Sorry about the long wait! Thanks to everyone and my beta! Enjoy! Gotta run!


Chapter Twenty-Eight

Returning to La Push

Bella stomped out of the large Cullen mansion holding four overly stuffed suitcases. Her face was contorted with anger.

"Bella, wait!" Edward called out, running after his mate.

But Bella didn't stop at Edward's plea.

She didn't care anymore. She didn't care that since she was young, Edward had given her everything. She didn't need Edward Cullen anymore.

Letting out an irritated sigh, Bella threw her suitcases into the trunk of the Volvo. Hope was already seated in the back with Jacob, who wouldn't leave her side or one second.

"Bella, please," Edward pleaded.

His mate rolled her eyes before turning sharply on her heels to look at him. "What?" she snarled. Her eyes flashed dangerously, alerting Edward that she was definitely infuriated with him.

"I promise," Edward began. He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I promise that I'll be there tomorrow night. I won't stop driving until we get there."

Bella rolled her eyes once again and crossed her arms. Anger continued to show on her beautiful features. "Is that all you have to say, Edward?"

"Bella…"

"Once this is over, I'll be leaving with Hope to go to Alaska until we both can control our bloodlust around humans. Afterwards, we'll be returning to New York."

"Mom, no!" Hope shouted from within the vehicle. Bella ignored her daughter's voice.

"I don't want my daughter being exposed to lies and broken promises," Bella continued. "She's still young and you won't be poisoning her mind with false hopes, Edward."

Edward's mouth hung open in complete shock. He couldn't believe that Bella was going to take his child, his Hope, away from him. "Bella, you can't do that!" Edward exclaimed.

"If I have to, Edward, I will take you to court."

"And they would think you were crazy! I'm physically a seventeen year old boy!"

"Then I guess I'll be seeing Carlisle and Esme then, won't I?"

"You're angry at me so you're taking it out on them? Grow up, Bella!"

Bella glowered at Edward before walking around to the passenger side of the Volvo. She climbed in, refusing to look or speak to anyone.

"Don't worry, Edward," Alice said as she pranced her way over to the driver's side of the vehicle. "Everything will work out just fine. I've already foreseen it."

Edward gave Alice a sad smile before approaching his beloved Volvo. Hope rolled down the window, dry sobbing.

"I don't want to go," Hope cried. "Please… Dad…"

Edward sighed and placed a gentle kiss upon his daughter's pale skin. "We'll see each other again," he promised. "Tomorrow. I'll be there as soon as Esme and Emmett return." Edward leaned in through the window. "Take good care of them, Pup. Until I get there, help Alice keep the rabid vampiress in check."

Jacob nodded and reached a hand over to Edward. Edward studied the werewolves hand before taking hold of it and shaking it. "Take care," Edward said, mostly to Bella and Hope.

"What about the Newmans?" Hope asked her father.

"I believe Jacob arranged for the majority of the pack to go on a vampire-free airplane," Edward explained. "They'll land around five o'clock. Nearly two hours before you get there."

"I'm going to miss you, Daddy."

"I'll miss you too but we'll see each other again. This time I know where you'll be."

Edward's remark earned a small grin of Hope. "Bye," Hope whispered before throwing half of herself out the window and engulfing her father in a tight hug.

Edward immediately wrapped his own arms around his daughter's small frame. "Bye," Edward whispered back. He pulled away from Hope and approached Alice's window. "Don't get into any accidents. I want my Volvo in one piece, Alice."

Alice nodded and rolled her eyes. A smile played on her lips. "No worries, brother," Alice said. "Your precious vehicle will remain in intact. Now, if you don't mind, we have to get going. Can't keep the dogs waiting."

Edward chuckled and backed away from the Volvo. Alice started up the vehicle and peeled out of the driveway. Edward watched as Hope and Bella disappeared into the distance. It was then that he was overcome with tearless sobs.


"Honestly, Bella," Alice lightly growled. "Edward loves you and Hope more than his own life! Yet you act like a spoiled brat."

Bella didn't turn her gaze away from the window or the white line on the side of the road. She didn't want to think of Edward. No matter what Alice said, Edward had abandoned her once again. Whether for a day, week, month or year, Edward had left her side.

"Bella. Are you listening to me?" Alice's voice rang throughout Bella's ears but she was still ignored.

Alice huffed and pressed her foot harder on the gas pedal, angrily. Once she got to La Push and this whole Vitani business was finished with, she was going to Seattle to shop. She needed to get her mind off of certain things and stay away from Bella.

"I just thought about something," Jacob said for the first time since leaving Los Angeles. "The treaty is still in place. You can't set foot on the reservation."

"Make an exception," Alice growled. "You're the pack leader now, Jacob – the alpha male. You can arrange it if you need to you just can't really make it official until you meet with Carlisle."

