Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.

A/N: Also thanks to my awesome Beta, Blueboarderchick.

Thank you to my reviewers.


Chapter 45

Upon our arrival at the Boston airport, I had my cane x-rayed, my ankle brace searched for any concealed weapons and my pain medication felt up (courtesy airport security). We were in the middle of retrieving our bags at the carousel when we were approached by a middle-aged, pudgy, grey haired man, wearing a black suit and tie.

The man smiled as us, stepping forward to greet Taylor and Liz, "Well, would you look at the two of you? You're all grown up."

Liz beamed, leaning in to wrap the man in a hug. "I'm so happy to see you, Jeffery."

She stepped away and Taylor approached the man with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Jeffery."

Jeffery eyed Taylor's outstretched hand with a raised eyebrow. "What? You're too old for hugs now? Come here." Jeffery pushed Taylor's hand out of the way, pulling him into a manly embrace.

"Jeffery's been their father's chauffeur for fifteen years," Ryan explained to me in a hushed tone. Having had no prior experience with how chauffeurs were supposed to act, I was a bit surprised. The only thing I had to go by was what I saw on TV. And the TV drivers hardly ever spoke to their passengers. The easy familiarity with which Jeffery had greeted Liz and Taylor, I'd assumed he was an uncle or something.

Jeffery pulled away from Taylor, surveying Ryan's large frame with mock horror on his face. "I can't believe it. You've gotten even bigger since the last time I saw you."

"Don't forget, Jeffery. I'm still a growing boy," Ryan laughed heartily before wrapping him in a bear hug. Jeffery let out a groan when Ryan put the squeeze on him before letting him go.

Jeffery's brown eyes landed on me and he raised an inquiring eyebrow. "And who's this pretty little thing?"

A slight blush stained my cheeks and I murmured, "I'm Izzy. Nice to meet you." I held out my hand and was pleasantly surprised when Jeffery yanked me in for a hug. Evidently, Jeffery was a hugger.

With our bags in tow, Jeffery ushered us out of the airport where a black limousine was parked. Taylor frowned slightly in annoyance. "Did he have to send the limo?"

"You know your father." Jeffery laughed merrily.

Safely tucked away in the limo, Jeffery proceeded to drive us away from the airport. After a few moments of silence, Ryan opened the mini-fridge and offered us a soda. He removed one for himself after everyone declined.

Taylor turned to me, concern flashing across his face. "How's your ankle? Do you need another pill?"

"No. Not for the next hour or so," I smiled softly.

"Taylor, be nice to dad, all right?" Liz implored and as Taylor rolled his eyes, she went on to add, "He was really concerned about you when he heard about the accident."

"I'll bet." Taylor's sarcastic expression withered under Liz's glare. He exhaled wearily, "Look, I'll try but I think he'll spend the entire visit ignoring me like he usually does." A series of emotions flickered across his face. The look of resignation lingered before he forced blankness onto his visage.

Liz heaved a helpless sigh before turning to look at me with a silent plea in her eyes. I bit back a sigh of my own. I knew what she wanted from me. Earlier on the plane, Liz assigned me the task of softening Taylor up during our visit. For some reason, she was convinced that he would listen to me. I wasn't sure I held that kind of sway over him.

A string of large and lavish properties came into view as I gazed out of the window, and I was able to denote that we were getting closer to the house.

The partition slid down then Jeffery asked over his shoulder, "Hey, Ryan. We're almost at your house. Do you want me to drop you off there, or what?"

Ryan exchanged a look with Liz before he wrinkled his nose. "That's all right, Jeffery. I'll see my parents later." He was obviously not looking forward to seeing his parents, mainly his mother. I couldn't say that I blamed him. I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to meet anyone who could hate Liz.

On the other hand, I was both anxious and curious to meet Walter Reed. The man who mourned his lost love for twenty years. You had to admire that kind of devotion.

The limo pulled into a long driveway and came to a stop in front of a white Federal style mansion with four large columns adorning the front of the building. Liz and Ryan were the first to exit the limo while Taylor stayed behind to assist me. Having extracted ourselves from the vehicle, Jeffery drove the car back to the garage which was situated toward the back of the building.

Taylor gripped my arm, helping me climb up the stairs to the front entrance. Ryan opened the heavy front door and stepped over the threshold with the rest of us trailing behind him. I gazed around the foyer in awe of the ridiculously high ceiling and crystal chandelier that hung from it.

