An extra long one. Hope you enjoy.
"Hello?" I ask, wedging the phone between my cheek and jaw to go back to the dishes.
"Bella! I've been looking for you!" The voice shouts.
"I went to your house and Charlie says you've been missing for two years!" I nearly dropped the phone.
"A...alice?"
"Yes! Bella!" She shouts my name almost like she was admonishing me.
"Alice!" Tears prickle in my eyes.
"What do you mean you've been missing two years? And why are you at Jacob's house?" She said, like she was scrunching up her nose in disgust.
"I...it's a bit of a long story," I said, my voice starting to catch.
"I know. I've missed you,"
"You have no idea how much I missed you!" I shouted.
"I tried to look into your future to see if you were ok, but I couldn't see anything! It was never a problem before! Edward told me not to, but suddenly I see Victoria stalking you through the trees! So, I came right away. Edward tried to stop me. He wanted me to leave you alone and leave it to the wolves to handle but...I'm sorry I left. I really didn't have a choice." She explained. I was practically only half listening. I was covering my mouth, trying to muffle myself, and just listened to her talk.
"Bella, I have to know everything's okay. Has anything gone missing? Did you leave a red shirt behind?" She asked.
"Um. I have some red shirts, but I left some stuff behind."
"Why did you leave?"
"It's... a long story." She paused at that.
"I want to see you. I'm staying at a hotel in Port Angeles. Can you meet me at Granny's cafe? It's on the 101. It's the closest I can get to you without breaking the treaty." I nearly jump at the sound of Jacob coming inside with Renesmee.
"Uh..."
"How's tomorrow? Noon?"
"Yeah. That works."
"Great! I'll see you then!"
"Bye,"
"Who was that?" Jacob said, helping Nessie out of her jacket.
"Just finally making that dentist appointment." Should I tell him? He wouldn't be happy about it. And apparently Charlie knows she at least is here. Fuck. His investigation. Did he quit it?
Oh, no.
"Lunch is almost ready. Wash up, okay?"
"Okay!" Renesmee ran off to do that. Jacob watched her then came closer, with the smile gone.
"The wolves caught a vampire scent in the woods. They followed it, but it ended it at the water between Vancouver and here. If it's a Cullen, there's nothing I can do. They broke the treaty." What the hell is happening?
"It's not them. They wouldn't." I said.
"So, it's someone else? There's more?" Should I tell him it's Victoria? It's her, isn't it? Based on what Alice said?
"There's...others. Remember James?"
"Yeah?"
"Then you remember there were two others. Who knows how many vampires roam the earth." He cursed under his breath.
"All done!" Nessie said, bounding back. I stroke her hair as she passes to climb into her seat. I shake my head at Jacob, meaning 'don't' tell her'. Nessie had 'sensitive' hearing like the Cullens. I couldn't say much when she was around.
Once Renesmee was put to sleep, Jacob told me all about it. The elders and Sam's pack didn't contact Jacob directly, they never did, but Embry was still in Sam's pack. He was the one who told him. He figured I might like to know. Or have to.
"There's no way it's the Cullens. They'd never break the treaty." I said again.
"Even if they knew you were here? Wouldn't they?"
"No." I said, remembering Alice went as far as seeing Charlie. Would she, or anyone one else, break the treaty if they knew Renesmee was here?
Renesmee. If Victoria was looking for me- if she had my shirt, she was or was nearby if not- she could hurt her. Out of revenge or something.
"Then it's something else. We'll take care of it, in that case. Embry's gonna keep me posted. You sure no one's tried to contact you? Alice keeps sending you money, right?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." I said. Why on earth was he looking at me like that? Did he think if they were here, they would want to take Renesmee with them? Did he think we'd both leave?
Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough. I had to know what happened at Charlie's. I had to know what the hell she meant by Victoria being around and that red shirt. If I could maybe identify it as mine, then it's me she's looking for. Why doesn't really matter. But if it's not mine...Why else would she be around? Why would she have someone else's red shirt if she could just kill them on the spot? To snack on later?
I drove Jacob's rabbit to the cafe. It was a tiny little thing. Originally a house, almost entirely covered by overgrown ivy. I walked inside and was immediately greeted by the person at the short bar.
"Hey, I'm just-" I said looking around, and my eyes fell on someone sitting by the window, the curtains shut, wearing sunglasses and a handkerchief wrapped around her head. Dammit Alice. Not really incognito.
She pulled those glasses off for me, letting me see her face and familiar yellow eyes. Before I could take a step, she was practically in front of me, arms open.
