Chapter Three: Love Potion #9

Port Angeles - February 5th (Late Morning)

"What happened!? Why didn't anyone let me know?" Jacob said in disbelief, gripping his phone as he searched for Michelle's checked baggage on the slow moving conveyor.

"You had other worries, Leah said you should focus on Michelle, and honestly we don't fully know why it happened." Tekali answered with resigned frustration. She hadn't really agreed with Leah, but couldn't contradict her orders. "Brianna is awake, and she explained they had a disagreement with the Volturi, but that's pretty much all she said. Eliza, Talia and Isabella are still unconscious. Henry is in transition."

"Talia, the fixer? I thought she was in Seattle. Nevermind, will they recover?" Jacob was trying to wrap his head around such a monumental event, Seth, Leah, Paul and Rachel could have been caught in that explosion. He didn't want to think about the possibility, because he knew that losing them would've broken him.

"Eliza will probably be fine according to Carlisle. Talia's burns are almost completely healed now, and Isabella has somehow mostly regrown her skin." Tekali still couldn't quite believe the update herself, even seeing the recovery with her own eyes it was difficult to absorb. Shifters couldn't regenerate that quickly.

"How bad was it?" Jacob asked, holding his breath. He almost couldn't endure Isabella going through more pain, she had been through enough.

"Full thickness over ninety-five percent of her body. If she were human she would've been dead. From what Carlisle explained about vampire physiology she shouldn't be regenerating at all." Tekali tried to sound as clinically detached as Carlisle had been, but she couldn't help picturing her as little more than charcoal only two days ago.

"Fuck. Okay, we'll be there in about an hour." Jacob wasn't sure how to handle this news on top of caring for his daughter and the pack. He shut his eyes tightly, wanting everything to just be over. Then he made a silent decision, and it calmed him down considerably.

"How's Michelle coping?" Tekali asked, breaking his concentration slightly, but everything made sense now so he just let out a small chuckle.

"About like you would expect." He shrugged slightly, and only felt a bit stupid because Tekali couldn't see him.

"So you have no idea." She said with a knowing laugh, of all their children Michelle was by far the most complicated. William had only ever wanted a simple life away from the supernatural he had grown up with. The pack and the truth about vampires had always bothered him, so he moved to a college town in Ohio and got married right after finishing up school. Other than a few visits and weekly calls he hadn't really interacted with his parents or sisters. Isabella was the opposite, she embraced the supernatural parts of her life and it strongly influenced her work as an artist. She moved to New York, and decided early on that she would have one child and never get married. So she did exactly that, visiting home a few times a year and always wondering if she would ever turn into a wolf.

Michelle was a bit more unknown. While outgoing and popular in high-school, she was also very private and never brought home friends. She had insisted on going to school in Forks, and never complained about the commute each day. The only time her parents were informed she was dating someone was very casually mentioned during a family meal, and she never brought them home. Even more confusing, their name was so ambiguous that Jacob never knew if she was dating a boy or girl.

Jacob couldn't help but laugh before responding, "yup, the usual. Her new pack seems interesting, Amy is damaged from this whole experience but she seems sweet and very smart. Tommy is a bit dim, but I can already tell he is really kind, and he supports Amy like a brother. Michelle made the right move accepting them."

"Glad you approve, is that mom?" Michelle said from behind him suddenly. Jacob flinched, because he hadn't heard her approach. He moved his lips over his teeth a couple of times and handed the phone over to her. Then he noticed her bag on the carousel and snatched it up, ignoring the conversation Michelle started up with Tekali.

Amy and Tommy didn't have much, and were waiting at the exit doors looking deeply uncomfortable and nervous. Jacob nodded towards a waiting van as they all moved out of the regional airport terminal. Michelle ended the conversation with her mother as they got in and Sarah Call nodded at Jacob who motioned with his eyes to get moving.

"Pack's ready for anything, Leah said to expect some kind of attack." Sarah started, causing Jacob to tense up again. "Apparently the alliance was broken by the council, and Isabella refused to go along with it."

"So that's what happened." Jacob muttered to himself, wondering why Tekali wasn't in the loop on that.

"Leah got that from Brianna who then told the pack, I don't think Tekali was there for that meeting. She was working with Rachel getting Paul situated back in La Push." Sarah gabbed, answering his question before he even had a chance to ask it.

"How is Seth?" Jacob asked, hoping his old friend was recovering well.

"Up and about, and helping Rebekah with the pups. We had two more that turned yesterday, there was a lot of drama, and I think Nuka hooked up with one of them." Sarah over-explained with her usual tendency to gossip. Jacob ignored the rumor and nodded, he had expected new pups given the number of vampires in the area. "So, um, Michelle, what brings you home in the middle of term?"

"Long story. Suffice it to say I was forced to turn, and Amy and Tommy here are a part of my new pack." Michelle kept her voice even, betraying none of her emotions. Jacob wanted to take her by the shoulders and force her to fess up, but instead he just nodded confirmation to Sarah who didn't even bother looking back at the new arrivals, her focus was on Michelle who gave her a small smile.

"Shit." Sarah couldn't think of anything else to say.

"You could say that again." Michelle chuckled darkly, her brow immediately returning to her normal flat expression, which in years past would've been called her "resting bitch face". Most people thought of her as cold or mean at first, and reserved once they got to know her. Jacob knew that she was just observant and only spoke when she had something important to say.

