He would not leave her again! She was his! Alice's vision was disturbing enough! A few very red eyed vampires were passing around her favourite red blouse which still had her lingering, mouth-watering scent. These were new vampires, which could not be controlled. Adding the new death rate of Seattle to her vision, then they were probably in this town which was not as far away as he would have liked.
"Newborns are on the way here" he informed his family and also the two pack members in a lower frequency than the human ear was possible to pick up. This seemed to shock everyone and the quarrelling stopped immediately. If the situation had not been so dire, he would have enjoyed the faces of the dogs. Sam and Jacob's mouth was hanging open and the younger one was trying to get closer to his Bella. This however evoked him to snarl at him. The two strangers on the opposite side of the room just looked perplexed as if they had no idea what had just happened. The redhead's right hand twitched behind her back.
"How are they different from you?" Sam wanted to know. The leeches looked worried and that was never a good sign. The Edward boy looked more protective over Bella than ever, almost possessive. Maybe he wasn't as noble as Bella portrayed him all this time. He may not like her very much, but she was important to Jacob and some members of his pack. The vamp was a threat to her, even if she did not want to see it. Emily had ordered him not to be hard on Bella, because she suspected that the Vampire's presence could be addicting to her. From what she has heard from Sue, Bella seemed to have gone through involuntary cold turkey after the Cullen's had left her alone and abandoned in the woods. She even suggested that the vampires could have released pheromones to lure in their pray: In their case Bella. Carlisle sighed heavily:
"Newborns are stronger and more dangerous than us, because they still have their own blood in their system and they have not yet mastered control over their blood lust."
"When will they arrive here?" Jacob asked a very worried looking Alice.
"Probably in three days", she told him "but I cannot be really sure. I cannot even see who created those New Borns".
"Great! Why do you have a gift, when it is useless!" he scoffed. "Could it be the redhead? What's her name? Victoria?" Sam suggested preventing Alice from retaliating and keeping the conversation on an objective level. "She seems to be quite evasive!"
She was hearing voices. First far away, but they became clearer and clearer. She heard Carlisle and Sam. Why would those two talk to each other without ripping each other apart? Then she was slowly becoming aware of the distinctive hospital smell and the beeping in the room. Why was she in hospital again? What happened? Oh God! Of course! Charlie! He is dead! It was her fault! How did she get here? Groaning she tried to sit up, which caused everyone to shut up immediately. She had to call her mum and warn her! She is in danger! Maybe she could send one of the Cullens to protect her. She had lost her dad; she could not lose her loving, yet absolutely crazy mother too. Or maybe Phil could take her away, keep her safe! She would tell him to put her in witness protection program. Would Victoria be able to find her? She would also need a reasonable explanation for putting her mum in a witness protection program. Phil would probably put her in an insane asylum! Or could he help? But Victoria did not know about her him! He would be safe if she didn't call him.
"Has anyone called Renee?" she wanted to know but looking into their faces she saw the answer and started to snap for air.
"I need to call Renee! I need to know that she is safe and I have to warn her!" Edward was trying to embrace her but she could not take his cold touch at the moment. She needed something warm and living. Only Jacob's embrace managed to calm her, when Billy told her that he would immediately call Rene to come here. They could protect her here during the service for Charlie.
Their protégé had finally woken up! It was about bloody time! Natasha was even more convinced now, after witnessing the strange communication among the two groups, that they could not be human. Some sort of silent communication had been going on. The only confused person in those two groups had temporarily been the one in the wheelchair, but only for a minute. After seeing the girl starting to hyperventilate she just wanted to move over to her trying to calm her. But that was not really her natural instinct. Why now? She even had the strong urge to just grab the girl and take her away. It was obvious that she was somehow involved in something really bad. But she looked so innocent and lost. Maybe she wasn't as innocent as she appeared to be. Natasha knew better than most that appearance could be deceiving.
