37 Would I Lie to You

The chapter belongs to The Euthrymics

I looked back before I closed the door to find Bella lying completely still, her headphones firmly over her ears. Shutting it quietly, I found Emmett channel surfing on the small television, finally grinning as he found a game show he wanted to watch. I shook my head as he got comfortable on the small couch to watch Jeopardy.

He didn't put too much importance on what had happened in the woods. Bella was a vampire; sooner or later she would kill a human. It wasn't important to him when or where.

"You gonna tell the folks what happened?" He didn't look up. He was busy thinking about The 20th Century and Musical Instruments.

"Um, yeah. I won't be long." It wasn't important that I have his full attention, and that was good. I wasn't as interesting as Alex and his questions.

He nodded distractedly, rattling off the question What is Switzerland to the answer The last modern country to recognize women's suffrage. He looked up at me. "1971. They didn't allow women to vote in Switzerland until 1971. Do you believe—"

Alex gave the next answer, Zamaitis, Breedlove and Blueberry. Emmett didn't skip a beat. "What are guitars!" he shouted.

"Thanks, man. I owe you one," I said as I headed out.

"No problem," he sighed as the program ended. He turned off the television and lay back on the couch. "I can hang out here as long as you need." He seemed a little sad. He knew the answer right away to the final Jeopardy question. The answer: This continent has never hosted an Olympic Games.

What is Africa, he thought sullenly, as he turned off the set. He almost always knew the answer, but he hoped that a question still remained that he didn't know the answer to.

As I walked slowly to the main house I tried hard to focus on the positives. Although tempted, Bella hadn't killed anybody. It wasn't even close, really. I'd lost my grip on her and she'd run, but I caught her easily. If she'd had her mind on hiker for breakfast, there would have been no way I could have held her back.

So, I thought grimly, we hadn't shit in Tanya's backyard, but it had been close.

Too close.

Great gray clouds churned on the horizon, obscuring the feeble sun. A wicked wind blew through the trees, reminding me of the raven sitting forlornly on the fencepost at the cabin. We didn't know if he was a sentinel, an omen or just a crazy bird.

All I did know was that he had upset Bella and that was enough to make me contemplate beaning him with a weighty stone.

I kicked at the rocks on the path, sending them scurrying. None of this would have happened if we'd had Alice's visions to guide us. Those damn wolves. I hated every last one of them. I indulged myself for a few minutes as I imagined what type of malady might inflict permanent damage to the whole damn tribe.

Smallpox. It was such a shame it had been eradicated. I thought of other disasters, but none were as inherently satisfying as thinking of the entire Quileute Nation covered in dripping pustules, dying as the original Native Americans had after the Pilgrims gave them blankets infected with the disease.

I arrived at the main house just as I'd finished slaughtering them in effigy, oddly calmer now that I'd purged a tiny bit of the drastic excess of hatred I harbored toward the whole lot. Other Indian tribes didn't cause such a vehement reaction in me—just our natural enemy, our beloved Quileutes, who happened to live right around the corner.

Shutting the door quietly behind me, I saw the living room was dark. Alice sat on the large sectional sofa, a laptop perched on her crossed legs, blueprints scattered over the cushions around her. Work on the Cedar Inn was coming along nicely and she was in the process of getting approval and the attendant inspections scheduled for a restaurant and a snack bar/game room.

I listened but didn't hear anyone else in the house. Looking at her questioningly, she pointed out, then up. "Rose and Jazz went to hunt. Esme hauled Carlisle upstairs to help her pick out some fabrics and paint. I told him, 'don't let her go with that white on white. Guests won't like it, especially ones with little kids.'" She looked disgusted.

Nodding vaguely, I tuned her out, trying to find a good reason to put off talking to the family about our incident with the hiker at the tree line, but knowing it had to be done.

I sat near the fire, the crackling warmth doing little to bolster my mood, when my phone rang. Pulling it from my pocket, I imagined it was Bella, wondering when I'd return, instead growling softly as I checked the caller ID.

Snapping the phone open, I summoned my best fake voice out of storage and greeted the caller.

