CHAPTER SIXTEEN

(BPOV)

I didn't sleep a wink the rest of the night. As much as I tried to shut my mind off, I simply couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes all I would see is the looming shadow by Billy's window. Charlie and Billy returned home from their trip into the station just before midnight, and by the look on their faces, it seemed as it they hadn't uncovered anything more about Rachel.

"Dead end I'm afraid. Unbelievable." Charlie huffed, as he helped Billy get settled into his chair and turned on the TV for him.

"You didn't find anything else on her?" I asked, pouring them both some tea, and seeing Billy's discouraged expression as he sighed heavily and looked my way.

"No, dear. It's just as your father said, there really isn't anything else we can do at this point."

"It's a waiting game from here on out. We have to wait for Rachel to contact Jake again." Charlie clarified. "Did she call today?"

"No- haven't heard anything from her. Jake and Gentry phoned in a few hours ago. They made it to California. Last I heard they were heading over to the address that Jake got from that guy."

Charlie nodded and plopped himself down on the free end of the sofa, his eyes heavy with exhaustion as he tilted his head back with a yawn. "We need to get some sleep, Billy. I need fresh eyes to look at all this again in the morning. I know you want to find her and we will, but I can't keep going on like this and neither can you."

Billy didn't respond to Charlie, he merely sipped his tea and looked toward the living room window with evident worry.

I soon covered him with a blanket, and checked on Brenner and Clarissa while they slept at the other end of the sofa.

It had taken me hours, and several bedtime stories, to calm Brenner down enough for him to finally succumb to his exhaustion, and I could only hope and pray that he wouldn't awaken from a nightmare brought on by tonight's events.

"How was everything here while we were gone into town? Were the kiddos okay for you?" Billy quietly asked.

"Did Sam get ahold of you? Have you spoken to him?"

"He did leave me a message, now that I think of it, but I haven't checked it yet. Why? Did something happen?"

"I nervously tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, and sat on the arm of the chair with him while he anxiously peered up at me.

"We had a visitor, Billy." I truthfully told him. "-an unwelcome one, but don't worry, Seth and Paul were here. They intervened."

"A cold one? On our lands!?"

"Yes-... Brenner saw him first. Through your window. He screamed-"

"The bad man?" Billy hedged in return. "Jacob had a feeling that it may turn out this way, but I didn't want to believe it. Rachel's a smart girl. She always has been. I can't see her falling for one of their traps of manipulation."

I went mute at this, noting the way his look turned regretful.

"It's easier than you think to be caught up with them. That's the way it was for me with Edward. I was fascinated by his brooding and mysterious ways. I wanted to know more about him. I was foolish back then."

"You were young, Bella. Impressionable at the time."

"So is Rachel. She's been far from home for a long time herself and that leaves her more vulnerable."

Billy nodded in understanding at this and laid his tired head against the chair.

"Part of me blames myself for this mess. I never told her the truth about Jacob and what he was, or how real the supernatural was for us before she left for College all that time ago. Had she known, things may have turned out to be so much different. We might not be in this situation today. Rachel could be home where she belongs with all of us. Not somewhere out in the middle of California, running from who knows what."

"She knows what Jacob is now. It's why she sent Brenner here, Billy. Sam even said so earlier. You can't blame yourself."

"That's the other part of this that I can't wrap my head around. How did she know what he was and who told her?"

"I don't know. Maybe she figured it out for herself? I almost did at one time." I thoughtfully countered.

"...but with the help of another."

I paused at this and got up from the arm of the chair as my memories went back to the time I was with Edward in the forest, when I finally discovered just what he was. I had scoured the web for days trying to find my own answers and coming up with obscene conclusions about him, only to have the truth be far more shocking than anything I had previously considered in the end.

The realization hit me with a sharp intake of breath, and when I whirled around to face Billy again, I could see it there in his gaze that he knew it, too.

"He knows about Jacob. Whoever this is, Billy. He knows what he is. He knows what they all are."

"He's baiting them. Just like Victoria used to."

"There has to be a link there somewhere."

Billy looked truly troubled as he gazed over at Brenner then.

"I can't imagine what he's seen, Bella. What my poor grandson has been through with all this. He must be so scared all the time. I hate that I wasn't there for him."

"I know, but he has us now and we'll get him through this together. Jacob and Gentry will find Rachel and they'll bring her back home, Billy."

"I should've been a more present father for her. When Sarah died, things got so out of place in our family. I didn't know how to fix it, Bella. I didn't even know where to start."

I hugged him upon hearing this, the clear sadness in his voice thick and easy to recognize when I tucked the blanket in further around him.

