Chapter 53
Family
"How soon do you mean?" Bella asked harshly.
"Like ten…" Jake trailed off.
"What are we going to do?" Bella shouted. "What all exactly did you tell him, you monster?"
"I phased back and got dressed…" Oh right when they change into wolf form their clothes go bye-bye. "Um…then after he started breathing again, I said something like, 'Charlie, you don't live in the world you thought you lived in. The only thing that has changed is now you know. Life will go on and you can pretend you don't know anything.' It took him a little bit to get his head together, and then he wanted to know what was actually going on with you. You know, the whole rare disease thing. I told him you really did get sick, but you are fine now. I mentioned you had a little bit of a change so you could get better. He wanted to know what I meant by that and I told him you look more like Esme now than you looked like Renee."
Edward let out a hiss and I looked over to Jasper. He was glaring daggers into Jacob. I've never seen him so furious since the time Bella and I got away from him and Alice at the hotel.
"After a few minutes, he asked if you could turn into an animal too. I said, "She wishes she was that cool!'" Jacob chuckled. "I started to talk about werewolves, and he said he would rather not know the specifics. Then he asked if you'd known what you were getting into when you married Edward. He also asked if Lori knew as well. I told him, 'Sure, they have known all about this for years, since they came to Forks.' He didn't like that very much. I let him rant until he got it all out of his system. After he calmed down, he just wanted two things."
Bella inhaled deeply. "Yes?"
Jacob held a finger up. "First, he wanted to see you and Lori. I mentioned that he could, but he needed to give me a head start to explain this to you two." Jacob smiled. "Second, his main request is that he be told as little as possible about all of this. If it's not absolutely essential for him to know something, then keep it to yourself. Need to know, only."
"What about the kids?" I asked.
Okay. So, I told him that you and Edward had inherited a kid." He looked at Edward. "She's your orphaned ward. Kind of like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson." He snorted. "For Lori, I just said you were jealous that they had a kid and you two adopted. His name is Noah…blah blah. I had to make it up on the spot, okay? It's not the best lie."
I rubbed my head. "I mean…it's not the most terrible thing to come up with, but it does make me sound pathetic."
Jasper wrapped an arm around me, letting out a very low growl.
"Charlie asked if Bella was adopting Nes- Renesmee like a daughter. I told him, 'Yes. Congrats, Gramps,' and all of that. He even smiled a little."
"But she's changing so fast." Bella whispered.
"If Charlie sees them, he's going to know something is…not exactly normal with the kids." I mention gently. "If my mom were to see Noah, she would know that some how it is a lie. Noah looks so much like Jasper and me. It was better off if I wasn't in the picture, Jake. Now my family will try to come see me. Not like he wants to see me, but I know my mom hasn't been doing well with the thought that I'm dying."
Jasper rubbed my back gently. "I should have mentioned this before, but I went over to her place. They didn't know I was there. I just wanted to check on them, because I know you care…"
I held my breath, thinking about what emotions Jasper must have felt in that house.
"There was a lot of tension, unhappiness, regret, and worry. Now, I don't agree with how things went. I don't like how the dog decided to break his leash and run off." Jasper hissed out. "I was going to see if I could come up with something to have at least your mom and brother in your life still. She is filled with regret, Lori."
I felt my eyes sting and what my would-be beating heart, there was pain. "I do love her. Even though when she remarried…I wasn't really allowed to be around…I do love her."
Alice raced back through the door then, her hands full of items and her expression showing pure hatred.
"You, you, and you," She snapped at the wolves. "If you must stay, get over in the corner and commit to being there for a while. I need to see. Bella don't hold any babies. Same to you Lori."
Edward grabbed Bella's face, stroking it and speaking to her gently.
I turned to Jasper, not wanting to hear their conversation. I needed a distraction. I was about to see a human face to face. I swallowed, feeling the thirst come at me hard.
"Jasper." Edward called out.
Jasper nodded and took me away. We ended up being behind the house when we stopped.
"I can't do it." I say in a panic. "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him." I repeated over and over, unable to control my thoughts.
"No, you're not." He kissed my forehead.
"Hurry find a squirrel or a rat. Something. I…I…He's almost here."
Jasper pushed back my hair and kissed my lips. "I know. Look, this is going to be extremely difficult for you, but I know you can do this. Just don't breathe and focus on me. I'll hum lightly enough for you to only hear."
He started humming softly and low. I focused on that sound and smiled a bit. That helped a bit actually. It wasn't one hundred percent a distraction, but it did help me focus on him.
"Lori, I need to put contacts into your eyes. Also, your glasses. I had the lenses removed and put plastic on them." She handed me my glasses. Fuck that's right.
My glasses were a thing I always wore.
She helped place a contact into my eye and smiled. "Now, it doesn't look exactly like your eyes, but to humans it would look the same." She put another one in.