We were in the process of shrugging off our jackets when we were joined by Robert, the butler. He silently collected our jackets, choosing to respond with a slight nod when he was greeted. Robert was impassive almost to the point of coldness. He was a vast difference from the warmth I'd experienced earlier from Jeffery.

The sound of approaching footsteps and the soft clicking of heels, echoed against the marble floor. Taylor brushed his hand against my own before wrapping it in a tight hold. Inquiringly, I stared up at his face, but Taylor remained silent, shooting a small smile at me. I looked away just in time to see a slim-built man and a curvy, voluptuous woman of part Aboriginal descent entering the foyer.

Immediately, I recognized the man to be Walter Reed, Taylor's father. I'd be able to distinguish those green eyes anywhere. Although, Taylor and his father were identical in height and built, those were where the similarities ended. Taylor had inherited his skin and hair color from his mother, while Liz got her brown hair from their father. Even though Walter appeared to be in his mid-forties, he was still quite handsome.

As Walter and the lady came to stand before us, his eyes landed on Liz and he smiled wanly, "Elizabeth, you're the spitting image of your mother." From the look on his face, I could tell that he was uncertain as to whether this was a good or bad thing.

"Hi, Daddy," Liz smiled demurely and then leaned in to embrace him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Liz pushed herself away, and Walter turned to greet Ryan with a slightly teasing tone of voice. "Why am I not surprised to see you here instead of at your home?"

Ryan grinned sheepishly as he raised an arm, scratching the back of his head. "Well… you know. I do plan on going home… eventually, Mr. Reed. It's just that-"

Walter raised a hand, putting a halt to Ryan's diatribe. "You can forget it, Ryan. Your mother already called, requesting that you come home immediately."

Ryan's face fell and his tone turned whiny. "Aw, come on, Mr. Reed. Where Liz goes, I go. You know that."

Walter rolled his eyes in amusement at Ryan's expression. "Of course I know that. After twenty-one years, two guard dogs, an electric fence and two armed guards, I've come to realize that nothing can keep you out of my house and away from my daughter. And I refuse get into it with you again about why you bit that guard when you were twelve-"

"He bit me first!" Ryan interjected with a protest.

Walter continued on unfazed. "You know how your mother gets." At Ryan's crestfallen look, Walter added, "Be grateful that your parents already made other dinner plans for tonight, so you don't have to stay long. Just drop in, say hello to your parents, and then you can come right back. Okay?"

"Okay." Ryan conceded unwillingly. He pressed a light kiss to Liz's forehead before heading out the front door. Liz stared after him with pity in her eyes, and I speculated on the reason. Surely, Ryan's mother wasn't that bad. Right?

With Ryan taken care of, Walter directed his attention toward Taylor. As he surveyed his son, an array of emotion flickered across his face. I experienced a pang of sympathy when I discovered that sadness was among them. But as quickly as the look appeared, it disappeared and impassivity took its place.

Walter's voice was stiff and formal as he addressed his son. "Taylor."

I could practically feel the cold chill emanating off of Taylor's body as he curtly replied, "Father."

The woman standing next to Walter sighed quietly before giving him a not so discreet nudge with her elbow. I assumed that the nudge meant, Say something else to him.

Walter appeared slightly uncomfortable as he cleared his throat before adding, "I heard about the accident… I'm glad you're okay."

Those words were enough to leave Taylor looking like his father just proclaimed that he loved to dress up in drag on the weekends. Why was he so surprised that his dad gave a rat's ass whether he lived or died? Taylor acted like this was the first time his father showed genuine concern for him.

Jeez! This is so sad, I thought in dismay. My own relationship with Charlie was far from perfect but at least I knew he cared about me.

Realizing that Taylor had still failed to offer any kind of response, I gave my own non discreet tug on his hand. This jolted him out of his daze and he murmured, "Thanks."

At Taylor's reply, the woman gave me a smile so full of warmth and comradeship that I couldn't help but smile back. Clearly she was happy to have an ally in the battle to bring these two men together.

I shifted my gaze to Walter, to find him observing me intently. Of course, I was unable to stop the small blush from creeping up my neck. Finding amusement in what I thought to be one of my handicaps, Walter smiled, "And who might this blushing young lady be?"

"This is Isabella Swan, Dad," Liz piped up with a weird look on her face.

"Izzy," Taylor and I corrected at the same time and we had to share a small smile.

No doubt he was thinking the same thing that I was, that him calling me Isabella was our thing and no one else's. I had to resist the urge to say jinx and punch him in the arm. I made a mental note to do that later, when we weren't under the observant eyes of his father. For some reason I felt like I was being presented to their father and I wanted to make a good impression.

