Lost and Found
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews!
Part Fifty Four-Rachel's Secret
Rebecca and Jared were at the house when Jacob and Bella went inside. He had made sure to turn off the engine and push his mother's car the last few feet so Sarah wouldn't be alerted by the noise. He didn't want her to know he had been using her car again. "Hey, Becks." Jacob greeted his sister. "Mom around?" He scanned the room keenly.
"She's in her room lying down. She says she didn't feel well." Rebecca replied.
Jacob exchanged a worried glance with Bella. "Have you checked on her?" He asked his sister.
"Chill, Jake. It's just one of mom's migraines. She always gets one when she's had a bust up with dad." Rebecca reminded him.
"I suppose so." Jacob didn't like thinking about his father, it only made him angry. He caught Bella's hand and towed her into the kitchen. He was feeling hungry and began to make up a sandwich while she sat down at the table with Jared and Rebecca.
"Hello, Becca." Bella smiled at the older girl. Rebecca was perched on Jared's knee and they were pouring over a car magazine.
"Oh hi, Bella." Rebecca said distractedly as she looped her hair behind her ear. "Jared is helping me pick out a car."
"You're gonna get wheels?" Jacob came up behind his sister and Jared and peered over their shoulder. "How are you gonna afford that?"
"Guilt trip money from dad." Rebecca revealed with a sly grin. "You should try it little brother. Dad would do anything to appease his conscience."
"Like money makes up for him being a shit parent." Jacob said derisively as he took a huge bite out of his sandwich.
"Well we might as well get something out of him." Rebecca shrugged nonchalantly. "I tried to get Rachel to take her share but she's being all pig headed about it."
"Where is Rach?" Jacob sat down next to Bella and glanced at the car magazine again.
"She went off in a huff after our argument." Rebecca sighed as Jared hugged her comfortingly. "She's been avoiding me whenever Jared is here."
"It must be hard for her." Bella mused as she looked at Rebecca cuddled up on Jared's lap. She knew she would find it hard if her twin was always wrapped around her boyfriend when in the same room. Rachel and Rebecca had always been extra close and Rachel had to be missing that former closeness.
"I tried hooking her up with Paul but she wasn't interested." Jared said as he flicked through the car magazine.
"Paul…." Jacob was appalled.
"He likes her." Rebecca interjected before Jacob could kick up a fuss. Everyone knew what a tool Paul Lahote could be. He seemed to be with a different girl every week.
"Lahote likes any female with a pulse." Jacob scowled at his sister in annoyance. "No wonder she was pissed."
Bella stared at the others wondering could they really be that clueless. It was obvious why Rachel wasn't interested in Paul Lahote, and it wasn't because of his reputation. Even though she wasn't as good friends with Rachel as she had become with Rebecca, Bella had picked up on the subtle clues that Rachel had given over the years. "Um…I think you'll find that Rachel isn't interested in boys."
"She's just a late starter that's all." Rebecca replied, completely misunderstanding what Bella was hinting at.
Jared obviously got it though. He tightened his hold on Rebecca as he told her in a more blunt fashion what Bella was trying to say. "Rachel's gay, Becks."
Rebecca's eyes widened as she stared first at Jared then Bella and finally Jacob. "But I would have known." She babbled. "I'm her twin."
"I had no idea." Jacob admitted. "How do you know, Bells? Did Rach tell you?"
Bella shook her head. "No, she's never said a word."
"Then what makes you think she is." Rebecca demanded irately. "You can't just go around making presumptions like that without anything to back it up."
"Look I never said anything before because it's really none of my business, but you know that girl Rachel hung out with last year."
"The hiker chick." Jared said in surprise.
"Her name was Anna." Bella rolled her eyes at Jared's turn of phrase. "She was temping at the diner the same time as Rachel was. They were dating."
"What were you spying on them?" Rebecca questioned sarcastically.
"Becks." Jacob warned her.
Bella ignored Rebecca's indignation. "No, but I do live just down the street from the diner. I saw Rachel and Anna holding hands plenty of times and once I saw them kiss when I came out of the local store."
Rebecca was flabbergasted. She opened her mouth to refute Bella's claim but couldn't, because now that Bella had mentioned Anna, she did recall that her sister had been very upset when it was time for her new friend to leave and continue on her travels. Rachel had been listless for weeks afterward, but Rebecca had put it down to the fact that she was dating Jared and that her twin was jealous, but maybe that hadn't been the reason at all. Two bright spots of red coated Rebecca's cheeks as she realised how neglectful she had been toward her twin since her own love affair had started.
"I'm a bad sister." She lamented.
"I didn't know either." Jacob confessed. "I'm just as bad."
"Why didn't she tell me?" Rebecca put her hands over her face.
"Chill, babe. Rachel hid it well. You can make it up to her now you know." Jared reassured her.
"Jared's right. Rachel obviously kept it to herself for a reason. Maybe she's just scared about opening up about something so personal. Once she sees how cool you all are with it then she'll feel more able to confide in you." Bella advised.
Jacob grinned at Bella affectionately. "Did I ever tell you how totally cool you are, Bella Swan?" He teased her.
Bella laughed at the proud expression on his face and reached across to ruffle his hair playfully. "Don't you forget it, mister." She agreed.
