A/N: Twilight was created by Stephenie Meyer. Similary, Control was developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by 505 Games. I only take credit for my own added character's and storylines.
I post on both A03 and FanFiction, take your pick in whichever you prefer to read.~.
I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 3 ~ That Old Friend
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It was not a sight unfamiliar to her.
The sky danced with clouds; they flew, decorated the sky with gentle white and greys as a gentle breeze guided them through the dream. Ir was of no blue, nothing but a delicate white light that replaced the rein of the sun.
It was a sight of familiarity to her.
A pure white Victorian city. Of bricks built with shades of white to black and so much grey.
But then, the higher plane lacked any other colour. An eternal/brief world devoided of life/death. A place she'd never seen but with eyes.
Sky-coloured eyes.
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"Isabella!" An overly cheerfully voice called, waving her from the stairs as Izzy walked out of the truck.
"Hello, Alice." She smiles, concealing her wonder when the girl embraces her.
"Sorry," She smiles bashfully, pulling back a step as she rubs her neck. "You missed the past few days - I was beginning to worry."
Izzy ignores the lack of a blush.
"You don't have to apologise," She reassures, "I'm rather flattered, actually."
"Oh. That's good to know." Alice walks at her side, a skip forming in her steps as she practically glows. "I'm aware I can be... a lot. If I do overdo it, please tell me to stop. I'd rather not lose a friend because I overdid it.
Are we friends? A curious voice whispers at the edge of her mind.
But the necklace around her neck weighs heavily, and her yet-grown smile becomes a smirk.
So, instead, she purs, "But Alice," She meets her stare, her eyes becoming heavy-lidded. "I like it when you are overwhelming the most."
Alice stills, mouth opening in an attempt to make a sound.
But Isabella isn't one of the FBC's best for no reason. And it's only when Alice starts to formulate a sentence, that the school bell echoes throughout the ground exactly on time.
"I'll see you in class, then." She whispers, continuing her walk - making it clear it is a walk - as she leaves her dumbfounded friend behind.
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Izzy steps out of her truck, still debating its possible names as she locks the door.
For a moment she just stands. Inhaling deeply as she stands on the ancient land.
She's missed La Push, she realised nostalgically. The faint trails of another echo through the earth, a gentle reminder of what had once touched this land.
Not only La Push, of course. There were other lands - ancient lands - that were touched by other entities. There are reasons why places like these were so much more vivid to see than the rest. It was a result of another plane coming into contact with Earth. Of both planes reaching a perfect phase; its echo remains even centuries after the mere moments of flicker.
There were reasons why millennia later, everyone still remembered their existence. Why one still knows of ancient Greece, ancient Egypt and ancient Rome.
These lands were the same, if at a much smaller scale. She could remember this, when an Entity had reached, for a single moment, and gazed at a man.
She could see Taha Aki, the first of the shapeshifters, speaking to the entity in a soft tone. She could see of the old wisdom, and how it mixed with the different, mortal one of the man.
Centuries later, battles and battles for survival had left the tribe strong. Blurry, and perhaps fragmented, her vision still let her see through that part of time.
Reaching for the door, she knocks twice, leaning on one foot as she glances at the nearby garden.
But for all the history of this land was fascinating, it was something she'd long since known, much as it was something that was of little use to her.
The door handle clicks, opening as a man in a wheelchair opens the door. And he smiles. "Bella!" He grins, opening his arms as she happily accepts the hug. "Look at you! All grown up!"
"It's good to see you again, Billy." She smiles, pulling back as she lets her into the house. "And it's far too long since I had proper fish as well - speaking of, what's on the menu today?"
The man guffaws, shaking his head as he moves towards the kitchen. "Not here for a minute and you're already asking for food?"
"Why else would I visit?" She exaggeratedly batters her eyelashes. "Besides, you cook the best Alaskan Cod. Speaking of, food!"
The man shakes his head, reaching for the grill as he puts the food out. "You grew up to be a brat." He sighs melodramatically.
"Ah. But I grew up to be a brat that gets what she wants." She sighs, already enjoying the smell of food as she helps with the table. "Besides, I already said I was coming."
