A New World Full of Strangers
Disclaimer: All the characters in the story are the property of Stephanie Meyer. I have borrowed them for my entertainment and (hopefully) your reading pleasure. I make no profit from their use.
Chapter 51: Family
Yesterday morning I got the surprise of my life when I got an email from Seth. I hadn't heard anything from anyone in La Push since Quil sent me my stuff. But Bella sent my email address to Charlie in case anyone wanted to get in touch with me. It's pretty cool having a college email address instead of . We've been writing back and forth ever since.
Jacob, How is it going with you? Sam told me not to phase anymore, so it's safe for me to email you. The rest of the pack wants to know too. Seth
Seth, I'm glad that you don't have to phase anymore, bro. Things are pretty good up here. I have a job and I'm going to school. Jacob
Jacob, Cool. I figured out the school part based on the email. College man now, huh? I've got a part-time job too. I finish school in May. Mom wants me to go to grad school or get a job off the res. Seth
Seth, Your mom is smarter than you realize. Finish school and get a job off the res. Move off if you're really smart. Make a real life for yourself. Jacob
Jacob, It sounds like you're not coming back. Seth
Seth, I'm still trying to figure that out. How's my Dad? Jacob
Jacob, He's still pissed at you. He made Sam give the Alpha order not to communicate with you. As soon as Sam freed me, I emailed you. Quil and Embry say hi. Seth
Seth, What about Leah? Jacob
Jacob, Sam set her free too. She couldn't get out of La Push fast enough. She's staying with Mom and Charlie until she saves up enough to move far away. Seth
Seth, She can go as far as she likes, as long as she doesn't come to Whitehorse. Jacob
Jacob, Don't worry, she wants to go to California. Would it bug you if I visited during a school break? Seth
Seth, No way, bro! I'd love to see you. Jacob
Jacob, How are the Cullens? Seth
Seth, I think that they've all gone insane. Jacob
Jacob, What!? Seth
Seth, Come up and visit. You have to see it to believe it. Jacob
Yeah, I have got to admit that nothing seems to be quite so crazy as living in such close proximity to the Cullens when they are trying to be human. It seems like every time I run into one of them, some kind of new drama is going on. And half the time, it's not even because they are vampires.
They have got to be the most human vampires on the planet. I mean, every day when I walk into the diner, I am waiting to hear someone say something about how weird and freaky they are. That was the way it was in Forks, but not up here in Canada.
I had always heard that the Canadians were more open to different peoples. You know, they are more accepting of immigrants. And they aren't quite as hard on their Native Canadians as Americans are on us. And it kind of figures that in a place like this that is so isolated that they are happy to get a doctor like Carlisle, but still. The Cullens definitely look so different.
I mean, how humans have that pure white skin, except for albinos? But with that vibrantly colored hair and topaz eyes, there is no way they could pass for albinos. Under their eyes are those purple shadows. How can the Canadians miss those? With the exception of Renesmee, they all look like they haven't slept in a month, even when they've fed recently.
I was happy when the incident with the two kids died down for Bella. There are always so many different things to talk about, that once it was agreed that no one would drag anyone into court over the lunch chaos, everyone lost interest. I knew, but couldn't mention to anyone, that Carlisle was going to pay for the overtime to clean the cafeteria and to get the door locks fixed.
Apparently the principal was a little pissed about it because he was afraid that Carlisle was buying off the two Dads. Okay, he was, but that was beside the pint. That's just the way that the Cullens clean up their screw-ups in the human world.
But Carlisle explained that he wasn't actually giving them any cash. Griffin still grumbled, but Carlisle didn't care. He just wanted the whole thing to go away. Needless to say, the school board didn't care as long as they didn't have to pay for it. (Or the legal fees to take the lawsuit to court.)
Yesterday evening, I had a chance to get a look at the two little punks for myself. And they are really little punks, neither one of them looks taller than about five-two. Jed is a little blonde kid with freckles and Kai has brown hair with very blue eyes. But that's not really what's so bad about them.
They both look like they need haircuts, or maybe they are going for that messy, long haired look that the girls think is so hot. They even dressed like punks, or maybe lame hipsters. At least they are too young to grow anything darker than peach fuzz on their faces.
