Not too much action in this chapter as it mostly deals with the aftermath of the previous one, but things will pick up again next time.
Chapter 21: The Secret Life of Vampires
"I thought you were dead," Charlie mumbled, staring at his daughter like she was an apparition that would disappear if he so much as blinked. Having decided that the middle of a highway wasn't the place for the lengthy discussion this situation called for, they had relocated to the Cullens' house - which admittedly hadn't taken long since Peter had simply teleported them there - and Charlie had barely taken his eyes off her the entire time. "I just can't believe it... How is any of this possible?"
"Dad," Bella said patiently, "we've been over this twice already. If you're hoping going through it a third time might lead to an explanation that doesn't include the word 'vampires', then I'm sorry; I know it's a lot to take in, but it's all true. I think you've seen enough to know that even if you don't want to accept it."
"What I'm having trouble accepting," Charlie retorted, his voice rising as he went on, "is that you could do this to your mother and me. You let us think you were gone-"
"To protect you!" Bella cut in, her own volume increasing in tandem with his. "Don't you understand? You and Mom would've been killed if I told you the truth! It was hard enough knowing I could never see you again, but that would have destroyed me."
The obvious anguish on her face softened Charlie a little, though he still felt compelled to say, "It's not your job to protect us, Bella. We're your parents; it's our job to look out for you, not the other way around...even if I haven't always done so great." He seemed to deflate, bowing his head in defeat. "I couldn't even stop you from nearly getting killed in the next town over, so I guess it's no wonder you didn't feel like you could come to me with any of this."
"No!" she exclaimed, even more distressed by his self-recriminations than she had been when he was angry with her. "I never blamed you for that; it was my fault for wandering off alone, for not paying attention to my surroundings like you always taught me. It's not that I didn't trust you, it's just... What would you have done if I came to you and said the wall around my mind that I guess I was born with had evolved into this ability to make force fields that can crush people? If I said there was a serial killer out there stealing brains from people like me so he could replicate their powers and I had to help stop him? ...What if I told you that the man I love was afraid he might be about to explode and I was the only one who could help him?"
"I guess I would've been out of my depth there," Charlie admitted, his gaze dropping briefly before darting toward the man in question, who had been by Bella's side throughout the whole awkward - and at times downright agonizing - interview, chipping in bits of information here and there but mostly just offering her his silent support. He hadn't even complained when she crushed his hand during a particularly difficult moment, nor did he hesitate to let her resume clutching him like a lifeline as soon as his bones were back in place.
The bond between them was obvious, and Charlie was glad to see it - actually, that was an understatement; after watching Bella isolate herself for more than two years, there were no words to describe the immensity of his relief that she had finally found someone she trusted enough to let in, someone who he'd suspected was in love with her from their first meeting several months ago. He would have been positively overjoyed at her returning Peter's feelings - or rather, at her realizing that she did, since even then he'd had an inkling that the man sitting across from him was more than just a friend to her - if not for the minor issue of Peter Petrelli apparently being a walking nuke.
"About that last part," he began, the leather upholstery of his armchair squeaking as he shifted uncomfortably, "I want you to know I don't have anything against you, Peter. You seem like a nice guy... I'm just not sure how I feel about my daughter dating a man who almost blew up New York City."
"Dad! I told you it was an accident!"
"It's all right, Bella; I think that's the kind of thing most parents would be concerned about," Peter said reasonably.
She let out a slight huff, determined to be offended on his behalf since he wasn't, but when he used a variation on Jasper's ability, not to forcibly alter her emotions but merely to let her feel what he did, to show her that he honestly wasn't upset by Charlie's concerns, that he understood her father's wariness and was glad he cared enough to worry about the company she kept, she relented.
Looking back at Charlie, Peter went on, "I won't try to downplay what happened; it was too close of a call, and thinking about all the blood I would've had on my hands if it wasn't for Bella, all the people who would've died and what saving them cost her... I don't think I'll ever forgive myself."
"But nothing like that's happened since then," Bella interjected, unable to stop herself from defending him. "You haven't felt yourself losing control again, have you?"
"No, I haven't," he admitted, frowning as he wondered why not. "I don't know if the explosion somehow burned all that excess energy out of me or if having my powers suppressed for a while made them easier to control when they came back, but I've been doing a lot better lately."
"There, see? Nothing to worry about."
Charlie wasn't sure if he was completely convinced, but Peter's suppositions sounded perfectly logical - as logical as anything could be when you were talking about a real person with honest-to-goodness superpowers, anyway. Besides, he was perceptive enough to realize that continuing to argue or trying to forbid Bella from seeing Peter would almost certainly backfire on him. Like it or not, her life was very different now - she was different - and Peter was the one who had been beside her throughout the journey that had brought her to this point, who had taken it with her. That kind of bond couldn't be broken easily, if at all, and attempting it was more likely to result in Charlie getting cut out of her life rather than Peter.
