"Of all the f*cking things in the world it had to be you." Leah yelled before she ran off.
AFTER~LEAH'S~MELTDOWN/bellaPOV
Jasper went running after her. Leaving us all staring after them.
"What the hell was that?" Charlie asked.
"Um… I believe Leah just imprinted on someone she considers to be her mortal enemy." I said.
"What is imprinted?" Charlie asked. "You said you were an imprint."
"Okay someone else take over." I said throwing my hands in the air.
"Charlie imprinting is something a wolf does when they meet their soul mate. They look into their eyes the first time after they become a wolf and it's like nothing else is there and the only thing holding them to earth is that one person. Also with the imprint the wolf will be whatever their imprint needs from a friend to a—well you get the picture." Sam explained.
"So I'm guessing there is more than one imprint because Bella said she was one and we all just witnessed Leah." Charlie said.
I stepped back kind of worried about how Charlie would react to me being an imprint or Quil imprinting on a little girl not even close to a dating age.
"There are five of use wolves that have imprinted, there is me, Jared, Quil, Embry and lastly Leah." Sam said.
"And the imprints are?" he asked.
"Mine is Emily, Jared's is Kim, Embry's is Bella," Charlie sucked in a breath. "Then there is Quil's imprint. That situation is odd."
"What do you mean odd?" Charlie asked.
"Well keep in mind that Quil hasn't done a thing and that a wolf will be whatever their imprint needs from brother or friend to well boyfriend or sister or girlfriend in Leah's case."
"That doesn't answer my question." Charlie replied.
"No it doesn't but please don't freak out. Quil imprinted on Emily's two year old niece." Sam said.
"That's sick."
"You don't think I know that. I'm sixteen and here I am connected to this girl that's fourteen years younger than me until the day I die." Quil snapped. "I can't even look at another girl but I'm glad I haven't seen Claire since then. I'm on patrol every single time she's over because it makes me feel sick that I'm connected like that to someone her age."
He finished his little speech and walked away. Ben hand turned and ran after him. I stayed and sat back down.
"Do you agree with all this?" Charlie asked.
"Quil imprinting on a two year old, no I don't but I do know that he can't help it and I also know that he would never do anything to hurt her." I said. "Sam please tell him what happen with you and Emily. It's the only way I can prove my point."
"What does she mean?" Charlie asked.
"The scars on Emily's face didn't come from a bear. I was too close to her when I got angry and my paw hit her face." Sam said. "I didn't think she would want me to talk to her after it happen so I didn't go near her until she ripped me a new one in front of everyone. A wolf can't intentionally hurt their imprint or the imprint of another wolf if they do hurt another wolf's imprint they can be kicked out of the pack but that hasn't happened in our history."
"Did any of them hurt you Bella?" he asked.
He was totally in father mode which is worse that his cop mode.
"No they haven't but I did pass out when I saw them transformed for the first time." I told him. "No need to worry, Sue made sure I was okay."
"Before or after the incident with your car in the school parking lot?"
"Before," I replied. "I hadn't known I was someone's imprint."
"But at the parking lot you did?"
"Yes." I said. "Embry had just told me before you showed up." I told him. "And I do mean just before you showed up. You had pulled up like a minutes later. Gave me no time to process it and reply to him about it. But enough talk about supernatural crap it's still your birthday party and you have a lot of gift to open."
Charlie just shrugged. A few of the wolf pack members helped me carry his gifts over to him. I kept mine at the bottom of the pile because I wanted him to open it last. He got carved figures from Jacob and Seth, fishing gear from just about everyone else but Sue (she had given him a gift card to a store in PA).
"This is from me. It's taken weeks to get it together." Said handing him the package. "I was already doing it for school but I figured you would like it. All the original copies are in a folder at home, I had them copied and shrunk so I could use them on here. The one for school didn't include as much."
He ripped the basic blue paper I had wrapped it in off. I could now see the deep brown frame holding the detailed family tree I had created. It took me weeks of constant work to get it perfect. I included pictures of everyone that I could, including Jasper but that was the last picture take of him as a human in his uniform just after he became a major. I even included pictures of Old Quil and his family.
"Where did you find all this?" he asked.
"Ancestry dot com." I replied. "And some old books and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of right now. Even Quil helped me. It was something to keep his mind off Claire."