"So what happened with Brianna? Last I saw she was at the point of death." Jacob asked, changing the subject.

Sarah didn't seem to mind either way, and without missing a beat bobbed her head, "yeah, I don't know what happened and Leah isn't saying anything. Something about joining Isabella and Eliza's coven. The girl is just as weird as they are, I only caught a glimpse but I swear I saw her eating pancakes and her eyes are blue." Jacob gave her a look that said he wasn't pleased with her attitude and she visibly flinched before turning to the road.

"Right. Anything else I should know?" Jacob asked with a voice that said very clearly he didn't want any more gossip.

Sarah seemed to think about it for a few seconds before shaking her head, "that's pretty much it."

"Thanks Sarah." Jacob said as he looked out the window towards the green flashing by. Michelle had been watching the wilderness too, but abscently, she was actually paying attention to the news with rapt attention. She had known through gossip from the pack that Isabella Swan had returned as a vampire, but everything else was new. She couldn't imagine how lost Amy and Tommy were feeling, but she gave them both reassuring smiles as they turned to her with questions in their eyes.

"Vampires are real, and you're about to meet a lot of them." Michelle said in explanation, her tone softer than usual.

"Oh wow, I'm sorry I just assumed they knew." Sarah's eyes went wide and she winced apologetically.

"We were told there were vampires, but I thought they were like our mortal enemies. Especially the golden eyes." Amy said, sounding very confused.

"While true, most vampires are our mortal enemies, it's kind of the other way around, golden eyes are basically good. They refuse to kill or feed from humans. Red eyes mean they drink human blood. Isabella and her daughter are kind of different though, and that's hard to explain." Jacob's explanation drew strange looks from the entire van, even Sarah who was far more in the know then the rest of them.

"This is too much. What do you think Tommy?" Amy looked over and found him staring at Sarah. "Tommy?"

"What's going on back there, hey big guy you… shit." Sarah met Tommy's eyes and suddenly realized what was wrong, as she felt her soul merge with his. Suddenly she felt her loyalties shift, and no longer felt the pack at the edges of her mind.

"What just happened?" Amy said, looking between Sarah and Tommy.

"I think we just had an imprint." Jacob said with a frown, feeling Sarah's departure from the pack. Michelle had a similar reaction as Jacob as she felt the presence and power of Sarah Call join with her mind.

"Sarah, watch the road." Michelle ordered, and Sarah immediately broke eye contact with Tommy and straightened the wheel as the van had started to drift into the oncoming lane. She glanced at Tommy one more time before forcing herself to look at Michelle and biting her cheek to keep from returning her gaze back towards Tommy. Tommy just looked at Michelle with a very confused look on his face.

"Imprint?" His deep voice boomed out the word a bit louder than he wanted to, but the question begged explanation.

"I barely know how it works. Leah tried to explain it once, but it sounded so insane that I never quite believed it. Dad?" Michelle grimaced in mild discomfort, exposing her teeth slightly.

"Oh, um, an imprint is when you find your mate and take love potion number nine at the same time. Doubt and hesitation go out the window, although it isn't necessarily romantic it usually ends up that way. Even when there are some serious impediments." Jacob frowned, he wasn't sure it was the right way to phrase it.

"What's love potion number 9?" Amy asked in confusion.

"That's your question… It's a kind of cheesy romantic comedy based on a very ear-wormy song from a very long time ago. I bet Eliza has a copy of it. It is a magical solution to the movie plot and primary dilemma, it purifies love and makes it permanent."

"Will I imprint?" Amy said with a touch of longing as she looked over at Tommy who gave her a sheepish grin. A part of her had expected he would always be there for her, and as a part of the pack he would be, except she had kind of hoped for more with him.

"Maybe, my second Leah just found her mate after ninety years." Jacob offered, trying not to shrug. It was anyone's guess whether she would find an imprint.

"It isn't always obvious either, Eliza, Leah's imprint is a woman and a vampire, so go figure." Sarah said looking back over shoulder and regretting the comment from the look thrown at her by Jacob.

"Oh, okay. This is all so new and you are all so nice. Is this what a pack is, support and friendship?" Amy asked with an awe in her voice, realizing that it almost didn't matter about romance as long as she could have this. Friendship and family.

"There can be drama and fighting, but for the most part yes. Brothers and sisters always." Jacob said with a wide happy smile.

Amy nodded rapidly a few times, before turning towards the window trying to wipe her eyes without anyone noticing. After a few minutes she finally looked towards Michelle, "thank you for trusting me. I haven't had someone to rely on since my parents died. It's why I was alone, why that asshole targeted me. No one cared."

"I know we're basically strangers, but we care about you. I care about you." Michelle said with an absolutely serious expression, but there was a warmth to her eyes that let Amy know it was meant reassuringly.

I90 W near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho - February 5th (Lunchtime)

"Push through? We're about four-hundred and twenty from Forks, if we use ferries." Charlie asked as Angela opened her eyes and rubbed her temple.

"Yeah, might as well." Angela said tiredly, wishing she could sleep to recover after such an intense mental construction.

"Zoey?" Charlie asked worriedly, but Angela gave him a somewhat happy smile.

