Bella woke the next morning with a slightly hazy recollection of the previous night's shift. Typically, this only happened if she had over-exerted herself, as the animal part of her brain wasn't as integrated with the rest of her mind. Stretching her arms above her head, she dislodged a few twigs and pine needles from her hair, causing her to crack a smile.
Pulling back the covers, Bella was pleased to see she wasn't caked in mud, meaning she had cleaned up last night before passing out. The girl got out of bed and went to her window and noted that Charlie's cruiser was missing, indicating she had the house to herself. Bella grabbed the fluffy pajamas that were still sitting out at the foot of her bed, and sped down the hall for the bathroom to start running the hot water for her shower.
Working quickly, focusing on getting clean, rather than relaxing, Bella washed the scent of pine from her hair and any remaining traces of dirt from her body before turning the shower off. She left the tap running to draw a bath and stepped out of the warm pocket of air to pull open a drawer and grab a bath bomb that promised soothing rejuvenation. Bella dropped the dark teal colored ball into the water, watching in fascination while it fizzed and spun, releasing the calming scents of mint, citrus, and a touch of honey.
Bella turned off the tap and eased into the tub. Sinking herself entirely, she let the deep aquamarine water envelope her. Her tense muscles slowly began to relax, indicating to Bella that last night seemed to have been more strenuous than most. Something was itching at the back of her brain, something she needed to remember. She recalled attempting to sniff out her watcher, following the path that intersected multiple times with another very pleasant smell, something almost warm and fresh smelling and then...
It hit her like a pile of bricks and Bella bolted upright, gripping the edge of the tub as she gasped for air.
Jasper Hale can't possibly be human.
The sound of her blood rushing filled her ears as her heart took off at a gallop. Thinking back to the night before when he had been chasing her: the sheer speed alone; far faster than any human could ever be.
Panic overtook her before she had a chance to mull over the ramifications. Bella tried taking deep, soothing breaths to collect herself while she assembled the facts in her head:
First, Jasper Hale most definitely is not human. Not only that, but with the super hearing experiment I'd bet anything that his brothers and sisters are also not human.
Secondly, and even more importantly, I exposed the existence of shifters in general.
The first thing Renee had ever taught her about shifting was to never let anyone see you shift, be it in animal or human form. Now, Jasper Hale knew such a thing was possible.
Fuck. What can I do?
Bella slid back under the surface of the water and let the warmth spread through her body again.
I could move.
Though it would be absolutely devastating to give up the start of stability she had slipped into with her father, she knew that if she had to, she would leave him. Especially if it meant she could protect him from the knowledge.
It would kill Charlie, though. He just got me back, she countered herself. Not to mention I actually like it here.
She considered if other options were available to her.
Maybe I could continue tracking Jasper and learn his secret.
This alternative was more dangerous, but perhaps, if she were to discover what Jasper and the other Cullen's were, they potentially wouldn't expose her for the sake of keeping their own secret safe.
Break my father's heart in addition to my own or risk my life and break his heart if I die at the hands of...whatever they are, Bella debated as she finally broke the surface for air.
The second option seemed like a much easier pill to swallow and by the time Bella had firmly landed on her decision, the water in the tub was lukewarm at best. She sighed and moved to drain a majority before running more hot water. Determined to relax again, Bella sank back into her previously comfortable position and grabbed "Wuthering Heights" from the side table that was situated near the tub and settled in for a few chapters.
The morning passed peacefully, bringing an afternoon that was better served by running errands. Having managed to push through half of her book between the bath, breakfast, and lounging in the living room, Bella marked her spot with a slip of paper. She traded out the warmth of her pajamas for a pair of black leggings, a white long-sleeved tee, and black hoodie before dashing to the garage to grab a few bags of fish to thaw.
She yanked a pair of grey converse sneakers onto her feet and grabbed her keys from the small table near the front door before she started compiling a mental list of everything she'd need from the grocery store. It wasn't until she was in her pickup that Bella realized there was no one in the woods this morning. With a sigh of relief, she started the old, monstrous truck and made her way into town.
Though she was still unused to the slick roads, Bella had made it in one piece. She meandered through the fruit section, stopping to look over oranges, which only served to remind her of Jasper, when she heard her name being called.
