Rescuing Me

Chapter 14 "Training and Happiness"

Sunday, January 10th

Lily POV

"I know." Charlie said, taking a drink of his coffee once I finished up telling him everything. I sat back in surprise in the diner booth. Charlie chuckled. "Don't you think I would have done a little background on you before hiring you?"

"I...I guess I didn't think about that." I flushed and looked down at my half-empty plate of food. I had called Charlie last night to ask him if we could talk. When he suggested breakfast the next morning, I agreed.

Charlie reached over to pat my arm. "You've had it rough, kid. But I think that's part of what makes you so good at all of this." He sighed. "I'm really sorry to hear about your friend's dog. Only a crazy individual could kill an animal like that."

I nodded. "I called Matt last night and we had a long talk. There's no leads on who killed Boomer—officially—but we both know who killed him. It was a revenge killing. Killing Matt would have brought too much attention, more cops. Killing Boomer, while awful, wouldn't bring that kind of heat."

"You're completely right. He doesn't want any more attention drawn to him than there already is. Not until…" Charlie trailed off, glancing at me.

I sighed. "Not until he has a chance to finish what he started."

Our breakfast meeting brought little comfort—Charlie wanted to tell the others at the police station. I knew it had to be done but I didn't want to. Of course with Charlie as my boss, I didn't have much of a choice.

When I got back to Uncle Billy's place, I took Trixie on a walk down to the beach. I watched her gleefully chase birds and dodge the tide.

"Hey." I turned at Leah's voice and she walked towards me in cut-off jeans and a t-shirt. God, did anyone ever get cold around here? "How'd the meeting with Charlie go?"

I sighed and shrugged. "He already knows it all. Besides Boomer, of course. He wants to tell the others at the station, which just sucks."

Leah nodded, quiet. I glanced over at her. "Nothing to say?"

Leah took a deep breath. "I was just thinking you have to make it clear to them that you're not a victim. It happened. You survived it and you've moved on. But I mean, I know that I don't see a victim. I see someone who is strong and overcame something traumatic to make it into something wonderful."

I smiled. "Thanks Leah."

…

I was walking in the aisles of Thriftway when someone bumped into me. "We've got to stop meeting like this."

My teeth ground at the sound of his voice. I turned and saw Bailey standing there, holding a small basket with a grin. "Are you stalking me?" I demanded, glancing around—no one else was in the aisle.

"Stalking you? No, I'm just doing my shopping. It is a small town, you know." His grin widened as he watched my expression.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten before speaking. "Did you want something?"

"Not particularly. I just saw you and thought I'd say hi." He glanced behind me at a shelf. "And that container of oregano." His arm grazed mine as he reached for it.

I shivered at his cold skin and he murmured something under his breath. "What?" I asked, unable to understand him.

"Nothing." He flashed me his grin. "You smell amazing today. New perfume?"

I huffed and rolled my eyes at his comment. "I don't know if anyone has told you this, but you sound like a creep when you say that."

He laughed, unbothered. "No, women usually don't mind when I say that."

"Well I guess I'm the exception." I glanced back as I heard someone call my name. Sue Clearwater was waving and coming our way, a frown on her face.

"Lily, I thought that was you." Sue put her arm around me, in what seemed like a protective stance and was eyeing Bailey warily.

"Bailey Roberts. Pleasure to meet you." He flashed his pearly whites. Sue stared at him before replying.

"Sue Clearwater." She said curtly.

"Well I'll let you ladies chat, good seeing you Lily. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything." Bailey walked away, whistling to himself.

Sue seemed to relax once Bailey was out of the aisle and I thought about hers then Seth's reaction to Bailey. He irritated me but what was it that got Sue and Seth's back up about him?

"I heard you and Leah had fun the other day when you went up to Port Angeles. Wasn't that sun gorgeous? And…." I tried to listen as Sue talked to me but all I could think about was: what was with Bailey and the Clearwaters?

….

Seth POV

I glanced out of Sam and Emily's kitchen door to see my mother pulling up. She walked briskly to the door and walked in without knocking—as we all did.

Sam and Emily looked up, as did Quil and Paul, who were eating at the table. "Sue, is something wrong?" Sam asked, standing up.

Mom looked my way and sighed. "There's a new vampire in town."

"Did something happen?" Emily got up to gently move Mom into a chair at the table.

"Not exactly." She hesitated, looking at me again. Panic ran through me.

"Did it involve Lily?" I demanded, fear making my blood run cold.

"She was there, but Seth—" She grabbed at my arm as I went to leave. "She's okay. I promise." She told us how she was at Thriftway grabbing something and she saw Lily talking to a man. She started walking towards them, to say hi, when she realized the ghostly pale skin and his eyes—there was something off about his eyes—and as she got closer, she realized it was a vampire and not one of the Cullen's. He had slightly longer brown hair and was tall—about six feet. The man seemed amused at something Lily was saying but Lily looked irritated.