"She's ready now, the final barrier is up and I've been trying to ease her pain." It had been difficult to keep the pain at bay, but thankfully Zoey was past the worst of it. Her body had been completely transformed internally, but there were still some external changes that needed to manifest.

Charlie clicked his teeth a few times, and Angela looked over at him languidly, "so I was thinking about what you said. I have to search for Bella, but you're right it may be impossible without a starting point."

"We could always pick up the Vicky hunt again, she would know where to look." Angela sounded almost drunk, but sat up and shut her eyes tightly before settling into her normal posture and expression. She was back, and Charlie almost sighed happily, he had been dealing with various mental shards of his daughter for almost three days.

"Don't tempt me." He chuckled.

"I would suggest getting set up first, a few days at this point won't matter. Zoey and I will start shopping for furniture, and you can go through and make sure everything is functional." Charlie nodded reluctantly, even though he could barely cope with the idea of leaving Bella in a hole for even a second longer, they would need some kind of lead on her location and a home to help her through the worst of it once they found her.

"I know you want it to be a surprise, but what did you find?" Charlie had asked to be kept out of the loop on the next place, but he had no idea what she found in only a few days.

"I knew you had been thinking of coming back to Forks for a while, so I checked into it shortly after we found Zoey. I thought we might bring her up there, but things changed." Charlie gave her a knowing smile and motioned with his eyes to continue. "A lot of the older developments were torn down, your old house has been gone for nearly eighty years. It sat as a vacant lot for a long time. I had Mako tracking it in case someone bought it. About seven years ago someone started building, but never moved in because the project ran away from their budget. The architect took it over and finished, but it sat there with a massive price tag for a couple of years. I decided it should be ours, so I bought it about five years ago."

"Let me guess, one up one down two to three bedrooms." The standard for the area designed for family living.

"Nope, the opposite. They went big, with five bedrooms and six bathrooms. Mako's had a maid service go in every year to keep it maintained." Angela said with a smirk, watching as Charlie's eyes bugged out for a few seconds.

"We don't need that." He said, shaking his head. That much space seemed opulatent, despite the luxury apartment they had owned for years taking up over two thousand square feet in an exclusive high-rise in Chicago.

"We do if we find Bella, and Zoey finds someone. We can play like the Cullens, maybe even turn to animal abuse." Angela managed to joke, but Charlie actually nodded, not really finding the idea funny.

"Not a bad idea, I've always thought they had it right." His expression was hard to read, he genuinely liked the idea of giving up the kill and settling down even more than in Chicago.

"Maybe." She looked out the window to hide her frown, she really wasn't sure what to do next except to be there for her daughter. There was a brief pause and then Charlie took a deep breath, which usually meant he had something important to say.

"Angel, you don't need to kill anymore." He said trying not to let through the pain he felt watching her destroy what she once was little by little over the years.

Angela's head snapped towards him, and leveled him an angry glare for several protracted seconds. "I don't kill." Her look of betrayal stung Charlie to the core, and he had trouble meeting her eyes, but he did and slowly shook his head.

"Yes you do. Monsters do count, and even knowing that they deserve it, it's wearing you on." His voice was coarse, he didn't want to bring this up.

She crossed her arms over her chest and gritted her teeth, shutting her eyes in pain. It was a topic they rarely discussed, but as much as she didn't want to admit it, he was right. Even sticking to just murderers and serial killers, the death count weighed heavily on her mind.

"There is one more I have to kill." Angela said with absolute determination.

Charlie nodded, "If we ever get a lead, I'm right there with you. But you have to give up the hunt, it's killing you, slowly."

"That's my business." Angela said coldly, not looking over at him.

"I know you don't grieve for Ben or your parents and brothers anymore, but maybe you should. I do, hearing that Bella might be alive… If she is, we need to find her and help her and maybe someday we'll be a family." He sounded hopeful, but Angela immediately shook her head needing to lash out at him.

"Enough Charlie!" Her voice was full of controlled anger, but still anger. "Isabella was a good friend, and I would gladly consider her a sister. But what is under the ground will need to be put down, we search for her to put her out of her misery."

"No, we have to help her." Charlie looked over at her appalled by the suggestion.

"A century buried alive. You have to understand that she's gone!" Angela's totally practical argument was not only uncalled for in Charlie's eyes, but harsh even for her.

"I don't understand that! I wouldn't care if she were a fucking Volturi enforcer! I will not give up on her, I will find her and help her!" Charlie knew he would never give up, he would never fail his child again. Not to the exclusion of Angela and Zoey, but he had to make Angela understand that just killing what they might find was not an option.

"Don't be a fucking idiot. She would be completely insane and detached from humanity. A rabid beast, uncontrollable like an immortal child." Her voice raised, her anger pointed and still she knew it was too far. This wasn't about Isabella, this was about her own struggles which were not about thirst or needing to eliminate monsters. It was about Victoria, and the utterly failed attempt to find her for revenge.

"NO!" Zoey screamed from the back seat as the car lurched violently to the right. Charlie overcompensated and almost crashed headfirst into an oncoming car.

"Fuck, what the hell was that?" Charlie looked over his shoulder frantically, as Angela threw back her head and started laughing.

"Telekinesis. Damn it Zoey." Angela looked up at the car's ceiling as if glaring at the god that once meant so much to her and visibly deflated, her shoulders slumped.