Sam packed up his things while Charlie watched in uncomfortable silence. Since coming back from the hospital Sam had remained mute. Charlie had tried to explain his position again as he did his best to make Sam understand that asking him to move out hadn't been an easy decision to make. But Sam's feelings were still too raw for him to be forgiving. To him it felt like the man he thought of as his father was turning his back on him through no fault of his own.
"Do you want help?" Charlie asked gruffly.
"No." Sam replied coolly as he dumped the last of his clothes in the bag and zipped it up.
"You can still come over any time you want. It's just that right now it's best if you and Bella aren't sleeping under the same roof." Charlie tried to explain again.
"I get it. You don't have to keep repeating yourself." Sam scowled as he threw the heavy bag over his shoulder.
"I don't think you do get it." Charlie stood in front of Sam as the younger man tried to stalk past him. "Bella is vulnerable still. I don't think she's ready for a relationship with anyone."
"Tell Jacob Black that." Sam sneered. "He can't seem to keep his hands off of your daughter."
"What are you talking about?" Charlie demanded.
Sam sighed heavily, knowing that he had crossed a line. He just felt so hurt and betrayed. He knew that Bella would be pissed at him for telling her father about her secret relationship with Jacob, if it could even be called that. She had put the brakes on after all. "Forget I said anything. It was just kid's stuff, that's all."
"Bella is still just that, Sam. She is a kid." Charlie pointed out gently. "She needs time to grow up some more."
Sam hung his head and averted his gaze. "I would never hurt her, Charlie."
"I know that." Charlie ran a hand through his hair. "You both need some space that's all."
Sam nodded abruptly as he hefted the heavy bag higher on his shoulder. "I'll see you later, Charlie." He said before swiftly leaving.
Jacob and Jared had to leave to go on patrol. Rebecca offered to drive Bella home after the two boys had gone. She borrowed her mother's car and made the short journey back to Forks. "I'm sorry if I seemed a bit rude earlier when you told us about Rachel." She apologised.
"Don't worry about it." Bella shrugged. She had already forgotten. After her revelation about Rachel they had all settled down and spent a relaxing few hours debating what car Rebecca should buy. Jared and Jacob had a heated debate about it and settled their argument with a hand wrestling match, much to the girl's amusement. Jacob had won.
"I was just feeling guilty I suppose. Rach and I have drifted apart the last year or so. I know it was bound to happen, but still…." Rebecca's voice tailed off as she pulled up outside Bella's house.
"Thanks for the lift." Bella unclipped her seat belt and opened the passenger door. She paused before she climbed out and looked back at Rebecca. "Don't worry about Rachel. She's strong like you. You'll reconnect again."
"Jake's lucky to have you." Rebecca said in a rare moment of praise.
"Thanks." Bella smiled at Rebecca before climbing out of the car and waving the older girl off as she drove away.
Midnight rolled around. Bella couldn't sleep. She was so attuned to waking up at that hour that she couldn't settle down. In the past she would have been outside visiting her black wolf. Bella rolled onto her side. She couldn't help feeling guilty that Charlie had essentially kicked Sam out of the house because of his feelings for her. She knew it wasn't her fault but she had to concede she hadn't made things easy for Sam. On top of that was the secret she was keeping about Leah's miscarriage. She felt Sam had a right to know but couldn't say anything because Leah had made her promise.
Bella gave up on sleeping. She pulled on her dressing gown and padded down the stairs. When she went into the kitchen she opened the fridge and grabbed the milk carton. Normally when she had a restless night she found drinking warm milk always soothed her. She didn't know why. It was something Charlie always made her when she was little if she had a nightmare. Bella poured the milk into a small pan and warmed it up. As she stirred the milk she glanced out of the kitchen window. It gave her a clear view of the back porch and somehow she wasn't surprised when she saw Sam sitting on the porch steps with his back to the window. He had his head in his hands.
Bella felt sadness wash over her. He looked so dejected. The milk started to boil. She quickly pulled the pan off the stove and poured the warm milk into two mugs before heading for the back door. Sam raised his head when he heard her come outside. By the weak light filtering from the kitchen window Bella could see the shiny tracks of his tears glistening on his tan skin. She walked on bare feet to join him and passed him one of the mugs wordlessly.
"Thanks." Sam said huskily as he held out one hand toward her. Bella gently laid her hand in his as he helped her to sit down beside him. Neither of them spoke while they drank their milk and stared at the darkened horizon in front of them.
Sam was the first to finish his drink. He put his empty mug on the porch beside him before turning to look at Bella. She turned at the same time he did and their eyes met briefly before she quickly dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry that dad asked you to leave. That wasn't my doing." She whispered apologetically.
"I know." Sam sighed as he watched her fiddle with her mug nervously. "But he was right to tell me to go. I know I was making things hard. I just…" He sighed again and shrugged helplessly.
"I get it." Bella drank the last dregs of her milk. She was embarrassed to see that her hand was shaking as she held the mug to her lips.
"I know I pressured you, Bella. But I need you to know my feelings aren't going to change." Sam put his hand over hers when it began to shake again. He took the mug away from her before she dropped it.
"Please I can't talk about that." Bella protested as she scrambled to her feet.
Sam stood up too. He hovered so close that she could feel his heat warming her chilled skin. Bella felt her nerves kick in again and she kept her eyes trained on her feet. "I'll see you the same time tomorrow." Sam said quietly as his lips brushed the top of her hair.
Before Bella could react he melted silently into the darkness.
A/N-thanks for reading!