I smiled and mumbled a quiet hello and watched as Walter's gaze flicked down to take in Taylor's and my still intertwined hands. The oddest expression flashed across his face, and he turned to view Liz in silent inquiry. Liz, ever so slightly, nodded her head, answering yes to whatever his question was.

What was that about?

Walter's smile was a welcoming one as he spoke, "It's so nice to meet you, Izzy." He turned to the woman at his side with obvious adoration in his eyes. "I'd like you all to meet Susan Gilbert."

A soft, feminine voice greeted us as we each took turns shaking her hand. "Hello there." I noted her slight Australian accent.

Liz suddenly had an epiphany and queried, "Wait a minute. Did you say Susan Gilbert as in Susan Gilbert, the artist?" She grew more excited with each passing word.

Susan seemed pleasantly surprised as she smiled. "Yes, I take it you've heard of me?"

Liz let out a tiny, excited squeal as she fought to remain cool and calm in front of her idol. "Heard of you? You're like royalty in the art world."

Walter breathed a quiet sigh of relief at the stars in Liz's eyes. It was important to him that his children approved of Susan. However, it seemed like Taylor would be harder to win over as he measured Susan with caution in his eyes. And I wondered where he'd learned to be so cautious of meeting new people.

"Well, dinner will be ready shortly. You can head to your rooms and get changed now. We dress for dinner in this house." Walter spoke, inspecting our casual ensemble with disapproval on his face. Susan was once again forced to intervene with a nudge, and Walter relented, "I mean what you have on is fine."

That was a good thing because Taylor looked like he was ready to argue our right to wear whatever we wanted.

When we got to the bottom of the stairs, I had to pause. What the fig! Why did all rich people see the need to have long, winding staircases in their homes? It was on this thought that Taylor abruptly scooped me up in his arms. I let out a mouse-like squeak, clutching onto his shoulders to steady myself. The hand holding my cane shot out and I narrowly missed hitting Walter with it in the head.

I blushed again in embarrassment before offering Walter an apology. Taylor smirked when I glared at him in annoyance before he carried me up the stairs. Over Taylor's shoulders, I watched a star struck Liz trail after Susan as she disappeared into the lounge. Already I could see the signs of future stalker in the making and hoped that Susan would humor her.

Taylor carried me down an imposing hallway before depositing me on my feet in front of what I assumed was my room. Just out of curiosity, I asked, "Where's your room?"

Taylor gestured wordlessly to the door directly across from my own and my lips parted slightly in surprise. Endless scenarios of late night rendezvous ran through my mind and I looked away nervously.

Taylor interrupted my musings. "By the way, I almost forgot." He reached out, punching me lightly in the shoulder. "Jinx."

I couldn't help but be amazed that we both shared the same idea. "I cannot believe you. I had that exact thought downstairs."

A playful smile lit up Taylor's face. "I decided to wait till we were alone."

"How very abusive husband of you for not wanting to hit me in front of company," I teased. "It's so nice of you to beat up on a cripple."

"Cripple? You still have one good leg. You're fine." Taylor smirked wickedly.

"Jerk! I should've just let that wolf eat your ass." I took a step toward him.

"Maybe I should have let you paint the side of the cliff red." Taylor quipped back, closing the distance between us. We were standing quite close to each other with silly grins on our faces.

He wrapped his arms around me, using them to pull me flush against him. I pressed my good hand against his chest and felt his heart throbbing away beneath it. My heart fluttered wildly in anticipation of yet another world tilting kiss. He leaned in close, his warm breath flowing across my face, alerting me to his close proximity. My eyes drifted closed, my lips burned, yearning for the feel of his on my own. Taylor let out a soft groan as his lips hovered above my own, teasing, promising the liquid heat of the flame that threatened to consume us.

Just as he was about to possess my lips someone interrupted us, clearing their throat. Face engulfed in crimson, I jumped away from Taylor to face an openly amused Jeffery.

"I just came to drop off your bags, Izzy. Should I put these in Taylor's room?" Jeffery queried as he lifted my suitcases. His question only served to deepen my redness.

Does Jeffery think that Taylor and I are sharing a room, that we're… lovers?

"No, Jeffery. You can put it in this room here." Taylor chuckled and gestured to my door, saving me from dying from embarrassment.

Jeffery opened my door, placing my luggage on the floor and then left without saying another word. Thank God!