"Great, exactly what we needed: a love triangle" Barton mumbled clearly annoyed seeing the girl refusing the embrace of the pale young man and accepting the one of the younger native. Her phone started to vibrate informing her about the latest update on her mission. "Cullen Family: Fake Identities or inconclusive information!" She showed it to Barton whose hand went to his gun. Better safe than sorry!
"Miss Swan" a police officer who just entered addressed Bella. "I'm really sorry about your dad! He was a good guy!" He took a deep breath as if collecting himself. This could not be good! What was he going to say to her? Her father was dead! There was nothing worse than that at the moment. Edward suddenly was trying to get closer to her again, but Jacob would have none of it. Of course he knew what this man would tell her. It could not be good! Please don't let it be about Mum!
"We tried to call your mother in Jacksonville as she would have been your closest living relative, but she did not answer." he informed her, taking another deep breath he continued: "Your mother and your step-father were murdered too. The M.O. and the time is exactly the same as your father's death."
No! They were also dead! She was also responsible for their deaths! She has lost her entire family in one day! She could not stop herself. The shock was about to overwhelm her! She was slowly pulling her knees up to her chin and started rocking herself. She was alone now! It was her fault! Her stupidity had killed her family!
"What is M.O.?" she heard Billy ask and answered him automatically, having another crying fit and shocking everyone with her knowledge:"Modus operandi, meaning the way they were killed."
The police officer nodded and asked carefully:"Is there anyone else related to you that we could call? We haven't found anyone else listed." but she just shook her head knowing full well who she desperately wanted to call. He had always been closer to her than Charlie, because she was just able to connect to him better. He had sometimes surprised her by picking her up from school, when he had time. Much to the chagrin of her mother, who had always seemed a bit uncomfortable around him. But she did not want to endanger him or his mother, who was like a real grandmother to her. Nobody knew about him in this godforsaken town!
"Charlie was my best friend! If it is ok for you she can come home with us. She shouldn't be alone right now." Billy asked the officer knowing full well that the Cullen's would not agree with him.
"She is my girlfriend! Of course she stays with us! We have enough free rooms! " Edward snarled. The tension was rising again, making Natasha and Barton move closer to them to intervene. "Yes, but Charlie never liked you in the first place!" Jacob objected loudly.
"She is not coming with any of you!" a strong new voice interrupted the dispute causing everyone to jump. Next to them was a middle aged man with short hair who looked like an accountant or a pencil pusher to Edward. He saw the redhead and the other man retreat.
Everyone was looking at the newcomer, asking themselves who he was. Who was he to deny any of them to take Bella home? Why had they not heard him enter? Bella gasped and whispered flabbergasted:"Phil? What are doing here?" He did not answer and went straight to his crying godchild, embracing her.
Natasha and Clint could not believe what they saw: Phil Coulson embracing someone! That was a first. They knew he had no own family, because as Fury's right hand man, he simply had no time for one. It also seemed that Bella could not let go of him as she got his suit wet with her countless tears. Everyone else was just standing around them still not knowing who he was. She had called him Phil. But they had heard that Rene's husband had also been murdered. Who was he?
Edward could finally put a face to the voice he had heard month before. This was the agent! He did not look like much and would not let him take her away. She was his singer! She was meant for him! He needed to know the man's plans with Bella! But as he tried to enter the man's mind he found that he could not hear anything! He became very frustrated as another try became just as unfruitful as the next! Why could he not hear his thoughts! Bella had been the first person whose mind he had not been able to hear! Now there was another one! This could not be possible! This could not be coincidence!
After patting Bella reassuringly on the back after embracing he turned around to the police officer, showing him his badge and telling him that she is now in his care as he is now her legal guardian.
