SM owns Twilight. We just want to live in her world a bit longer.

Chapter 24

Bella had had a good morning. After the hurt of the nightmare and the anxious wait for Jacob to get home, being woken to a very excited wolf-boy was a pleasant surprise. While Jake needed that reconnection after the fight the night before, Bella needed it to reaffirm in her heart and her soul that he was still hers.

She was glad that she didn't have the early morning shift at the cafe and wasn't needed until just before lunch. So they enjoyed a quiet morning at home before taking the furniture to the goodwill store as they promised Charlie.

Jake drove her to work and gave her a toe-curling kiss before chuckling and walking away. They would meet up at the Clearwater's house after his council meeting.

The lunch rush kept Bella busy, and she was relieved when three o'clock approached. She had put the closed sign up and busied herself with the final clean of the tables and countertops. The last job of the day was to take the rubbish to the large bin out the back, and then she would be done.

When she opened the cafe's back door, she heard some unexpected voices coming from around the corner.

"Hey freak," a young boys voice sneered, "what are you doing around here? No one wants you here."

Another boy laughed and said, "I think we should make the message a bit clearer."

There was the sound of a little squeal that made the hairs on Bella's arms stand up. She rounded the corner just as the first boy yelled. "Get out of here!"

Bella quickly took in the scene in front of her. A small girl was cowering in the corner, trying to cover her face, and two teenaged boys standing a few feet away from her. One boy had his arm raised with a rock in it.

"Stop!" Bella yelled, grabbing their attention. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

The boy lowered his arm but scowled at her. "We are helping you take out the trash."

She looked back at the girl, still shaking in the corner, not making eye contact with anyone. Bella walked to stand in front of the girl, between the boys and their target.

"Get the hell out of here. I don't ever want to see you around here again," Bella shouted angrily at them.

The taller of the two boys, clearly the leader, puffed up his chest and stepped closer to Bella. He was still an inch shorter than Bella, but that didn't seem to deter him, "or what? You don't scare me… paleface."

Bella sighed; she had faced vicious vampires and pissed off werewolves; two scrawny prepubescent boys were not going to rattle her composure. So she countered their offer, "or, I'll call some of my friends. Have you heard of Jacob Black or Sam Uley?"

She watched in amusement as his face dropped, and he took a step backwards, dropping his rock.

"I thought so. Now, I'm only going to say it once more. Get out of here!"

Bella watched with a satisfied smirk as they turned and fled without a backwards glance. Cowards, she thought.

She turned and squatted down to face the young girl still hiding behind her arms. Bella gently reached out and touched the girl's arm. "Hey," she said quietly, "are you okay?"

The girl slowly lowered her arm and looked at Bella through her wet eyelashes. Bella gasped in shock as she stared into the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. They were a striking contrast to her caramel-colored skin and silky black hair.

She was young, maybe fourteen or fifteen, with her hair braided into two long braids down to her chest and a straight fringe. Although Bella knew that they had never met before, the young girl looked vaguely familiar.

"Hi," Bella said again, tilting her head, waiting for a response.

"H-hi," the young girl stuttered, with a strange accent, but Bella couldn't place it.

"Are you okay?' she asked again.

The girl nodded her head but looked down at her knees. Bella could see a few scratches on them, but the wounds didn't look deep. Then she noticed a small line of blood on her forehead; there was a cut in her hairline.

"Let me help you up," Bella said, standing up and holding her hand out for the girl. The girl tentatively grasped her hand and stood up.

Bella turned towards the back door of the cafe, "come on, let's see if we can find some bandages to get you cleaned up."

She took a few steps but couldn't hear the girl following her. Bella turned back around, and the girl was just standing, glancing between Bella and the exit to the alley.

There was a moment of silence before Bella spoke again, "I won't hurt you. Come on; I'll get you something for those cuts."

The girl studied Bella's face carefully before silently nodded and stepping towards Bella.

Bella opened the back door, and the girl stepped inside, looking nervously around. "I'm Bella, by the way," she said.

There was silence. Bella frowned but didn't want to push it. The girl looked like she had been traumatized and was very scared.

Bella pulled out a chair from under a table and indicated that the girl should sit down. When she did so, Bella looked at her face again, "have you got a name?" Bella asked her quietly.

"Eva," she said quietly.

"It's nice to meet you, Eva," Bella replied with a smile before turning to see if she could find a first aid kit. She bustled around the cabinets, opening and closing them as she went. She was still unfamiliar with everything in the shop as it was only week two. They also needed an ice pack for her head, but she knew they didn't have one of them.