"He introduced himself as Bailey Roberts and was perfectly polite but he left shortly after. He told Lily to call him if she needed anything, that it was good seeing her." Mom bit her lip as she finished her story. "It seemed like she knew him."

All eyes were on me. I racked my brain as I tried to think of anything Lily had said lately about knowing anyone—and it clicked. "The creep from the library…he matches your exact description."

"What creep?" Emily asked, frowning.

"This guy that gave Lily creepy vibes at the library the day she was there researching something. I came to get her because she was freaked out and Jake wasn't around."

"Have you spoken with the Cullen's regarding this man?" Sam and the others looked at me.

"I—I don't think so. But I can give Edward a call. Maybe they know him?"

Sam nodded, indicating for me to do it. The call was quick—they didn't really know the guy but had met him once or twice in the last year. He lived nearby, not exactly in Forks but close. He seemed fascinated with their way of life and had a lot of discussions with Carlisle and even went on a hunt or two with them. They hadn't had any issues with him. He was relatively new to the vampire life.

I relayed the information for Emily and Mom as they didn't have the super hearing we did. "His eyes were nearly golden like the Cullen's when I saw him." Mom said with a nod.

"You've told Jacob about this, right?" Sam questioned and I nodded.

"I told him the day it happened as he's both Lily's cousin and my Alpha."

Sam nodded and sighed. "We haven't heard of any mysterious deaths around Forks and we haven't had any new scents since months ago. He doesn't sound like a threat at the moment, but both of our packs should keep our eyes open and you –" Sam glanced at me. "should have a talk with your imprint. Maybe it's time to tell her, Seth."

I shook my head. "She's just getting through her breakup and –" I broke off as I thought about the kidnapping and everything surrounding it, how Lily didn't want everyone to know. "Just a lot is going on. I'm not sure now is the time to share that she's my mystical imprint chosen by the spirits and oh yeah, that I'm a giant shapeshifting wolf."

Sam chuckled and the others followed. "Okay, well maybe not now but soon, Seth. She needs to be aware of the dangers that surround her. Especially considering that this vamp seems to have taken an interest in her."

I left the house shortly after and headed towards Billy's, hoping Lily would be home. I knocked on the door when I got there and someone yelled for me to come on in.

Opening the door, I saw Billy and Jake watching a game with Charlie and I could hear Lily and her mother – and maybe Nessie—in the kitchen.

"Hey Seth! How ya doing?" Charlie smiled at me and I thought again how lucky we were that Charlie was the one Mom chose after losing my dad. He was a good man.

"Good, good. Hey Jake, you have a minute?" I gestured towards the door and he hopped up.

"What's up?" He asked as we stepped outside into the gloomy weather. I told him everything—reminding him about the library guy, the incident with my mom in the grocery store, the conversation between me and Edward. "It does sound like this guy has taken an interest in Lil and that's weird."

The door opened and we stepped back in surprise as Lily stepped out. She looked between us and laughed. "Sorry, did I surprise you two?"

"A little." Jake chuckled and our eyes met. We both agreed Lily need to be told soon, but not right now.

"Jake, can I talk to Seth for a moment?" She asked, putting her hand on my arm. Her hand felt warm and soft against me. I never wanted her to stop touching me.

Jake glanced at me and after rolling his eyes, went inside.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I turned towards Lily.

She nodded. "Do you remember that guy from the library? The one that creeped me out?"

I nodded, my heart beating quicker. "Well, as it turns out, he's a friend of Cheyenne's—one of the S&R girls back East—and he came out to help me with my first Search and Rescue meeting. Still a creep, but maybe he's not so bad since he's a friend of Cheyenne's. I ran into him again, today, at Thriftway. He offered his assistance if I need it."

Oh God. My imprint was working with a vamp. A vamp that wasn't the Cullens. Could he be trusted?

"I declined his assistance but what was really weird, is your mom when she saw him? She acted as if she knew him and didn't like him. You zeroed in him that day in the library without me even telling you. Do you both know him or something?"

Surprise zipped through me. Lily was too observant. What should I say?

"Uh…not exactly. He just gave me a weird vibe. Maybe he gave Mom one too?" I shrugged and I watched as Lily's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Hmm, okay. I was just curious because you both seemed so off with him. He gave me weird vibes too but maybe that's just because of the weird stuff he says. Also, what is with gold eyes here on the West Coast? I have never seen them before moving here." Lily shook her head.

I smiled. "I guess it's just a tiny West Coast thing." My smile slipped when I thought of her other words. "Wait—what weird stuff does he say to you?"

Lily laughed. "Don't worry, just weird things like I smell really good, asks about my perfume. It's weird, but he insist women don't have an issue with him saying it."