"So he doesn't love Claire?"
"Oh he doesn't just no like Sam loves Emily or you love –well I'll keep that one to myself but don't deny it you know it is true." I told him. "His relationship with Claire right now is that of a brother sister relationship, like I was with Emmet or would have been had Edward let me hang out with him more."
"Why wouldn't he let you?" Charlie asked.
"He thought that Emmet was to vulgar for a dainty girl like me to hang around with."
"That's the biggest bunch of crud I ever heard." Charlie said. "You're the one who shoved Jakes head in the sand when he tried kissing you when you were seven years old."
"She did not." Jake protested.
"Oh she did. I have the video tape proof of it." Sue said.
GETTING~HOME
Charlie and I went home about an hour later after he made sure the little fire that was lit was completely out. We loaded his gifts into the trunk of my car and the family tree into the back seat so it wouldn't get broken during the ride home.
He set the figurines on up by my school pictures. He put the fishing stuff in the closet with his other fishing stuff. I don't know what he did with the family tree because I hadn't seen it since we brought it inside the house after we had gotten home earlier.
I took a shower and changes in to some night clothes so I could go to bed. Charlie was down stairs watching sports highlights on TV. He had a can of beer in his hand but it wasn't open. He was quiet and that kind of worried me.
"Are you okay dad?" I asked him.
"I'm fine." He replied.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "You took in quite a bit of information today."
"Bella I've know something was out there for years. I met Charlotte and Peter fourteen years ago and they haven't age one single day." Charlie said. "There is no surprise that the Quileute tribe had something to do with it after several boys age several years over night."
"True."
"Explains why Jake wouldn't talk to you."
"True."
"Would you have told me if I hadn't seen Seth?"
"I don't think I would have but not because I didn't want you to know but because I wasn't sure how to tell you." I said. "Heck I wasn't even going to tell mom because she would want to put me in a mental hospital in a straight jacket. You however do believe me and you are the more rational out of you two."
He grunted in response.
"I thought it would have been you that sent me to a mental hospital." I told him.
"I wouldn't do that unless I thought that you would be harmful to yourself or others." He replied. "I was meant to protect you in more than one way I guess."
He had looked down to his own are were his own mark had appeared.
"I'm sorry you were thrown into this world." I told him. "But honestly you needed to know."
I sat down on the couch and started picking at my nails. He just stared at the television and finally cracked his beer open. He took a drink and let out a sigh.
"That imprinting crap are you sure it's not taking your choice away?" he asked.
"Dad it's not taking my choice away. If it had I would be dating Embry right now and I'm not." I told him. "Heck if I wanted to I could even go back to dating Edward but that would never happen because that entire relationship was unhealthy."
"I'm surprised it took you that long to figure it out."
"I am too but Jasper said that last time he saw Edward that Edward was going to get the help he needed." I told him. "He needed to deal with the death of his parents and even thought it's been years since the passed way he still hadn't dealt with it like he should have."
"Do you know how his parents died?"
"No but I think it was some kind of disease in nineteen eighteen. There was a big Spanish flu epidemic so that might have been what killed them. He said he didn't remember them much so he never talked about them." I replied. "But Carlisle told me that he looked like his mom. Apparently she had the same color hair as he did and I guess he had green eyes when he was human."
"Sounds like a normal kid."
"I guess he would be. If I can turn vampires back to human he would be the first one I would want to change –well him or Rosalie anyway."
"Why him?" Charlie asked.
"Because with him being a vampire, he sees himself as a monster. A soulless monster."
"What about Rosalie?"
"She was changed under horrific circumstances but I don't know the whole story. I was never told. Edward said that the stores of his family's changes belonged to them, so they should be the ones to tell me how they were changed."
"How was our grand-father changed?"
"He was in the army; he had been evacuating small towns near Galveston Texas during the Civil War. He was on his way back to camp one night when he was stopped by three women. The woman in the middle named Maria said that he would be of good use to her and bit him when he got off his horse to help her."
"How is he our grand-father again?"
"He got married a month before he was shipped out again and just after he was promoted to major. His wife –our grand-mother—was about three weeks pregnant when he left." I explained. "Jasper never knew he had a child until I showed him our family tree. I swear if he was human he would have cried."
