CHAPTER ELEVEN
(JPOV)
Gentry followed me back to the Reservation, my tension filled and stony silence making him halt his run when we reached Billy's back yard.
"Jake, hold up- bro- you're blocking me out. I can't connect with you like this."
My head pounded with the knowledge of what we were facing and I winced as Bella's face came to mind.
Gentry looked my way again before phasing back to human form and pulling on his cut offs with a silent gesture for me to follow.
I did so robotically and stared out at the open forest behind us as the words from Alice came back to me.
'Like it or not, we'll have to work together to keep her safe. It's the only way.'
I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth at this, the very thought of uniting with our sworn enemy more than unnerved me. I loathed even the idea of it but for Bella, there was no boundary I wouldn't cross over.
"Hey-" Gentry hedged from beside me, his solid shove to my shoulder enough to jolt me out of my thoughts. "...talk to me! What's our plan? The others are on their way to Sam's now - shouldn't we go with them?"
"No- not yet."
"Then what are we doing?"
"I have to tell Bella first. She needs to know." I told him.
"She'll be terrified." Gentry countered.
"Honesty is the best policy. We already lost too much from keeping things hidden. I won't do that again. I learned my lesson about half truths the hard way - and it was enough to set me straight. Scared or not - I'm telling her, Gentry."
"Yeah, okay. I get it, I really do, but don't you think we oughta have some kind of plan set in place to end these thirsty leeches before we drop a huge bomb on her like that?"
"...and what plan would that be? Even if Sam agrees to take this head on, there's a good chance that we'll be outnumbered."
"We were before with the newborn attack and we managed! Come on, Jake! I think we can take them!"
I narrowed my gaze at him and shook my head at his ego fueled confidence.
"Gentry! Wake up, man! This isn't the same thing. From Alice's description, what we defeated before would only serve to be a preview of what's coming next."
I saw the cocky smirk leave his face at my tone, his gaze now becoming far off and distant with his reply.
"You don't think we'd all survive an attack like that- that's what you're really saying." He tensely clarified, and all I could do was look away from him. "Well, if I was a betting man, you can be sure that I'd still bet on us."
"We could lose some of us, Gentry. That's a real possibility. So, you'll have to forgive me if I'm not as confident right now as you are. Go join the others at Sams place. He's expecting you by now, I'm sure."
I headed for the house and paused when I saw Billy now waiting for me on his wheelchair ramp, his concerned gaze holding mine when I trudged up over the steps and met him there.
"Back from a meeting with Sam?"
"Not quite." I admitted, taking a seat beside him on the top step as he looked my way.
"Is Gentry coming behind you anytime soon?"
"He's with the others, dad. All of them are at Sam's house right now."
"Tell me, son... -your troubled expression wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Sam stepping down from Alpha in the coming months would it? Cause if you're doubting yourself for that role, you shouldn't. You were born for it. I have faith in you, Jake. You'd make a great Alpha. The pack already respects you, and having Gentry around would only unite all of you that much more."
"Thanks, dad. That's not what's bothering me."
"Oh, did something happen? Is everything okay with you and Bella?" He questioned.
I sighed and briefly hung my head as the wind picked up around us.
"We're okay- great even - it's not that." I eventually ground out to him in return.
"Then why don't you tell me whatever it is that has you looking so troubled." My father then hedged, as I tried to voice some of the madness in my head.
"The Cullens are back in town. Well, one of them anyway...-for now."
Billy's mood change was instant and I saw the anger in his gaze when I peered back up at him.
"When did that happen?"
"Today - just now. Alice Cullen. She's been keeping a lookout around here."
"On our lands!?" Billy nearly yelled and I shook my head.
"No, but close enough. Turns out, they left some unfinished business when they took off out of Washington all that time ago."
"What kind of unfinished business, son?"
"The kind that involves Bella and the volturi."
Billy drew in a sharp breath at this, his firm hand now gripping tightly on my shoulder, as I gazed out wordlessly at the forests edge.
"The Volturi?"
"They're the ones who uphold the laws of their kind. For the cold ones." I angrily clarified.
"What kind of laws!?"
"Bella wasn't supposed to change her mind about becoming one of them but she did, and there's a price for it. A high one." I visibly cringed upon speaking the words and my father grew eerily silent then.
The sound of the phone ringing from inside the house broke through the reflective quiet, and the voice we recognized carrying out to us on the answering machine was one neither of us had heard in years.
