Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Author's note I: Well, now I've done it. I've broken my updating streak and left you all in the cold for 32 days. I have an excuse however. It's a good one...the best excuse really. I met someone! Aaaahhh! She's amazing and cute and sweet and wonderful and I'm flying in the sky and over the moon and walking on sunshine and writing run-on sentences because I'm so friggin happy I haven't been able to think about anything but her these last weeks and that's why I haven't updated in so long because I literally cannot keep her out of my thoughts and aaaaahhhh! Do you forgive me now? Of course you do, you guys rock. Oh, and I also moved, seriously, last week. It's my first solo apartment so the aaaaahhhh! is actually an exponential aaaaaaaahhhhh. Ok, Darcy is shutting up so you can read the chapter. (Aaaaah!)
"Wahoooo!"
Bella whooped in joy as she sped down the empty stretch of road on her motorcycle. The wind whipped through her hair, through her very skin. The more experienced Jacob kept himself several yards in front of her, but when they got past a tricky curve in the road Bella gunned it and passed him, laughing maniacally all the while.
"Be careful you wackjob!" Jacob shouted. "Slow down!"
"Wahoooo!" Bella ignored him and spend up faster. Was she being slightly careless? Yes, but she had studied the state's motorcycle driver's manual and had read up on everything having to do with this bike's particular engine and gear. So even though she really ought to go easy with her first time driving this unruly thing, Bella was having too much fun going really, really fast with the wind. It was almost like flying.
"Jesus Bella! Take it easy!" Jacob continued to shout behind her. "We've gone too far. Your dad patrols this area."
Hmm, all right Jake had a point there. While nothing would make her happier than a glimpse of her father, getting ticketed for speeding probably wasn't the best way to go about finally reconnecting with him. Bella stifled the anger she felt towards her father as she slowed down. She had to stamp down the fire that threatened to come out of her as well. Fuck you Charlie, she thought.
The thick forest around them stopped its blurry, nondescript motion as they slowed to what felt like a crawl. Bella finally understood her vampire friends' inconsolable frustration at speeds below their liking. Flying fast always made her lose sense of time and place. For a life in which time stretched on indefinitely, losing yourself like that had to be extra special. They rounded another sharp curve before Bella spotted Rosalie's unmistakable red convertible on one side of the road, and Rosalie herself sitting with her arms crossed on the hood.
"Whoa!" Jacob exclaimed, surprised. "How'd she know we'd be coming this way?"
"I told her," Bella lied. Lucky she could fib on the spot. Bella made a mental note of their location. So this is where the treaty line was. She'd have to get Rosalie or someone else to show her exactly where to find the divide. Might come in handy someday.
"Hey Rose!" Bella turned off the ignition and after some trouble with the kickstand, parked it in front of the BMW and kissed her girlfriend. Her friend, in perfect Jacob fashion, "ooohed" and "awwwed" until she broke the kiss and glared at him.
"How are you, Jacob?" Rosalie asked, smiling.
"Can't complain," Jacob answered. As usual whenever he saw Rosalie, the teenager swooned a little in her presence. Bella chuckled to herself, knowing Jake really couldn't help it considering this was Rosalie Hale. She had to hand it to him though. Since the first time he laid eyes on Rosalie, during which he was a complete pile of goo, he managed to hold up on his own and speak with her without stumbling over his words. Not that it made any difference with the blonde...
"Everything ok? What's up?" Bella asked.
"You've lost track of time," Rosalie said. "I called but it went straight to voicemail. We need to go soon."
"Oh shoot!" Bella's phone had indeed died and she'd completely forgotten. "Sorry Jake, but I do have to go. We're going to Seattle today."
"Man, why can't I get a cool girlfriend like yours?" Jacob asked dramatically.
Rosalie smiled brilliantly. "You'll find her before you know it, Jake. You're quite the catch!"