"Zoey's power already manifested? She's not even through the transition." Charlie wasn't really paying attention to Angela anymore, his focus was on his grand-daughter.

"That's about when mine showed up, although I didn't realize it at the time." Angela said quietly, not really wanting to relive that nightmare.

"So what does it mean?" Charlie asked, momentarily forgetting their argument.

"Nothing until we can measure her gift, right now that was an outburst. Reacting to us screaming at each other." Angela sighed and looked over at Charlie with a look of apology, "I'm sorry, you know I'll do anything to help Bella. That's what I meant, that I would kill her for you if needed."

Charlie nodded in appreciation and held out his hand for her to take. She did, and he squeezed it gently. "I just have this gut feeling that it won't come to that."

Angela gave him a somewhat forced smile, the idea of helping an out of control vampire was problematic at best. She knew it would fall on her, to wade into the mind of someone that far gone and try to find something left to fix.

"It might take some convincing to make her believe we're us, she might mistake us for hallucinations or ghosts." She said trying to sugar coat the potential issues a bit this time.

"Doesn't matter, she's my Bella." He nodded once, and squeezed her hand again. Angela let a smile curl up her lips a bit, as she realized she felt the same. Isabella was her sister, family and the one person in all the world that might understand what she went through.

Cullen Residence - February 5th (An hour after Noon)

"Jacob will be here in like ten minutes." Tekali said from the doorway and Leah nodded once, realizing she had been neglecting the pack.

"I'll be down, I just don't want to leave her." She looked at Eliza forlornly, not wanting to be separated from her for even the few minutes this would take.

"She won't be alone." Alice glanced over, then she got up and took Leah's place holding Eliza's hand.

"Thank you Alice." Leah said with a quivering breath.

"I almost feel like she's my daughter. I mean she isn't yet, but I want her to be. So me being here for Eliza, it's what I'll always do just like my mother showed me." Alice looked over at Esme who was still sitting next to Isabella and they locked eyes for a protracted second.

"I love you Alice." Esme mouthed with a proud smile.

"I love you too mom." Alice whispered back, before turning back to holding onto Eliza, when Leah gently placed a hand on Alice's shoulder.

"That's not what I meant." Leah raised her eyebrows in thought then sighed softly with a happy smile. "You saved my life."

"I just couldn't let Eliza down, you're important. To her, to Isabella, to me." Alice was starting to feel more focused and confident as life returned to Isabella little by little. Yet she had to admit having Leah there helped. Someone who loved these women as much as she did was a major comfort.

"We were both insane with grief, and yet somehow you had the presence of mind in that situation to stop me. I never thought a Cullen would do that for one of us, it changes things." Leah tried to impart how much her actions meant, what they would mean going forward. Such a simple act of compassion, but it was enough to change everything that hadn't already changed.

Alice smiled back, but shrugged after a few seconds deciding to say what she felt. "You're family Leah, that will never change."

Leah's face hardened with emotion for a second, as she tried to process what had just been said. Even if she lost Eliza and Isabella, she would have Brianna and Alice. Her loving them by extension wasn't a one-way street. Alice considered her family no matter what, and it reached all the way down to her core and squeezed in the most perfect way. Tears started to ball up in the corners of her eyes as she started to speak through happy sobs, her voice cracking as she started, "it's funny, I thought I hated vampires. I never would've imagined I could love one, let alone an entire family of them."

Alice let Leah pull her into a brief, but tight hug and then looked to Brianna as Leah let go.

"Brianna sweetie, you should go with Leah. Get outside for a few minutes. You've been cooped up too long." Alice's voice was unmistakably motherly, and Brianna looked at her with such wonder and joy that she almost forgot to nod in understanding.

After nodding she pouted, "but I still can't hear her. Eliza is coming through a bit, but mom is silent."

"I know for a fact Isabella and Eliza can communicate over great distances, you'll still hear her." Leah offered, and Brianna nodded and moved over to her. Leah offered a hand, and Brianna smiled widely and took it.

"We'll be sisters someday right?" Brianna looked at Leah with wide eyed hope.

Eliza nodded, "I hope so, if Eliza will have me." Then she looked over at Alice and gave her a playful smile, "I'm not calling you mom." Alice just chuckled and then turned back towards Eliza.

Leah led Brianna downstairs just as a van emerged from the treeline along the driveway. Tekali ran forward pulling Michelle into a tight hug as soon as she jumped out from the back. Sarah got out next, and began to fidget as she waited for Tommy who emerged a few seconds later. She immediately rushed over to him and was about to throw her arms around him, but stopped herself looking embarrassed and awkward. Tommy just smiled, and held out a hand, and they moved off towards an empty part of the field.

That's when Jacob got out and stared after them for a few seconds before turning towards the house. Tekali let go of Michelle, and the three of them made their way forward. Michelle scanned the area, clearly wary but paused as she looked forward. Her focus rested on Brianna first, and then shifted into a smile directed at Leah.

"Hey Leah, been too long. And you must be Brianna?" Michelle asked, looking at the petite vampire with curiosity.

"Yes, I'm Brianna." Brianna let go of Leah's hand and held out hers towards Michelle, who looked at her and nodded once, taking the offered hand.

Michelle took a small quiet breath taking in the red-head, her crystal blue eyes were so innocent and beautiful that she had to force her mouth to stay closed. "Nice to meet you." Michelle said softly, shaking Brianna hand, and then let the vampire pull her in for an unexpected hug.