"You were a good father to your kids, Billy. Don't say such things. Jacob is who he is today because of you. You can't place the blame on yourself. Losing Sarah was the hardest thing you ever had to go through and you loved her so much. You two prevailed over the trying hardships you faced and She was taken from you too soon, Billy. None of that was your fault, okay? Try to get some rest. I think a good nights sleep will do wonders for you."

"Thank you for your kind words, Bella. I needed to hear them tonight. These past few days have been so hard. Speaking of sleep, shouldn't you be getting some adequate rest yourself?" He hedged.

"I've tried, but no such luck. I think I'll be awake until Jacob and Gentry get back."

"Bella, you'll be thoroughly exhausted by then. They may not be back till tomorrow at this time or even later. Who knows what they could run into while they're gone."

"What can I say? I don't like sleeping without him." I sighed, with a slight shrug as Billy chuckled.

"You sound just like Sarah. She used to wait up for me, too. Not for the same kind of noble reasons, of course, but she'd still wait up until I was back home safe. Love will do that to a person. Try to get some rest, dear. Jacob wouldn't want you feeling run down on his behalf."

"After I left for Maine, did he sleep?" I softly asked him with a nervous glance in his direction.

"No, that boy didn't sleep until his exhaustion overwhelmed him, and it did, more often than not during those days."

"See? I'm not the only one." I replied with a faint smile, before switching off the final lamp in the corner. "Goodnight, Billy. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Bella. Same to you, dear."

I dozed off in the glider, and I wasn't asleep for too long when the feel of a soft tug on my sweater awoke me. I opened my eyes to see Brenner there in front of me, his scared expression making me reach for him.

"What's wrong, buddy? Are you okay?" I asked.

"I had a nightmare about the bad man. Can I lay with you here until the dark goes away?"

"Sure you can. Come here." I replied, wrapping us both up in the heavy afghan while he settled there in the chair with me.

"What did you used to do when you had a bad dream?" He sleepily asked.

"I used to think about your uncle Jake. After I moved to Maine. That always helped me when I had the real scary nightmares."

"Do you think they'll be back soon? I miss him already."

"Yeah, I bet if you go to sleep now, your uncle Jake will be back before dark tomorrow. He's pretty fast like that." I stated, placing a kiss to his forehead and slowly rocking him back to sleep. He resisted for a little while longer, and was full of far more questions than I thought he'd be at this hour.

"Why did you go to Maine, aunt Bella? Did uncle Jake go with you when you left?"

"No, he didn't come with me. I left to attend medical school there, Brenner."

"I'm sure uncle Jake missed you so much." He yawned with another tired sigh. "He sure loves you a lot. You know, my mama had a picture of you guys sitting together with Grandpa Billy on our fridge, too. She told me you were his very best friend."

I held him tighter and placed another kiss into his hair then.

"Yeah, she's right, Brenner. Your uncle Jake was always my very best friend and I love him, too."

"Do you think once my mom calls, we could ask her if I could stay here with you guys for a while longer? I really like it here. It's warm, not like all our other houses."

"I don't see why not. We love having you here. Did you stay in a lot of different houses, Brenner?"

"mmm-hmm. We moved around a lot. Never in one place for too long. That's how we kept ahead of the bad man. Mama always said it was the only way we were safe. My daddy used to keep us safe but he's gone."

"Gone to where? Do you know where he is now?" I timidly asked him.

"In heaven. With all the other angels up there." He sadly admitted.

I tried to keep my composure after hearing him say this, but the brokenness in his little voice made that nearly impossible for me to do.

"What was his name?"

"Mason." He replied to me with a sniffle. "He died in a car accident. I don't really remember him very much."

"I'm sorry, Brenner. I wish he was still here with you today."

"Me too. Mama always says he's watching over us still."

"Oh, I'm sure he is. I'm sure he's smiling down at you. I hope you know that you're safe here with us now, and you can stay for as long as you want to."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." I whispered.

"What about my mom? Can she stay here?"

"Of course, this is her home, too. It always will be. Don't worry, Brenner. You'll be back with her real soon. I'm sure she's thinking of you right this very minute - wherever she is."

"Goodnight, aunt Bella. I love you."

I swallowed hard against my tears and rested my head on top of his with my whispered reply.

"Goodnight, Brenner. I love you, too."

A/N: This was a harder chapter to write. But a crucial part of the story's overall development. Today, I'm writing to all of you from a book Cafe! Never posted a chapter to my story in such a location, but here's to new things, right? ;-) I encourage you all to get out and explore what's around you - safely of course. New update tomorrow afternoon. Till then my wonderful readers - till then.