Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Author's note I: Holy crap on a cracker, an update in TWO days? What can I say, I took pity on all of you. That was quite an evil cliffhanger. And you were also very, very good readers and left me many reviews...see what happens when you're good? :)
Author's note II: I've been going back and cleaning up the story. Mostly just awkward sentences, bad grammar, and silly spelling mistakes that drove me nuts whenever I went back to read a chapter. There's still mistakes out there but I am human (unfortunately, sadness). There is HOWEVER one change I made that's more than just semantics. Chapter 28: Recognition. Originally, Charlie pulls out his gun and aims it at Bella in front of Rosalie and Alice. It occurred to me a while ago that that wouldn't fly. In a normal world (and Charlie still thinks he lives in a normal world) if a parent pulls a gun on his child in front of witnesses, those witnesses will surely freak out and tell somebody. If they didn't do that, the parent would think those witnesses are insane. Hence why I had to change it, so Charlie wouldn't wonder why on earth Rosalie and Alice didn't care and never came forward or at the very least, tell their parents when Charlie looked like he would kill his daughter. The change: instead of successfully pulling the gun out of the holster and then Bella disarms him, Charlie reaches for his gun (sneakily, so he thinks) and Bella disarms him before the gun makes it out of the holster. Bella knew what was about to happen. Rosalie and Alice, because they're vampires, knew what was about to happen. But Charlie assumes the Cullen girls are none the wiser. Understand? I mention this now because it would be pretty odd if Charlie finds out Bella is dating a girl who knows Charlie almost killed her.
It took five seconds for Charlie's feet to thaw from where they had frozen to swiftly turn around and leave the shed. He almost tripped over his own shoes a few times as he walked blindingly back to his house. Halfway across the yard, he heard Bella call his name.
"Charlie, wait!"
That was the last thing he wanted to do. He'd prefer to get dressed in his uniform, get in his car and go to work. There were bad guys to be caught. Traffic tickets to hand out. Those things he could handle with ease. The most unpredictable day at work would be far more relaxing than whatever words he and Bella exchanged right now.
Bella caught up with him and he had no choice but to turn around. She was wearing clothes, thank god.
He waited for her to speak. His face was so red he feared if he opened his mouth hot smoke would rush out. She too looked just as flushed.
"I'm sorry," he blurted out.
"Me too," she said quietly.
"I didn't mean to barge in like that," he mumbled. "I heard...noises. I thought you might be hurt."
Both of their faces took on a deeper shade of red. Noises...yeah, sure, he scoffed at himself. But he wasn't going to embarrass himself or the girl in front of him by elaborating on just how much screaming he heard. From his own kitchen, no less. It's a good thing they didn't have any close neighbors.
He chanced a look back at her and saw that she was looking down at her feet. Charlie had never given an ounce of thought to...well, to teenage issues such as the one that he was now facing. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Yell at her about how inappropriate this all was? Tell her she was too young for sex? Obviously it was a little late for the Talk. He frowned. What was he thinking? Charlie was a lousy excuse for a father and he knew it. What right did he have to act like one now? Just because he was extremely uncomfortable with what he saw didn't make it ok to start laying down rules like a good father would. Besides, he had promised her when she first moved here that he wouldn't interfere with her life as long as she was safe.
Bella spoke up, probably perplexed with his silence. "Do you...ah, do you have any questions for me?"
Did he have questions for her? Jesus, could he open his mouth without stammering in awkwardness? That was the real question...
"So," he shuffled his feet. "You...like girls?"
Just kill me now, he thought.
"I like Rosalie," she said quietly. "I love her."
"Rosalie...Carlisle and Esme's kid?"
She nodded. "Do they know about this?"
She nodded again.
Charlie looked back towards the shed where the girl, Rosalie, probably still remained.
"Bella," he whispered. "Is it safe?"
From the look on her face he knew she understood he wasn't talking about safe sex. Just the thought of that word though brought back images he really wished he could erase from his mind, and he blushed profusely. Bella sure knew how to pick 'em, he thought with just a small hint of pride.
"Yes," she stated firmly. "Absolutely. We've...we've been together since last summer."
He nodded, surprised. Could he go now? Did he fulfill whatever fatherly duties he was supposed to perform? His radio crackled to life and he immediately reached for it, relieved for a distraction.
"10-70 at 274 Main Street. Available officer requested on premises. Over."
Automatically Charlie's voice changed to reflect his authority. "Copy that. 10 minutes ETA. Over."