"Are we related to any of the other Cullens'?" he asked.
"I am related to Emmet and Rosalie they are my great uncle and Aunt but only you are related to Rosalie you are her great nephew. I didn't go back far enough to see if we are related to Carlisle or not." I replied. "But from what I know about Carlisle's life before he was changed its unlikely. He was the only child of a clergy man and his wife and he never married –as a human— and as far as he knew had no children."
"But he made up for it by making vampires." Charlie said.
"Yes and no. He only changed four people. The first was Edward, then it was Esme, then it was Rosalie then finally it was Emmet."
"But the Alice and Jasper were with them."
"They joined the Cullens later on. Jasper was changed by a woman named Maria –I told you that story and Alice has no idea who turned her. But the four Carlisle did change were dying when he changed them."
"Would you have been dying for him to change you?"
"I would have gone willingly." I replied. "But Edward didn't want that life for me. He hardly even kissed me because he thought that he would break me."
"He was born and raised back in the nineteen hundreds; it is how they were raised back then." Charlie replied.
IN~Volterra~Italy~with~unknownPOV
I walked the stone cold –not that it made a difference to me— hallways. I hadn't been to this place in a while. I hadn't wanted to come back but I heard from other vampires about things that were going on here. I wanted to see for myself what was going on. Especially if it concerned anyone I cared for but that was just myself; anyone else I loved had been dead for a year.
Those three men were on their way to ruining my planning and I couldn't let that happen. I would fight them to the death if I had to. I just had to get my revenge my life would be better if I got it. I just hopped that I wouldn't have to die. After being led to an empty chamber by an impatient little blonde girl I sat down in a chair located in the chamber even thought I had no use for sitting. I never got tired but then again living life as a vampire I had no need for sleep.
"The brothers will see you now." The prissy blonde said. "And they don't look happy that you are here."
"I'm not happy to be here either." I replied in a bitter tone. "But the brothers will want the information I have."
"I highly doubt it." She snipped.
She grabbed my arm tightly and led me to the brother's throne room. All three brothers sat at the back of the room in ornately carved chairs that couldn't be called anything but thrones. They were the same as the last time I was here hardly anything changes. There wasn't much different here except maybe a few new guard members. The gray robes were boring, drab and draped over the shoulders of each guard member. Most of them had the hoods pulled up so I couldn't see their faces. All but one of the brothers was sitting up straight in his throne.
"To what do we owe this pleasure?" The blonde one asked with his voice full of distain and anger.
"A human," I answered.
All three of them stood up out of their thrones.
"So," the man replied.
"She knows of us and the prophesy." I said lying about that last part.
"Everyone out," they shouted.
I smirked I knew they would do that. They were way more open with their thoughts than they thought they were. One by one the guard members slipped out of the room their cloaks billowing like bat wings behind them. I was not asked to leave nor was I asked to sit. I felt like I was in the head masters office back when I was in school. They didn't want you to be comfortable; not when you could be there to cause major trouble for them; the big clang of the door being closed and locked signaled to me that everyone that was asked to leave had left and I would now be able to speak my piece.
"How do you know of the prophecy?"
"I was traveling in America, there was some talk of it but I don't think they believe it; it's more of a legend like big foot to them." I said. "But there are a select few that seemed to believe it."
"Where did you encounter those people?"
"Washington state." I said.
METALWARD~ALICEpov
"We are sorry Miss. Brandon we do not have the room we believed to have. We can't take you in at this time." The man said. "We will keep your number on file and call you when we have an opening."
I stood up from the chair they had me sitting in, grabbed the clothing I changed out of when I arrived and went to change back into them. I needed help and I wouldn't be getting it here. My visions had turned into something I couldn't trust. I couldn't even turn to my family for any help at all.
I wasn't even sure I could trust them and they were some of the only people I could trust, but after what happened the last time I saw most of them I wasn't sure I could even go back. The visions I had before I left probably tore them apart. Heck they were already starting before Bella came into our lives.
I put the clothes they had given to me to wear in the hamper and changed into my own clothes. I walked out of the small room they had. The man was standing there again.
"I'm sorry we couldn't help you." He said. "This folder contains a list of other places that might be able to help you."