Bella wet a clean cloth and brought it back to sit next to Eva. "I can't find any bandages here at the shop, sorry. I'm not sure where Mary keeps them."

Leaning forward, she gently put the cloth to her knees to wipe away the blood and dirt.

"What's your name," Eva asked, watching Bela's face carefully.

"Bella," she frowned. "I.. um," she wasn't sure what to say; she didn't want to be rude.

"I…" Eva stated, before swallowing, "I am deaf," she admitted hastily.

"Oh," Bella said, with a jolt of shock; she wasn't expecting that. "I'm sorry, I didn't know… Can you… understand me?"

"Yes, if I am looking at you, I can read your lips."

Bella smiled; she always thought that would be a cool skill to have. Now it made sense that she didn't 'hear' all the things Bella had asked before because she was looking away at the time.

"Do you live locally?" Bella asked casually.

"Yes, I live with my grandmother. She's at work, though, until later tonight."

Bella nodded, feeling a swell of sympathy for the young girl. "Do you get bullied a lot?" Bella asked carefully.

Eva looked away and nodded, clearly not wanting to say anything else on the matter. Bella finished cleaning the scraps on her knees and returned to the kitchen to trash the cloth and grab her bag. She took a box of muffins from the counter; a few unsold ones from the day would go to waste. Bella knew a few wolves who would be devastated if she ever threw away baked goods.

Bella stood in front of Eva and waited for her to make eye contact again.

"Why don't you come back with me to my friend's house? I can get you some bandages and an ice pack. Then, we can have a coffee or hot chocolate with a muffin for afternoon tea. What do you think?" Bella hoped she would take her up on the offer; she didn't feel comfortable letting her leave so soon. She needed to keep an eye on her, especially with a head wound and her grandmother out until the evening.

Eva started chewing on her bottom lip. Bella guessed that she was nervous about being around people who might hurt her again.

"It's okay," Bella pleaded. "They are lovely people. Plus, I have no company for an hour or so until they get home. So really, you'd be doing me a favour?"

Eva reluctantly nodded and stood. Bella led the way out the back of the shop, turning off the lights and locking up as she went.

Bella didn't think Eva would be comfortable getting in a car with a stranger, so she opted to walk. There was a cool breeze coming off the ocean and grey threatening clouds, but it wasn't raining yet. Unfortunately, Bella would have to return for her car later; hopefully, it wouldn't be raining then.

"This way," Bella urged. "It's only about ten minutes away."

Eva followed along beside Bella as they walked silently to the Clearwater's house; the only sound was their shoes on the gravel footpath.

Finally, the house appeared, and Bella walked up the front steps. She knocked on the front door, although she didn't expect anyone to be home; they would all be at the council meeting. When they were met with no answer, Bella opened the door, which was never locked and went inside. She walked to the kitchen, put the muffins on the counter and put the kettle on the stove.

"Whose house is this?" Eva asked, still standing in the doorway.

Bella turned, so she was facing Eva, "the Clearwater's. Do you know Seth from school?"

Eva shook her head, "I don't go to school. My grandmother home schools me."

"Ah, okay. Well, Seth and Leah Clearwater live here with their mother, Sue. They are good friends of mine and should be home soon. My boyfriend will be over soon as well." Bella walked to the hall cupboard and pulled out the first aid kit. She returned to the main living area and waved Eva over to the dining table.

Eva sat down, and Bella put some sticky plasters over her knees. She then grabbed some frozen vegetables out of the freezer for Eva to place against her head.

Bella puttered around the kitchen, preparing a hot chocolate for them, and brought the muffins over to share.

"So, how old are you?" Bella asked.

"Fifteen," Eva replied. "You?"

"I'm eighteen. It's my birthday next week," Bella frowned, she had once been so terrified of getting older, and she hadn't even thought of it once in the past month. But, oddly, she was looking forward to getting older if it meant she could do it with Jake.

Bella and Eva chatted for a little while, getting to know each other. Eva asked Bella about her life and where she grew up, and Bella asked her the same. Eva has lived all her life on the Rez with her grandmother. Her mother died when she was a baby. Eva slowly let down her walls, and Bella was happy to see the sweet girl underneath the nervous exterior.

Bella apologized for not knowing sign language, "I always wanted to learn it, but I never knew anyone I could practice with."