"Bella! Hey!"
The girl whirled around, looking for the source of the outburst. Spotting the smiling face of Mike Newton by the apples, she offered him a small nod in greeting. The blonde boy finished tying off his bag of green apples and headed her way.
"Hey, Mike." Bella answered him. "Doing some grocery shopping?"
"Yeah, my mom needed me to get some apples and brown sugar. My grandparents are visiting this weekend and she's making some kind of apple crumble, but didn't realize we didn't quite have everything we needed," he explained. "I don't know about you, but ever since I got my license, my parents just kind of send me on every little errand," the boy continued with a laugh.
"Yeah, it was kind of the same way with me and my mom," Bella admitted as she thought back on how flighty Renee could be. "She was a little scattered sometimes so forgetting to do things was a pretty normal occurrence. I don't mind grocery shopping, though. This one time she wanted to make a chicken bake of some kind, spent a good portion of our shopping trip getting things for it, but actually forgot the chicken," Bella recalled with a laugh.
"Oh my god, Bella, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring up my mom when yours is-." Mike cut off awkwardly and twiddled with the bag in his hands.
"You can say dead, Mike," the girl offered quietly. "It's been a while and I know she's gone, but it's nice to think about her sometimes."
Mike smiled grimly at the girl. In an attempt to forgo any further awkwardness, he then held up the apples he was still holding and said "Well, I'd better get these home."
"Don't forget the brown sugar," was Bella's only reply.
Mike laughed nervously, anxious to get away from her and nodded, spun on his heel and headed for the baking aisle. He was quickly out of sight.
Bella sighed. Well, that was awkward. If she thought about it, what she said was true: She really didn't mind being reminded of her mom. It was comforting in a way that she could still think about Renee without feeling so empty inside. The girl wondered when that had happened. It certainly hadn't come in just a week of being with Charlie, though she couldn't help but think he had assisted.
Charlie had offered her a home, a fresh start at school, and a clean slate when it came to trusting her, even though the emotional baggage that had accumulated behind her in the last year would have been enough to make any parent wary. Even her shift hadn't been as rough, physically, as she'd recalled since being alone, despite the intensity of her current situation. With appreciation for Charlie fresh in her mind, Bella picked out a few apples herself, knowing he would enjoy a baked apple pancake for breakfast.
Finishing the rest of her shopping without running into anyone else she knew, Bella drove home and put the groceries away. Having nothing else to do with herself, she decided to spend more quality time enjoying her book with a cup of tea. She turned the burner on for the kettle and plopped two bags of lemon ginger tea into a mug before settling in at the table.
The screaming of the kettle interrupted Bella in the middle of a chapter and after pouring water over the bags and getting situated again, she found it difficult to concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting to a certain blonde-haired Adonis with a secret. Huffing in frustration, she set the paperback down and added honey to her tea before stirring and taking a sip.
What to do, what to do? Go back or don't go back? I need information, but I need to be careful, especially with that hearing of his.
Bella sighed deeply and shut her eyes for a moment. She would have to go back, there was no way around it.
Getting chased once does not spell out the end of the mission. Watch him. Study him. Find out what they are. You can do this; you have to.
Now that she was in for the evening, at least, in terms of her human body. Bella changed back to her pajamas and put on a movie for background noise while she worked on full body stretches to prepare herself for the night. When she heard Charlie's car pull in, Bella headed to the kitchen to check the fish, which was fully thawed, and preheated the oven for fries.
She set to assembling the flour, the bread crumb mixture, and poured some oil in the cast iron skillet as her father entered the house.
"Hey, Bella. You home?"
"Sure am. You catch anything?"
"Not a darn thing," Charlie answered in exasperation. "It's still too early, I know, but we thought we'd get something. I guess fishing is more about the time spent with your buddies than actually catching things, sometimes."
"Definitely," Bella laughed. "Good thing we aren't in danger of running out anytime soon. I'm starting the fish fry here in a minute. Are you okay having fries with it, like fish and chips?"
"That sounds good, Bells. You need a hand?"
"Nah, don't worry about it. I'll pop the fries in the oven and let the oil heat up, no help needed," she answered.