"Yes," He retorts dryly, "How silly of me to think you meant after school, speaking of which - what are you doing here, missy?"
"Business, unfortunately." She admits, taking a bite of the food as she watches him raise an eyebrow.
"Oh?" He hums. "Charlie never said what exactly you worked at. Only mentioned you wanted to do something with law."
"More or less," She admits, finger tapping on her chair as she contemplates which would be the best way to approach this. "Not conventional law's thought. To be honest, it's the... indirect reason I wanted to talk to you."
"Well," He frowns, starting his lunch as he nods slowly. "I'm all ears. What do you want to know?"
Izzy puts her fork down, deciding to probe the waters before she commits to any question. "I met the Cullens." She starts, ignoring the sudden tensing as she meets his gaze. "Nice family. They have a rather unusual set of traits that most people would brush off. Normal people. People that aren't used to the eccentricities of our world." She hums, knowing she has his full attention as she continues talking. "You know secrets and I know secrets. We both have secrets we don't want to tell, so I won't bother pushing. What I do want to know is what you think of them."
"...I am very concerned as to what you have been doing this past few years, Bella." The man frowns, leaning back into his chair as he puts his cutlery down. He exhales unhurriedly, staring at the food with an idle expression. "You couldn't wait until after I finished eating?"
"And be convenient?" She drawled dryly, offering an unapologetic smile.
"Good point." He snorts. "There are laws that I can't break, Bella. You know this. And yet, I know how much you take after your father, and how much being told to follow without asking questions will get me."
Izzy grimaces, leaning into her chair, lunch long forgotten as she frowns. "I do know that. I'm not asking for legends or traditions." Her frown depends, searching for how much she can push as she thinks. "All I want to know is whether we are being threatened or not." Her frown depends, hesitating for a moment before choosing to tackle forward. "I think it's reasonable to be wary when you shake hands with a being that has no heartbeat."
Billy sighs, taking a bite of his food as his expression turns contemplative.
After moments of silence, Izzy decides to do the same, knowing that trying to push any further would be of little use to her.
"Fine." He sighs, finishing the food as he meets her gaze. "Let's talk."
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"Hey, Charlie!" She smiles, offering a wave as she walks into the room.
The man nods uncomfortably, giving her a hesitant look before turning towards the Headmaster.
"Ms Swan," The man greets idly, and Izzy carefully maintains her smile as he examines her. "Please take a seat. We have something to discuss."
"Thank you," She pulls the chair next to Charlie, running through the many outcomes before tilting her head. "Though I am rather confused, I wasn't aware my grades were concerning." She offers sheepishly.
"Quite the opposite," The man shakes his head, taking her bate with little resistance. "Your grades are excellent, and while something I do wish to address, that is not why I requested you both to attend this meeting." The man sighs, "We've had a report that you have a tattoo, which, as I'm sure you are aware, is against the law."
"It is?" She says, masking herself with a startled expression. "Pardon me, Sir, but while it's illegal to do so in Washington, I only recently moved here. There is no law against already having one."
"Even so," The man frowns, displeasure showing on his expression as he straightens his posture. "It's against school regulations, Ms Swan. I must ask-"
"Actually," She smiles brightly. Her mind sharpens onto a name before she leans forwards. "The student's code of conduct makes an exception to objects of sentimental value - which, in this case, also includes a tattoo."
It's not like she isn't sympathetic. She did understand why the man was concerned, much like she understood why he would try to cement his authority.
After all, she could hardly say she was already legally an adult. Nor could she explain she had very little reason to listen to a civil servant regarding authority and protocol.
Hell, half her job was to manage and create protocols, now.
His expression turns towards irritation, eyes narrowing as he turns towards her father. "Mr Swan. Surely you understand why we would be uncounterable with this?"
Charlie hesitates, eyes flickering towards her before they return towards the teachers. "I don't see any problem." He finally responds. "It's barely visible, doesn't break any regulations or laws, and isn't something she's endorsing. Frankly, I don't understand what you expect me to do. Attempting to remove it is expensive, painful and highly ineffective."