"That's okay. Not many people know it. That's why my grandmother taught me to lip read. I am pretty good at it. Unfortunately, she is also deaf."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Bella said, not sure what else was appropriate to say to that.

"That's okay; it's not your fault."

"No, I suppose not," Bella looked away, embarrassed.

Bella felt a tug in her chest, and she knew that Jake was on his way over. She heard someone on the front steps and looked up as Jacob entered the room a moment later. Her face lit up in a smile as she took in the sight of him standing in the doorway.

"Hey…" she started to say when she caught sight of his facial expression. He was staring at Eva with a shocked look on his face.

Immediately, Bella had a sinking feeling in her stomach. There was a tense moment of silence as no one said anything.

"What is she doing here?" he asked Bella, finally making eye contact with her.

"Um…" Bella tried to stand up but found her legs were really weak. She stumbled and caught the edge of the table for support.

"I should go," Eva suddenly said.

"Yes, that's probably a good idea," Jacob said in a curt tone.

"What?" Bella was so confused now, looking between the two of them. She turned to face Eva quickly, "wait… stay here. I need to talk to Jacob outside."

"I-is he your boyfriend?" Eva stuttered, returning to the scared child Bella saw out the back of the cafe.

"Yes, this is Jacob. Do you know him?" Bella asked, then looked back at Jacob.

"We've never met," Jacob said with a stern tone. Bella was still so confused.

"Hang on, Eva. Please…" she turned to Jake. "Outside!" she said, frowning at him, pointing to the front door.

Eva slowly sat back down, and Bella walked towards Jacob. He grabbed her hand and led her outside. "What the hell is going on?" Bella asked.

"Do you know who that is?" Jake asked.

Bella shifted her eyes nervously, "Eva. I met her at work today. Some kids were bullying her. I couldn't find any bandages at work, so I brought her back here to help her. Now tell me, what is going on?"

Jake took a deep breath and sighed. "That is Evangeline Fisher, daughter of Hannah Fisher, granddaughter of Sybil Fisher..."

"Okay, but I still don't understand… Why are you so angry? You didn't…. " Bella took a deep breath, "you didn't imprint on her, did you?" Bella asked hesitantly, not sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.

"What? No, of course not," Jacob shook his head; Bella let out a shuddered breath she didn't know she was holding. He grabbed Bella around the waist and pulled her in close for a hug.

"Oh god, I was so scared. That look on your face." She took a deep breath while Jake rubbed her back.

"So, if it's not that, then what are you so upset about?" she asked, muffled against his chest.

"Her family is not well-liked around the Rez. There is a history..."

Bella stayed silent for a few moments before pulling back to look up at him, "what sort of history?"

Jacob sighed. "Their family used to the shaman's of our tribe, many generations ago, before the Artera's took over. Something went wrong; I can't remember all the details. But essentially, their family was cursed. Since then, all the children in their family have been females, born with unnaturally blue eyes, and they have all been born deaf."

Bella frowned; suddenly, many of the missing pieces from the afternoon fitted into the place; the bullying, the homeschooling, the shyness and hesitance to be around other people.

"So, why are you scared of her?" Bella asked.

Jacob scoffed, "I'm not scared of her…."

"Really?"

"I'll admit that I might be scared of her grandmother," Jacob looked a bit sheepish. "Look, they live in the forest…."

"You all live in the forest," Bella interrupted.

"No, our houses back onto the forest. They live in the forest. You can't even drive a car to their place."

"Okay?"

"We all grew up being told various legends. One of them was about her family."

"You didn't believe those legends. You told me they were just some scary stories," Bella told him.

"I believed this one."

"Why?" Bella asked in disbelief.

"Well, you just have to look at them to know that they are different; you can't miss their eyes, and they are all deaf."

"That still doesn't make it true. It is probably just a genetic trait," Bella reasoned.

"I had a run-in with her Grandmother once... We were told to stay away from them, but being kids, we didn't listen. So when we were about ten years old, Quil, Embry and I once went through the forest to find their house. I think, in our minds, we expected it to look like a 'witches cave' or something out of a fairytale story, but it was just an ordinary house. Anyway, Quil dared Embry to knock on the front door. He wouldn't do it, so I did it.

"Sybil opened the door before I could run away. She grabbed me by the back of my shirt and yelled at me to leave her family alone, or she would curse us and give us tails."

Bella burst out laughing, but Jacob didn't seem to think it was funny. "What?"

"You do have tails…."