Bella grinned under her breath as she watched Rosalie struggle to be so outwardly nice to the boy. His scent continued to get worse for her, she knew, but she maintained the act for Bella's sake. Bella squeezed her hand in appreciation for what she was doing. Maybe, just maybe when Jacob phases, maybe he'll remember this and not automatically succumb to the tribe's blind hatred for the Cullens.
"The truck is on the rez," She told her quietly. "I'll go get it and meet you at the house?"
"Ok," Rosalie nodded and kissed her again. Then, in a quiet whisper for her ears only she said, "You have no idea how hard it is for me not to bash him against a tree."
"Well thank you for not," Bella smiled and whispered back. "I'll reward you the next chance I get."
"Edward...Earth to Edward!"
"Hmm?"
Alice stared at her brother incredulously. Edward rarely, if ever spaced out like this. And given his gift, he was pretty much always aware of his mental surroundings. So the fact that she had to repeat herself to her all-knowing brother was rather astonishing in itself.
What are your plans for tonight, she mentally asked him again.
"Oh...I'm not sure. Haven't really decided."
No, he hasn't. Alice pursed her lips in mock annoyance but inside she really did feel annoyed. Edward hasn't made any goddamn decisions since Denali, and that was months ago! In all their years together Alice has never experienced so much time without a concrete vision of her quiet brother. It was starting to get on her nerves.
"I don't mean to annoy you," he said gently. "Not making decisions...not making plans...it helps me get her out of my thoughts."
Alice sighed but nodded her understanding. "I'm sorry this is so hard on you."
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Alice did feel a little bad for him. Bella was not his mate, that she knew without a doubt. But Edward's feelings, misguided they may be, were not illegitimate. Edward did feel something for the human. Seeing her everyday, seeing how utterly happy she was with someone else must be incredibly hard for him. But along with her pity, Alice felt deep caution. Jasper had alerted her to Edward's constant mood shifts. There were days when he acted like his old self, like the favorite brother he used to be. On other days like today, he would be so distracted...almost like he was busy listening to conversations no one else could hear which, of course he probably was. But he'd had 100 years to balance the thoughts he heard with what was actually said. There was no reason for him to suddenly lose himself in the minds around him, if that was indeed the cause of his mental truancy.
Then there were the days when Jasper watched him like a hawk. On those days, Jasper confided in her, Edward's emotions were so poisonous, so turbulent that he and Alice would nonchalantly (but constantly) check in on Bella to make sure she was all right, with one of their family members, or in La Push. Edward never made plans...but that only served to worry Alice and Jasper more.
All of these thoughts flew through Alice's mind in the blink of an eye. Layered on top of them, she deftly thought of Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, and her favorite, Alice in Wonderland. She had grown so accustomed to hiding her thoughts from her brother it was second nature by now.
"Do we need to have another conversation?" Alice gave him a look. Friendly...but it contained a hint of a warning too.
"No," He replied and looked away. "You made your point the last time."
Alice frowned but not unkindly. "You'll find your mate someday, Edward."
He nodded once then moved to stand by the big windows in the living room. Alice watched him scan the horizon slowly. She was wrong about Edward making plans. Her brother had made countless decisions over the last few months...decisions about Bella. Alice had seen wisps of 'what-ifs' that betrayed Edward's continuing struggle with his feelings for the human. What if he knocked on her door? What if he offered to drive her to school? What if he slipped her a note in biology class? What if he outed the real nature of her relationship to Charlie? So many ephemeral scenarios that came and went like smoke. But like smoke, they never materialized into anything solid. As her nimble mind ran through pop song after pop song, she wondered, to what end? Edward's non-plans had to end someday. Both she and Jasper, when away from their all-knowing brother, often wondered out loud to each other...will Edward manage to close this book that had no beginning or middle? Or will his self-control finally disintegrate? And if so, what course of action will he finally take?
"Rosalie, this is crazy even for you," Bella shook her head in amazement.
Rosalie rolled her eyes but smiled mischievously. "Remind me to tell you about the time Alice and I snuck into the '62 World's Fair. This is nothing."
"Why did you have to sneak in?" Bella searched her memory for anything she might have read about the subject. Bingo. "That was right here in Seattle."
