***Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just a jealous onlooker.***


"So, have you thought about college at all?" Charlie asked with his mouth full of roasted potatoes.

Bella finished chewing her salad before replying. "Yes, and I'm thinking University of Washington."

Charlie frowned as he took a pull off his bottle of beer. "You don't have to stay close to home just for me."

"I know that. It's a good school." Bella replied.

Charlie examined her face for a moment before continuing. "What were you thinking of studying?"

Bella pushed the potatoes around her plate absent-mindedly. "They have a pretty good anthropology program. Or philosophy. I haven't fully figured it out yet."

Charlie nodded as he stuffed more food in his mouth. "Anthropology is good, but I don't know about philosophy. How can you get a job with that?"

Jasper chuckled, earning a stern glare from Charlie. Bella continued, "It would mean grad school, and more money spent on tuition. It's going to be hard enough just doing undergraduate work," she mused aloud.

"We're not in the poorhouse you know," Charlie grumbled.

Bella smiled at him. "I know that, but with Jasper only a year behind me, things will get tight pretty quickly."

"I mtn ot gotu clege." Jasper said, chewing through a thick piece of pork chop.

"What?" Bella asked.

Swallowing, Jasper repeated, "I might not go to college."

Charlie stepped right in. "The hell you won't. You plan on working at Newton's your whole life?"

Jasper grimaced sourly. "Definitely not. I just mean… well, there's other things I could do."

"There aren't many options out there if you don't get a postsecondary education." Bella said softly. "And you're too smart not to go."

Changing the subject, Jasper asked, "So what are your big plans for the weekend?"

Collecting the empty dishes and placing them in the sink, Bella contemplated how to answer the question. She had no problem talking to jasper about it, but she knew Charlie would overreact if he knew the complete truth. She decided a half lie was better than a full one.

"I was thinking of going to hang out with Jake for a bit." She said, eyeing Charlie from the corner of her eye.

Charlie was watching her carefully. "What does Edward have to say about that?"

Bella tried to smile innocently. "He's coming too. Jake invited us for the afternoon as an apology."

Charlie nodded. "Billy says Jacob's been a different person since the hospital. I'm glad you could work things out. He's a good kid." Charlie rose from the table and wandered into the living room, flipping the television to a sporting event.

Jasper eyed her suspiciously but said nothing. He knew better than to ask probing questions within ear shot of their gruff father.

~{0-o-0}~

The following day was Saturday; it was the day Bella and Edward were headed to La Push to talk with Billy and Jacob. Edward picked up Bella at home shortly after noon in his shiny, silver Volvo. His whole body was tense; Bella could sense how uncomfortable he was, and she could only imagine the things racing through his mind. She wanted to comfort him but wasn't sure how to go about it.

The truth was she also felt the tension. Going to La Push meant so many things could go wrong. Jacob could freak out again and this time he could have a pack of his friends as back up. Billy could reject her as some kind of freak. Or Edward could be turned away at the door. And the list goes on. Bella's tension turned to mild anxiety the closer they got to the reserve. She tried to calm herself by watching the passing scenery.

The landscape was barren but beautiful. The pine trees were in their element during the cold months, but they didn't make up for the lack of foliage on all the deciduous trees hibernating for the winter. There were patches of snow on the ground but not nearly as many as icy pools of frigid water. There were no signs of life to be seen in the dense forest; most of the animals were hibernating or tucked away from sight to fend off the cold, wet air which seemed to permeate everything it touched.

The scenery abruptly changed as the Volvo turned into the main part of the reserve where the houses of its residents were located. There still seemed to be a desolate barrenness to the environment, but this time the sources were the run down, single storey dwellings which had been neglected due to poverty. Bella pointed out the Black's house and Edward deftly maneuvered his car between a pile of rubble and a very old pine tree.

As soon as they were out of the car and walking up to the front stoop, Jacob came barreling out of the house with a huge grin on his face. A bit more subdued, Billy followed in his wheelchair. Jacob ran right over to Bella and threw his arms around her, squeezing her off the ground in a tight bear hug.

"Ouch, Jake, calm down. It's just me." Bella said, trying to breathe. Jacob released his grip on her and turned to Edward. He extended his hand.

"Good to see you again. Sorry about the last time we met…" Jacob blushed furiously as Edward accepted his gracious apology.

Edward put one arm around Bella's waist after shaking Jacob's hand. "Let's leave the past where it belongs." He smiled tensely at Jacob, who nodded with understanding. They seemed to communicate – without words – that although it was time to forgive, they were not yet past forgetting. Only time would build up trust between them.

