AN: Apologies for the slight delay. Rita ran into a computer problem and lost more than half the work she'd done but it's fixed now! Oh, and you might wanna grab a tissue and a security blanket before reading this chapter. Don't say I didn't warn ya!

A Rendezvous with Death

Chapter 26 "Sam's Ordeal"

EPOV

Angela and Eric had told us to act as we normally would, to go about our lives until we heard back from them. Normal for me was working towards turning Cullen House into a B&B and winery. Now, as I sat in my office jotting down notes in my journal on everything that crossed my mind, I was lost in the million and one things left to do and all the plans I had for the future. But my thoughts kept straying to the problem at hand which was Bella and the meeting we'd had earlier. Reading my journal page after about an hour of this was like a ping pong match between the two.

Mac was sitting in the floor playing quietly with her dolls. Thankfully, I'd seen no sign of her talking to Belle since we'd left the park.

Worrying about Bella kept me from concentrating on any one thing. Had Angela and Eric discovered anything at her place? Had Carrie been home? Had they seen and verified Bella's claims that her sister was possessed or at least being influenced by an entity? Surely, Angela and Eric had concluded their inspection by now.

I couldn't stand not knowing. Sure, I could've called but I just wanted…no, I needed to see her face again to know she was all right.

Finally giving up any pretense of working, I asked Leah to keep a close eye on Mac while I ran across the street to check on Bella. She readily agreed and planned to get Mac involved making this evening's dessert.

Snagging my keys off the table in the hall, I headed out the door like my ass was on fire.

I reached the end of my drive in time to see Angela and Eric turning out of Bella's driveway. With no other cars coming, I shot down and across the street and pulled up in front of Bella's house. I'd just stepped out of the car when I thought I heard a woman yelling. She sounded angry but I couldn't make out the words. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I knew something was very wrong. I rushed to the porch and was just about to knock when I heard Bella scream.

To hell with knocking! I burst through the door and saw Bella cowering with her back against the wall, hands wrapped around her head protectively as though she were waiting for, or fending off, a beating from above. Seeing no sign of an assailant anywhere, I rushed over and knelt down beside her. Even though I touched her gently, she screamed in fear and panic.

"Bella, Bella! It's okay, honey! It's just me! What's wrong? What happened?"

She looked up at me with terror followed by confusion written on her face. Before she could reply, movement caught the corner of my eye and I looked up in time to see who I assumed was Carrie racing down the stairs. I did a double take…they were definitely identical twins. Had they dressed alike and had their hair and make-up the same, there would be no distinction between the two. As it was, just looking at them, you could easily tell one from the other. Carrie was modern, fashion forward and, I would be willing to bet, outgoing and loved a good time. In contrast, Bella was classically beautiful, both inside and out. Even without make-up, she was stunning. She was quiet and shy. With Bella, you just knew you'd found someone who was trustworthy, honorable and loyal.

Carrie rushed to her sister's side, knelt down beside her and shoved my hands away so fiercely, she knocked me backwards onto my ass.

"Who are you and what the hell did you do to my sister? I swear, if you hurt her, I will kill you!"

"Carrie? Carrie is that you?" Bella asked, looking at me and back to her sister.

She was obviously as confused as I was. This woman seemed perfectly fine to me, a caring sister who heard her sister scream then entered the room to find a complete stranger hovering over her. Under the circumstances, her reaction to my presence was completely understandable. She neither looked, acted, nor sounded like a possessed person.

"Of course, it's me! Honey, why are you on the floor?" Carrie asked, pulling Bella close for a very concerned, sisterly hug. Before Bella could reply, she snapped her head towards me. "Who are you and why are you in my house?" she demanded, looking me up and down with disgust written in her expression.

I righted myself and ignored her for the moment. Taking Bella by the elbow, I helped her up off the floor.

"Are you all right, Bella?" I asked, still feeling like something was seriously wrong but not quite knowing what it was.