"Hardy, har, har," Jacob fake laughed. "This is serious. We just don't associate with her family."

Bella scowled at him, laughter immediately forgotten. "You are not a child anymore, Jacob. Do you think this curse is going to rub off on you or something?"

Jake looked confused, he wanted to pull Bella closer, but she was clearly mad at him. "I…"

"There is a fifteen-year-old girl in there who is lonely and scared of everyone. She has no one but her grandmother and has been ostracized by her own community. Imagine, for a second, everyone hating you because of some old legend or tall tale. Oh, wait. I don't have to imagine what that feels like." Bella was on the verge of tears by this point. "I never thought you were capable of cruelty like this. But, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

As the words left her mouth, Bella could feel a sharp pain in her chest, but she couldn't take them back. She heard Jacob gasp.

She pushed on his chest to create some more distance between them. Jake reluctantly let her go, choosing not to use his strength to force her to stay with him. "Wait…" Jake called out, clearly distressed.

"Bella, please, I'm sorry… I never thought of it like that before. Shit…" Jacob ran his fingers through his hair, pulling on the ends. "You're right. I've seen… we've seen what prejudice can do and what it feels like to be on the other side of it. Old men, telling bullshit stories." Jacob sighed, "can you help me fix it? Introduce her to me, please?"

Bella took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. She could see the regret written on his face.

"She can lip read pretty well," Bella warned him. "Just make sure she is looking at you when you speak."

Bella reached out and grabbed his hand. He pulled her in for a hug first, kissing her head. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Bella didn't reply; she just turned and opened the front door, leading Jake inside.

Eva was in the kitchen putting the frozen peas back in the freezer. She looked up, spotting them standing in the doorway. "I'd better get going. I appreciate your help, Bella."

"Eva, you don't have to leave. Does she Jacob?" Bella asked.

"No. Please excuse my rudeness before. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself before. I'm Jacob Black."

Eva's eyes went wide. "Black? As in Chief Billy Black's son?"

"Yes, he is my father," Jacob said, begrudgingly; clearly, the council meeting didn't go as well as Bella had hoped.

"Oh… I really should be going. I'm sorry for intruding." Eva turned and hesitated, unable to leave without passing through Bella and Jake. She looked like a deer caught in highlights.

Bella turned to Jake with an expression of "do something."

"Eva, I'm sorry for how I behaved earlier and for how you've been treated in the past. You are Bella's guest…." Bella glared at him. "And my guest too… please stay?"

Eva looked back to Bella, and she smiled back, "please?" Bella added.

"O-okay, if you insist," Eva stuttered.

"I do," Bella said. She walked back to the freezer, pulled out the frozen vegetables, and handed them back to Eva.

"Thank you," she muttered as she walked slowly back to the dining table.

Bella poured Jake a drink and grabbed a muffin for him before inviting him back to the table.

They all sat in silence as Jake ate. Bella was getting more and more anxious as the silence stretched on.

"Where are Seth and Leah?" Bella asked.

"Just finishing up… a run. They should be back any moment now."

Bella nodded, and the silence continued.

She was relieved when the back door opened, and Leah stepped inside.

However, the relief was short-lived because it was like a case of deja vu. Leah stopped dead in her tracks, just like Jake did. She looked between Eva and Bella, then landed on Jake, silently asking what was going on. He put his hand up to halt any question.

He was about to speak when Seth came barreling through the back door.

Seth did the same thing, stopping short just behind Leah.

It was almost comical, and Bella would have laughed if it wasn't so unsettling.

She looked at Seth's face again and was surprised that it wasn't frozen in shock; it was frozen in awe.

Bella cleared her throat to snap them out of it and then glanced at Eva to make sure she watched her. When Eva made eye contact with her, so she spoke up, "Leah, Seth, this is Eva. I met her at work and invited her back here. Eva, this is Leah and..."

"Seth," he suddenly said. He quickly brushed past his sister and put his hand out for Eva to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, almost in reverence.

Eva blushed and held her hand out to him. They shook hands but didn't let go. Instead, he sat down in the chair next to her and continued to stare at her with a goofy smile on his face. "You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen."

A/N There you go. You can breathe a sigh of relief, there was an imprint, but it wasn't Jake.

She was mentioned in a chapter near the beginning. Does anyone remember where? Why does Bella think she recognizes her?

Seth's POV next. He is so cute, I can't wait to finish writing it.

Thanks for all the reviews, I love reading every single one of them.