"I have to go," he turned back to her.
"Ok," she said and watched him walk the rest of the way to the house. Before he fully stepped inside she shouted, "hey what's 10-70?"
He hesitated. "Fire alarm," he shouted back.
The woods sped by at lightning speeds as Rosalie pounced on the fleeing deer. Snarling, she swiftly broke the animal's neck and drank her fill. The burning in her throat sated only slightly. Despite the less than palatable taste of the deer's blood she knew she'd have to keep hunting. Another three deer fell before she finally felt safe enough to stop. She stood still in the middle of the forest. Her eyes were once again their normal golden hue but they burned with anger and worry.
Bella's scent was getting harder for her to endure. More and more frequently she caught herself eying the girl's neck in her sleep and licking her lips. Wanting and hoping to turn her one day was one thing...this, however, was an intense need...it was something without thought or logic. And it was happening all the goddamn time. Rosalie didn't stay to help Bella face her father not because she didn't want to but because she couldn't. Her reserve of control had been depleted by the time Charlie stumbled in on them. She would never admit this to Bella but Rosalie was actually grateful for the man walking in on them when he did. Five more minutes in the shower with Bella and she didn't know what might have happened.
And that business in the shower...
She tore apart the tree closest to her in anger. She had put Bella's life in danger. Bella might have a kinky side that enjoyed the experience, but there was no doubt that what they had done...what she had done to her could've killed her. It scared Rosalie out of her wits that the thought hadn't occurred to her at the time. Why did it feel like her rational mind wasn't always present with her anymore?
She took her phone out of her pocket and dialed. There was only one person who could help her with this.
"Hello," the voice on the other end greeted.
"Tanya," said Rosalie. "I need your help."
"Well hi to you too, Blondie," Tanya chuckled. "How can your favorite succubus be of service?"
"It's Bella."
Tanya's voice immediately changed to match Rosalie's seriousness. "Is she alright?"
"Yes, but...I'm not."
Rosalie explained her predicament, leaving nothing out. Tanya and her sisters have long been close friends and she trusted them implicitly.
"To be honest I'm not exactly surprised," Tanya admitted. "In fact I'm more surprised this hasn't happened sooner."
"What do I do?" Rosalie pleaded.
"Turn her," Tanya stated calmly. "That's the only thing you can do."
Rosalie balked. "I can't! We-we're not there yet, Tanya. We've never had that discussion. And...and I'm not ready."
Tanya was silent for a few moments. "You are planning for this though, right? This is not something that should be put off..."
"Yes," Rosalie sighed. This is not how she wanted this conversation to go. "She's still so young...This isn't the time for it."
Tanya sighed. "Rosalie, I honestly don't have any answers for you. None of us have maintained an intimate relationship with a human for as long as you have with her. What you're experiencing sounds like what any vampire experiences with their mate. Your vampire wants to claim her, mark her as yours. You haven't been able to really do that because she's human and that would kill her. And now that she's interacting with the shape-shifters, that need is much, much more powerful. I'm sorry sweetie, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but it's only going to keep getting worse."
Tears of frustration threatened to wash down her face though of course they never would. "How can I keep her safe?" She whispered.
"Turning her is the only sure way," she replied, then paused. "Leaving her would also help."
Rosalie snarled and almost crushed the phone in her hand. "Not. Possible," she growled.
"I know," Tanya said gently. "But you need to understand that those are the only options that keep her from danger...at least, danger from you."
Rosalie punched another tree with her free hand and sent it crashing to the ground.
"Rose, wait." Tanya sighed. "Hunt more. It might help for a while. Hunt as often as you can even if you're not thirsty. That's all I can think of."
She nodded, then remembered Tanya couldn't see her and voiced her understanding.
"And Rose, you have to talk to her," Tanya said quietly. "Soon. Don't...don't make assumptions."
Bella and Jacob walked out of the arcade and down the beach together. This was definitely becoming a favorite haunt of theirs. There weren't too many places to hang out in Forks, and frankly Bella preferred La Push since it minimized the chances of running into kids from her school. Nothing noteworthy had occurred but Mike, Jessica and Lauren's inaction was beginning to worry her. She had a very bad feeling the three were plotting something and she'd rather nothing go down in Jacob's presence. It would certainly put her in a foul mood.
"So let me get this straight," Jacob grinned. "You were getting it on with your girl in the shower."
"Uh huh."
"Then your dad walks in on you."
"Uh huh."
"He runs off. You run after him."
"Yup."