The contacts were fucking weird. I never worn contacts before, and I don't plan on wearing them in the near future. My vision was actually clouded by the contacts and my eyes felt irritated.
I looked up at Jasper and he smiled a bit. "Oh, hello. My Lori is back." He joked.
I laughed and lightly punched his arm. I thought it was a light punch, but no it wasn't.
Jasper let out a grunt and rubbed his arm, laughing a bit. "Babe, ow."
"Hurry. We don't have a lot of time left. You need to learn how to be human." Alice hissed out and grabbed my hand, taking me with her.
She sat Bella and I down on the couch.
"Now the contacts won't last forever. The venom in your eyes will dissolve them in a few hours. So, if Charlie stays longer than that, you'll have to put new ones in. Just excuse yourself to the bathroom. Which is a good idea to do that, because humans need bathroom breaks. Esme give them a few pointers on how to be human. I need to go stock the bathroom with contacts."
"How long do I have?"
"He will be here in about five minutes. So, keep it simple."
Esme smiled and sat down in a chair. She was so graceful but not stiff.
"The main thing is not to sit too still or move too fast." She mentioned.
"Sit down if the human does." Emmett added. "Humans don't like to just stand around."
Jasper sat on the arm rest of the couch, right next to me. He gently stroked my arm. "Let your eyes wander a bit. Every thirty seconds or so." He smiled at me. "Humans don't stare at one thing for too long.
"Cross your legs for about five minutes, then switch to crossing your ankles for the next five." Rose said. "Just remember to move once in a while."
I laid back on the couch, slumping a bit. It felt weird.
"There's my human Lori." Jasper joked.
I giggle. "What habits did I have when I was human? I can't think of any right now."
"Whenever you were thinking about something or listening intently to someone, you would bite your bottom lip. Kind of like you were chewing on it." Jasper replied and then added to it. "Whenever you were bored, you twirled your hair. Whenever you got a bit excited about something and you were sitting, you would sway a bit from side to side."
I nod when he mentioned each habit of mine.
"Oh, and blink at least three times a minute." Emmett said and darted to the remote to the television. He turned on the tv and flipped it to a college football game. "You can use the timer on the game to help you."
"Move your hands, too. Brush your hair back and pretend to scratch or rub something." Jasper said.
"I said Esme." Alice complained when she returned to the room. "You all will overwhelm them with your suggestions."
"No, I think I got it all." Bella said. "Sit, look around, blink, and fidget."
"Right." Esme approved.
Jasper frowned at us. "You to will be holding your breath as much as possible, so you don't catch his human scent. You'll need to move your shoulders a little to make it look like you're breathing. Like this."
Jasper began to move his shoulders just barely, but enough to make it look like he was breathing. It was amazing how much they all did to seem human. I never noticed these things before.
"Two minutes." Alice said. "Maybe Bella should start on the couch and Lori, you'll start in the kitchen like you are bringing him something to eat or drink."
I nodded a bit. "Do I have to eat and drink as well?"
"You might have to…" Jasper answered gently. "Only because humans tend to drink something every hour or two. You on the other hand, when you were human, you always snacked and drank something."
Jasper changed his face to a look of awe.
"Yes, yes. You thought she was super adorable. Let's focus." Alice said irritably.
"Jake, I need Renesmee." Bella said.
"Bella, that doesn't help me see." Alice said disapprovingly.
"I need her. She keeps me calm." Her voice sounded a bit panicky.
"Fine." Alice groaned. "Hold her as still as you can, and I'll try to see around her."
I looked over at Carlisle, who was holding Noah. He was just sitting in Carlisle's arms quietly, watching us. He looked so much like Jasper. It was crazy.
"Do you need to hold him too?" Carlisle asked me.
I thought for a moment. "I…I think it would be best if Jasper held him and he was sitting next to me on the couch. Like we three come in from the kitchen." I explained.
"Food." Noah cooed out.
We all looked at Noah and I laughed. "Is that his first word?"
"He does call out names, but that is his first word other than names." Jasper explained and held out his hands for Noah.
Noah went into his arms and touched Jasper's face.
Rose started laughing and Edward grinned a bit.
"What?" I asked.
"He understands that he has a healing power and understands that Renesmee has a special communication power, but before any of this started happening, they were playing, and she would touch his face. He touched back, trying to communicate that way as well. He's frustrated, because he thinks it's one of the coolest things ever." Edward explained.
Everyone stood still when we heard tires pull off the highway and onto the damp ground of the driveway to the house. Anxiety rose in me and I clutched onto Jasper's shirt.
"Shh…" He whispered gently and kissed my temple. "Come. Let's go to the kitchen. Our big boy is getting hungry."
I nod and started walking with them until we made it to the kitchen. I stood there. Apparently standing too still. I was in my own thoughts when Jasper spoke to me.
"Lori, if I didn't have any faith in you… I wouldn't let you be here. We would be at our house. I know you can do this, Darlin'."