"Hello, Jacob. What can I—"

"Hey," he cut in. "Sorry. We got trouble here. Any of your family in town?"

That got Alice's attention and she looked up, frowning.

When I told him we were all here, he told me Charlie had been attacked in the woods above the beach, and he and Seth had been nearby.

I stood up slowly as Jacob's words speared me. "He's dying, Edward."

Alice jumped up, her hands flying to her face. Soft jazz was playing in the background, so it was doubtful Carlisle or Esme would have heard the conversation. I pointed up emphatically, and Alice looked horror struck as she ran up the stairs.

In about five seconds Carlisle and Esme stood with Alice and me as I asked, "You called me to see if one of us could...change him?"

"For Bella." I would have imagined his voice to have been shaky, or at the very least defiant. It was neither. Strong and full of conviction, I had to admire him for wanting to save Charlie at any cost.

The leader of the tribe was willing to turn his back on decades of prejudice and mistrust for Bella Swan. An uncharacteristic lump formed in my throat. Abruptly, Jacob said, "Gotta go. I'll let you know what happens."

"Wait—"

The line went dead.

I closed my phone softly and we all stood frozen in time as we bid a heartsick farewell to a good man, a decent man, and my wife's father.

Carlisle allowed us about six seconds to grieve before he bolted into action.

"Esme, I'll need my briefcase." She nodded and dashed up the stairs.

"Carlisle, I'll go." I turned to face him, trying to think what to tell Bella, when he spoke.

"Jacob will need help disposing of the body, and I can arrange the necessary transport to a funeral home. And a death certificate," he swallowed, "will need to be signed." He was already pulling on the jacket that Esme held for him. She thrust the satchel in his hand, along with the keys to the Mercedes.

"I got you on the next flight out of Anchorage," Alice said. She rattled off the flight and gate number and he nodded, stopping to embrace Esme at the door.

"Call us when you get word," she said softly. He smiled sadly and nodded.

Looking over her shoulder, he said, "Let's not tell Bella until we know something for sure."

I felt sick with dread. Bella loved Charlie, and since he knew about our secret, she hadn't let him go in the same manner as she had Renee. She knew she'd be able to see him again after her first bloodthirsty years.

Esme, Alice and I stood, stunned, at the window, as the soft purr of the Mercedes faded in the distance. Before we could find words to express our anguish, Jazz and Rose came in the back door, laughing about a vampire movie they'd seen recently.

"And those clothes," Rose laughed. "I mean, really?"

"Enter freely, and of your own will," Jasper said in a terrible Romanian accent.

They quieted abruptly as Jazz sensed our somber mood. Alice turned, melting into his embrace. "What's wrong, sugar?"

Jasper swore softly as I told him about Jacob's call and Carlisle's departure.

"Em is still with Bella?" Rose asked.

Alice nodded miserably.

I tried Jacob's number twice but got no answer. I didn't leave a message. What would I say?

We prepared to sit on the couch as Alice half-heartedly gathered up her pristine blueprints and closed her laptop.

"What," I began slowly, "am I going to tell Bella?"

Soft music played from Alice's iPod. The fire burning brightly gave the illusion of respite from a busy day, but did nothing to calm me. I never remembered dreading anything more than what waited for me. I thought of how I'd tell her.

Bella, there's been an accident, and...

Bella, Jacob called, love, and apparently he and Seth saw...

Love, come sit with me for a moment. I need to talk to you about...

Shit.

Shit.

Esme wondered what kind of services Charlie would have preferred and Jasper voiced concern about the repercussions of severe emotional trauma during Bella's initial adjustment period.

I listened briefly but then tuned them out as I went deep inside myself to a place that was unfathomable and remote. Was this how Bella and I would live out our days? With heartbreak and stress the common denominator of our endless existence? Could there be no sunshine, only rain?

I was startled out of my funk by the soft click of the front door. I looked up to see Bella standing with Emmett, a concerned expression on her face as she took in the five of us. Alice had curled up on Jasper's chest as he leaned back on the couch, Rose stood at the window, Esme at her side. I was slumped in the big chair, my hands prayer-like in front of my mouth.