'Dad...-Jake... if you're there can you please pick up the phone? Please? I know you must have some questions for me, a lot of them. I'm still in California, but I got myself into some trouble and I really need to speak to you both. Jake- if you're there with dad right now and you're listening to this-... I- I heard about Lillian and I'm so sorry.' Rachels voice broke on the last few words, the sound of it tugging at me enough that I got up to answer her call just as the sight of a taxi cab pulling into dads driveway stopped me.
The car came to a slow stop and the back door opened as a small brown haired boy stepped out, his arms carrying a large bag as Rachels message continued on in the background.
'Listen, I had to do something - there's so much you don't know about my life and that's my own fault. I excluded you both from everything these past eight years. I- I have a son, dad. He's almost six and he's my whole world. His name is Brenner. I hope someday you'll be able to understand why I did this - why I had to do this. I promise to call you back, as soon as I can. Take care of him for me. I know he's safe with you.'
She hurriedly ended the call when my gaze landed on the small boys scared face while he nervously stood at the end of the driveway and looked our way. His brown eyes were tear filled and he shivered from the chill in the air, as the taxi cab backed out of the drive and took off.
"Jake...-" My father brokenly spoke my name and wheeled forward, the two of us now looking at the child neither one of us even knew existed until right now.
I stepped off the small porch and slowly approached him, his clothes ripped and torn in places, and when I was close enough to him, I hunkered down to his eye level and offered him the best smile I could muster right about now.
My observant gaze roamed over his face and I could already see Rachel plainly there. He had her nose and the shape of her eyes, and a chin that looked similar to mine.
"Hey Brenner." I managed, seeing how my offered smile seemed to ease some of his fears when he smile back at me.
"Hi." He timidly replied, looking around at the yard with wide eyes of curiosity.
"I'm Jacob. It's nice to meet you."
"You're in all my moms pictures at home. She said I could stay here for a little while with you and my grandpa Billy? She has a lot of pictures of him, too."
I nodded and reached for his bag, seeing him flinch away before he reluctantly handed it over to me.
"Yeah, little guy. You can stay here as long as you want to."
I walked him up the porch steps and saw dads eyes grow misty when we drew closer to him.
Brenner simply waved to him and my father looked as dumbfounded as I was while we all went inside. I placed his things in the living room and offered him a blanket while he continued to shiver from the damp evening air of Washington.
He wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and looked as if he didn't dare to move an inch there by the front door.
"You can come inside." Billy softly told him but Brenner remained where he was for several more minutes. He looked truly terrified.
I headed for the kitchen and took hold of the phone while I tried to dial Rachel back from the unknown number she had called from.
I let it ring and ring but no one answered and I sighed out of frustration as a small voice came from behind me.
"She won't answer." Brenner timidly told me, his eyes now rimming with tears as he looked around the confines of the small kitchen.
I hung up the phone and dialed Bella, telling her to meet me here at dads. She agreed and assured me she'd be right over with Clarissa. I could hear the worry in her voice from what happened earlier, and I promised her that I would tell her everything once we were back home later.
I pulled out a chair, gesturing for Brenner to sit but he merely shook his head to me in return.
"Did your mom send you here, Brenner? Is she in some kind of trouble? You can tell me."
He didn't speak at first as he sniffled and huddled further into himself, his cheeks now wet and his hair long enough that it fell into his eyes when he peered down at the floor beneath us.
"I'm hungry."
Billy struggled to keep his own emotions in check as he spoke to him.
"We have macaroni and cheese. That used to be your mama's favorite when she was little. Is that yours? Would you like some?"
"Yes, please." Brenner answered, his small shoulders now shaking some when he peered up at me with his reply.
"Mac and cheese it is, bud. Come on, I have a sweatshirt in my old room you can wear. Might keep you warmer than that thin blanket."
He nodded as I reached out for his hand and waited for him to take hold of it. After a few more seconds of silent debate from him, he shakily placed his small hand in mine, and I gave it a gentle squeeze while we headed down the hall for my old room.
I dug through my old dresser and soon found the sweatshirt I was looking for, holding it out to him with a grin.
"That's big." Brenner meekly stated, while I helped him slip into it and rolled up the sleeves.
"But it will keep you warm. You can have it. How's that?"
"Good." He softly agreed.
Billy tried Rachel again but got nowhere, and he simply shrugged to me when I fixed Brenner a large bowl of Mac and cheese.
He sat there at the table, with his spoon in hand and looked at the bowl without taking a bite, his nervous expression making me nudge the bowl a bit closer to him with an encouraging nod.