"Shit, Bella," he laughed. "You got balls of steel!"
Bella grinned too. That incident could've gone a lot worse than it had. Even so, it's been a week and Charlie still couldn't face her. Or was it the other way around?
"How did he take it?" Jacob asked.
"Oh, you know Charlie," she said. A lot better than I do, she mentally added. "He's probably just relieved he doesn't have to worry about a pregnancy."
He looked at her seriously. "Well...if he's not cool with it and you ever need a place to crash or something, you know you can always call me."
Bella smiled softly and he smiled back. "Thanks, Jake. I appreciate that. But I don't think I have to worry about that. Besides, the Cullens have a pretty big house."
Jacob's smile faltered and so did his step. "The Cullens?"
"Yeah..." Bella gave him a funny look. "Dude, keep walking."
He ignored her. "Wait, what do the Cullens have to do with any of this?"
"Well I am dating their daughter..." Bella was really concerned now. "What's wrong with you?"
"I thought her last name was Hale."
"It is. She didn't change it when she got adopted," she replied. "Can you snap out of whatever you're on and tell me what's wrong?"
"It's nothing," he muttered. "Really! It's a load of crap. Just scary stories our parents like to tell us so we eat our vegetables."
"What stories?" She had a bad feeling about this.
"Legends. Myths. Really, it's not a big deal," he insisted. But Bella stared him down and he gave in. "Quileutes believe in magic and pretty fantastic things. We have stories about all kinds of creatures. We call one of them the 'cold ones.'"
Bella's heart took a dive south. Outwardly, her face expressed only mild curiosity and interest.
"Go on," she said.
"The cold ones are supposed to be the tribe's greatest enemy. A long time ago, so the stories say anyway, the cold ones attacked our villages and killed a lot of people before we figured out how to fight them off."
"And how did you do that?" She asked blankly.
"The tribe believes in animal spirits. We've always identified strongly with the wolf you see, so the legends say that the spirit of the wolf took pity on our ancestors and gave them the power of the wolf to fight back. That's how we drove the cold ones away."
Bella kept walking, the gears in her mind working. "So...cold ones...are they just cold? What makes them so bad?"
Please be wrong, please be wrong, she begged.
Jacob at least had the decency to look abashed. "They're bloodsuckers. You know...vampires."
Bella chuckled. "Wow."
"Yeah, I know," Jacob laughed too. "Nobody really believes that stuff. It's just an old legend that gets passed down cause, you know, that's what you do with old legends."
"Hey, no judgement," she said. "But I don't get the connection to the Cullens."
Poor Jacob's discomfort was abundantly clear. Bella felt a little better that he obviously didn't believe this stuff and was embarrassed by it, but not by much.
"It's really silly, Bells," he apologized. "Just a stupid legend...the story says the Cullens are one of those...cold ones. They came here a long time ago but because they promised not to kill people, the tribe made a treaty with them."
Bella stared at him, making sure to put on her best 'what the fuck' mask.
"Come on," he looked smiled shyly. "You said you wouldn't judge."
She nodded. "You're right. No judgements. But I'll have you know," she said with a sly grin. "Rosalie's body is smokin' hot, not cold. And the only thing I get when she bites me is a lot of hickies."
Jacob laughed loudly. "Thanks for clearing that up."
Suddenly, both of their phones started ringing. They looked at each other in surprise. Weird.
It was Charlie calling for Bella. And based on the snippets she heard from Jacob, his father was on the line with him.
"Hi Bella," he started. Jesus, she could practically feel him blushing. "My friend Billy Black invited me over for dinner tonight. Billy's son Jacob is the one that built your truck. Would you, ah, like to come along?"
Wow. She wasn't sure what was more shocking today...Jacob's tribe knowing the Cullens were vampires or her father inviting her to dinner with other people.
She glanced at Jacob and could see he was getting the same news. "Sure, Charlie," she said. "Um, I probably should've mentioned sooner. I've already met Jacob...in fact I'm with him right now."
"Oh. Ok. Um, I guess I'll meet you there then. You know where to go?"
"Jacob will show me," she said and they hung up.
Jacob grinned when he too hung up with his father. "Cool! I can show you my workshop!"
She laughed. "Just let me call Rosalie real quick."
Her plan to confront her about the Quileutes would have to wait. But she had to at least give her a heads up that she'd be here for the rest of the evening or she really would turn a 'cold one' and start killing people.