Carrie's concern for her sister was completely understandable. What I found myself questioning was Bella…her motivations and intentions. My lawyer's brain went into overdrive. Could she be jealous of her sister, vying for attention by cooking up this whole possession story to have Carrie committed, in effect, eliminating the competition? Could Bella herself be mentally incompetent and truly believe this tale of possession inspired by rumors of hauntings spun by the townsfolk? More frightening still, had she been stalking me for months, seen my face and painted all those portraits? Had she dug into my past, discovered the history of Cullen House and my family's wealth and concocted this story along with her sister to somehow con me out of some money?

"Yes, I'm fine. Um, this is my sister, Carrie. Carrie, this is...Joe," she said.

Joe? Why had she said my name was Joe? Not only that, she'd deliberately failed to mention I was their neighbor as well as her friend. I didn't know why she'd lied but I tried not to let the surprise show on my face. I would stand by her until I heard her explanation before determining for myself whose side I should be on. Until this moment, I'd had no reason to doubt or even question Bella. Obviously, the best way to figure out what was going on was to play along…for now.

"Carrie, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said without offering to shake her hand. Although I didn't know why, I'd learned long ago to follow my instincts and mine were screaming at me not to touch her.

"Joe, huh?" Carrie replied, sounding unconvinced.

"Yes, we met at the art store in town. He was having a painting appraised and was interested in having a large landscape painted. I said I'd consider it," Bella explained.

Wow! Another lie. I couldn't wait to hear her explanation. Noticing Carrie's eyes narrow in suspicion, I also observed Bella had refused to make eye contact with either of us since Carrie had hugged her. Once again, my instincts were telling me something in this scenario was very wrong and that Bella needed my help.

"Bella, I heard you scream from outside. What happened?" I questioned, hoping to change the subject and draw Carrie's suspicion away from Bella. I wished I could've thought of something better to say but I was kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

"I, um, saw a mouse. I hate mice. They scare me," she replied.

Bullshit! No sane woman who was legitimately afraid of mice would fall to the floor when they saw one. Climb on a chair or jump on a table, yes…anything but on the floor where it might crawl on her.

"Oh, Bella, you are such a silly girl," Carrie laughed.

She bought that bogus story? Really?

"Indeed. Maybe you should get a cat," I stated dryly.

"Cat? Oh, my God, Sam! I left him outside when I went to the park and I haven't heard from him since..."

Bella looked me in the eye for the first time, clearly terrified for Sam. Shoving past her sister and I, she bolted for the back door. I went after her, afraid to leave her alone…afraid of what she might find and, for reasons I couldn't quite name, I was leery of being alone with Carrie.

"Sam! Sam, I'm home, baby!" Bella called the minute she cleared the back door.

I noticed a set of dog dishes placed in the shade near the door. They were full of untouched food and water for Sam. Wherever he was, he didn't respond. As anxious as I was, I couldn't help being impressed with her backyard. It was immaculately landscaped, a path bordering the perimeter of the property leading through a luxurious flowering garden and trees. There was also a gazebo as well as a small swing built for two.

"Sam! Come here, boy!" I called.

The way he reacted to me the last time I was here, I figured hearing my voice would send him bounding towards us. Instead, we heard a slight whimper and then something that sound like a stifled yelp. Bella looked up at me with terror in her eyes as they filled with tears and took off running as fast as she could in the direction of the sound with me right on her heels.

We found him tied to the gazebo but it was the way he was tied that was so horrible. One end of the rope had been secured high up on the support beam of the gazebo while the other end was tied around Sam's neck somewhat like a noose so that, the more he struggled, the tighter and higher the rope became. I couldn't figure out how it was rigged like it was. The rope was so tight around him there was no slack on it at all. Sam was stretched the full length of his body, his head straight up in the air, back feet barely touching the ground. If we'd been one moment later, he would've hung himself. It was a good thing I was there because the only way to free him was for me to lift the eighty pound dog up to my shoulders while Bella worked to untie the knot around his throat. It should have just pulled loose like a tie but it refused to budge. Bella had to use her trembling fingers to untie the knot.

"Oh, Sammy! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. Who did this to you, baby? Are you okay?"

Bella baby talked him as she cried and worked the rope to free him. He fell against me, limp and exhausted, trying to lick Bella to comfort her but he didn't have the strength.

