarah came over to me and wrapped her arms around me, "It's fine, really, I'll leave. I'll go back to the Cullen's in Alaska, don't worry about me. It's just that I would just rather spend some of my everlasting life with my real family. My sense of time just isn't the same anymore, it feels like I won't have much time left with you at all," I couldn't stop sobbing, that hole in my chest was slowly creeping open again.
That was when Seth entered the room, "What did I miss?" he asked
"Sarah's got to go," Paul said, "We voted, and she's out,"
I pulled out of my daughters arms and Seth saw Sarah for the first time as a vampire, "Don't I get a vote," he asked,
"You weren't here, the decision has been made," Billy said,
I sobbed harder and Jacob pulled me into him, but he never took his eyes away from his fathers, I've only seen Jacob give that cold stare to one person before, and that was Edward. "Don't be like that, Jacob, this is what's best for the tribe," Billy told him
"For the record I would have said yes," Seth muttered, he'd always loved Sarah, he was a good friend to her growing up.
"It still wouldn't have mattered," Billy muttered, "If there's a tie the decision is then down to me,"
He looked back at Sarah and shrugged sadly. But just then something in his face changed, his eyes flickered and he was looking at Sarah differently, really looking at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. Sarah looked to me with a confused expression and looked back at Seth. He smiled at her, "Wow," he breathed,
Seth? And Sarah? My Sarah?
No one missed the way he began looking at her, the no-voters groaned and the rest of us hid our smiles, "Congratulations, Seth." Paul muttered, "You've just doomed the tribe,"
Seth barely registered Paul's snide comments he began moving slowly towards, Sarah,
"The vampire stays," Billy sighed and then wheeled himself out muttering something like "God help us all," Sam, Jared and Paul followed him out. Leah shot Seth a disgusted look and then she too left.
"What happened?" Sarah asked me, "Why'd he change his mind?"
Seth smiled brightly at Sarah and she smiled back, she always had a little crush on Seth because he was the only one of our extended family that ever treated her as a grown up and spoke to her frankly whereas everyone else saw Sarah as their surrogate niece and treated her like a young girl. Embry and Quil threw their arms over his shoulders and laughed, "Congratulations man," Quil laughed patting him on the chest, "You've just imprinted,"
"What?" Seth cried
"And on a vampire. Way to go," Embry laughed, "Just hold you're breath when you're making out,"
"Imprinted?" Sarah asked
"Yeah it's the only reason why they would allow you to stay," Jacob narrowed his eyes,
"What the hell does 'imprinted' mean?" Sarah asked
"Imprinted? How do you know?" Seth asked, his eyes not moving away from my daughter.
"Try taking your eyes away from her for a start," Quil laughed, "We all saw the way you're face brightened and that puppy dog looked appeared on your face."
"You begun to look at her as if you were seeing the sun for the very first time my friend," Embry added
"How? How can a wolf imprint on a vamp?" Caleb asked
"Can people please stop talking nonsense around me?" Sarah cried, "What's imprinting and why has it allowed me to stay here?"
"Honey, imprinting is how the wolves find their mate, their soul mates. Seth obviously wasn't drawn to you when you were human but now you're a vampire…"
"Soul mate?" she sank into one of the chairs around the big table, "Me and Seth?"
If any of the pack were to have imprinted on my daughter I'm glad it was Seth, he was the most, kind hearted person I'd ever known. I felt like I owe him a huge debt now, because of Seth my daughter could stay with us and that made me very happy. But I was confused, Caleb's question still stood, how could a wolf imprint on a vampire? There must be a reason for everything. It just proved that Sarah belonged here. Maybe it was because she was still a Quileute by birth, actual birth not rebirth. We explained to Sarah why being imprinted on by Seth was such a big deal and the reason why they allowed her to stay because of it.
"Seth?" Caleb asked, "Is it not difficult for you to be around her? Don't you have alarm bells ringing in your head?"
Seth looked at Sarah and Sarah looked back at Seth, they looked deeply into each others eyes, "Not at all, it's weird because I know it should be." He took Sarah's hand, "But this feels like the easiest thing I've ever done,"
"You two better prepare for a lot of hate coming your way," Jacob sighed, "It may not be forever but for now at least. We've just created a divide in the community and we need to show them that there's no reason for it," I looked at the sad look on Jacob's face, he was still hurt by his father's betrayal. I understood why Billy said what he said but I was angry with him, they need time to see that Sarah isn't going to cause a problem. I believe that. The only downside to this is the fact that the wolf population will rise. But call me selfish, I didn't care if it meant that my daughter could stay.
I looked at the joined hands of Seth and Sarah and I slipped my arm around Jacob's waist, he automatically draped an arm over my shoulders. Whatever happens now we'd all face it together.