"You have too much faith in me, babe." I say, giving up hope and see Noah eating an apple. "I think we should stick with soft foods for Noah when Charlie is here. Or gummies." I think for a bit. "I've noticed Renesmee drinks blood more than he does. She likes the taste of blood over human food."
"I've noticed that as well. Carlisle just thinks it's because he was fed a bit differently than Renesmee when he was in your belly. He also thinks it's because he is just a different kid. He does have your human appetite." He winked at me.
I run a hand over Noah's locks. "Do you enjoy human food more than blood?"
Noah nodded at me and held up a piece of apple, sharing it with me.
I giggle at the gesture, remembering when my little brother used to do that when he was a baby. I lean down and take it with my mouth. I start chewing it and think a bit.
"Is this apple bad?" I ask Jasper. "It doesn't taste like an apple…"
"Your venom is mixing with the apple." Jasper explained.
"What happens if I swallow it?" I ask.
"It goes to your stomach and dissolves into nothing. Your venom gets rid of it slowly. If you eat too much human food, you'll get an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach."
I nod at his explanation and paused when I heard Charlie's vehicle pull up. Jasper was still as well. We just stared at each other in silence.
The car idled in front of the house for a few seconds before I heard Charlie get out and shut the door. The crunching sound of Charlie's feet hitting the ground sounded so loud to me. I was so focused on him that every noise he made sounded so clear. I heard him walk up the steps and onto the porch. There was a long pause before another sound.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"I'll tell you when to stop breathing." Jasper said gently to me and I nodded.
I didn't have to breathe to live, but according to the Cullen's, it was uncomfortable because you weren't using your scent anymore.
I heard Carlisle make his way to the door and open it. I wasn't able to see what was happening, but I could hear it all.
"Hello, Charlie." Greeted Carlisle in his welcoming voice.
He was so amazing at acting human.
"Carlisle." I heard Charlie greet back in a clipped voice. "Where's my daughter?"
"Right here, Dad." Bella called out.
Her voice sounded wrong when she spoke. It sounded nervous and off.
"Now." Jasper whispered to me and I took a deep breath in.
"Is that you, Bella?" Charlie asked and I heard him take steps towards the living room.
"Yep."
I saw him walk by the kitchen, focusing on Bella. I heard his heartbeat and my mouth felt like it was salivating.
Jasper was at my side in that same moment, feeling my emotions. He leaded in and talked very gently into my ear.
"Darlin', I love you. You need to calm down. Edward just tensed up when you started thinking."
I closed my eyes and felt the urge to breathe out of habit to calm down, but I couldn't. I felt Jasper nudge my cheek with his nose and I was instantly distracted.
"Come…let's go spy on them." He whispered and picked up our son.
I held Jasper's free hand and walked with him to the doorway of the Livingroom. It was so odd not having a beating heart when I was nervous.
"Bella?" He asked again.
"It's really me." Bella spoke in a lower voice.
I saw Charlie tense up. He knew she was putting on an act.
"I'm sorry, Dad." She said.
"Are you okay?" He demanded.
"Never better…" She paused for a moment. "Healthy as a horse."
He looked over at Jake and then to Bella. "You…promise you don't turn into an animal. Right?"
I let out a soft laugh. Shit. There went some of my air.
Charlie turned around and spotted me. "Wow…you…changed too. Really changed."
I nodded a bit stiffly.
"Do you turn into an animal?" Charlie asked.
"No. They all wish they were cool like me, but they aren't." Jake joked, which made the Cullen's laugh a bit.
"Ah…your baby you adopted." Charlie pointed to Noah that was in Jasper's arms.
"His name is Noah James." Jasper said and bounced him in his arms a bit.
"That's a nice name." Charlie said. "You two going to get married soon or what?"
It felt like he was making small talk now, so he didn't have to face Bella for a bit. I think this was all too much at once.
"We were planning for it to be soon…but other things came up." I said, using up some of my air.
"I already have everything set. We just need a date." Alice spoke up.
"I'm sure you already have that in mind too." Jasper gave Alice a knowing smile.
"I do." She winked and skipped to Charlie. "You are welcome to sit down, Charlie."
He nodded a bit and sat down next to Bella.
"Can we have some privacy?" Charlie asked and looked to Carlisle.
He nodded and looked at Edward before walking out the room.
Jasper and I follow with Noah. We walk to the outdoors and I took a breath in. The wind was blowing towards me, so I wasn't able to smell Charlie.
"You did great, Lori." I heard Esme say, coming up to me.
"Thanks. I tried my best. It was really difficult." I respond.
"It's fascinating how you two are even able to put your mind to it let alone accomplish it." Carlisle said in awe.
"Now you know how much I wanted to drink you." Jasper spoke and rubbed my cheek. "Only way more delicious and tempting."
I giggled a bit. "Well I am glad you didn't kill me. That would have really sucked."
Ba-dum-tss.