They were both wearing jeans so low on their hips that you could see their white undies. Then they wore plain gray tee shirts with flannel shirts over them. They had on high top sneakers, but the laces were undone. It was funny though. They were both really skinny and had these huge feet. I was able guess which one was which because the blond kid had his arm in a cast and sling.
"They look kind of like puppies, don't they?" asked old Joe when he saw me looking at them.
"Huh?" I said in my usual barely articulate way.
"Them two," he said. "Kai and Jed. Their feet are too big for their bodies, but they will grow into them. And just like puppies, they never stop moving and act before they think."
"Before they think?" asked Mary, coming over with my coffee, with a snort. "They never think about nothing. At least Rock is with them today. If he wasn't, I would have to kick them out."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," I remarked.
"Something tells me that if I did have to kick them out," she said. "In the long run, it would be more trouble than it was worth. Usual, Jacob?"
"If you say so," I answered uncertainly. "Of course, Mary. What would I do without my daily hot hamburger fix?"
"She says so," commented Joe definitively. "Look! It's Wilder Stone. This is someone that you should meet, Jake. He's a good guy and a couple of his girls know the Cullen girls."
I smiled at the way he uses my nickname now. He gestured to a tall First Nations gentleman who was about to sit by himself at a table. The man came over and sat next to me at the counter.
"Wilder Stone, isn't that a great name? This is Jacob Black," said Joe. "Jake, this is Wilder."
"Nice to meet you, son," said Wilder, as he looked me over.
"It's good to meet you, sir," I answered respectfully, because there was something about him that demanded respect.
"American?" he asked.
"Yeah, Quileute," I said. "How did you know?"
"The clothes and the buzz cut," he replied. "Those are some fancier duds than out boys wear. And they prefer a longer hairstyle."
"Oh," I said. "Well, the hair is easier for me to take care of. But I never thought of myself as a sharp dresser."
"Didn't say you were a sharp dresser," Wilder answered with a smile. "I just said that those were a bit more expensive than what we wear around here. But I can see that you're a hard worker."
I look down at my Kmart specials and remembered what Alice told me about the quality of their clothes going up since Sears took over. Hah! As if she's ever even been inside a Kmart!
"Yeah," said Joe. "Nothing says hard worker better than a little grease."
"A lot of grease if you ask me," said Wilder. "You must work at one of those auto places here in town."
"Yes, I do sir," I said politely because there was something about the guy that just made me want to earn his respect. "And I'm going to the college at night."
"Smart boy," he said. "I went to the college down in Dawson Creek where I came from. Got myself a few certifications for mining and truck driving. What are you studying?"
"Heavy machinery," I replied. "I like to fix things."
"The bigger, the better, huh?" he said. "You must be new in town."
"Pretty new," I said. "I've only been here a month."
"That's pretty new," he agreed. "I've only been here a little over a year and I still feel new. Especially when I sit next to an old-timer like Joe here."
"Who you calling old?" asked Joe. "Jake, why don't you tell him about yourself?"
"If you don't," said Mary walking over with a cup of coffee for Wilder. "Joe sure as hell will, and he'll make it good, I promise. Usual, Wilder?"
"Yup," Wilder said. "I got to work the late shift tonight. Aurora is over with the kids now, but they're not ready for dinner. I didn't want to be a bother."
"He says that like he's doing her a favor," said Mary. "But I know that he loves the beef pot pie here."
"Best in town!" said Joe.
"Aurora Silver Fox?" I asked.
"She's the only Aurora in town," answered Joe. "But you two really should know each other, Wilder. Jake here is the young fellow staying out with the Cullens. A couple of their girls are friends with a couple of your girls, right?"
"Yeah," he said. "The little one, Renesmee, has made friends with my little Terah. It's the happiest I've seen her since she moved here. Then one of the older ones, Bella, has been a good friend to Maggie. And of course, Dr. Cullen has been a good friend to us all. Got me out if trouble with social services quick enough by getting Aurora to sit for us when I pull the graveyard shift."
"Dr. Cullen is good to everyone," said Joe. "Best doctor we've ever had here. Except when he's telling me to lay off the fats and sugars because of my diabetes."
"You should listen to him," said Mary as she brought Wilder and me our dinners. "It would do you a world of good to eat a healthy diet."