Carefully, Izzy does not smile, happy that her father is willing to come to her defence.
The headmaster, however, seems far less happy. No longer attempting to hide his scowl as he glares at the two of them.
"Her attendance is already poor." He points out. "She's barely reached half her classes. And while her grades are high, we are concerned about possible consequences that could arise if this is not corrected."
"I," Charlie frowns, fingers tapping on his lap as he stares at the man in displeasure, "do not see why you are censuring her attendance barely a week after starting. And while it's unlikely to improve, I vividly recall informing this establishment that there were personal reasons that would lead to low attendance."
Izzy had not known that.
Not that she knew everything, of course. But it was a rare and pleasant surprise to know that Charlie hadn't expected her to attend all these classes.
She felt somewhat guilty for having planned to skip so many, now. Only slightly because high school, but still.
"And we need evidence for these reasons. She has not been to the hospital, nor have I seen any medical conditions on her report. So far, I have yet to see any indication that these personal reasons exist!"
"That," Her father replies icily, standing from his chair with a glare, "sounds like a personal issue of yours, not ours. Good day."
Happily, she follows her father out of the room, rather proud of the way he waits until she walks through before slamming the door closed.
"A tattoo?" Charlie sighs, sending her an uninspired glance as they walk through the hallway.
"It's better than drugs! Or alcohol." She replies. "Besides, it was entirely legal. He shouldn't have called you off work for what was effectively a personal issue."
"Just," Charlie rubs his templates, stopping at the door as he offered a hug. "try to tell me these things beforehand, kiddo. Okay?"
"I know." She sighs, not quite promising at anything as he opens the door. "See you tonight?"
"I'll be home by seven," He nods, smiling faintly. "Have a good day at school."
"Always!" She winks, turning in the opposite direction as she walks into the dining room.
It only takes her a moment to track the two girls. Which was a disappointment in itself. Their expressions were made from half masks, barely hiding their emotions as she walked toward them.
"Good morning!" She smiles, reaching for the chair next to one of the two. "You all had a good day?" The three girls tense, an awkward silence replacing the table's atmosphere as she reaches for one of the girl's sandwiches. "I've just had the most interesting conversation. Easy to resolve, of course - the headmaster was super understanding! But it does leave one wondering."
"I hope you didn't get into any trouble," Angela says genuinely.
"Oh, nothing of the sort." She smiles. "Someone thought it funny to get me in trouble over a tattoo." Her smile brightened when Angela goes perfectly still; eyes flickering toward Lauren and Jessica with a frown.
Angela was honest, Izzy decided. But she wasn't one to sell out her friends even when they did something she disapproved of.
"Someone did?" Angela twitches, carefully not looking at her friends as she meets Izzy's gaze. "Are you going to do anything about it?"
"Oh? Me?" Isabella smiles, seeing how Lauren's patience is quickly coming to its end. Izzy is dangerous, but humans are so incredibly prone to ignore their instincts. "Well, I like to think I'm a rather weird cat." She smiles.
"That's it-" In a swift movement, the plastic knife is in her hand, plunging as it stabs the empty, aluminium can. Her smile brightens.
"I like to laze around, to stare and eat." Her smile sharpens. "But I only let things slide so far before I start playing. We clear?" She stands, taking a last bite of the sandwich as she walks outside. And for all she doesn't bother to turn and look, their expressions are absolutely hilarious.
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To: Anchor's Bane
From: The Chicken
Things have been relatively calm the past few months. The recent fizzle appears to have had more problems than just us. Apart from that, I've been looking through recon to figure out if there are any other possible routes it could take towards us. So far my sources have been disappointed and unresponsive.
Regarding your previous subject, I have found some degree of answers you might find of use. For one, you were right, the Cullen's are a relatively new vampiric coven, establish in the early parts of the twentieth century. In later stages, they were more commonly regarded as the Olympic coven - seemingly due to their large size and gifted individuals.
The three members most mentioned are Carlise - who appears to be the leader, Edward and Alice. My recommendation is to approach it with the assumption that most, if not all its members are gifted with one or more gifts.