After Jeffery disappeared around the corner, Taylor we once again left alone. The corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile as he raised a hand, gently brushing the faint blush on my cheek. His heated gaze was enough to make my heart race.

A nervous not formed in my stomach and I mumbled stupidly, "I'll go freshen up before dinner." Taylor nodded his response.

Making an embarrassingly ungraceful exit, I hobbled into my room and closed the door behind me, leaning against it with a small sigh. Taylor and I would have to be careful if we wanted to keep our relationship private. No more making out in hallways.

In awe, I scanned the room in which I would be spending the next few days. It was impossible to remain unaffected by the elegant furniture showcased in the large guest bedroom. When I regarded the pale peach colored walls, antique vases filled with fresh flowers, the plush carpeting, the regal bed and matching armoires and the thick, rich draperies, the word opulence came to mind. The room was quite lavish in appearance, and I made a mental note to be extra careful not to break anything.

My visual examination was abruptly cut short when Liz pushed the door (on which I was leaning) open, sending me and my cane hurtling toward the floor. I landed painfully on my injured arm which had been healing quite nicely up until that point. Ah crap!

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry. Are you okay, Izzy?" Liz was the picture of panic as she rushed forward to help me.

After she helped me roll over and sit up, I groaned, "I'm all right." I would definitely need to take two pills instead of just the one tonight. I told Liz this and she went to my luggage to retrieve my pills, but not before helping me to the bed. At least the fall didn't affect my ankle.

The soft bed sank under my weight and I released a weary sigh. Subsequently disappearing into the adjoining bathroom, Liz reemerged with a glass of water which I used to wash down the pills.

Liz smiled in apology. "I'm sorry about that. I came to tell you that dinner would be ready in thirty minutes. I can help you unpack and change if you want?" She offered, trying to make amends.

Liz helped me put my things away then lent a hand as I changed into a casual blouse and a knee-length flirty skirt. Mindful of my ankle brace, I slipped on a pair of comfortable flip-flops. I pulled my hair away from my face and into a low, loose hanging ponytail. Without her help it would have taken forever, instead of ten minutes, to look presentable. I also took the time to change the bandage on my arm.

When we were finished, Liz left my room to go change while I stayed behind to try to call Leah. I knew Zach was due to arrive yesterday and I was curious to find out how things were going. Or more importantly, if I should look into hiring a few gun toting bodyguards to protect me from her long promised ass kicking. I dialed Leah's number only to be met with the sound of ringing followed by her grouchy ass voicemail greeting of, I'm busy. Leave a message.

I sighed into the phone then left a message. "Leah, I know you're probably mad and not answering but call me when you get this. Okay? Bye."

I hung up wondering if I'd done the right thing by springing Zach on her like I did. In my mind I began to picture two graves in the La Push woods. One of the graves was large enough for an adult while the other was significantly smaller. Maybe in a fit of anger, Leah did away with Zach and Suzie Q then buried their bodies to hide the evidence. Maybe she was in jail right now because of what was buried in the forest.

Giving my head a brisk shake, I quickly dismissed those silly thoughts. Leah wouldn't murder… Susie Q.

With a touch of impatience, I sighed. Liz was taking her fine time changing, so I grabbed my cane, deciding to go see what was keeping her. I wasn't opposed to barging into her room, seeing that she did had no qualms whatsoever about doing it to me. Turnabout was fair play.

It was with some reluctance that I retrieved my cane and made my way to my bedroom door. My ankle was getting stronger; and soon I wouldn't need the cane at all. I looked forward to it as it was kind of hard to look attractive, hobbling like an old lady. I stepped into the hallway, gently shutting the door behind me.

Before I was able to remove my hand from the doorknob, I heard the sound of muffled voices coming from Taylor's room. At first, I was unable to identify the voices, they were too subdued. But as I approached the Taylor door, I determined that the murmurs belonged to Taylor's father.

It really was not my intention to snoop but my curiosity got the better of me, and I found myself hovering close to the door.

"So is she the one, your intended?" Walter's question was met with silence. "Does she know about your ability?"

The silence that followed made me wonder if Walter was in Taylor's room talking to himself.

"The least you can do is answer my questions, seeing as you never visit or return any of my phone calls," Walter scolded.

"After ignoring me for the better part of my life, why do you care?" Taylor asked bitterly.

Ignoring Taylor's barb, Walter prodded, "Would you at least tell me if you told her about your family?"

"No, I haven't told her any of those things yet." Taylor confessed reluctantly.

"Why not?"

"She spooks easily," Taylor confided.

