Ben

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you for the kind reviews! This story is giving me a headache. My muse is not co-operating at all, sighs. Once again, thank you all for your patience at the lack of updates.

Chapter Thirty-Two-Seeking Sanctuary

Esme startled when the front door to her apartment opened and Alice and Paul came barrelling in together. She rushed to quieten them, worried that they would disturb the sleeping children. "Luka and Ben are asleep. Keep the noise down."

"Ben's here?" Alice asked as she exchanged a confused glance with Paul. "What happened with Carlisle?"

Esme wrung her hands together agitatedly. It had been over an hour since Charlie Swan had left the apartment saying he had something to take care of first. She was frightened that 'something' was Carlisle. She swallowed thickly, knowing that she was going to have to confess that she had been left with little choice but to tell Charlie everything. She was worried about their reactions, especially Paul's. He may have struck up an odd friendship with Alice, but that didn't mean he wouldn't kick off once he learned that she had essentially spilled the tribe's biggest secret.

"Esme, you're trembling." Alice said in concern. "Did he do something to you?"

Esme gazed at Alice hopelessly. The guilt sat heavily on her chest. What she had done, she couldn't un-do. "I managed to stop Carlisle calling the authorities. For now, anyway."

"What does that mean?" Paul demanded harshly. Alice gave him a reproving look and he threw his hands up in the air impatiently.

"After we exchanged words, he issued me with an ultimatum." Esme continued shakily.

"What ultimatum?" Alice took Esme's hands and cradled them in her own comfortingly.

"In exchange for his silence, he said I had to give up any idea of fostering Luka, and to give up my independence in order to come back to him and play the dutiful wife again."

"What a scumbag!" Paul exploded loudly.

"Paul!" Alice chided him. "The boys are in the next room."

"Sorry." Paul muttered. He frowned heavily as he forced himself to listen in silence to the rest of Esme's story. He managed to stay that way until she reached the part about spilling the secrets to Charlie. He really lost it then. "I don't fucking believe it!" He shouted at Esme. "What were you thinking?"

"Back off, Paul." Alice warned him again. She could hear the boys stirring in the next room. "Luka and Ben are awake." She whispered to him. "Control yourself."

Paul glared at her for a minute as he tried to get a hold on his temper. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the boys. They had been through enough. But he was just so pissed off at Esme. She had opened a whole can of worms by spilling their secrets to Charlie. There was no telling what the police chief was going to do with that information. "I need to call Sam." He muttered as he turned away from Alice, pulling out his cell phone from the back pocket of his jeans. It was only then that he noticed all the missed calls from Jacob. His dark eyes widened and he turned back to show Alice. "Looks like we're too late to stop the shit storm from hitting the fan, Pixie." He told her. "I better call him back."

Paul didn't get the chance to make the call. The front door opened again as Charlie let himself into the apartment. His expression was stern as he glared at Alice and Paul, not showing any surprise at finding them there with Esme. He was about to say something when Luka and Ben appeared in the bedroom doorway. Luka was holding on tight to his little brother's hand as his gaze darted anxiously to Esme. They had been disturbed by all the noise.

"What's happening?" He questioned worriedly.

"Luka, I scared." Ben was close to tears. He pressed himself against his brother's leg, trembling like a leaf.

Luka immediately ducked down and picked up the frightened boy. "Hey, buddy, everything's cool." He forced a smile onto his face in an attempt to reassure Ben.

Esme was desperate to comfort Ben, but she managed to fight the urge. Luka was probably the best person to do that right now. She glanced at Charlie. Despite the stern look on his face, she could see it was hurting him to see his son so distressed. She found herself wanting to comfort him, too. She had made such a mess of things. "I'm so sorry." She mouthed in his direction.

Charlie frowned slightly, before emitting a heavy sigh. He dragged his fingers through his hair wearily. "Get some things together. You and Luka won't be able to stay here." He said quietly.

Esme hurried over to Luka and Ben when she noticed the former shoot another anxious glance in her direction. She bent down next to Luka and stroked the back of his head. "It's okay." She tried to make her tone as reassuring as possible. Luka looked at her trustingly, before nodding his head. He reluctantly gave up possession of his little brother to Esme as he headed back into his room to get dressed.

"Where are we going to go?" Esme asked as she carried Ben over to Charlie.

The police chief took his son from her and cradled Ben against his shoulder. The little boy sucked in a quavering breath as he continued to pick up on everyone's tension. Charlie patted his back gently to calm him down. "It's alright, kid." He murmured soothingly. "Your old man's gonna take care of you."

"Where are we going to go?" Esme asked again when Ben had settled down.

"To the res." Charlie revealed. "Bells is there with Jake. I need to speak to my daughter."

Esme and Alice exchanged an alarmed glance. "We're not allowed in La Push." Esme slipped an arm around Alice's waist. "Remember, I explained why."

"I haven't forgotten." Charlie responded harshly. His stern gaze travelled to Paul, who was surprisingly silent. "Well, boy, what do you have to say about it?" He demanded. "Are you going to stop us?"