Brianna almost immediately pulled away and bunched up her shoulders in embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't mean… I'm trying to… I'm sorry."

Michelle couldn't stop the smile from brightening her face and shook her head. "Nothing to be sorry about, I think I needed a hug."

Jacob glanced over at his wife for a second in concern and she shrugged back, and then everyone moved inside. Leah and Brianna up front, followed by Jacob and Tekali. Michelle stayed by Amy to make sure she felt safe. The dining room was already full of people, chowing down on a veritable feast. There were boisterous hello's from the gathered shifters, and Garrett who was deeply involved in their conversation, finding out everything he could about their culture and traditions.

"Everyone, this is Amy, she is a part of Michelle's new pack." Jacob explained and everyone turned towards Michelle who stood a bit straighter, trying to look like a responsible leader, despite knowing pretty much everyone in the room for her entire life.

"Elle, you're an Alpha? Kick ass!" Nuka Uley shouted out, hooting a few times followed by several of the other pups.

"Calm down." Rebekah chided. Seth sighed as he shoved Martin Fuller into his chair and looked up at the new arrivals.

"Pack is getting too big anyway, glad to have…" Seth stopped in mid-sentence as he laid eyes on Amy who was already openly staring at him.

"Jesus, two down." Jacob said with a grumble, as he felt Seth's presence leave the pack. He glared at his old friend for a second before breaking into a happy smile, pleased that Seth had finally found his imprint. More importantly to Seth, it was a chance to finally be a second.

Michelle shut her eyes and cracked her neck, she hadn't expected so much wolf drama, and she felt dangerously naive about it all. She looked at Seth and nodded a small welcome, meeting his eyes with a meaningful look. His experience would be vastly important, and she would be stupid not to name him second in command. She made a mental note to make it official as soon as they had a few minutes alone.

"I'm going to head home for a little while. I'll be back later tonight." Michelle said with a small sigh full of pain. She turned and headed out immediately, shifting as soon as her feet touched grass. She tried to shut out everything, but it was all too much. Then she felt more then heard her mother beside her, and almost stopped in mid-stride but kept going all the way to their house and up into her room. She shifted back to human form and threw on some clothes before pausing to mentally prepare herself before heading down stairs. Her mom was leaning against the living room couch, a look of concern on his face.

"I know you're dealing with a lot, but that's no reason to run." Tekali sounded concerned and a touch disappointed.

"I'm not running." She said holding back the rust of emotions, leaning against the opposite wall from the couch which separated out the kitchen from the living and dining room. "I'm trying to work everything out. I'm trying to deal with the responsibility of being a pack leader, and trying to wrap my head around the idea that I'm immortal now."

Tekali nodded, "being a leader isn't easy, and Jake and I will help however we can." Then she paused and shook his head. "Elle, sweetie, there is nothing that says you can't give up the wolf if you want and live a normal life. Hell, that's what we want for you."

"You don't get it. Mom, I can never give up the wolf." She didn't want to say this out loud, she didn't want to make things even more difficult.

"You're right I don't get it. What happened?" Takali was confused, and tilted her head to express that confusion as softly as possible.

"I imprinted." Michelle admitted, almost like it was a curse.

Tekali gasped and she immediately pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "When?" She asked as Michelle buried her head in her shoulder, her shoulders starting to shake a bit. Tekali took a deep breath and held it in, bracing for the shock.

"When we first arrived… on Brianna." Michelle said softly, and Tekali just began to stroke Michelle's hair in response.

"It'll be okay, they are wonderful people and you'll be loved." Tekali tried to reassure her daughter, and from the way Michelle hugged her a bit tighter she knew it worked to a degree. Then she pulled away and looked up into her mother's eyes.

"I'm not worried about love, I'm worried about the future, I'm worried about my new pack. I'm worried that this stranger is going to reject me when she finds out I'm not very nice or warm or happy." Michelle looked lost, more than she had ever shown before that Tekali could remember since she was a little girl trying to figure out why she didn't like boys like all her friends did.

"I've spent some time with Brianna, she comes from a dark place. I think she'll be very open to taking things slowly." Tekali knew there was more, but didn't have details. Michelle just nodded and hugged her mother again, it all felt like too much and her usual stoic exterior needed a fresh coat of confidence before she could face the pack… and Brianna.

Old Swan Residence - February 5th (Early Evening)

"The architect was clearly a madman." Charlie said looking at the monstrosity of a house that stood where his modest two story existed a hundred years earlier.

"Madwoman, and she's been called that before, I've read up on her." Charlie gave her a confused look, "the architect, she's kind of a big deal. Which is part of the reason why it's just sitting here. Too far from Seattle, too much money spent on it. I think they wanted to invest in Forks and it just fell through in every way." Angela sighed and moved towards the front door which opened on her approach. "All the amenities too, including an even bigger and better panic room."

"There's something I need to check." Charlie had seen it once when he ventured back into Forks all those years ago. A memorial to him was placed there by the Fork's town council and Billy Black who had instructed them on the dedication.

"It's there, apparently the architect insisted on it." Angela had inquired about the monument after Mako had told her about its prominent place in the backyard. The architect said it had been on the lot for nearly a hundred years, commemorating a police chief who disappeared while searching for his daughter who had also disappeared. It was a mysterious town legend, and a famous ghost story told by generations of kids in Forks.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Charlie attempted a half smile, and Angela just shrugged as the door closed behind her.