"So, he's told you," she said to the room at large. "I'm so sorry—I don't really remember very much about it, but it won't happen again."

Esme had begun walking over to embrace her but stopped at Bella's words. "Told us?"

"About my near miss with the hiker this morning?"

Esme just looked at her, realizing too late that her query would spark numerous questions from Bella, none of which we were able to adequately answer.

Confused, Bella looked at each family member in turn and then finally back to me.

"If you didn't tell them about the hiker, what's the matter with everybody?"

I sat up abruptly, running my hand up through my hair. Bella put a hand on her hip. "All right. I know that gesture. What's going on?"

Emmett caught my eye and pulled his eyebrows together, mouthing what? I looked away and Bella caught it.

"Now, look. I saw that. You can't be doing stuff like that anymore. I'm onto you, Edward Cullen. Are you going to tell me what the deal is?"

I stood, still trying to think of what to say to her, when my phone began to ring. I ignored it, knowing that action would only prompt more questions. And it did.

Bella frowned. "Well, are you going to answer that, or just let it ring?"

I looked around to see the shocked faces of my family. The phone rang again. Bella realized we were keeping something from her. "Answer it!" she gestured wildly with her hand. "Here, give it to me."

Fishing it out of my pocket, I opened it and spoke quickly. "Hello, Carlisle. I have the whole family here. Bella and Emmett just arrived, and Rose and Jasper have returned from hunting."

He paused, clearly thinking about how to proceed. "Edward, I need to speak to you alone."

Bella looked at me, mouth hanging opened, clearly outraged. "What. The. Hell?"

Glancing around nervously, I said, "Hang on a minute," as I walked toward the door. "I'll be right back, Bella. After I speak to Carlisle, I'll have some answers for you."

Her shocked expression followed me out of the house. "Hang on, Carlisle. I'm going to run out into the woods, away from the house."

A minute later I was surrounded by trees on all sides. Unless Bella had followed me, she wouldn't be able to hear our conversation.

"Okay," I told him. "What did you find out?"

"Sit down, son," he chuckled. "You're never going to believe this."

My heart leapt. "You sound too happy to have bad news."

"I think you're going to have to consider bringing Bella home for a bit." There was a smile in his words.

"What happened?"

"Well, she's going to want to help her father during his...recovery." He paused. "No, it's more like his adjustment."

"I thought he was near death!" Hell, I had buried the man, told Bella, and had made plans on how to help her deal with her father's passing.

"Oh, he was. You mustn't forget, Edward, that we are not the only supernatural creatures who live in the area."

"Carlisle, you're being really—"

I paused. Not the only supernatural creatures. "One of the wolves saved Charlie's life? How?"

"Apparently old Ephraim made a series of prophecies right before he died. The man they refer to as 'Old Quil' has been studying them for years, trying to make sense of them. Most of the time, they just have some value as entertainment, but occasionally they are relevant and complex."

"Prophecies." It sounded evil, when he said it like that.

"Apparently, our arrival back in this area was foretold. When you and Bella professed your love for each other, it set a string of events in motion that include a sweeping range of predictions, all that, so far, have come to pass."

"You're telling me that every step of the way, through all the bullshit we've been through, the Quileutes knew about it ahead of time?" The thought made me a bit sick to my stomach.

"Yes. Your relationship to a human, your departure and her rescue, your return, the lapse in the forest when you fed, your engagement and marriage, and, finally, the attack on Charlie."

"Jacob told you this?"

"Billy told me. I called him after I'd spoken to Jacob. Apparently Jacob has had the same dream and sighting of the raven as Bella."

I sank down to sit on the cold ground. "What does it all mean, Carlisle?"

"It means our family, the Quileutes, and the Swans are more closely bound than we imagined. The string of prophecies goes on. After Charlie's attack, there are several more, until they end."

"So, how did Jake save him? And, his adjustment?"

"This is amazing." Carlisle always carefully documented everything about our existence. Mostly, our lives ran down a predictable path. It wasn't necessary, for instance, to write down the types of animals we fed on or how we felt about it. He saved his efforts for issues such as the bite I inflicted on Bella and how the resulting venom that remained in her leg affected her. This information was exciting and new, and he was ecstatic.