Paul regarded Charlie thoughtfully for a minute, before his gaze was drawn to Ben. The small boy turned his head to look at him. His eyes were the type of brown that was like a sweet chocolate. The chocolate that melts at the slightest bit of the heat from love, or happiness. Or darkens from the harsh reality of the world. The poor kid had gone through his fair share of heartbreak. Paul recalled his own crappy childhood-the beatings he'd endured from his drunken bum of a father, his mother working herself to skin and bone just to put food on the table, only for his father to piss it all away on drink-Paul had been glad when he'd left. He saw himself in Ben, in Luka. A feeling of protectiveness swept over him the longer he looked into Ben's eyes. "No, I won't stop you. I'm coming with you." He said.

The fire crackled, sending another explosion of sparks glittering up against the night as Jacob stood and confidently broke the news about the change in leadership to all those gathered around the fire. His surprising bombshell brought such a silence that the crackle of the fire was all that could be heard, like a crazy natural music. Bella held her breath as she watched his brothers absorb the news. Sam stepped up beside Jacob, his hand finding its way onto his shoulder in solidarity as the pack finally came back to life. One by one they came up to talk to Jacob, conversing with him in quiet, respectful tones. Only Embry and Quil broke protocol as they teased their friend, but even they showed a certain deference that had been missing before. Jacob was their Alpha, and his quiet acceptance of his destiny had given him a new air of authority that exuded from every pore.

Billy cleared his throat to attract everyone's attention. They all settled down again, gathering close together as they listened to their chief telling the old legends in his rich, deep voice. The words poured out of him like they were coming straight from his heart. The story may be familiar, but he had his audience captivated all the same.

Jacob joined Bella again, scooting back beside her, where she rested against a low ridge of rock. He put his arm over her shoulder and spoke low in her ear. "How did I do?"

Bella let out the breath she had been holding and cupped his face in her hands, pulling his head toward her. She leaned in and kissed his warm lips. "You were perfect. I am so proud of you. And I love you." She murmured against his mouth.

Jacob leaned in a little closer, their foreheads touching. God, he couldn't fight the thoughts that were going through him. Her very smell was flooding his senses now. He wanted her so badly. He tried to rein in his desire as he brushed his lips against hers, fighting the urge to kiss her passionately, mindful that they had an audience. He reluctantly pulled back, while simultaneously lifting Bella onto his lap, and wrapping his arms around her protectively. She snuggled contentedly against his hot body and concentrated her on Billy again.

The fire continued to pulsate, the flames dancing across the dry tinder, twisting and curling in obscure shapes and providing a small radius of light. Bella was mesmerised by the majesty in Billy's voice as he spoke and the colours of the flames, which burned red and orange, only to give way to yellow and white near the centre, where the emanating heat was the greatest.

Bella was so relaxed in Jacob's warm embrace that she was totally unprepared when she felt him tense suddenly. She heard him breathe deeply through his nose, while his arms automatically tightened around her. Bella felt the fear in her chest waiting to take over. Jacob let out a slow controlled breath as he reluctantly loosened his hold on her.

"Go back to the house, Bells." Jacob ordered her as he rose silently to his feet, pulling her up with him.

"What is it?" She asked in alarm. "Vampires? Here?"

"Go with Dad, Bells." Jacob ordered again as he signalled to his brothers and melted into the darkness.

Bella had no choice but to do as he asked. Seth and Leah had remained behind, probably as some kind of protection. She ran in their direction, her eyes searching for Billy. She found him with Sue and Old Quil. The former was already helping him steer his chair over the rough sand.

"Billy." She said breathlessly when she caught up with him. "Jake said…"

"I know." Billy's dark eyes were watchful as he looked toward Leah and Seth. The siblings had doused the fire and were already preparing to phase. Up ahead, Emily was pulling Kim along with her as they hurried over the beach. Billy noticed Bella's eyes moving with an alertness that comes from heavy stress and her hands remained clenched by her side. "Jake will take care of things, Bella." He said to her.

Bella was barely aware of him. Jacob was already on his way back and he wasn't alone. Her brown eyes widened in shock as she saw Charlie walking stiffly beside him, carrying Ben in his arms. Luka was one step behind Charlie, his gaze focused protectively on his little brother. But it was who came next that really shocked Bella. A few feet behind them walked Esme and Alice, with none other than Paul Lahote striding confidently beside them. In the distance she could see the shadowy forms of the phased wolves as they kept a close watch on the group.

Bella was too stunned to move from the spot beside Billy. The air was so brittle that it could snap. No one spoke until Jacob and Charlie, who were ahead of the group, stopped in front of Billy. Bella stared at her father mutely as he turned to her, his expression unfathomable as he passed Ben to her. She took her little brother from him and kissed the top of his sweet head. Ben's hair was sticking up in all directions as if he had just awoken from a long nap. His fingers curled into the fabric of her thick jacket, not clasping tightly, but just enough to reassure him that she was real. Bella kissed the top of his head again, before reaching her hand out to Luka to draw him into the tight circle that was her family. She looked at her father for an explanation, but Charlie's attention was solely on Billy.

"What's going on, Chief?" Billy faltered as he made eye-contact with his best friend. Dread crept over him like an icy chill, numbing his brain. He didn't know what to think. Charlie's expression was unreadable. The police chief was hiding his feelings behind a stoical mask, much like Sam Uley had once done.

"I've come here to seek sanctuary for my family." Charlie replied coolly as if they were complete strangers. His glance encompassed Esme and Alice, indicating that they were included in that statement, before it settled on Billy again. "Will you grant it or not?"

A/N-thanks for reading! Thoughts please. I'm really struggling with this story. Then next chapter is going to be a difficult one.