He needed to extract her from this environment. Romanov and Barton looked tense. It took a lot to make them look tense. Something was not right here. Especially, with the Cullen's. They looked impossibly ethereal and were impossibly white. He had once read in a report about whole tourist groups disappearing in a small town called Voltera after spotting ethereally beautiful white creatures. But every mission had turned out the same: Nothing was found. These groups had just vanished and their buses were found absolutely demolished in Eastern Europe. These people seemed too similar. Just because they have not found anything yet, does not mean that they were not dangerous. It made his hair stand on end. He should have looked into it when she had that supposed accident in Phoenix! He should have known it! It wasn't like her! She was normally more like his mother. Looking at her he realized that she even had lost a lot of weight! Something in this environment in Forks made her weak.
Looking at her know he saw her clinging to the pale young man. She was looking so dependent on him. Whatever this boy was he had to take her away. Fast! But he needed to find out what has really happened here and in Phoenix and unfortunately she looked as if she knew something. The way she had looked up to this Cullen when he had entered the room, before he had made his presence known. She had looked guiltily and broken. This was not the same independent Bella he had known since her day one.
Edwards eyes suddenly changed colour to a darker shade, while Jasper had all hands full just calming everyone down. He could, however, not feel any emotion of this man; which was strange. He had to have emotions. The way he looked at Bella was caring and very worried. Alice had seen something which caused Edward to see red! What was wrong with him!
Turning back to the Cullen's and the Pack he finally answered them: My name is Agent Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. I'm Bella's Godfather and with the passing of both her parents, also her legal guardian.
"She is eighteen! She does not need a legal guardian anymore." Edward told him smugly.
"That is correct! But both of her parents have been murdered. At exactly same time, in exactly the same way and they were on different sides of this continent. Bella is most likely still in danger and therefore in my care!" he calmly reprimanded him.
Turning to his Bella he asked: "Are you ready?" but was momentarily shocked, when she shook her head and started to tear up again: "I can't! I would put you and Nana in terrible danger! She has killed Charlie and Mum already! She kills everyone I love"
Carefully taking Bella's hands he calmly softly: "Who did? Who is she?" But Bella was just shaking her head and crying. He sighed. She was surrounded by these snow white faces and clearly terrified of something. Her "boyfriend" was almost hovering above her and for some reason the others also looked quite tense. He knew she would never talk with them in here. He had to take her to the Hub. It was the safest place at the moment and she would probably talk there.
Suddenly Bella saw the red headed woman for the first time and shrieked "Victoria!" alarming everyone in the room and confusing her godfather. She was here! Why could no one see her? Oh god! No! This is not Victoria! I see red hair and freak out!
"I think we have to intervene" Barton whispered to his partner. "I agree, he is somehow too emotionally involved in this to think straight." she responded stepping forward towards the groups. Somehow I doubt that she is just his goddaughter.
Addressing Carlisle and Billy she hoped to bring her point across: "In case you have forgotten! Ms. Swan is a still in danger and you do not have the means to protect her! But we on the other hand do! We have already solved similar murders and we know how to deal with these … people and especially how to protect our witnesses." Turning to Bella she smiled "Oh by the way! May name is Natasha."
"Ready?" he asked her again and this time she stood up and wanted to go with him. The pixie wanted to rush to Bella embracing her but Clint stopped her looking pointly at her shaking his head.
Natasha made sure that none of the others came to close to Coulson's girl. She had been in their fangs long enough.
He saw her moving through the door with her godfather and his two disciples! He had to stop her! She was his! She needed protection from the army! They did not even know what was coming for her. He was just about to run after her, grab her and run for it, when he was crushed to the wall by his massive brother Emmet.
"God dammed! Edward calm down! Otherwise you are exposing us!" Rosalie snarled.
"I don't care!" I want Bella he hissed angrily but calmed down as Jasper focused his entire gift on him. Jacob on the other hand had to be calmed down by his father and an alpha command by Sam.
Driving in the middle car with Phil and the other two agents Bella hoped and prayed that she had made the right decision! She had not even said good bye to the others! Would Phil really be able to help and protect her? She guessed that she would find out!
"Where are we going?" she enquired curiously.
"The Hub" her godfather smiled at her obvious confusion. "You're going to love it!"
Unknown to them they were followed by a dark mysterious feathery creature.