"Well, just let me know," Charlie called back as the sounds of a sports television show filled the silence.
Bella put the pan of fries into the oven and washed up the few dishes that had accumulated over the day and added some salt and pepper to the flour for dredging before she forgot. She flipped the fries, then got two eggs from the fridge and started her fish frying assembly line.
By the time the fries were done, she had cooked up enough fish for Charlie and herself and then some. Grabbing two plates down from the cupboard, Bella called out, "Dinner is just about ready," so Charlie had time to wash up. She then dished the two of them up, before reaching into the fridge for some tartar sauce and ketchup and carrying dinner to the table.
"You do some great work in there, Bells," Charlie announced appreciatively as he took his seat. "You've been a great help and I just wanted to let you know I am grateful for it."
"I'm happy to help. It's really no bother for me, especially with you working so much."
"Still, I expected things to be a little more difficult, to be honest, and I'm glad that things seem to be going well," he explained. "How are you liking school so far, now that you're a week in and a little more acclimated?"
"It's going okay, really. I'm sorry you had reason to think it would be harder than it has been," Bella answered sincerely. "I'm doing a lot better here, though," she tacked on.
Charlie nodded thoughtfully and let the two eat in companionable silence for the time being. As they finished their dinners, however, he frowned and started in on something that had clearly been bothering him.
"Last night you mentioned that the Stanley and Weber girls were thinking about heading to Port Angeles sometime soon. I don't want to give you a flat out no, but I'd feel better if a parent or even a larger group went with you. It isn't that I don't think you can take care of yourself, but there has been an increase in missing persons' cases in the area. Maybe just back burner that for now?"
Bella was touched her father had thought of her safety and willingly accepted putting off the trip. She nodded, "Of course. I had no idea people had been going missing!"
"Thanks for being so agreeable, Bells. I do trust you, really, I just don't trust anyone else, especially when I have to hear about the disappearances at work."
"Have there been any leads or developments," Bella asked her father, curious about the crime in such a small area.
"There's no information at all. No leads, just people going missing. It's not happening often enough, spread out a bit, so there's not really a pattern."
"That's scary," Bella murmured.
"It is, especially for around here. It's not normal."
The two resumed their silence, as Bella cleared the table and started the dishes. "Anyways," Charlie started, "I don't want you to worry or feel unsafe out here, just keep aware."
"I will, dad. And just so you know, if anyone tries to take me, I'll make sure chunks of them are left behind," she answered with a wicked grin.
At that, Charlie broke into a smile, "That's my girl. Now, are you sure you're fine with me heading over to Harry's tomorrow?"
"Yes, Dad," Bella answered with mild exasperation. "I will be fine. I got the grocery shopping done today and might actually get to finish reading my book tomorrow. If I get super bored, I'll get on the laundry I forgot to do today," she finished with a dry laugh.
A few hours later, it was finally time. Muscles thrumming with energy, Bella soundlessly opened her window and set the old textbook underneath it to keep it propped open. She removed her pajamas and shifted into a sparrow, heading straight for the woods where, upon perching, shifted into a darker version of the hawk she had become the night before. Deciding that going back to the meadow would be the best place to start, Bella flew the distance much more quickly than she had walked, and settled in to wait on a tree branch that offered her a good view but was still covered overhead by branches.
Bella didn't have to wait long, as no more than 15 minutes had passed when Jasper entered the clearing. He seemed to be looking nowhere in particular before sitting down in the tall grasses near an outcropping of rocks. The blonde teen twined his fingers together and placed them behind his head to lay back and look up. Jasper Hale appeared to be observing the night sky.
The contrast between the terrifying hunter and the quiet star gazing boy in front of her was stark and left Bella wondering how to proceed. That's when he spoke: "I apologize for my behavior last night. I didn't know you weren't really a mountain lion. I realize now that you're much more than that, however, and I wouldn't dream of harming you. You can come down, if you'd like."
He sounded sincere and Bella felt no instinct to flee, regardless of the fact that he had somehow known she was there. Without conscious thought, Bella fluttered softly to the ground, halving the distance between them, and became a mountain lion. She stalked slowly, inching closer to the boy that hadn't moved from his spot in the grass, and took a seat roughly 10 feet away from him.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes as they studied one another. To break the stillness, Bella licked her paw and proceeded to rub her face before lowering her front paws and wagging her tail in the widely used animal posture, the play bow. Jasper broke into a booming laugh, apparently understanding the gesture.