"Oh, Sam! I'm so sorry. I'm getting there, I promise, baby. Oh, please be okay, Sammy! I love you!"

It was killing me seeing them this way and I had to choke back my own tears at her words. At last, Bella was able to untie the knot and fell to her knees. I laid Sam gently on the ground where he collapsed in Bella's lap, too exhausted to stand on his own. Running my hands over every part of him, I squeezed gently checking for broken bones or any signs of injury from a beating…there were none. It appeared he was just exhausted from the effort of trying not strangle himself. There was no question in my mind who was responsible for this atrocity but, considering it was no longer human, I had no clue how to vent my anger on it and hold it accountable for the cruelty it had inflicted on Sam. Not only had she abused the dog, which was more than enough reason in my book for corporal punishment, but seeing Sam in that condition had also hurt Bella. I wanted justice and I wanted it now!

Sam was coughing repeatedly, I assumed from the tension on his throat, so I returned to the back door where I'd seen his bowls. Strangely, however, they were now covered in disgusting looking bugs. I wanted to avoid being alone in the same room with Carrie, since I no longer trusted myself to contain my temper, but the dog needed water badly. Clenching my teeth, I ran into the house to fill a bowl with clean water.

"Did you find the flea bag?" Carrie asked.

She was leaning against the staircase, one foot propped up on the wall while she examined her fingernails as though she was bored. Her words stopped me in my tracks and I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully before answering.

"Yes and he's perfectly fine," I lied, my instincts telling me she would derive a great deal of joy to hear he was injured or dead. Her manner and stance didn't change but I could feel the anger and hatred emanating from her in waves.

W
hen I returned to Bella a few moments later with the water, Sam dove into the bowl. Even though he was still in a prone position, he drank nearly half the water before coming up for air. I stroked his fur as he reached for more and smiled at Bella when it looked like he was going to drink the entire bowl. Eventually, he looked up at me, panting heavily. I'd never realized just how expressive an animal's face could be but, to me, the grateful look on his face clearly said "thanks!"

Sam's mouth snapped shut and he turned his head toward the house. Carrie was standing just a few feet away and he began to tremble at the sight of her. He hid his face beneath Bella's arm and involuntarily urinated where he lay. Rage filled me that anyone would torture an animal to this degree. The only thing stopping me from going after her was not knowing just how powerful this entity was. The smallest misstep now could spark an attack on Bella, Sam or even Mac at any moment.

"Looks like he'll live, after all," she said. "I'm so glad," she added in a mocking voice.

Fist clenched, I jumped up to stand protectively in front of Bella and Sam. If she took one step closer, I wouldn't be responsible for my actions.

"Carrie, did you do this to my Sam?" Bella asked incredulously, even though she knew in her heart that she had. She just didn't want to believe her sister was capable of such a thing. But there's the rub…it wasn't Carrie!

"Bella! You know your sister would never do anything to hurt you or Sam," she declared with an evil grin.

"Of course, she did it! No one else could have or would have!" I fumed, on the verge of losing it all together. She needed to get out of my face while she still could.

"Careful…Edward," she grinned as she turned and walked away.

"Bella, what in God's name is going on here? Why did you scream just before I came in?" I demanded in a fierce whisper, returning to sit beside her and Sam on the ground. She was cradling his head in her arms and stroking his head and ears.

"Nothing she does is in God's name, I can assure you of that," she replied softly, proceeding to tell me how Carrie had backed her against the wall, hands clenching into fists, repeatedly demanding to know where she'd been and what she'd done.

"I thought she was going to start pounding me. Next thing I knew, you were standing where she'd been and Carrie was gone. For a while, I wasn't sure if you were actually you or if it was another one of her tricks."

"When I came in, no one was near you, Bella. How could she move so quickly?"

With Angela and Eric's warning fresh in both our minds, we spoke in whispers while lavishing attention on Sam. Now that Carrie had left, he was starting to show signs of feeling a bit better.

"I don't know. Maybe what I saw was an apparition while Carrie was actually upstairs? It certainly looked real enough. Unfortunately, we don't know what we're dealing with so we have no idea what it's capable of," she said, echoing my earlier fears.