He walked around to the back of the house, and there in the middle of the overgrown garden was the stone. It had been moved, centered in a circle of like colored pavers and what would likely turn into beautiful flowers come spring. The care shown to preserve his memorial hit him heavily, and he found himself kneeling in front of it without really thinking. His hand almost immediately reached for the surface. The words were still mostly legible, despite the wear of nearly a century of rain.

Charlie Swan.

Police Chief, Forks Washington

Loving Father, Loyal Friend

He Never Stopped Searching,

May He Find Her In Another Life

He took a deep breath and reached out, placing his full hand against the marker. The moment his cold skin touched the even colder granite a torrent of images flooded into his mind, which he forced into a chronological progression of a hundred years of days and nights.

First he saw his old friend Billy Black and his son Jacob stand over the stone with tears in their eyes. After a few springs and winters, the abandoned house fell into disrepair and eventually it was torn down. A year after the demolition, a couple came to look at the lot and try and make a purchase only to have their hearts broken when the deal fell through.

It wasn't all negative emotions, there were numerous images of random children playing or running through the open space, and a few joyful neighborhood gatherings and barbecues. Then there were the seasons themselves, adorned with the bright flowers of spring, the awesome colors of fall, and the macabre specters of empty trees in the winter. The only real constant was Billy and Jacob and their annual visit to the stone. Eight, nine, ten years went by.

Then she came like a ghost, long stringy hair blackened with dirt, dressed in filthy ill fitting clothes that hung loosely on her. She sank to her knees in front of the stone and traced her finger over the words again and again. She sat back and her shoulders rocked as if weeping, the rain mimicking tears. Her hair had obscured her face when she was walking and touching the stone, but when she leaned back her features came into view.

"Bella." Charlie muttered out loud, his heart singing with the confirmation that she was alive. She sat for a long time in the rain, before she suddenly stood up and ran out of view. Charlie pulled away from the stone on instinct.

"Angela!" He shouted loudly enough for her to hear, but not so loud as to alert the neighbors. She was at his side a few seconds later, looking down at the marker.

"What did you see?" She asked as soon as she was within ear shot.

"Ten years. She came here ten years after she was taken." Charlie said excitedly, no matter Bella's condition all those years ago.

"A vampire?" Angela asked, her eyebrow raised. If Bella had been active this entire time, how had they not heard of her?

"Yes." Charlie said realizing for the first time that he might actually have a chance to find his long lost daughter. That they could maybe reconnect, and possibly given some time they could become family again.

"Is there anything else?" Angela asked startling Charlie a little.

"I called as soon as I saw her." Charlie said, nodding a bit sheepishly.

"Watch the rest." Angela suggested, and Charlie nodded once. She squeezed his shoulder and then stayed next to him as he touched the stone again. On the twelfth anniversary, Jacob came alone. Charlie knew what was wrong before Jake could utter a single word, and he almost flinched his hand away. In the abstract he knew that his friend was gone, but to have it confirmed was heart wrenching. Yet Charlie wasn't about to shy away from this intimate moment. Jacob had come to talk with him, and he felt obligated to listen to his words. Slowly Jacob knelt fully before the stone, and rested his head against it before speaking at a whisper.

"He's gone Charlie. I... He was always there for me, he was always my rock. Now I just feel lost. Leah is there like always, but no matter how much I depend on her she isn't dad. Sue's trying, but her time is devoted to Abigail, when she isn't crying. Abby turned ten yesterday, she wanted to come instead of Billy, but Sue wouldn't let her. I promise I'll bring her next year."

Jacob stood and walked away again, a year later he wasn't alone, he came with a girl about eleven years old who was a spitting image of a young Sue. The girl placed some flowers on the stone and turned back and clutched Jacob's hand tightly.

"I'm Abigail Clearwater-Black. Jacob says you were a friend of the family. I wish I could've met you." The girl's voice was sweet, and Charlie wondered if he was about to watch this girl grow up and grow old. He fast forwarded through time, year after year. Jacob and the girl, sometimes Leah and Seth joined them. Abigail grew up before his eyes, turning into a lovely young woman.

A few decades later she showed up on a random afternoon, her belly swollen with a child. She sat down in the grass, her expression haunted and terrified. "The baby is due in a few weeks, and I just have this bad feeling. I've given up the wolf, I've done what I was supposed to do. How can I just pretend that I don't see the signs? I… I'm scared. If I'm not here on the day, know that it isn't because I don't want to be. I know you can't hear me, it's kind of stupid to even keep coming here. But I just wanted you to know that we care, our family loved you. I never met Harry, but mom said he was basically your brother. Dad… well dad felt the same. He told me you were his best friend. Maybe if I don't make it, I'll join you and Bella and dad… god Charlie. Is it too much to ask for? All I want is to hold my son."

She laid back in the grass and cried for a while, before leaving. Two weeks later Jacob came alone again. His face was hard.