"You want to play? I'm pretty fast as you know," Jasper commented as he stood, sizing her up. "I'm also much stronger than you, I believe. I'll do my best to not actually hurt you."
Bella let out the mountain lion equivalent of a chuckle and started to circle the blonde boy, baring her teeth in mock aggression. Without warning, she darted towards him, but as her leap brought her close, he dodged right. The two began circling one another again and this time, Jasper charged her.
He jumped towards her with astounding speed and grace and while he may have been quicker when it came to running, Bella had no real problem dodging him. Getting a feel for each other, the pair began moving more quickly, dodging here and there, taking turns swiping, and almost pinning.
At least an hour had passed in this manner, until Bella had to duck to miss Jasper, only to have him crash through the trunk of a tree causing the thick pine to crash loudly behind him a few moments later. She stared open-mouthed at the splintered remains of the tree, then at Jasper as a warning growl escaped her mouth involuntarily. Bella backed up slowly, the animal inside of her wary that he had the force necessary to destroy a tree.
Jasper stood back up, shaking pine needles and splinters of wood from his hair. "I'm sorry if I frighten you," he raised his hands in surrender. "Like I said, I'm very strong. I can assure you that if I had run the risk of running into you, I would have been able to determine the trajectory to land without causing you harm. I didn't think it necessary to exert the effort on this poor tree here," he patted the remaining stump for emphasis.
Bella debated this explanation as she took a moment to catch her breath and decided that he very well could be telling the truth.
It isn't like I know what he's capable of. On that note, he doesn't know what I'm capable of either...
Bella grinned deviously, even for a mountain lion, and shifted in front of him into a very intimidating, giant black bear.
Jasper stood, slack-jawed at her transformation for a few moments before stepping forward. "Are you able to shift into any animal, then?" He asked softly, in awe.
Bella nodded her head and with a snort, spent the next few minutes becoming first a coyote, a fox, a badger, and a flamingo before finally settling back on her mountain lion form. Sitting back on her haunches, she gestured her paw at him, as if to ask where his talents lay.
A huge grin stole over his face as he interpreted her unasked question, "Sadly, I can't do anything that cool. I'm just fast and very strong. Here, feel," he extended an arm towards her.
Bella reached her paw tentatively towards the boy and tapped his arm, surprised at the chilled, rock hard flesh. Her shock must have been evident as he broke into a fit of laughter, startling her further. "I'm sorry," he smirked and certainly didn't look sorry. "I've never seen a confused mountain lion before."
She snorted in response and shoved her paw against his upper body, satisfied that she wouldn't harm him with her claws. Jasper just laughed harder at her reaction. "You're a hoot," Jasper offered with a smile.
Without skipping a beat, Bella shifted into a barred owl, and took a mock bow. "An absolute riot," he laughed again as she fluttered to his still outstretched arm. She glanced at his watch and sighed internally. It was almost 1am and she needed to get some sleep before the sound of Charlie waking up for the game woke her.
Letting out a soft hoot, she tapped the face of the watch gently, not wanting to cause any damage to the glass.
"Time to go, Cinderella?"
Bella hooted softly in response, nodding her head.
He hesitated for a moment and then, "Will you come back tomorrow?"
Bella glanced up to his face to see he appeared reluctantly hopeful. She bobbed her head up and down hoping it conveyed the affirmative.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said with another easy smile.
Bella hooted once more and took to the sky, looking back once to see he was still watching her, though, respectfully not following her. She made the journey back to her home with ease and as she neared it, managed a midair shift into her re-entry sparrow before landing on her bedroom floor and becoming human once more.
Exhausted, the girl stood slightly to pull the book from the window before shutting and locking it, turned to her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
This is the first story I've ever written so I reallllllllllllllly appreciate your patience with me! So, a GINORMOUS thank you to everyone that has liked, followed, and reviewed. You are all little angel babies and it seriously makes my day!
Once again, Twilight and its characters are property of SM and I own nothing/am paid nothing! Hooray!