Bella was quiet for quite a while before she began to speak again.

"I've been lying, Edward…lying to Carrie."

"I know. You shouldn't, though. You're a bad liar, Bella," I teased.

Bella grinned and looked up at me, her tear streaked face showing the stress of the day. Nonetheless, that smile warmed my heart.

"I know. That's why I never lie."

"Then why are you lying to your sister?"

"That is not my sister, Edward. Carrie always calls me Sissy or B. She rarely, if ever, calls me by my given name. Carrie adores Sam…she would never, ever hurt him or me. I don't know if my sister is even alive or if she's inside her own body somewhere fighting for control. Sometimes I think I see glimpses of her so I still have hope but I don't think she's strong enough to fight this entity alone."

"Why did you call me Joe?"

"I've been testing the waters here and there and learned a few things about what she's capable of. Whatever has a hold on Carrie has access to some of her memories, I think. If I lie, she knows it. If I tell the truth, she knows it. But, if there's a grain of truth in the lie, she seems incapable of distinguishing between the two. Like with the mice. My sister knows I am terrified of them so the entity knew that. I called you Joe because I don't know anyone named Joe. It was an outright lie."

"Well, she just called me Edward so she saw through it."

"Exactly! There's no truth to it so how did she know your real name? I've seen the way this thing really looks, like the entity you described that molested you. I think it can travel anywhere it wants to go," Bella explained.

She was smart to test it in inconspicuous ways. Smarter still to have figured out some of what this thing is capable of.

"When she asked me what I'd been up to and where I'd been, I told her I went to the park and that I was thinking about doing a painting of it. When I first got there, the thought had in fact crossed my mind that it would make a lovely painting. I omitted the meeting with Angela and Eric and told a partial truth. Again, she couldn't tell I was only being halfway truthful. I think my smokescreen and her somehow sensing you just outside were the only things that kept her from attacking me."

"Why did you tell her we met at the art supply store?"

"I was playing a hunch, actually. I wanted to see if she could tell I was lying if I visualized you having your painting appraised, as well as our meeting there, and then told her that's what happened. She couldn't. I'm now convinced it can somehow pick up on the images in our minds. So, if we can control our thoughts around her, she has less power over us," she told me.

Did I say she was smart? She was fucking brilliant.

"You're very clever. You'd make a damn good lawyer. You're also very brave to test her all by yourself."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I just know I want my sister back, if it's not too late. I'll do whatever I have to do in order to save her. If that means facing a demon for her then so be it. Knowledge is power, ya know?" she said quietly.

She'd already proven she'd face a demon for her sister but I wondered if she was prepared to fight one, as well.

"I do. Sam seems to be doing better, now," I replied, changing the subject. He was sitting up on his own but made no effort to move away from all the attention he was getting from us. Bella nodded in reply.

"Thank you, Edward, for coming over, for helping me save Sam and for playing along with my lies when you had no reason to. There's no telling what she would have done if you weren't here."

"You're welcome. I have to admit, she's very convincing. I had my doubts. When I first met her, I thought she was fine but my instincts kept telling me something was off about her."

"There's something in her that is pure evil, you mean. I don't know what I'm going to do with Sam the next time I have to go out for groceries or pay bills. Not only is it too hot, it's illegal to leave him in the car alone. I left him in the backyard thinking he'd be safe there rather than in the house with her. He was fine while Angela and Eric were here, yet, somehow, between them leaving and you arriving, she had done this to him. It scares me to think what she can do. What she'll do the next time."

"You're not going to have to worry about that, Bella. You and I are going upstairs together. You're going to pack your bags for a week or two. Then, we're going to get Sam's necessities together and the two of you are going to stay with me."

"Edward I..."

"I won't take no for an answer. Now that we've both seen what she can do, it's just too dangerous for you to be here, with or without Sam. So, since she seems to attack when we're alone, we'll be safer if we stay together," I said, leaving her no room to argue.

Finally, she nodded in agreement.