Hey! He was talking about me like I was a skittish horse or something.

Surprisingly it was Walter who came to my defense. "Maybe you should give her more credit. From what Liz told me, when you two were lost, she kept a level head, didn't panic and got you two out of there alive. For such a tiny little thing, she's strong. I think she can handle it."

"I know. Look… I don't want to discuss my private life with you."

Walter ignored Taylor's reluctance and pressed forward. "You don't have to admit it if you don't want to. I know she's your intended." There was a pause. "Don't look so surprised. You look at her the same way your mother used to look at me."

What's an intended? A fancy word for girlfriend?

Things got really quiet after that until Walter spoke up. "Have you found Mariana and the others yet?" Mariana? I tried to remember where I'd heard that name before. Then I remembered that Mariana was Taylor's great-grandmother. Was Taylor trying to find his estranged family?

"Of course not. After you showed up and threatened to expose them, they packed up the family and moved. The investigator is having a really hard time finding any trace of them. Unfortunately, Mariana's skill at hiding has not diminished with time." Taylor replied with heavy annoyance in his voice.

"I had to do something to get you away from them. You think they would have let me leave with both you and your sister if I hadn't threatened to expose them to the world? Going to Spain and into their territory without some sort of plan would've been pure suicide. I had to make it clear to Mariana that I had friends in high places. Friends that would be very interested in their family and if anything happened to me, my friends would be notified about their… talents."

Walter's admission left me stunned. He blackmailed Taylor's family into giving him up by threatening to use their secret against them. How could he do something like that?

"I will never forgive you for threatening them like that. To use the secrets my mother trusted you with, in order to force them into giving up one of their own, was unforgivable," Taylor snapped.

Walter's words were clipped and without remorse. "I don't recall asking for your forgiveness. I did what I had to do to get you away from them. Mariana would've never allowed me to leave Spain alive if I didn't do what I did."

"Mariana never would have ordered your death if you hadn't provoked her," Taylor shot back.

"Mariana didn't need a reason to want me dead. She hated me from the first moment Catalina introduced me to them. She was so angry at your mother for pairing with an outsider, a foreigner."

"You insulted her. Mariana was our leader. You should've shown the proper respect."

"Just because she is over 1000 years old, it doesn't give her the right control people's lives, Taylor."

Suddenly, I felt faint with shock and had to lean heavily on my cane for support. Taylor's great-grandmother was over a thousand years old. What the hell?

"Without her knowledge and leadership, my family would have been wiped out of existence centuries ago," Taylor argued.

"Her leadership turned the males in your family into trained killers. And she only wanted to keep your mother around because she was a healer. She didn't care that your mother wanted a better life for her children," Walter countered passionately.

"Mariana taught our men how to protect our people. That was all she did. Besides it's not like we were still at war. By the time you came to Spain, we'd been at peace with our enemies for decades."

"You were only a child, Taylor. There are things about Mariana you don't know. When Mariana looks at you, she doesn't see family, she only sees soldiers. Soldiers to help fight in her war against those creatures she hates so much. You should be grateful that I saved you from that life."

Creatures?

"Grateful? I never wanted to come here. You blackmailed my family then held me prisoner in this house. You didn't even try to find them when I first began to manifest. You knew I needed their help but you were so determined to keep me from them."

"I was trying to protect you!"

"You were trying to protect yourself!" The rage in Taylor's voice shocked me as I'd never heard him shout like that before.

They continued to argue but I staggered away from the door, completely overwhelmed and unable to listen anymore. My mind was blanketed in a fog of bewilderment as I lumbered toward the staircase. I couldn't risk Liz or someone else happening upon me, listening to their conversation.

What the hell is going on?

What is an intended?

What the hell am I getting myself into?


A/N: This chapter was supposed to be longer but I was having trouble with the second half and decided not to make you guys wait and extra week for it. Yet another over 5000 word chapter for you guys.

Back to the story: Why on earth would a grown man bite a twelve year old boy?

Are Zach and Suzie buried in the La Push forest?

Taylor's dad blackmailed his family.

I'm quite sure that this was a WTF chapter for a lot of you.

Coming up next: Taylor gets hands on at the dinner table.

Walter makes assumptions about Bella and Taylor's relationship. Assumptions that have to do with her eggs.

Walter and Taylor argue at dinner in front of everyone.

Bella has a dilemma and Taylor helps her out with his teeth.

A/N: You know the drill. I'm working extra hard to give you the next chapter early, we'll see. Review!