On more positive news, they appear to be rather infamous for their refusal to drink human blood - they appear to be capable of surviving from animals alone which raises numerous questions regarding the state's previous agreements with the Volturi. I'll get back to you on this when I manage to find more from it.
Unfortunately, that's everything I've managed to find from them - Annoyingly, they were formed in the first half of the twentieth century.
Regarding the FBC readjustments, I'll find you at a later date to discuss them in more in-depth detail. For now, I will say that the outside changes appear to be minimum, and, as long as the status quo is maintained, we are willing to keep this as they were previously.
On the last note, I have recently encountered a somewhat concerning difficulty that has been causing me a fair number of troubles. While it has yet to reach a significant danger, I may require your assistance in having it dealt with, but as I said; we will see.
I heard about the recent month change. My sympathies with your troubles.
We'll talk soon.
-The Chicken
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At this point, It's just another grain of sand of surrealness when Leah realises she can smell her long before she sees her. Just another way her flee-gift has managed to make any attempt at a normal life impossible.
But this one's more grating than most since it's someone who knew her human self rather than whatever it was that she was now.
"Leah!" Bella grins, offering a lazy wave - which seems to be her manner of greeting - as she skips toward her table. "Fancy meeting you here." She says as if they hadn't agreed to meet just a few hours ago as she slides far too smoothly onto her bench. She chalks it to this Being Isabela-I-trip on-air-Swan having become as graceful as a Cat.
Still, she's practically obligated to roll her eyes, "I can't believe you wanted to skive school."
Her expression tones bewildered, for a moment, tilting her head before she smiles somewhat bemused. "I've been skiving for years, Leah. This is hardly new behaviour."
Eight years is a long time, apparently. "Just kind of weird is all." Leah offers with a shrug. She tended to associate Bella with bookworms, not rebels. "You already ordered?" She asks, pointing towards the nearby restaurant.
"Yep. They make the most gorgeous pudding, seriously. One day I'm going to buy the place just to have a constant supply." Leah snorts as she realises the woman is entirely serious.
"Good for you, I suppose," Leah responds instead, unsure as to any conversation she's actually supposed to start with.
The supernatural was out, obviously. Discussing the wolf thing would be awkward without adding the mind-share.
Discussing her bloody ex was a hell of a no-go, not only was that drama a nightmare she didn't want to touch with a ten-meter stick, but it also involved the entirety of the supernatural.
University was out of the window. She'd missed the deadline some few months ago already. Work? Maybe some small-time store in Fork. But realistically speaking, she was never escaping the hell hole that used to be her home.
Which left her with the rather flooring realisation she had nothing to actually talk about.
She supposed she could talk about fashion. Maybe. But Bella's coat was a statement on its own, and the best Leah knew was sportswear and equipment, so...
"Have you been to Port Angeles sports shop?" She barely manages to keep a straight face, barely manages to stop herself from banging her head against the table, barely-
"Only once so far." Bella hums thoughtfully. "I want to buy a boxing bag, hang it from the tree in the garden. Thought I have to check if there are any branches strong enough to hang it. Why? Want to go?"
"Er-, yeah? Sure. Want to go later?"
"Next week good? Say, Thursday. I'll just skive again so we can leave early."
Leah raises an amused eyebrow. "Do you attend school at all?"
"Er..." Bella smirks, making a so-so motion with her left hand, "Sure I do. Usually, twice a week." She nods, looking entirely too proud of herself, Leah thinks. "I'm so generous." She smirks smugly.
Maybe, Leah ponders, Bella was a feline-shifter in disguise. At this point that might make more sense than anything, Leah had experienced in the past year.
Maybe driven by instinct, Leah finds the need to challenge that smugness. "Uh-huh. This must be a new thing you kids do." She offers with a smirk of her own, "Back when I went to School, we were expected to attend all the classes."
"You're only one year above me." Bella pouts, sending the waiter a grateful glance as he brings them their food. "And It's a pain to attend school for qualifications I've - at least in most areas - already achieved. When I first told Charlie I was visiting my thoughts were to take online college classes, but boom; forced back into school with children! It's so demeaning!" She sighs melodramatically, sending her an unfairly adorable pout before grabbing a bite from her lunch. "Talking about college; taking a gap year? Or have you got plans?"