Cold ran through my body and my mind raced. A vamp telling her she smelled good? Maybe I needed to have a face-to-face with this vamp.

Changing the subject, I asked about her meeting with her new recruits. "I really like them all," She said with a smile. "I think we'll make a good team. We're meeting with the park rangers on Monday. I'm looking forward to it." Then she sighed. "I don't know if Leah told you…"

"Told me what?" I asked, reaching out to put my hand on her shoulder.

"I told Charlie about…everything." She crossed her arms and leaned back against the door. "He already knew, of course having done a background check, but now we have to tell the office. I'm not looking forward to it."

"I'm sorry, Lily. I know you hate people knowing." I sympathized with her and she shrugged.

"I guess everyone will find out eventually. Small town, you know?"

"Leah mentioned something about the dog who found you, being killed." I said hesitantly, not wanting to depress her further.

She nodded. "Poor Boomer. We all know who did it. All this because of me…I just…sometimes I wish that it was over with." Lily swiped at her eyes and I could see the beginning of tears.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise you." I pulled her into my arms and she put her arms around my waist.

"One, you can't promise that and two, it's not just about me, Seth. Other people, animals, are getting hurt or killed because of me." She mumbled into my chest.

"Not your fault, Lily. It's his fault. You need to remember that. You've done nothing to trigger any of this. You were a child, he took you." I ran my hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her. "And also, I can promise you that nothing will happen to you, because I won't allow it. None of us will. You got everyone in La Push—and the police department of Forks—looking out for you. We've got you, Lily. Always."

"Oh Seth." Her arms tightened around me and she buried her face into my chest. I kissed the top of her head before laying my cheek against her hair.

"You'll always be safe here, I promise you. Always."

…

Lily POV

"You'll always be safe here, I promise you. Always." Seth whispered and I let myself believe his words, enjoy his warmth. I felt safe in his arms, I felt as if nothing bad could ever happen.

And it didn't feel wrong, like I thought it would. His arms felt…right. His hand gently rubbed my back and I never wanted him to stop. It was soothing and warm.

We jumped apart as the door flew open. "Dinner's ready!" Nessie said cheerfully. Blushing, I started to follow the young girl inside. I turned back to face Seth.

"Do you want to stay?" I asked, hoping he'd say yes.

"I'd love to." He said with a smile and he followed me into the house. As dinner went on, I watched the chaos that was my family. Jacob and Billy talked with Charlie about the upcoming basketball season, Mom and Sue (who Charlie had called to invite over) talked about work, both getting along so well. Leah had come with her mom and tried to seem as if she didn't enjoy being here but I saw through it. Nessie talked with Leah, something about First Beach.

I had never had much time with my family—or big groups like this—and I found that I enjoyed it so much. I loved this loud dinner, loved having all of these people here, and loved how we all got along so well.

Seth caught my eye and as poked his food with a fork. I found myself smiling back and warmth filling me.

I couldn't say what it was about Seth Clearwater that made me feel this way, but I liked it.

…..

Rose POV (Lily's Mother)

I watched as my daughter and the boy who had imprinted on her smiled at each other. The breakup with Taylor hadn't come as a surprise after I learned about the imprinting. It was inevitable after that.

I thought of how Lily talked about how much she enjoyed running with Seth and thought about how early the boy got up, just to run with her, to make her happy. He seemed to drop by whenever he could, just to see her, but sometimes he'd sit with Billy, or if Trixie was home, he'd spend some time with her.

Lily had been spending a lot of time and becoming a friend with Seth's sister, Leah. I knew from Billy that Leah had a particularly rough time during the last few years. Losing her father, turning into a wolf, being forced to run with her ex-boyfriend who was married now to her cousin, feeling like an outsider. It was nice to see them become friends, especially knowing Seth had imprinted on Lily.

Billy had told me that there wasn't a better boy to wish to imprint on Lily. Seth was sweet and polite, caring, accepting, and happy. He took everything in stride and really stepped up when his father had passed, helping his mother with whatever she needed. He had even helped the tensions between the packs and the clan of vampires.

I shivered thinking of the cold ones. Billy had explained the whole situation—not that he was supposed to share these details, but we were siblings—and explained that the Cullens weren't bad, especially the father figure. I couldn't help but still feel apprehensive at the thought of vampires.

Shaking away those thoughts, I brought myself back into the conversation with Seth's mother, Sue. She was a good woman, a very strong woman. We shared a bond together, one made by losing a spouse. Though mine had been many years ago, we still could share our pain and grief.

She caught my eye as she noticed me looking at our kids. A smile warmed her face and she reached over to pat my hand.

It was nice to see our kids happy and—seemingly—falling for each other. I wanted my little girl to have her happiness. She deserved it.