"Apparently, once in every Alpha's tenure, he has the ability to change one outsider, for the benefit of the tribe. The prophecy is unclear about how Charlie's transformation will aid the Quileutes. That remains to be clarified."

"Let me get this straight," I began. "Jacob performed some kind of ceremony—"

"A mingling of his and Charlie's blood, as the prophecy is chanted," Carlisle clarified.

"Right. So, now, Charlie is going to be just like them? With the ability to transform at will? My father-in-law, a sworn enemy? Is that what you're trying to tell me?!" I realized I sounded a bit testy.

He chuckled again. "I guess you've got all the salient points down. But listen, Bella will of course want to be with her father during this difficult time, and the best part is, she won't even be tempted to attack, because he will smell so bad to her."

I slowly nodded to myself, already modifying what I would say to Bella. She would still be mortified about the extent of Charlie's injuries, though, to require Jacob to make the decision to change him.

"I told Jacob to leave Charlie where he was and that when I arrived we'd get him to the house. He can undergo his initial transformation there. Billy said it normally takes about a week, so don't rush up here. Charlie might stay unconscious for days." He paused for a second. "This type of magic has never been used on an outsider before. We don't know for sure that it will work, but Jacob reports that Charlie is stable and his wounds seem to be healing. That doesn't mean, though, that he won't react badly in the coming hours. We'll just have to wait and see."

A soft 'crack' alerted me to a presence nearby. I knew the family wouldn't allow Bella to follow me, and if she got away from them I would have gotten a beep to warn me. This was someone else.

In a couple of seconds Alice's tiny form bounced into view. I held up my hand as I listened to Carlisle. She cocked her head to listen, too.

"Call me after you speak to Bella."

"How far are you from Anchorage?"

"It'll be another hour, at least."

After we'd hung up, Alice said, "I heard just that last bit. Charlie is stable?"

I told her the whole story and she collapsed dramatically to sit on the ground. "Can this situation get any weirder? she asked.

"I've got to tell Bella right away. Carlisle wants us to come back, and really, I don't think I could keep Bella away. She'd run back if she had to."

Alice thought for a moment. "Let me tell her."

I frowned. "Why?"

Smiling, she said, "I was the best person to tell Charlie about us, because I wasn't too close to the situation. I think that logic also works for this. Bella can go through the whole range of emotions if I tell her, and she won't have to worry that she's somehow upsetting you by ranting, or crying, or just wanting to throw something."

The absurdity of the whole situation made me laugh, but not with any joy. Alice had told Charlie about Bella, she would now tell Bella about Charlie. Damn.

We ran back to the house to find Bella sitting in the kitchen, tapping her foot angrily. She jumped up as we walked in the back door, hands on her hips. "Nobody will tell me anything! I want to know what's—"

"Bella, come sit with me, love." I led her back to the table and we sat, facing each other. "I would never keep anything from you, but there's a situation that needed clarification. I now have that."

She swallowed hard and licked her lips. "It's something bad, isn't it? Something to do with that dream and the damn bird?"

I looked down, away from her piercing stare. "It's complicated, and it makes me feel terrible—"

"Alice will tell me! Won't you?" Bella looked over to Alice, who thought nice one, Edward.

Pulling her up in an embrace, I tipped her head back for a kiss. "You and Alice are going to the cabin, and we'll stay here, okay?" Her wide eyes betrayed her fear and uncertainty of the situation, but she nodded shakily.

I released her and Alice grabbed her hand, tugging her out the back door. The sound of crunching ice as they ran faded, leaving me feeling heartsick for my Bella. The rest of the family filed into the sparkling kitchen, taking a seat at the table, sitting on the long counter, or, like me, just leaning against the door, waiting.

After about ten minutes, we heard it, traveling out of the cabin, into the night. Dispersing in all directions, it left no trace of itself on the frozen land, but when it hit me, it sliced me like a blade. One, single word; voiced by a woman who was so distraught, one word was all she could manage.

"No!" It was one, long, heartsick wail. A scream, a shriek, piercing the air, and our hearts.