"Ooooh! Be-Becca!" She corrected. I wish I could hug her for longer and draw in more of her scent. It smelled like...high school, where we'd hang out whenever Edward let her take up space. It smelled like shopping trips I managed to get out of and those I couldn't. But it would look strange to the one employee. This place is too small.
"A bigger and busier place might've been better," I said quietly.
"I know. But it's in the middle of nowhere and close to you. Come. Sit," She pulled me to her spot by the window and we sat.
"Eat some this stuff so the guy thinks I've been eating it. He's been a little too worried about that," She said with that cheeky smile of hers, picking up her mug of coffee again. I scoffed a laugh and reached for the fries. We've had breakfast before. I guess she remembered I hated home fries.
I started chopping down their lengths while I stared at her. She looked good. The same as always. Why would she look different? Time stands still for them. Time is even different. I wonder what these two years felt like to them. My face fell. That person came over with a smile and extra coffee cup.
"Coffee?"
"Yeah, thanks." He poured me some and sat down.
"Milk and sugar is right here. Can I get you anything?" I wasn't hungry and I didn't even drink coffee.
"Uh,"
"Go ahead. My treat." Alice said.
"A fruit bowl?" I wouldn't mind some cantaloupe. Was that a random thing to order?
"Coming right up," He walks away. I really just want to get to the nitty gritty.
"What did that red shirt look like Alice? I never really wore red."
"It was that somewhat sheer one, bright red with gold threads in it that you always avoided wearing."
"Mmm. I left that one. At...home."
"Why did you leave? I go there, to your room, and you're not there. It's half empty with old Victoria smell, so I go to the front door." The employee some back with the bowl and a fork wrapped in a napkin. I mumble a thanks and we return to the conversation once he walks away.
"So, Charlie answers and he's...surprised, at first. I wish I could read minds but, if it was Edward, I bet he would've reached for his shotgun. Anyway, after we say 'hi', I ask him if you were around. And he says you ran away after...Edward left. Why did you?" I shake my head at her.
"Just tell me exactly you said and what he said." I told her, gripping her arm.
"Okay. I said, 'But why?'. He says he could ask me the same thing. He asked me if you were with me, I said no. That none of us knew where you were or that you even left. That your birthday was the last time we ever saw you.
He asked me if it was all made up, the breakup- if you two planned to runaway together, even though he never said he disapproved of your relationship."
"Uh huh?"
"He asked me if everyone was coming. I said no. That no one knew I was here. That was the truth. Sorry. I didn't mean to sound nonchalant. Edward's- he's serious about staying away.
Charlie then goes into how after you went missing, he tried to investigate us, see if you left with us or followed us- He told me it was about two months after we left, you did." She then looked at me.
"What did he look like? How is he?"
"He's...a little worse for wear. I'm sure he's still worried about you."
"But did he say you're in trouble?"
"No, not exactly. He said, me coming back gives him permission to investigate me, us. He's the Chief. He can approve that move himself. So, he told me not leave so abruptly and tell him when I would. I don't actually know how long I'll be here. If the wolves are going to take of Victoria then-"
"Alice, you can't!" I nearly shouted. We turned to look at the employee, but he was still busying himself behind the counter.
"You can't. I mean. I don't want you to. Maybe it doesn't matter to any of you, but I missed you. You have no idea how hard these past two years have been, or what I've been through." Alice gives me this concerned, confused face seeing how my demeanor changed. I hunch over and move my hair back. I didn't want to tell her, them, I suffered but what if they could protect Renesmee?
"I don't know how to tell you. You might not believe it,"
"Bella. No matter what, our relationship will never change. You'll still be family to me. I'll believe whatever you say." She said. I stare.
"If it's hard to say, it requires words. Say something." She continued. I take a deep breath and huff it out, rubbing my thighs.
"I was pregnant."
She doesn't really move. Just stares.
"Alice?" I say, jerking my head forward.
"What do you mean you was-were pregnant? Did you have puppies?"
"What? No. Two months after my birthday I found out. I took a test. Lauren Mallory was being a dick and said I was getting fat because...of Edward leaving. I look at it and...my stomach stuck out no matter what or how I stood in front of the mirror. So, I took a test. I couldn't believe it either, but it's the truth.
That's why I ran away. Jacob was the only one I could ask for help. I had no idea it was possible, it's not supposed to be, that's why we didn't use protection-Jacob was the only one who knew the truth, that I could ask help from. Turns out...that while I was depressed, he was finding out he was a werewolf, and dealing with that."
"Though I don't approve of your choice, I know you didn't have much of one..." She said.
"Do you...want to see a picture?"
I hope you forgive the next chapter is just one whole conversation and that it's not a bore.