Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Shadows
Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.
Prompt: Foreign
Glancing around I could see Alice and Jasper stepping forward, Alice's hand on a trembling Jacob as she nodded toward Marta. Jacob took a deep breath, clenched his fists and set himself between Marta and the new vampires. The shuffling only took a couple seconds, but it seemed to amuse Jane.
"I see your pack has grown. There are now two more humans with you," she said to Edward, her red eyes glowing bright as if she'd just fed. "What are your plans for them?"
"Jacob isn't human," Edward replied. He affected a relaxed pose but his body was rigid, frozen with stress.
He snorted a sarcastic laugh. "More than you are."
"Still, your chromosomes changed when you did. You're no longer technically human." Edward turned back to Jane. "As such he is exempt from the law."
"That's not your decision to make," Jane said with a sickly sweet smile. "You still have another female with you."
"She belongs to the shape-shifter, much as Bella belongs to me. Keeping the secret is as vital to her as it is to Bella." Edward moved slightly to the right in reaction to Demetri taking a step, breaking his stillness. "We have spectators," he said to both of them, his eyes darting over to where a policeman was leaning innocuously against his car, his eyes watching our every move. "Was there something you needed?"
"Just keeping watch. Aro wonders when the change will take place." Demetri took another step as Jane talked, and Edward shifted to counter, leaving me more exposed to Jane. Her gaze shifted to Jacob. "Tell me about the shape-shifter."
"I'm…" Jacob started, but instantly dropped, letting out a howl of pain that cut off as quickly as it started. Marta and I immediately jumped to his aid, but Edward held me back, leaving only her to help him stand.
"I didn't ask you," Jane said mildly. She looked to Edward with a raised brow, demanding an explanation.
"He's of the Quileute Tribe. They inherit the ability to change their form from their ancestors. Their job is to protect the tribe," he explained, shifting again as Demetri made another move.
"Protect them from what? Foreign invaders?" she asked.
Jacob was standing straight now. "No, from bloodsuckers…" He didn't finish his sentence before he was on the ground again, teeth clenched, convulsing in pain. This time Edward wasn't able to grab me to keep me from him as both Marta and I converged to protect him.
"Is there a problem here?" an authoritative voice asked.
"Or friend has epilepsy," Jane answered him sweetly, looking down demurely to hide her blood-red eyes.
I could tell the officer was surprised that it seemed the young girl was the spokesperson for the group. "Looks to me like there's trouble. Do you need some help, miss?" he asked Jane. In spite of trying to remain inconspicuous, lest he know my father, I couldn't help but give a harsh laugh. Sure enough, he knew Charlie and directed his next question to me. "Aren't you Chief Swan's girl?"
With that question Edward relaxed while Jane and Demetri stiffened. "Yes, sir, I am. We were on our way home when we ran into these two and started talking."
"We'll be going now," Edward interjected, placing his hand at the small of my back to guide me to the car. The officer nodded and walked away, continuing to look back to watch what we did. Because of the way they were standing I had to pass by either Jane or Demetri. Edward hesitated, then pulled me over to have me between him and Jane.
We'd taken no more than two steps when he suddenly yanked me across his body, placing himself between Jane and me with a growl. "Just checking," the young girl said with a laugh. "Seems she's still immune."
"Please don't do that," Edward asked, his voice tense as he gently pushed me forward again.
"Surely you know it's her resistance that most interests Aro," Jane said. Edward gasped, and his arms came around me tightly. "Yes, it seems she's also impervious to Chelsea. It makes him most curious." She let out a sigh. "That pesky human is bothering us again. If they didn't get so upset about their law enforcement being killed, and we hadn't fed so recently, I'd have him removed permanently. Either way, I will report to Aro that nothing has changed. Caius will be interested. Come Demetri."
Jane and Demetri walked away, and with them went all my strength. I sagged against Edward as the adrenaline bled away, and noticed that Jacob was being particularly attentive to Marta.
"Let's get to the airport," Jasper said to Alice before turning to Edward. "You take the others home. We'll meet you there. I think we need to talk."
"Go," was all Edward said, and I watched the two of them walk into an alley and disappear from view.
"Where are they?" I asked, trying to make out their shapes.
"On the roof. Jacob?"
"On it," he answered, moving quickly to get Marta into the back seat and sliding in beside her while Edward got me situated. Both boys made sure we were buckled in and within minutes we were on our way. Edward drove normally until we were away from the pier and then gunned it, speeding through traffic to escape the city.
"What was that all about?" I asked. "Why were they here?"
He glanced at me, and then back at Jacob. "She was partially telling the truth. They came to see if you're still human. The other part was to see if our excuse for not changing you was real." He sagged in his seat and gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. "That officer helped more than he realized when he noticed you looked so much like Charlie. It solidified that our story is true; if you just disappeared there would be a massive hunt for you. It gives us time."
"How much time?" Jacob asked from the back. I looked to see that Marta was wide-eyed and shivering in his arms. I reached my hand back to take hers, making sure I didn't wince when she grasped it tightly.
Edward hesitated before answering. He looked at me, his face sad, and I knew instantly what he was thinking about. "Until my father dies," I whispered. Edward nodded.
"Dies?" Jacob shouted. "What do you mean, he dies?"
Because of the work I do with the city I'm friends with many police officers (the chief always gives me a hug, he's such a teddy bear). I'm extremely grateful for the thankless job they do every day, stepping into dangerous situations to protect others. Naturally I tell them that they're all insane. Their spouses agree.