~o0o~

It took Bella about twenty minutes to pack her things as well as Sam's. Before we left, she insisted on checking on Carrie but she was gone. Bella told me she was always gone but she had no idea where she went or what she did. When she was at home, she was either sleeping or doing something unnatural, as in evil.

We made it the short distance back to my house without incident. I had Bella leave her bags at the door and follow me to the kitchen. I hadn't quite made it through the door when I had a five-year-old, her ever present stuffed bunny in her hands, fly into my arms.

"Daddy, Daddy! We made peach cobbler for dessert and Leah said we could have it ah-la-commode!" she exclaimed. "That means with ice cream on top!" she added with a loud whisper in my ear.

"I think you mean 'a la mode,' Bunny. Commode is a fancy word for toilet," I chuckled.

"Ewww! I don't want no toilet on my cobbler!" she giggled.

"No, nor do I. Guess what?" I asked, excitedly.

"What, Daddy?"

"I brought company to stay with us for a few days."

"Who?" she asked, straining her neck to see behind me.

"Bella," I said, stepping the rest of the way through the door so she and Sam could enter.

"Hi, Mac! You didn't put a commode on my cobbler, did ya?"

"Hi! No, I didn't do that. Are you stayin' all night?" she giggled.

Once more, to my great surprise, Mac went from my arms to Bella's as though she'd always been a part of our lives. I had to wonder if it was Bella herself or because Mac thought she looked like Belle. I guessed I'd never really know for certain. Either way, it thrilled me to see her so accepting of this woman who captivated me so thoroughly.

"Uh-huh and you know what? I brought someone with me who would love to play with you," Bella told her.

"Who?" Mac asked, her big brown eyes wide, cheeks red from excitement.

"My puppy dog. His name is Sam. Come here, Sam. Say hello to Mac," Bella said, setting Mac down on the floor.

Sam hesitated before walking slowly down the hall to the kitchen but, as soon as he laid eyes on Mac, he quickened his pace to a trot. Mac's eyes grew larger and larger and her mouth opened wider and wider until they were literally standing nose-to-nose, Sam's tail wagging happily while his butt wiggled in the opposite direction. Mac threw her arms around his neck and squealed with delight. Two seconds later, they were both rolling around together on the floor and, if a dog could laugh, I was certain he would be making the same high pitched giggle as Mac.

"Hello, Bella it's nice to see you again," Leah said, drying her hands on a kitchen towel and coming over to give Bella a hug.

"Hi, Leah. I hope I'm not intruding."

"Don't be silly, hon. You're always welcome here."

"Sorry I didn't give you any warning, Leah. It was a split second decision," I blurted.

"Am I correct in assumin' you felt it wiser to bring 'em here?" Leah asked, choosing her words carefully in front of Mac so as not to speak of our mutual problem out loud.

"Exactly. It was getting…unsafe," I replied cryptically.

We'd gotten good at talking this way and understanding each other in a very short time. I think Leah had previous practice at it, though.

"What's unsafe, Daddy?" Mac asked, still hugging Sam only this time she was sitting beside him. Sam's tail still wagged a mile a minute.

"Little girls and fur babies wiggling around on the floor in the middle of a doorway, that's what! Now, go wash up for dinner," I said, patting her butt towards the door.

"Will Jake be joining us, Leah?" I asked, suddenly missing his sunny presence.

"Not that I know of. I'm assumin' he's with Carrie," Leah replied.

Bella and I looked at each other with wide eyes.

"He's definitely not with Carrie," I said, dread washing over me as I realized Jake needed to be warned about her before he got hurt or worse.

Tonight's dinner was one of the happiest occasions I could recall having for quite some time. Despite the circumstances that had brought her here, it felt like she belonged. Bella was shy 99% of the time but she was light and easygoing with Mac around. They were like old friends and she was very good with her. So good, in fact, that, when it came time to put Mac to bed, I not only had to read to her but she asked if Bella could tuck her in. She happily obliged.

When we turned to leave Mac's room, Bella was surprised to see Sam run in and jumped onto the foot of her bed. Mac giggled, loving the idea of the furry company. Bella looked up at me, her eyes silently asking if I minded which I didn't. Still, Bella tried to call him off the bed but he refused to obey. Bella finally gave up but as I started to shut the door, she asked me to leave it cracked open for him. If he needed to go out in the night, he would come looking for her.