"The art," Rosalie replied simply. "There was a Georgia O'Keeffe gallery that we wanted to see in private."
"I didn't know you were into art," Bella said, surprised. That was more of Alice's thing, or so she always thought.
"I'm into all beautiful things," she said, looking at her. Bella blushed and met her eyes. She looked away, grateful to have something on which to concentrate. A few seconds later, the metal grate on the building's rooftop unfastened and shot open. She held open her arms for Rosalie, who stepped forward without a word, and the two of them gently floated down the long shaft through the building.
The Seattle Public Library was long closed for the night, but Rosalie assured Bella they could come and go without getting caught. Still, Bella couldn't help feeling some apprehension. She had never dared to sneak into such a big library before. Buildings like this must have night security guards, motion sensors, cameras.
"All disabled," Rosalie responded smoothly when Bella voiced her concern. "And no one's gonna see us move around in here. Turn over there."
Bella followed Rosalie's verbal directions and navigated through the building's ventilation system for another five minutes until the blonde directed her to open another closed grate.
"Oh wow," Bella breathed in awe at the sight before her when they finally tumbled out.
They were standing in the corner of a huge atrium. The spacious interior stretched out before them, aisles and aisles of stuffed shelves, couches, tables and computers spread out along the biggest room Bella had ever seen. But that wasn't what was making her drop her jaw. Bella tilted her head to look at the ceiling high above them. It was made of glass. Hundreds of diamond-shaped panes of glass laid out in a slant that must have encompassed three or more stories all by itself.
Next to her, Rosalie smiled as she took in her lover's gobsmacked expression. She made a good choice coming here. Bella had visited hundreds of small libraries but never risked venturing to bigger towns, let alone a city as big as Seattle. She circled her from behind and whispered in her ear, "come on."
It took ten more minutes of careful treading along paths Rosalie knew had no cameras. They had to stop a few times before she could give the all clear when her senses told her the human guards had moved off. But they finally reached their destination.
"Um, wow."
She'd better be wowed, Rosalie thought smugly. She had to sneak out of the opera without Bella noticing an hour ago to set it all up. In a small nook surrounded by floor-to-ceiling shelves full of books, Rosalie had put together an elaborate picnic dinner for the two-well, for Bella.
"When did you do this?" Bella asked, looking at the lit candles.
"I'm a woman of many talents, Ms. Swan," she whispered. "Esme says I did a great job with the saffron chicken. Hopefully you'll agree."
"Er…"
"I'm kidding," Rosalie sighed. "She cooked them, not me."
Bella giggled and pulled her down to the blanket with her. "Does it really bother you that you suck at something?" She asked her.
Rosalie shrugged but did narrow her eyes in mock grouchiness. "I suppose I make up for it in other ways," she let the words hang as she softly caressed Bella's skin underneath the hem of her shirt. The young girl smiled gently and leaned up to kiss her, before her hunger got the best of her and she attacked the food in the basket.
The blonde watched with her usual cocktail of fascination and apprehension. Fascination because it had been decades since she herself had eaten human food. Apprehension because her thoughts always turned to Bella's turning whenever her humanity stood out in stark detail, as it did now while she chewed on her chicken.
Having a human mate changed her when nothing in 70 years had. It boiled down so simply really. Rosalie needed Bella. That was all. Rosalie, who was cursed with eternal life, could no longer envision a future without both Emmett and Bella by her side. Was it a profoundly selfish thing to end Bella's natural life for the sake of her own happiness? Maybe, but...but surely the girl understood...Surely, casting her lot with their family, surely that was an indication that she would want eternity too…
"What's up?" Bella watched her carefully. She could always tell when Rosalie was in deep in thought over a serious matter.
Rosalie shook her head lightly and smiled. Not today, she thought. Her smile wavered as she answered, "Jacob will start changing any day now. He had a slight fever today."
Bella shivered and looked down. "Is there any hope?" She asked quietly.