"There's no need." I replied. "I've been to all of them before none of them helped. Four of them are more like country clubs than a medical facility. I need to be treated not coddled and I won't go through that again just because I have money."
"You should go. Make it look like you don't have money and see what they say about your treatment then." He told me.
I give him a nod and walk out of the building.
GOING~BACK~TO~WASHINGTON/rose&emmet
The walk from the bathroom to the boarding line for my plane was longer than I thought and I didn't need to use the restroom. I just need to calm down and I couldn't do that in a crowded airport.
"Hey babe, we can board the plane now."
"Good. I hate the waiting." I reply. "We should buy our own plane then we wouldn't have to wait this long."
"People would think you were a pop star or something then." they said.
"Let them think that. I'm nice looking enough to be one but I couldn't deal with all those people coming up to me and acting like they have known me for years when I'll they would know is what was printed in the magazines."
"I would know the truth. Our family would know the truth and that should be all that matters."
"I know but you also know that I hate the lies people spread around." I tell them.
"Which is why I think you would make a good lawyer. Ever think of going to law school?"
"Let's see what is going on with the family first."
"It shouldn't take too long. I think your dear brother is the only one in town."
"More like cousin." I reply as finding our seats.
They were first class but we only took first class on special trips. We weren't like some of the family that liked to fly first class for everything. The monotony of it get's boring if you do it all the time. So using first class for special trips breaks that up a little bit I'd probably appreciate it much better if I was human and the luxuries provided in first class actually affected me. But as a vampire the only thing that affects me as a vampire is blood human or animal.
"Hungry?"
"I'll be safe for the flight." I told them. "It's just an itch and most people on here smell too bad for me to want to even take a sip." I whisper looking around the cabin.
"You are right about that." They replied. "Besides all the first class ones are so skinny we wouldn't even fill a thimble with their blood that is useful to us anyway."
"Better not let mommy and daddy here you talking about drinking human blood. They'll tear you a new one if they did."
"I've slipped up once and drank human blood but I have never killed a human."
"Yes you drank it because you lost a bet back in sixty-nine."
"Yes but…"
"No buts it was an idiotic bet and you know it. You are over ninety years old now. You need to grow up" I reply playfully.
"I know but I think my hormones and mentality were frozen when I was turned also." He said. "It would explain why Edward has a stick up his…"
"No need to go into detail." I reply. "I have already heard what you have to say on the subject Emmet."
BELLA'S~ROOM/pov
It's well past midnight and I have tried getting to sleep but I can't no matter how hard I try I can't. Even the medicine cup of Nyquil I took didn't knock me out. There is something going on and I know it or my body would let me sleep. I swore if I wasn't worried about waking Charlie up I would be cleaning the whole house just to make my body tired enough to where I could sleep. I hate that my mind is going a thousand miles a minutes, I wonder if vampires feel like this. I could call jasper maybe he can put me to sleep.
After trying to sleep another five minutes I gave up and went to take a shower. They tend to calm me down. There was just something about the warm water hitting my skin. It made me sleepy but I didn't think it would work this time but it wouldn't hurt to help. After my shower was done –not that it helped any—I went down stairs. There was nothing that could help me down there but then again nothing upstairs helped me either. I passed the kitchen floor when I got worried or couldn't sleep.
On my third pass of the kitchen I felt a pull toward the back door. Even though I knew it was a stupid idea to do it I opened the door and walked outside into the yard. I saw nothing but continued to feel the pull. I did the only thing that felt right and walked toward the pull. I even continued into the woods behind our house and the pull only got tighter around my chest.
It wasn't long until I saw an eerie light a little bit away. I went toward it because the pull had me going that way anyway. There were a few tree roots poking up out of the ground that nearly caused me to fall to the ground. I came to a stop when I saw a tent erected in the middle of a group of trees.
Slowly I bend down and picked a branch up from the ground and walked around the tent looking for the opening. The tent flap was unzipped so I could see inside. There was an air mattress and a small table set up but that was all I could see. There wasn't anyone inside.
"Bella?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin with someone calling my name. I nearly ran off too but I tripped on a nearby tree root and fell to the ground. A warm hand grabbed my arm and helped me up.
"What are you doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing Embry." I replied.
"You could but I would like you to answer me first."