Billy spoke up. "Bella, Edward, how nice of you to drop by. Come in, please, we have much to discuss. Jacob, make a pitcher of iced tea. My old man's throat is dry and scratchy." He winked at Bella and wheeled back inside with everyone following suit.

Once they were all settled in the living room sipping powdered iced tea from chipped coffee mugs, Billy addressed the giant elephant in the room.

"Jacob told me that you saw Ephraim." Billy said nonchalantly.

Bella nearly choked on her drink. "Um, er… yes I guess I did." She hadn't expected Billy to be that direct about it.

Billy smiled warmly. "There's no need to shy about it. We're all friends here. But before I start talking, I'd like to know the nature of your spiritual encounters."

Bella relaxed a little but was still visibly uncomfortable. "Well, they visit me in my dreams. We talk about lots of different things, and there doesn't always seem to be a reason for it, but when I saw Ephraim it was only once and he had a message for me to deliver. Um… that's really all I know."

Billy nodded, seemingly lost in thought. After a few minutes he asked, "How many spirits have you seen?"

"Only two, but Katie once told me I could see more if I was open to it." Bella responded right away, glad for once that Billy was not a fan of pretense.

"Yes, Jacob told me about Katie. I understand she's your sister?" Billy addressed Edward, who nodded stiffly in return. "Well I will tell you what I know, but keep in mind my perspective is not the only one that exists on the subject."

Bella looked directly at him, curiosity taking over her bashfulness. "Please, tell me everything."

"The Quileute tribe is descended from a long line of magic. Our ancestors were shape shifters, capable of inhabiting the bodies of wolves. We do not know how or why the initial change happened, but we believe it was a spiritual transformation designed to enlighten wayward tribespeople," Billy paused and looked at Jacob pointedly, "because changing into the form of our brother the wolf helped us to understand a different form of life. It removed things like greed, jealousy, and hatred from our hearts. It helped us to live just for life's sake." Billy took another long sip from his drink.

"But it is said that some could not make the transformation. Again, we don't know why, but there arose a line of tribespeople who were known as mayagwewinini, or spirit talkers. They were visited by our deceased ancestors who gave them advice and helped them achieve their destinies. The spirits became known as guardians of the tribe, and those who could hear them were their loyal messengers. Over time their labels were reversed, as the spirit talkers became known as guardians with the help of the spirits. That is how we know them today."

Jacob interrupted. "Some still exist?"

"The last spirit talker we knew was your grandfather," Billy replied sadly, "I've never been privileged with that gift. The mayagwewinini are much less common now as our tribe's numbers have decreased with the size of our land."

"But how do they talk to spirits? Is it something they're born with?" Bella asked eagerly.

Billy laughed. "The gift is different for each person. My father once told me he could only see the spirits in the waazh. That's the sacred cave near the beach. He told me his grandfather saw them everywhere he went and rarely got a full night's sleep because of it." Billy took another sip of his drink then motioned for Jacob to get him a refill. "It seems that your gift is more balanced, Bella. You only see them in your dreams?" Bella nodded.

"But your abilities are increasing, are they not?" Again, Bella nodded.

"Sounds like you may have a touch of the Quileute blood in your veins." Billy smiled openly at her. "Or perhaps not. I seriously doubt this gift is limited to our people. Though we have legends about it, I'm sure there are many others who experience similar things."

"Why is that?" Bella asked.

"Because the spirit world and the world we know are not that disconnected. What we call 'death' is not truly an end of living, it's merely another form of transformation that we all must go through at some point. Those who can see and talk to spirits have firsthand knowledge of this fact. How can someone truly be 'dead' as we call it when they still communicate with some of us? And if we do live on in another form, then it only makes sense that at some time or other there would be special humans capable of bridging the gap that exists between these two forms of existence."

"So the maya… magya… the spirit talkers, they were considered special?" Bella asked timidly.

Billy nodded. "That's how our family became the ruling lineage, because we could talk to our ancestors. Of course I use the world 'ruler' not in the sense that we have supreme authority, but that we were considered the best possible leaders for our tribespeople. But to answer your question more directly, the mayagwewinini are revered in our tribe. They are considered the most connected to the mother of all life. They are the medicine men, personal advisors, and guardians… not only for our way of life, but for people everywhere."