…

Lily POV

Leo and I tossed tennis balls behind the department for our dogs. "Chase did so well the other day." I said, talking about Leo's chocolate lab. "He really picked it up so quickly."

"Thanks." Leo grinned over at me. "I thought so too, but you know, I'm biased."

I laughed. "I think we all are to some extent, but he really is doing great. All of them are, I think we'll all be ready to go soon enough. Though I hope we won't be needed soon."

Leo nodded. "I know what you mean. I'd love to do a search but I would hate for anyone to be lost out there."

"What if we had a practice search? Like we had someone go and mark up a trail then used the dogs to find them? Give them a practice run but treat it as if it's real?" I stopped and turned towards him.

Leo grinned again. "I think that's a brilliant idea. I hear this weekend's weather is supposed to be half decent—maybe into the fifties. We could get Mark to be our lost hiker."

We laughed together—Mark was no hiker. He was more of an indoors guy. "Yeah, I don't think he'll go for it."

"Now he'd probably go for it." Leo nodded and I looked to see Seth being bombarded by both of the dogs. He crouched down to give them both attention, smiling happily as they jumped on him and licked him. Leo smirked at me. "I'd say he'd do anything you asked him to."

With heat flooding my face, I rolled my eyes at his teasing. "Would you stop?" Ever since that night two weeks ago at Billy's house, something had changed between Seth and I. During our morning jogs, when we sat on the log, Seth would sit closer than before. My mother had invited him over for dinner twice more, asking him about himself and what felt like interrogating him. When I had apologized for my mother's invasion into his life, Seth just laughed and waved it off.

Last week, when we were walking along the beach and the ocean had come up too close, I had jumped back, grabbing Seth's hand for balance as I avoided the cold water. When the "crisis" had been averted, I kept my hand in his. He had looked surprised, but pleased. We held hands all the way back to Billy's.

When we weren't together, we would talk on the phone or through text.

And sometimes he would do this, just drop by the station when he seemed to know it was slow.

"Hey!" Seth came towards us, smiling. "Getting some exercise time in?"

"Yeah, Lily really needs it." Leo answered, dodging my shoulder punch. "Chase! Let's head in, bud." The lab untangled himself from playing with Trixie and followed Leo in eagerly.

"How's the day been?" Seth asked as he rubbed Trixie's ears, his eyes on me.

"Good, slow, but that's a good thing." I replied, putting my hands into my jacket pockets.

"That's good." Seth nodded and watched as Trixie ran off to retrieve a ball before returning his eyes to me.

"Sorry I bailed this morning on our run. I was just so tired. I had these weird dreams last night and I didn't sleep very well."

Seth shrugged and smiled. "All good, Lily. I missed you—uh the run, but a break was nice." Seth seemed embarrassed and tried changing the subject. "What, uh, did you have dreams about?"

I bit my lip to keep from smiling and then told him. "I'm not sure exactly. Like I know they were weird but I can't remember exactly what was in them. Something to do with wolves and the cold ones story Billy told." I met his eyes with a small smirk. "Maybe I missed you—I mean the run—too, this morning."

Seth's breath caught and he stopped reaching for the ball Trixie was trying to give him. "Lily…"

Courage from somewhere took ahold of me. "Maybe I did miss you, this morning, Seth. Maybe I missed you because I really like you and I'm tired of pretending I don't. Maybe it's too soon after Taylor and maybe I should wait but I –"

Seth cut me off by grabbing me and pulling me against him, pressing his lips against mine.

Everything seemed to stop. I couldn't hear the passing cars anymore or Trixie barking at something. All I could focus on was the heat of Seth's lips and the way they moved against mine. His hands, one on my hip and the other gripping the back of my neck.

I moved closer to him and lost myself in the kiss.

…..

General POV

Charlie and Leo watched out the window at the kissing embrace. "Damn, about time." Charlie grinned as he watched the kiss.

"They've only been obviously into each other for weeks now." Leo chuckled and took a drink of his coffee. "Ah, to be a teenager again when things were simple and hormones drove you."

Charlie snorted. "Don't think you ever grew out of that. Your hormones still drive you."

Leo just chuckled again at his boss and together they watched the beginning of a relationship start to bloom.

…

AN: Hi Readers! I am SO sorry for the long time between updates. I know it's crazy and I hope some of you are still here! Life is crazy (as usual) but I am trying to wrap up some stories this year, if not all (ha! What a goal). I promise to try harder with updates if you're all still interested 😊

Don't know if I have any Vampire Diaries fans here, but when you read about Bailey, imagine Enzo from TVD. He's the inspiration!

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts!

(Did anyone read Midnight Sun? Did you like it?)

Thanks for reading and if you're a "old" reader, thanks for hanging around 😊

Always,

QuinnandSeth'sgirl15