"He's a good kid," Rosalie answered. "No I still can't stand his or any of their existence. But he'll be the only one that was on good terms with the family before his change. And he loves you in his own way. That has to count for something…"
Bella put down her food and fell into her arms. "That reminds me," she said between kisses. "I promised you a reward."
Well that's certainly worth putting up with that dog's stench, Rosalie thought as Bella's hands made their way to the front of her pants.
Later that night:
Bella woke up at 3:30 in the morning, the last vestige of a strange dream floating away before she could decipher it. What had awoken her? She listened. Outside the walls of her room in the Cullens' home, she could hear her family's voices but not what was being said. A moment later, Rosalie and Emmett entered the room looking worried.
"What's going on?" Bella asked.
"Your dad's on his way," Emmett answered. The words hardly left his mouth when a loud and frantic knock sounded from the front door.
"Bella, wait!"
But she was already gone. Though she couldn't put on her full speed indoors, she managed to make it down the stairs faster than any human would have and reached the door just as Esme and Alice did.
They opened it.
"Where is she?!" Charlie practically screamed. Bella stopped, startled at his tone.
"Chief Swan," Esme answered, unaffected. "How can we-"
"Where is she?!"
"I'm right here Da-Charlie," Bella swallowed hard and stepped forward. "What's...wrong?"
The words hung in the air as she took in her father's appearance. He looked terrible. Charlie looked as if he hadn't slept in days. His face was pale, his hair unkempt, and his eyes held the look of a desperate man.
Charlie too stared at her. Gone was any of the kindness Bella still pictured etched on his face. He looked livid.
"Come with me," He spat and reached for her.
Esme moved to stand between the two. "Chief, she's not going anywhere. It's the middle of the night!"
"I need my daughter to come home with me, Mrs. Cullen," Charlie said warningly.
"Which home would that be?" Esme's voice carried a warning of its own. "Your house or her garden shed?"
Charlie's fists clenched as he stared at the woman who would not budge from her place between him and Bella.
"Charlie, please tell me what's wrong," Bella pleaded quietly.
"There was an explosion," Charlie said slowly. "In La Push. There was a fatality."
Bella's face turned white. "Jake? Mr. Black?" She asked in panic. Oh god!
Charlie gave her a strange look. "They're fine. Harry Clearwater is dead."
Jake is ok. Jake is ok. The relief must have shown on her face because Charlie's countenance changed once again.
"Where were you an hour ago?" He whispered.
Bella stared at him in disbelief. Was he really asking her this? In front of the Cullens?
"R-right here," she stuttered.
"Where were you an hour ago, Bella?" He asked again, growing angrier by the second.
"She was right here, as she told you," Esme said. Her face, usually full of compassion and kindness, was a mask of pent-up anger tonight. Even Charlie looked taken aback when he turned to look at her. "With us, her family, the whole time. If that's all, Chief, we'd all like to go back to sleep."
Before he could reply, she ushered him out the door and shut it firmly when he passed the threshold.
They stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs for a long time. By then, Carlisle, Rosalie and Emmett had joined them.
"I'm so sorry, Bella," Esme whispered emotionally. "His behavior was unacceptable."
But Bella wasn't listening. Something was echoing in her mind...a memory? No, it was too blurry. A dream. That's it. It was something from the dream from which Charlie's arrival had knocked her out.
She had dreamt of fire.
Dun Dun Dun.
Author's note II: I found the perfect song for a previous chapter, Flight. It's "Girl Rising Main Theme" by Lorne Balfe (composer of Assassin's Creed III!)
Author's note III: On another note, I can't believe I've made it this far. Over 150,000 words...Holy shit. When I started writing this, I thought eh, maybe I could get there. I'm fucking there! Or we, I should say, are fucking there! Thank you you all so much for following, favoriting, reviewing, and above all for reading. This story will NOT go on hiatus. I have a very clear outline of what will come and will not rest until Gifted is finito. Admittedly I might not be able to resume the 5-7 day update schedule I was on all summer, but I WILL update as frequently as I can manage.