"She had a son, his name is Stephen and he looks just like dad. My… My baby sister is gone, Charlie. Abby… she died a couple of hours after he was born. Complications. Fuck that, if she hadn't given up the wolf she would've healed. Stupid fucking imprint. Am I just gonna outlive everyone? Sam handed the pack to me and retired with Emily. Colin gave up the wolf, and so did Quil. Jared is thinking of retiring already. Paul has Rachel so it's only a matter of time until they give up the wolf. Rebekah might linger a while, she did come home and is helping Sue with the baby. I won't go into that drama, but it's pretty rough. I'll always have Seth and Leah, but what if they find their imprints?"

"Nevermind all that. I came here because I needed you to know I tried Charlie. I tried so hard to keep Bella safe. I did find her, or where she died. It was more than I could tell you back then. It's taken me years to wrap my head around what happened to her. I don't know Charlie. I never said it in front of dad, but I've always blamed myself. Sam tried to take the blame, but I was the one chomping at the bit to find the leech. If I hadn't been so damned cocky, if I hadn't left her alone… maybe. It's just, I hope you can forgive me, please. I can't imagine how scared she must have been before they killed her."

He paused before continuing, his voice ragged, "I just can't keep dwelling on it. I can't keep coming back here. So, goodbye Charlie. I hope wherever you are, it's a good place. I hope you're with Bella. I hope Billy and Harry… and Abby are there too. I can almost picture Bella grumbling, trying to make Harry's fish fry over a campfire. Then all of you sitting in comfortable chairs set along the river with endless fish to catch." Jacob kissed the stone once, and then without another word he left and didn't look back.

Charlie sat back wishing for the first time that he could cry. "I need to find out if there are any Black's left down in La Push, but first I'm going to check out the old Cullen house. Maybe there is a clue about Bella there."

"Are you alright?" Angela sounded softer than he could remember, and as he looked up he could see something different in her expression. She must've been watching his vision, and he knew she would've been hit by what happened to Abigail.

"No, but I will be. There is a chance I can reunite my family, no matter the past, this is the best moment of my life." Charlie shrugged off the past and set his shoulders as he stood, determined to start the long road towards reuniting his family, but he couldn't stop the smile from brightening his face and was happy to see it reflected on Angela's face as well.

Cullen House - February 5th (Late evening)

Talia felt her senses flood back all at once, but they were somehow heightened. Everything smelled better, and more vibrant. Even the food downstairs smelled good, and the wolf shifters gave off an earthy scent that was surprisingly pleasant to her nose. She opened her eyes and felt like the world had suddenly shifted into technicolor. She sat up, and found a blanket covering her for modesty. Her hair fell forward, now hanging down to her belly. She picked up a strand and looked at it intently. The cut was uneven, and the texture was different, almost silky and soft, and no longer like the nearly indestructible fibers of vampiric hair.

She started to look around the room and found the vampire she knew was called Alice from the files on the Cullens and the brief introduction when she first arrived. Alice stood and gave her a wide smile of greeting. Talia swung her legs out and as her feet touched the floor she realized something was very different. The sensation felt almost human, as her skin gave way slightly from the pressure.

"What happened to me?" Talia's eyes shot open wide as she took in her voice, which had also changed. It didn't have the fake vampire texture to it, and almost sounded like her human voice.

"That is hard to explain. Rosalie's room is the first one on the left, she has a shower and should have some clothes that will fit you." Alice motioned towards the door to the study and Talia nodded distractedly. She got up immediately, keeping the blanket wrapped around her, and moved into the hall and found the bedroom easily. The bathroom was huge, with a separate room for the vanity and an entire shower enclosure with a high end tub. She turned the water on to her usual temperature and found it was almost too hot, but loved the sensations as she scrubbed away two days of dust and a sticky film that came off easily with soap.

In the walk-in closet there were so many options she didn't know where to start, but eventually settled on a pair of nicely fitting black jeans and a black v-neck shirt. She felt weird wearing something outside of her uniform, but given how violently the Volturi had ended her tenure as a member of the guard, she would have to get used to the change. She stepped back into the bathroom, feeling an odd urge to pee and finding that that part of her body was functional again. Washing her hands, she finally met her reflection and gasped.

Her face was slightly different, the lines were softer and slightly less perfect. Her skin was still pale, but nowhere near as white as before. But it was her eyes that she focused on, they were nearly luminescent and a rich Hazel just like her human eyes. She touched the mirror, tracing her reflection a few times before running a brush through her hair and heading back into the study. Alice was waiting patiently for her, along with two others who had just arrived. She recognized Leah, who was already sitting next to Eliza and holding her hand. The other she had only briefly met before everything exploded.

"Brianna right?" Talia managed a smile, but Brianna just kept staring at her in confusion.

"I can't hear you." Brianna said with a worried pout after a few awkward seconds.

"I don't follow." Talia shook her head, the words didn't make sense.

"In my head, you should be connected to us. But I can't hear you, or feel you." Brianna struggled to explain, it was all so new and she had barely any time to adjust before the house explosion.

"So that's real. Huh." Talia chuckled, as a long standing Volturi rumor was just confirmed. "I get I'm different now, but how does this all work?" She glanced over at Isabella who had regenerated most of her skin, her hair was growing in quickly, and she was starting to look a bit like her old self. Talia realized that she must've been secretly cutting her hair to exactly the same length and style as she had it when she was seventeen years old, a teenager from the early 2000's. It made her shudder a bit, as she ran her fingers through her own locks.