"I felt a pull and followed it here." I told him. "Now you tell me what you are doing out here?"
"Simple mom kicked me out for not being home on time and sneaking out. I had nowhere to go so I took my old tent and well here I am."
"Get your stuff." I replied.
"What?"
"Get your stuff. You are going to stay with me." I told him.
"I can't do that. Charlie wouldn't like it."
"I don't care and besides how would he know. You could come in through my window." I said. "At least until we can find you a place to stay."
"I don't want you to get in trouble."
"You won't. In fact I am pretty sure Charlie would be pissed your mother kicked you out when you had no way to take care of yourself." I told him. "Especially since Renee walked out on him."
"Yeah but I'm a wolf and the one that imprinted on you. Not to mention I don't think he wants a teenage boy with raging hormones secretly living in his house." Embry replied. "I think he would be pretty pissed if he found out."
"At least sleep on the couch." I said "I could tell him that your mom kicked you out and you came to talk to me and fell asleep. I don't feel right about you sleeping out here all night even if you are a wolf."
"Fine but the tent and everything stay right where they are just in case."
"Fine but your school things and clothes come with us." I said. "But before warned that I do plan on talking to Charlie like I think you have been kicked out not that I know you have been kicked out to see what he thinks I should do."
"You are stubborn as a mule." He said.
I smiled and waited as he gathered his things up from around the tent. It didn't take him long to do. He through the back on to his back and pulled his hand into mine. We walked back toward my house. He made sure I didn't trip on the tree roots. I took his bags inside with me when I went back in through the back door and he walked around to my bedroom window.
I –quietly as I possibly could—walked up stairs with Embry's bags. I sat the bags down by my closet so Embry could hide them in there if he wanted to. I went to unlock my window when I heard the sharp jabbing words coming from below my window. I really hoped Charlie couldn't hear embry and whoever it was arguing inside it. I pushed my window opened and looked out to see who was arguing and why they were arguing. I could clearly seem Embry in the moon light but the other person was shadowed by the trees so I couldn't see who it was but I figured it was a vampire from Embry's shaking.
"She doesn't want you here so just leave." Embry yelled.
"I have to talk to her. Her life is in danger. Surly you can understand that."
Embry looked like he wanted to argue.
"I'll go in first and see if she will even speak to you. If she doesn't then you have to leave without a word said to her." Embry told them.
"Deal."
I backed up from my window and sat down on my bed like I was waiting for him. Not even two seconds later I heard a tap on my window. I looked up and Embry was sitting on a tree branch waiting to be let into my room. I gave him a nod saying he could come in.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yes." He replied. "There is someone waiting outside. They want to talk to you but I'm not sure if you want to talk to them."
"Do you want me to talk to them?" I asked.
"It's not my opinion that counts but if I had my way you wouldn't speak to them."
I heard a growl from outside my window.
"She's the one that asked me." Embry snapped at them. "So do you want to talk to them or should I send them away."
"Is there a reason I should?" I asked.
"They say it's life or death and how truthful they are being I don't know but when I got to your window they were just about to climb inside but stopped when they saw me." Embry said. "I can leave you two alone to talk or I can stay with you while you talk. I can even take you back outside if you don't want to chance waking up Charlie."
"Take me outside but tell them to keep their distance."
"You heard her." Embry said.
He walked over to my window and jumped out of it. I walked over it and he was standing there.
"You better not let her get hurt." An angry voice snapped.
"I won't." Embry snapped back. "Come on Bella you can either jump or go down the stairs."
Before I realized what I was doing I threw my leg over the window sill and soon my other leg joined it. My grip on the frame was tight.
"I'll catch you Bella."
I took a deep breath and pushed myself off the window sill. I fell through the air and landed in Embry's warm arms. He sat me down on my feet and made sure I was okay.
"You can breathe now." He said.
"I will." I replied. "So where are they now?" I asked.
"You can come out." Embry said. "But keep your distance but make sure she can see you clearly."
I kept close to Embry when I heard the twigs start snapping and the leave start crunching as someone walked on them. They're walking at a human pace.
They stepped out into the pale moon light and for the first time tonight I could see who they were clearly. My brain had gone rampant with ideas of who it could be and I have to say that I was shocked at who it was.