"Yeah, right," he muttered as she walked away. "Like I could keep eating here if I decided to go healthy."
"They do have salads on the menu," I mentioned helpfully, which earned me a dirty look.
"Well," said Wilder, looking over at Kai and Jed. "We could do more folks like the Cullens and fewer of the likes of them."
He keeps his voice low, but I can feel the tension. Then I remember that it was his daughter's cake that started the food fight. Looking over at Jed and Kai, I can understand his resentment. Thanks to them, a nice gesture by Maggie turned into a big mess for everyone. Even with one of their fathers present, they still look like that could get into trouble at any minute.
"Still drives me crazy," he said quietly so that only Joe and I could hear. "Folks around here like to think that our Native Canadian boys are bad news. But those two little white boys are real troublemakers.
"Everyone feels sorry for them because their moms are so far away. They like to make excuses for them because their dads work such long hours. If they miss their moms so much they should go back where they came from."
If I had Edward's mind reading ability, I was sure that I would have seen in his mind that he was comparing the situation of those boys with his own kids. Those kids lost their mother and she's never coming back. And yet none of his kids are problems for the schools. After a short silence, Joe spoke.
"People are a lot less inclined to feel sorry for them now that it's been proved how destructive some of their so-called pranks are," he said. "And the folks who may like to blame problems in town on the First Nations might be loud, but they are not in the majority. I would say that your kids, not meaning your own kids of course, get in trouble about equally with ours, if not less."
"We had something of the same problem back home in Washington State," I added. "But we pretty much kept to ourselves on the Rez. We even went to our own school. "
"Weren't you allowed to go to the white school?" asked Wilder in surprise.
"We could have," I admit. "But nobody wanted to. We preferred to stick with our own people."
"I've never lived on any kind of reservation," admitted Wilder. "I suppose that your people might call me a sell out. But my parents wanted the best for me and my brothers. They knew that we would get that in the city. I had a couple of job offers to leave Dawson Creek, but I took the one in Whitehorse because it was a city with a college. Good place, I heard. And nobody steered me wrong."
"It is a good place," I said. "And I like Whitehorse too, but I still miss my life back on the Rez."
"Were you going to school there?" he asked.
"No," I replied. "I barely got through my GED."
"You work at a job?" he asked curiously.
"Not really," I admitted, knowing that he wouldn't consider patrolling the area as a huge wolf a job.
"Leave behind a girl?" he persisted.
"No," I said, not mentioning that I had really followed her up here. "There was no one special."
"No kids?" he asked.
"No, of course not!" I said as I started to get annoyed.
"What's up with this third degree, Wilder?" asked Joe. "Since when are you so nosy?"
"Sorry, son," said Wilder. "I just got carried away. But I just wanted you to see that things are much better for you up here than they would be at home. It's like that for most of us. And there's nothing wrong with it."
"No, there isn't," I said. "But you see, I come from a line of tribal chiefs that goes back hundreds of years. In fact, when my father dies, it's expected that I will take over his position of ceremonial chief and run the Council of Elders."
"Interesting," he said. "But it's not my place to judge. Anyway, I have to get to work. See you around, Joe, Jake."
"Don't mind him," said old Joe after he left. "There are some like him that are a little bit too defensive about their choice to live out here in our world. The tribal lands are much extensive here in Canada. They even have their own territory, Nunavut. Though why anyone would want to live out there in the middle of nowhere is a mystery to me. But a man like Wilder who was born and raised in the white man's world, just don't feel the same tug that, say, you or Aurora do."
"I know," I answered. "There are times when I feel like apologizing for abandoning my people. The best and the brightest are the ones who always seem to leave."
"You ever read the newspapers, Jake?" he said. "It's the same all over. Puerto Ricans are getting their education at home and then moving north for better lives and jobs. Go to Vancouver or Toronto or any of those big cities down south and you find lots of Indians, not your kind, but the real ones from India. Folks come from other places too.
"They come from all over looking for the same thing, a better life for themselves and their families. And we don't care where any of them are from. We're not so picky as you Americans. If they contribute to the country, they are welcome."
"I guess you're right," I said. "I just feel like a traitor to my people sometimes."