Billy Black appeared to be an older, wheelchair-bound version of his son. But as Bella shook his hand and made small talk with him, it was clear that this man had a lot of dignity and pride in his family and tribe.
"Dad's one of the tribe elders," Jacob had whispered to her. "He takes it pretty seriously."
Does that mean he takes the 'Cold Ones' seriously too? She got her answer halfway through dinner.
"Old Stevens got himself drunk and set his shop on fire today," Charlie sighed. "Poor sop."
"Is he ok?" Bella asked quietly.
"He'll be fine," Charlie chewed on his fish. "Carlisle patched him up real well."
Bella immediately rested her gaze on Billy, just in time to see him narrow his eyes and look disgusted. Jacob had looked at his father too before turning to Bella and shrugging. 'Sorry,' he mouthed.
"They don't have other doctors at that hospital?" Billy asked rigidly.
"None better than Carlisle," Charlie replied smoothly. "Really, Billy. The Cullens are good people."
The man said nothing and continued to eat his meal. "Since when are you on first name basis with Carlisle?" He asked. A six-year-old would be able to hear the dripping sarcasm and enmity in his voice.
"Since he and Esme practically adopted Bella here," Charlie said with pride. Bella's heart sank in her chest. She had hoped this wouldn't come up. She needed to observe and look out for anything that could harm the Cullens, not worry about what Billy observed in her. "That whole family has been wonderful to my daughter, and I won't take any nonsense prejudice against them."
Under different circumstances, Bella's heart would glow after hearing Charlie refer to her as 'his daughter.' Another first for this day, she thought. But she had kept her eye on Billy through her father's speech. The man was now giving her a measured, calculating look. He was waiting for her to say something, she realized.
"I sit with their kids at lunch sometimes," she said casually. "They're really nice."
She gave Charlie a meaningful look before she took her next bite and hoped he'd get the message. Don't tell him about Rosalie, she silently pleaded. The would tell Billy far too much about what she might know. As it is, her simple admission to eating lunch with the kids might have been too much information, she slowly realized. If the man before her was as unsure as Jacob was about the stories, her implying they ate like normal people would put him at ease. But that didn't appear to be the case, she thought with a sinking feeling. Billy Black knows what the Cullens are. Which means he knows she's not being entirely honest. Fuck. The table, the walls, and especially Billy started melting before her eyes.
Calm down. Think of the beach. The sand. Jacob.
"Hey Charlie," Jacob interjected excitedly and changing the subject much to Bella's relief. "Is it ok if I teach Bella how to ride a motorcycle?"
"Huh? Oh, ah," Charlie looked at her and she smiled softly. "Sure."
Dinner came to an end, Bella having managed to avoid Billy's piercing stare for the remainder of it. On her way to Jacob's room she heard Billy asking her father, "You're really ok with her getting on a motorcycle?"
"You're fine with Jacob doing the same," Charlie replied. Again she heard a hint of that foreign sounding pride in his voice. "Bella's got a good head on her shoulders. I trust her to be safe."
Bella thought her heart would burst with happiness.
Jacob snorted. "I can't believe he's so cool with you after everything," he whispered to her in the hallway.
Tell me about it, she thought, though they were obviously thinking of two very different things.
The hallway, like the rest of the small house, was lined with pictures on the wall. Here without any distractions, she paid closer attention to the photographs.
"Nice cornrows," she snorted, much to Jacob's embarrassment.
The biggest picture on the wall was obviously a family portrait. Jacob and Billy were wearing fancy and uncomfortable looking suits. The two teenage girls on either side of Jacob, his sisters she presumed, were also dressed to the nines but they looked a lot happier in their sundresses. Bella's eyes moved over the woman standing by Billy, Jacob's mother.
She froze in her tracks.
Everything, everything stopped. Her annoyance with Billy. Her happiness with Charlie. She stared in disbelief at the woman in the photograph, and like she'd read about the Mona Lisa, the woman stared right back at her.
This cannot be happening.
Jacob noticed her absence and came to stand by her. He too looked up at the picture.
"Is that your mom?" Her voice was blank and lifeless.
"Yea," he replied quietly.
"She's beautiful. What was her name?"
"Sarah," he answered.
Sarah...she would never have made the connection without that picture. She never learned Sarah's last name before...had no idea that the boy she'd befriended and come to love like a brother was her son.
This cannot be happening.
Sarah Black. Billy's wife...Jacob's mother...Bella's victim.
Told you I had different plans for Jacob. I really am putting Bella through the wringer, aren't I? Poor kid.