"I can cut that for you, in fact Brianna, Leah would you like your hair done too? It'll be a good distraction." Alice offered, and as she said it she felt a spark of her old self shining through. The corresponding smile on her face almost lit up the room.

"That sounds amazing. I've heard of your fashion sense, in fact it is an honor to meet you Alice. I've always admired your coven." Talia returned the brightness, having never really been able to articulate her desires for fear of Aro finding out and punishing her. She had never been sure if leaving the guard was an option, and she could never risk taking the chance. She knew she was living on borrowed time, but perhaps by vowing to serve Isabella and Eliza she might just survive to enjoy this amazing gift she had been given.

"That means a lot coming from a Volturi." Alice said, somehow widening her smile.

"Formerly, they betrayed me too. Actually a lot of us felt there was some merit to Carlisle's way of life. Although I think Isabella and Eliza found the right balance." Talia elaborated, looking at Isabella and then Eliza. She had always thought of Eliza as a friend, and respected Isabella despite feeling her disappointment in her choice of vocation. She knew that was because she had shown promise as a guard, she just couldn't handle the actual killing required. Cleaning up felt like a better option, although at times she felt more like she was a member of a mafia than a coven.

"Oh?" Alice gave her a bemused look, she couldn't fathom any Volturi admiring her coven. Not that they weren't worthy of praise, but she never thought the guard valued human life in the slightest because the council had made it abundantly clear they did not value life at all, human or otherwise.

"They basically forced the council to start buying and storing cast off blood. Most of the guards ended up preferring that method because it was quicker and easier than killing. I know Isabella and Eliza would kill on occasion, but went out of their way to avoid innocent death and utilized blood bags whenever possible." Talia sounded proud, and in a way she was because it had been her honor to work for the two of them these past few months. Despite Isabella being demanding at times, she never asked anything that was superfluous or especially dangerous. Kell's fate being a matter of bad luck and extenuating circumstances.

"Brianna!" Eliza shouted through the link, startling Brianna a split second before Eliza's mind was suddenly very active. She groaned slightly, drawing everyone's attention and then muttered, "you give the rest of the guard too much credit, it was mostly just you, Demetri and Mele." Eliza winced and slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times to adjust to even the low light of the room. Leah waited until she was starting to sit upright before she leaned in to help her up.

"Eliza." Leah said as a breathy whisper as she leaned in and pressed her cheek against Eliza's face, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of relief.

Eliza gently pulled away, but quickly leaned forward to give Leah a kiss before burying her head in Leah's shoulder. "I didn't catch all of that, something about betrayal and haircuts?"

"The council." Talia said with a notable sneer.

"No Aro and Caius, Marcus tried to stop it." Eliza corrected. "I'm glad you survived… and are different. What the hell?"

"I bit her, but I can't hear her." Brianna answered directly, but was worried about Eliza's reaction. Eliza gave her a slight glance and a brief smile of pride, in Eliza's mind she had made the right call in a tough situation.

"Me neither, hmmm. That answers that question. Good to know. How's mom doing?" Eliza glanced over at Isabella, and then noticed Henry who was keeping silent but was writhing in pain.

"Oh please tell me no one bit him." She flashed a look towards Brianna who shook her head.

"That was my fault, I thought I was doing him a kindness." Alice said with a heavy sigh.

"Damn it." Eliza moved over to Henry and almost reached out to him but stopped and looked back at Alice, her brow flat with anger. "Explain."

"He was unconscious and dying, and was never going to wake up again from concussive injuries and brain swelling. He is… was a Volturi agent. They are all on a kill or convert contract, and I didn't know he had no desire to be turned." Alice tried to explain, but Eliza gave her a hard look before looking back at Henry.

"Fine, but I reserve judgment until Henry wakes up… and gets through his newborn phase. Double damn. Brianna, have you heard anything from Mom yet?" She looked back at Brianna again who shook her head with a miserable and upset look on her face.

"No, nothing. Although I didn't hear much from you either." Brianna tried to sound hopeful, but she was deeply worried about Isabella.

"It's okay I can feel her, she'll wake up eventually." Eliza thought across the link, making Brianna look at her intently.

"Wait, is that another car?" Alice looked towards the driveway, and stood peering into the thick barrier of trees between the house and the highway. A set of high beams broke through in a few spots as it navigated the winding path.

"Can't be, everyone we know is here." Leah said with a chuckle. "The Cullens have been very gracious."

"Let's go meet the visitor." Eliza sounded a little tired, but started to move downstairs just as the rest of the house and a good portion of the wolves joined them. Eliza looked around at the massive gathering, numbering over thirty and felt deeply humbled for a second, knowing it was their family that drew most of them there.


Author's Note:

Another chapter yay! I actually wrote the bulk of this one a couple of weeks ago as the first follow up to chapter one, before realizing there was stuff that came before it. The Charlie scene is the most notable section from the original, but was expanded upon for both continuity and to finally chronicle the life of Jacob's sister and Stephen's mother. Those original readers scratching their heads about the choice for Seth, let me explain. First and this is probably the most relevant, he is over 100 years old and in retrospect it is a weird choice to pair him with an abused and traumatized 16 year old girl. Secondly, having two wolves from the same family imprint on vampires felt like a stretch. Lastly, it felt right to have a Black imprint on Isabella's daughter like in the original novels, except no where near as skeezy, and she might just take it a bit better this time.