"Jake," he said firmly. "I haven't known you for very long, but I have always prided myself as being a good judge of character. And you're a good man through and through. Isn't that right, Mary?"
"Yes, you are, Jake," she said. "But if you don't hightail out of here quick you're going to be late for class."
"Dang!" I said as I looked at the clock. "I better shove off now!"
"How do you know when his class begins?" asked Joe.
"Because he's always out of here at ten minutes to six," she said.
Once I was out the door I rolled my eyes. Isn't there anything that that woman doesn't know about me? But on the other hand, if she hadn't told me, I would have been late. And let's face it. She has no idea that I'm a werewolf. I wonder how accepting they would be of me if they knew that about me.
Today is Thursday and not normally a dance day for Renesmee, but Madame called an extra class to start some blocking for the show since she had Clara's parents lined up now. I have to admit that it was pretty funny when I came home last night and she was waiting up for me to tell me that Carlisle and Esme would not be playing her parents in the show.
I had heard something along those lines already because Celine's mother had come into the shop for an oil change and was telling everyone there about how she and her husband were doing it as a favor to Esme and Carlisle. But I didn't mention it because I knew that it would spoil Renesmee's story.
With time to kill, I run over to the local bike shop to pick up some supplies I need. The motorcycle took kind of a beating on the ride up here. On my way over, I run into the three Cullen boys coming out of the camping supply store.
"Hey!" I say. "What are you guys hanging around town for?"
"The girls are going shoe shopping for the big dance on Saturday night," explains Jasper. "Alice ordered their dresses from Paris and they just arrived the other night. So of course they had to have matching shoes."
"Of course," I say sarcastically. "But isn't Paris a little bit, uh, upscale for Whitehorse?"
"More like uppity," says Jasper. "But I understand that they are much more low key than Alice usually buys."
"All things are relative," I say. "Renesmee told me that you are all going with each other. She said something about how you all didn't know anyone in town. But I feel like I missed part of the story. Why would you want to go to a high school dance anyway?"
"It was more like Alice was trying to save Edward's ass when his lab partner asked him," says Emmett. "She should have just said that we were going camping. The whole thing has turned into a big drama, mostly surrounding Bella."
"I thought that Bella had enough drama with the two little twerps earlier in the week?" I ask.
"Well that drama brought her to the attention of every guy in the school," explains Jasper. "They all feel sorry for her so they want to ask her to the Homecoming Dance."
"Jasper!" says Edward.
"Aw, come on, Edward!" complains Emmett. "He's just getting to the good part!"
"If I don't tell it," says Jasper. "You know that Emmett will."
Edward starts grumbling to himself in what I think are a string of profanities. I still can't understand vampire speed talking
"There is this nice guy at school, Tim, who had kind of taken a shine to Bella, because she seems so helpless and vulnerable," explains Jasper. "And of course Bella is being so nice to some of the other shy girls that he's impressed with her kindness. So he's been eating lunch with them for the past three days because he wants to protect her."
"As if he didn't notice on Monday that Bella is more than capable of protecting herself," puts in Emmett.
"Get to the point, Jasper," growls Edward.
"Anyway, Tim has been working up to asking Bella to the Homecoming Dance," says Jasper. "And today, he suggested to Edward that maybe Edward could ask Maggie Stone and he could ask Bella and they could double!"
I burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry, Edward," I say, as he scowls at me. "But this is just too rich! This guy is trying to get you to help him get a date with your wife. It doesn't get much better than this."
"You can't make this stuff up," agrees Emmett.
Suddenly, a couple of kids that I recognize from the high school come walking down the street.
"Hey man!" calls out one of them. "Check out the big Injun. Is he your new buddy, Cullen?"
Then everything seems to move at fast forward. I feel my whole body start to tremble in fury. Edward looks at Jasper. Before anyone can stop him, Emmett whips around to answer them.
"Who do you think you're calling Injun?" he yells defiantly. "Show a little respect or I'll show you the back of my hand.
"Woo-hoo!" yells the other. "I wonder if he can pack a punch like his little sister."
Emmett hisses as Jasper grabs his shoulder.
"Let it go, Emmett," he says calmly.