We descended the stairs together and I almost wrapped my arm around her, it felt so much like a family again. Then it hit me with startling clarity that my life had never felt this complete even when Kate had been alive. Sure, we'd been happily married and had started a family but not until this moment had I begun to really understand what being a family truly meant.

After what we'd been through earlier in the day, I felt a drink was in order so we retired to the parlor. Sitting on the other end of the couch from me, Bella fell back into her shy mode.

"She's just adorable and incredibly smart for her age, Edward. You must be so proud," she said.

"More than I can say. She's my world, now. I came here to give her a better life and look what a mess we've ended up in. I pray to God nothing bad happens to her."

"It'll be okay, Edward. If whatever is hovering around her meant her any harm, it would have done so by now, right?" she said in an attempt to comfort me.

"I would think so but something you said this afternoon has bothered me a great deal."

"Something I said? What was it?"

"That you thought Carrie's entity could travel anywhere she wants. If she is Belle's twin sister, how could Mac possibly tell the difference? If she's out for revenge, what would stop her?"

"Oh, Edward! You mustn't think such things or say them out loud!" she admonished, effectively reminding me ghosts could be anywhere at any time and we'd would never know it. I certainly didn't need to help them out by giving voice to my worst fears.

Feeling unsettled by my words, Bella got up and carried her drink over to stand by the window.

"It seems odd being in your home," she said softly.

"Why's that?" I asked getting up to join her.

It was ridiculous, I know, but I didn't like the sudden distance between us.

"I've stood up there in my turret room or attic and looked over here, admiring your house…wondering what it was like back in the day when bar-b-cue's lasted a week, when there were cotillions and balls, trying to imagine what it was like before the Civil War ruined so many fine homes. I was going to paint it someday, as well."

"You still can. I knew someone lived in the house across the street. I've seen your silhouette many times up in the attic looking over here. I..."

"You what?" she gasped.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Bella. I've seen your shadow multiple times up in the attic standing at the window..."

"Edward, I've only been up there once looking this way and that was in the late morning!" she exclaimed.

Now suffering a severe case of the creeps, we thought it best not to discuss the problem of spooks any further. It had been a long and troubling day, for the most part. We were exhausted and in much need of some sleep.

After carrying her bags upstairs, I gave her the room next to mine. This put her on my side of the hall but kept Mac's room in the middle. It worked out great for her to be near Sam and me to stay near Mac. While she got ready for bed, I returned downstairs to lock up and turn out the lights. When I got back, I saw Bella checking on "the kids" one last time.

"Everything okay?" I whispered.

"Just fine. They're so cute together. She's hugging Sam like a teddy bear and they're both sound asleep," Bella whispered back with that smile I so loved to see.

Standing in the hallway about to go to bed, I didn't want to let her go.

"I think he needed the company and she needed a real playmate for a change."

Bella nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, if you need anything, I'm just down the hall."

Slowly making my way to my own room, I put my hand on the doorknob and looked back in her direction. She was facing the closed door of her room but made no effort to enter.

"Everything all right?" I asked, still waiting for her to enter her room.

It would be rude to leave her alone in the hallway but she just stood there looking at her door.

"Yeah, it's fine. Great. Thanks," she replied, waving dismissively without looking at me.

Like I said, she was a bad liar.

"Bella, are you afraid to sleep alone in this house?" I accused, my lips curling in a half smile.

Even from here, I could see the blush fill her cheeks when she looked up at me and nodded sheepishly. I pushed my bedroom door open and gestured for her to enter. She bit her lip as she debated the wisdom of such a bold move versus the decision to sleep alone in a strange house she knew to be haunted.

"For the company…safety in numbers, you know. I promise I'll be a Boy Scout," I said, holding my hands up in the air.

Ducking her head, Bella made a mad dash into my room and I tried not to laugh out loud but failed miserably.

AN: What? I HAD to end it here! The chapter was already way too long LOL!

So, now that you've calmed down, tell me your thoughts. I promise I'm listening!