"I-" Leah hesitates, and a sudden feeling of uncomfortableness grows as she tries to figure out how to explain. "I'm dealing with some stuff at home right now?" She has to stop the grimace as Bella raises a curious eyebrow. "I probably shouldn't talk about it. Safe to say College isn't on the table for me-" Never "-for the foreseeable future."
"Oh," Bella blinks, seeming oddly dazed for a small moment. "I'm sorry to hear that." She replies, seemingly genuinely understanding. "I'm happy to listen if you do want to talk to someone."
Honestly, Leah really shouldn't even consider the offer. But the idea of being able to talk to someone like things where before her life went to hell is far more tantalizing than Leah had initially expected. She bites her lip, contemplating her options as she- "I-" hesitates, for a moment, contemplating the many ways this could go wrong. And then she thinks of Sam...and thinks of why the hell she should. "I suppose I could give you the bare outline." She says instead bitterness turning into pettiness as she opens her mouth. "It started when I found my boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend. And when I found out my entire village knew about it."
And she does.
Nothing of the supernatural, of course. She knows better than to cross that line.
And it turns out to be oddly therapeutic. Ranting at someone that's actually sympathetic towards her. That doesn't shake her head and say Leah's being 'obsessive', 'horrible' and should congratulate the newly minted couple. As if she's wrong for being cheated on.
"And it's not even that Sam cheated on me at this point!" Leah muttered half truthfully. She's still not happy with it, obviously, but- "Emily was my best friend. I just-!" She hadn't expected Emily to ever hurt her. Not like that. Emily was driven, strong-willed and ambitious - you had to be when aiming for a medical doctorate. But she was also lovely. She was also loyal. "The Emily I knew would have never done that to me. And I...I don't know, at this point. Should I cut them off? That's everyone I grew up with! But I don't want to stay here and have everyone treat me like I'm some wich for being cheated on!"
"I think," Bella says softly, gently holding her hand as she stares entirely serious. "That you should take some time away from them, whether physically or just mentally. I can't tell you what to do, Leah. Unfortunately, I can't really get involved either." She sighs. "Not because I don't want to." She adds darkly - Leah's fairly certain she wasn't supposed to hear that part. "But because whatever you decide, it's going to hurt regardless."
"No advice?" Leah offers instead, not quite bitting - she's an adult, damn it! Expecting someone to have the answers to your problems is far too nice to be true. Still, it would have been nice.
"Ah. Well, we could track everyone guilty and vandalize their cars." She replies shamelessly, her tone implies it could be entirely serious if Leah asked it to. And oh, if only she didn't have the damning pack link. "But I'm trying to help, not get you into trouble!" She grins, reaching for her pocket as she stands with an energetic bounce. "So instead I can take you on a date to the sports store! My treat!" She bounces towards the exit, leaving Leah to scramble up behind her.
"Wait, now?" Leah splutters. She's...fairly certain Bella was teasing when she said date.
"Sure." She grins. Showing her credit card as she skipped toward her truck. You can even have a go at my punching bag. Punching things is supposed to be therapeutic, right?"
"Fairly certain it's supposed to be breaking things." Leah huffs, realising that yes, they are doing this now.
"Well, that too." She hums, thoughtfully. "Oh! We could add a photo of your ex to it! Like that, you can brake it and punch it!"
Leah can't quite hide her own smirk - Bella's excitement is oddly contagious she finds - trailing after her before opening the side door. "Well, if you're insisting on paying, who am I to say no?"
"Exactly!" Bella grins, peering at her almost knowingly as she starts her truck. "By the time we're done, you'll barely give him a second thought."
Somehow, between laughter, Leah finds herself almost believing the statement.
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Tentatively posting a third chapter for this fic.
None the less, if you felt I should have written something differently, be it personality and/or displays of different states of mentality, please leave a comment! Any advice is welcome and appreciated!
Anyways, Ill See you next time! Ciao!
~Faith