"Dig in, little buddy. There's more if you want it."
Brenner was silent, but one cautious bite at a time, he started to eat and a small smile graced his face. He was only half way through the dish when his eyes got heavy and he laid his tired head down on the table.
Billy could only stare at him as he fought sleep and I noticed the way his eyes would snap open when either one of us made a sound.
"We can save the rest of that for later." Billy offered and Brenner yawned, his long trip undoubtedly taking a toll on him. "You're more than welcome to sleep on the couch. Nice and warm there."
He shook his head to Billy in silent protest and I saw the scared look he wore at the mere mention of this, his tears now returning as he peered over at me.
"Do you sleep here?" He questioned in a quivering voice.
"No, I don't live here, anymore. But I used to." I replied, as he let his head fall. I quickly back peddled and found myself ready to offer him any form of comfort he needed. After all, he was our family. "I can stay here for a little while."
Brenner lifted his head with a nervous grin and reached his hand out for mine again.
We flipped through endless TV Channels there on the couch and within a few short minutes, he was fast asleep next to me.
His face looked anything but peaceful as he slept and when Bella's knock came to the front door, he jumped and stirred some as Billy wheeled himself over and let her in.
Clarissa reached for Billy once they were inside and I saw the confused look she wore when she looked to Brenner who had curled himself further into my side.
"We had some unexpected company this afternoon. Seems Rachel has a son." Billy sighed, as he placed a kiss to Clarissa's cheek and held her in his lap.
"A son?" Bella asked, as she peered down into his face and draped the abandon blanket over his legs.
"His name is Brenner." I replied. "He's almost six. She left a message on the machine earlier. We've tried to call her back but so far - no answer. I can't believe this. How could she not tell us-"
The raise in my baritone made Brenner flinch and I wrapped an arm around him with a remorseful look to Bella.
She gingerly reached out and swept the dark hair out of his face with a worried glance, her words soft when she spoke to me.
"He came here all by himself? That's a long ways. He must have been scared. He looks exhausted. What did Rachels message say?"
"Not as much as he wanted it to." Billy worriedly answered. "Just that she was sorry for not being in touch and that she had a son. She said she was in trouble. I haven't heard more than a few brief words from her in years. When she left home, she separated herself. It was almost like she wanted it that way. She sent along a few cards for Christmas and on Father's Day, but that was about it. I don't know what to make of this."
"We need to call Charlie, dad. You know we have to. He needs to look into what's going on with her. Something about this doesn't feel right."
"I think you're right." Bella agreed, reaching for her cell and dialing Charlie. He picked up after only two rings and she took the call into the other room so dad and I could finish talking.
"You think there's more to this than sending him here because she's in trouble?" Billy questioned.
"She would have no reason to keep him from us - like a secret for all this time. Who ships their kid alone on a trip like that without their mother. I'm pissed she didn't at least call us before now."
"She sounded really desperate on the answering machine."
"I don't like how scared he is, dad. It's not normal."
"What are you saying? He's had a long trip and for his age, I would assume that it would take the life out of any kid."
"Yeah - or - he's just used to being so afraid like that. It's abnormal to us but normal to him. Where's his father and why didn't she ever mention him to us before today?"
"I wish I knew, son."
Bella came back out with a weary expression, her eyes meeting mine as she ended the call with Charlie.
"Dad will be here soon. Says he'll check any kind of missing persons report from California before he heads over. Could be a custody dispute gone wrong between Rachel and Brenner's father. Hard to guess really, but Charlie seemed fairly confident that he could find out where she's been living in California." She stated, as she glanced toward the large duffle bag now resting by the couch. "Seems like she packed enough of his things for an extended visit here. Maybe she felt that he'd be here for a while? That it was in his best interest?"
I tightened my arm around Brenner as he grew more restless in his sleep.
"He's comfortable with you. Kids sense things in people." Bella offered up with a hopeful smile and tucked the blanket further in around him. "I think he needs the two of you more than you could ever know. I used to see things like this at the ER often. Cases of neglect or abuse. It's easy to read in most cases. I sincerely hope that's not what this is. For both Rachel and Brenner."
I sighed and watched Billy as he handed Clarissa to me and wheeled himself back out to the phone to try for the third time to reach her. Bella soon settled herself next to me and I reached for her hand, our fingers lacing together when Charlie came through the door still wearing his uniform.
A/N: Long awaited update for you guys today! More to come tomorrow! Hope you enjoy this chapter and the new development of this story! Please review with your thoughts! :-)