"And what would you suggest?" Jacob asked, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Just make it so we can set foot there," Alice explained. A smile played on her lips. She already knew of the outcome the moment they had decided to return to Washington. It wouldn't be very difficult to persuade Jacob. "If we bite a human, a war can break out. Since you did imprint on Hope, the rules would need changed anyway."

"Why?" Hope asked. "Why couldn't we just live someplace else?"

"Because I'm bound to La Push," Jacob explained in a low grumble. "I was born there and I'll die there."

"Great," Hope moaned.

Alice averted her gaze from the road to look at Hope through the rearview mirror. "It's not that big of a deal," Alice said. "A werewolf and vampire have never been married so this should make things interesting."

"An when do i…" Hope bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling of the Volvo, thinking. "When do I need to start courting Jacob?"

Jacob chuckled and turned his attention out the window. "It's interesting how you stop calling me Uncle Jacob once you learned that we're soul mates. But the age is around sixteen. Claire and Quil started their relationship two months ago."

"And when do I…" Hope bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling of the Volvo, thinking. "When do I need to start courting Jacob?"

Jacob chuckled and turned his attention out the window. "It's interesting how you stop calling me Uncle Jacob once you learned that we're soul mates. But the age is around sixteen. Claire and Quil started their relationship two months ago. You don't need to do anything, of course. It's not like there's a rule. I'll be your closest friend, or even your Uncle Jacob forever if that's the way you want it."

Bella let out an aggravated sigh. "I still don't understand how you imprinted on her," she said. "You saw her when she was first born. Shouldn't you of imprinted on her then? And what about Embry? Why did he imprint on Angela later ?"

"We could never figure that out," Jacob answered. "But Sam had a theory and my father agrees with it. Perhaps I imprinted on Hope at a later time because I was still in love with you, Bella."

"Well that may explain you, but what about Embry?"

"Angela was grieving over Ben. Perhaps something emotional kept us from imprinting. We just don't know, Bella, and we may never know why it wasn't at first sight."

Bella let out a low growl, causing everyone in the car to turn in her direction. "What?"

"You're a brat," Jacob laughed.

"Shut it, dog."

Alice let out a frustrated sigh as she began to near the Washington/Oregon border. "So two of us think you're a brat. What do you think, Hope?"

Hope glanced at Jacob before meeting Alice's eyes in the review mirror. "I say brat," Hope replied. "Obviously Dad loves you, Mom, or else he wouldn't have changed you. He wanted to claim you as his own in every way possible. Too bad Dad is too—" Hope turned to look at her mother as Bella's thoughts entered into her mind. "Don't you dare even think that! He's not lying!"

"I really hate you for inheriting your father's traits," Bella grumbled.

"Well let's see… I also inherited traits from Alice, Emmett and Grandpa. Grandma Esme said I was a very powerful vampire, even for a newborn."

"What else can you do?" Bella asked, turning in her seat to look at her child.

"Hmm…" Hope said as she began to think. She held up a hand and began naming her abilities. "Telekinesis, Telepathy… I can not only communicate with humans but animals too. Oh yeah! I can set things on fire when I'm angry! Wanna see?" Hope turned to look at Jacob. "Piss me off."

Alice's eyes went wide and nearly slammed her foot on the brake. "No!" Alice exclaimed. "We need to get to La Push within an hour and we need a vehicle to get there! Plus that wouldn't go over with Edward well. Picture this, Hope… grounded for all eternity. Seriously."

Hope and Jacob laughed. Even Bella was caught smiling. "So what do you plan on telling Aunt Emily?" Hope asked, looking over at Jacob.

"The truth," Jacob replied sadly. Bella's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Don't worry, Bells. We'll explain how Sam wanted to kill Hope."

"It totally sucks that Steph and Mel have to finish growing up without their father," Hope mumbled.

"It does," Alice said. "But we can't change what happened now." She paused. "I don't mean to sound rude but they knew their father since birth. You've only known yours for a week, Hope."

Hope nodded and sighed. Alice was right even though she missed her Uncle Sam. Nothing could be changed. The only thing that could… "Hey, Mom," Hope said, coming out of her thoughts. "You haven't seen yourself yet have you?"

"No. Why?" Bella asked. She reached up and pulled the visor down. Bella let out a gasp as she examined her features. She didn't look like a woman in her thirties! She looked like she was seventeen again!

"Didn't Gran always say that you were born as a thirty-five year old?" Hope asked with a knowing smile. "Perhaps you can change how old you look can change how old you look?"

"That's an interesting theory, Hope," Alice said. "We'll see what Carlisle thinks."

There was silence for a few more minutes but it was a comforting silence. Judging from Bella's thoughts, she was slowly beginning to forgive Edward. This caused Hope to smile as she looked over at Jacob. He was thinking about his imprint on her. This particular thought caused Hope to scrunch up her face. Alice, however, wasn't worrying about love; she was thinking about shopping and how she was going to buy fifty new pairs of shoes.

"Welcome to La Push," Alice sang as she crossed into La Push from Forks. Hope leaned on the edge of her seat as Jacob's house slowly came into view.