Even I can feel the calm taking over my emotions. Emmett takes a deep breath and backs off. It's a good thing because for the first time since I've arrived in Whitehorse I felt angry enough to phase.
"Don't worry about it," I say with a shrug. "I've been called worse."
"I bet you have red-skin!" taunts one of the kids, lucky that Jasper has the rest of us under control.
"Will you losers cut it out!" says a female voice from behind us. "That man has more class in his little pinkie than either of you has in your whole body. You're just lucky these boys are behaving like gentlemen, because I'm sure that any of them could whip your hides in two seconds!"
We turn around to see Aurora coming toward us, taller than either of the high school kids and furious. She walks past us and gets in the faces of the boys who take a step back. It isn't so much her height as her presence that is intimidating.
"Um, we were just leaving, right Scott?" says one kid.
"Yeah, that's right," says the other.
"Not before you apologize for your bad manners," she says. "And if I ever hear either of you call anyone in this town an Injun or a red-skin again, I'll find you and kick your little paleface asses to kingdom come. Remember, I know where you live! Got that butt wipes?"
"Um, sorry, guy," says one of them.
The other looks nauseous and they both take off. It is hard to control my laughter, watching the very elegant Aurora suddenly sounding all "ghetto."
"Nice job, Aurora!" says Edward. "For a minute there I thought that we were going to have to set Emmett lose on them."
"Yeah, right," says Jasper. "All we need is another Cullen threatened with arrest for assault and battery."
"I could have beaten them into next week myself," I say. "But that would only have added to the myth that all Native Americans are bad kids."
"Well, I wouldn't have had any problem giving them what they deserved," replies Aurora. "Glad I could help, but I have to get to work."
"Thanks, Aurora," I say, as she takes off in the direction of the hospital.
"That was close," says Jasper.
"Too close," I admit. "Thanks for the calm vibes."
"Those guys are jerks," says Emmett. "Nobody messes with my boy."
"Now I'm your boy," I say. "I thought I was your dog."
"Listen man," says Emmett. "You're family now. And we stick up for our family. Even if he does smell like wolf stench."
"It's kind of like our code of honor," explains Jasper. "Family is family, especially if they can handle the vampire stink."
"Renesmee would be very upset if she heard about this," adds Edward. "So I think that we should just keep this between the four of us."
"Sounds good to me," I say. "So you guys are planning a camping trip?"
"Actually it will probably be more of a hunting trip," says Edward. "You're welcome to come of course."
"I'll think about it," I say. "I'll have to check my work schedule."
"No problem," says Emmett easily. "Take it easy, bro. If we don't get back to Esme in five minutes, we'll be in hot water."
"Alice still has them trying on shoes," says Edward. "Even walking at human speed we will beat them there."
Human speed, I think as they walk off. And Emmett is calling me bro now. Things just keep getting stranger and stranger. But I have to admit. I kind of like it. But my mind drifts back to my conversation this morning with Carlisle about the whole phasing thing. I guess it's a good thing that I could have phased if I wanted. Of course doing it in the middle of Whitehorse wouldn't been the best idea.
And thinking back to Seth's email, I realize that if I phase, the guys, if even one of them is a wolf at the same time as I am, have will know what I am thinking. But knowing that my "wolf stench" is still in the air for the Cullens, and I can still smell their "vampire stink" is good.
But what would happen to Renesmee and me if I did go all human and started to age again? It's different Seth because he never imprinted. And it's different for all the other guys because they imprinted on humans. But I imprinted on an immortal and that complicates things greatly, very greatly.
Well, based on the luck that I've been having all my life, it just figures. Because of the fact that the tribe still needs the wolves in La Push, I will never be free of the pack mind. The Cullens accept me as a full-fledged member of the family and suddenly the key to my own immortality, being a werewolf doesn't look so great anymore.
Author's Note:There have been a few guest reviewers who have been blowing up my guest review box with profanity-laced reviews. Occasional swear words don't bother me. If you are looking for them, I will not be approving them. If you wish to write such a review under your fanfiction pen name (you have one), I will gladly report you.
Since the purpose of reviews is not only to "cheerlead" the writer, but also to offer constructive criticism, you clearly do not understand their purpose. I have no problem with reading or approving negative reviews as long as they are respectful. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. But no one is entitled to be hateful.