"You keep saying 'they' yet you are part of that lineage. Won't you be the next chief of the tribe?" Bella asked.

Billy smiled sadly and shook his head. "We will not have another chief until a spirit talker appears. Until that time, I will act as interim chief." He glanced at Jacob, who was lost in thought. Bella took a moment to look at Edward, who was also glazed over with contemplation. Neither of them said a word.

Bella continued, "They spoke to outsiders about this ability?" When Billy looked confused, Bella added, "You said they were advisors for people everywhere."

"Ah yes I did. From time to time the mayagwewinini were visited by spirits from outside the tribe. They were given messages and asked to deliver them to living family members or friends. It was seen as both a duty and a privilege to serve those who have passed. Of course many outsiders did not understand our ways and continued to marginalize us, but we bore that burden as necessary. That is perhaps why Ephraim chose you to deliver his message; he was adamant about that sort of thing despite any repercussions which may follow as a result."

"Well if there are no spirit talkers in the tribe, how else would he have delivered his message?" Bella mused aloud.

Billy smiled widely. "That is a good point. His message must have been important. I understand you've been struggling with coming to terms with your gift?" Bella nodded and blushed. "Ephraim would have known this. He wouldn't have chosen you at a precarious time unless there was a higher reason for doing so. Although he believed in serving the spirits, he especially believed in letting people blossom in their own time without being forced into it."

"How would he have known?"

Billy cleared his throat before continuing. "Spirits live around us all the time. Although we cannot always sense them, they can see and hear us. For most of us it is our fleshy bodies which prevent us from knowing they're there. Anyhow, spirits watch us and watch out for us. As I said, Ephraim would not have spoken to you blindly. It is likely that your guardian spirit told him you were ready for it."

Bella's eyes grew wide. "My what?"

"Your guardian spirit. The girl who helps you. Her name is Katie, right?"

Bella was absolutely shocked. "Why do you think she's my guardian? And what exactly does that mean?"

Billy smiled knowingly. "Most mayagwewinini were visited by the same spirit who watched over them and intervened when needed. Only the truly powerful ones were ever visited by more than one spirit. This is why I believe she is your guardian; there is a divine reason for her connection with you. Do you not sense that?" Bella hesitated before nodding slightly. "Has she said anything about that to you?"

"She's discussed the purpose of her death, but only in vague terms. I get the impression there are rules about how much she can tell me."

Billy was thoughtful for a moment as he contemplated the meaning of Bella's words. The silence in the room was a little awkward, owing mostly to the lack of participation in the conversation from either Edward or Jacob. But really, what could they say? Neither of them was any more knowledgeable than Bella at that point in time.

Another thought occurred to Bella. "So Ephraim was particularly powerful?"

Billy was wrenched from his contemplation and looked Bella directly in the eyes. "Yes. As far as we know, he was the most powerful mayagwewinini that ever existed. There are no written records about spiritual experiences, but no one had ever heard of a spirit talker with that many regular visitors."

Jacob piped up. "How many were there?"

Billy shook his head. "I don't know. But from what I gather, there were possibly dozens. He spent a lot of time in that cave deciphering coded messages."

"Coded? You mean they didn't talk to him directly?" Bella asked.

"Yes they did, but I think they spoke in allegory. Remember how I said every gift was different? I believe my father could only receive certain types of messages and so spent much time interpreting their meaning. He never spoke about the details with me, so much of what I know about his gift was from random bits of overheard conversation throughout the years. He only told me about the legends and their significance, not of his particular experiences."

Bella suddenly grew weary. "So what do I do now?"

Billy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's clear to me that your gift has not yet been fully realized. I think your best bet might be to contact my father if you can, and ask him for more information. If anyone would know how to hone this particular skill it would be him. Ask Katie about how to do it. She's your guardian and will be able to help."

As Billy looked tired, Bella and Edward offered their thanks for the Blacks' hospitality and said good-bye. Jacob walked them to Edward's car.

"I hope you'll come back again soon, Bells. We need to hang out more often." Jacob said.

Bella nodded and hugged her friend. "I'd like that. Thanks for everything Jake, I really appreciate it."

Edward and Jacob exchanged polite handshakes before Bella & Edward got into the Volvo and drove off. Bella felt lighter, as though a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She attributed it to finally making sense of her ability and looking forward to her next encounter with Katie. She and Edward spent the rest of the day together at the Cullens' house lounging around and looking at university admissions requirements.

As usual, Katie did not disappoint; Bella met her again that night in her dreams.