"All right," he said at last, trying hard to keep whatever lingering doubts he felt out of his voice. "I don't know anything about this stuff, so I guess I'll have to take your word for it."
A great deal of tension instantly drained out of her, and her relief was plainly visible on her face, which helped persuade him that he'd made the right decision; he might not be under any illusions about what would happen if he forced her to choose between him and Peter, but it was nice to see that she didn't want to choose in the first place.
"Now we just have to figure out how we're going to explain all this to your mother. I saw it with my own eyes and I can hardly believe it-"
Bella's spine went rigid again, her eyes widening in alarm. "We can't tell Mom," she interrupted. "You can't. Promise me."
"You want me to lie to Renée about knowing you're still alive? I can't do that." Charlie said nothing more, but she could see in his eyes that he was extremely disappointed in her.
"Dad, please. It's too dangerous-"
"Actually, maybe it's not," Peter said slowly, as if turning some new idea over in his mind as he spoke. "It was the Volturi who made the rule about not letting humans in on your secrets, but like Emmett said, they don't have the manpower to enforce it anymore. If you want to get back in touch with your mom, nobody can stop you now, can they?"
Bella blinked at him, an action vampires took so rarely that it always looked unnaturally deliberate when they did. "You're...right. I could do it," she whispered in a tone of dawning wonder. "I really could." Then her expression darkened. "At least no one would die if I did, but my mother's terrible at keeping secrets, and she'd still end up in a psych ward if she mentioned that her formerly brain dead daughter has returned as a vampire, even to Phil. Does anyone think there's any way she wouldn't tell Phil?"
She waited for someone to offer a refutation, but no one did until at last Charlie said, "Well, maybe it wouldn't be that bad. You didn't call the guys in white coats when she went on that spiritualism kick after your grandmother died and almost held a séance in your living room."
"A séance?" Peter repeated, his interest piqued. He'd always thought messages from beyond the grave were either wishful thinking or a scam, but after having his horizons significantly broadened in recent months, he wouldn't dismiss anything out of hand anymore. "How did that go?"
"It didn't," Bella sighed. "And no, I didn't need to have her put in a straitjacket; I just reminded her how many horror movies that had scared the pants off of her started with someone messing around with a Ouija board, and that was that."
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and raking her fingers through her hair as she contemplated the enormity of the choice facing her. There was no denying that few things would make her happier than to have her mother back in her life, and she had to admit that Charlie had taken the news of her condition better than she ever could have hoped, his skepticism shattered by the battle he'd witnessed on the highway - and Renée would probably accept the truth even more readily, without requiring such drastic proof. She had always been more open-minded than Charlie...
On the other hand, telling him hadn't been a deliberate decision, but rather something that was forced on her when they had to save him from a diseased vampire; there was no way she could have avoided explaining everything after that, unless she'd insisted that Peter erase his memory of the encounter. He hadn't wanted to, though, wasn't sure he had achieved the level of precision and delicacy required to excise that single episode while leaving the rest of Charlie's mind undamaged, so she decided not to press the issue. Purposefully walking into her mother's house and turning the world as she knew it upside down felt completely different.
Besides, in some ways Charlie was better equipped to keep her secret; aside from generally being more tight-lipped than Renée, he led a much more solitary life, which meant there were fewer opportunities for him to accidentally let something slip, fewer people he might be tempted to confide in... His closest friend was Billy Black, who was already in the know about the supernatural, so it wouldn't even be a problem if Charlie did discuss it with him. Renée not only lived with Phil, who Bella could not see handling the truth about her well, she also socialized with his teammates and their families...
All this flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds, after which she sat up straight again and looked around to find Peter and Charlie still watching her, waiting for her to say something more.
"Of course I'd love to see Mom again, but this isn't something I can rush into half-cocked. There are consequences to consider. The Volturi may not be a threat anymore, but that doesn't mean they were wrong about secrecy being the best policy; can you imagine how people would react if they knew?" It occurred to her that perhaps this problem could be circumvented if Peter was able to do something similar to the telepathic gag order Maury Parkman had implanted in Elle's mind when she first went to Forks to investigate the Cullens' abilities, but she didn't want to bring it up just yet. Charlie was still less than pleased that they had already messed with his and Renée's heads once, albeit in a well-meaning effort to help them make peace with her 'death'.
"Anyway," she continued, "we still have this virus to deal with. If it spreads too far, it could start a pandemic that will wipe out huge chunks of the human and vampire populations, including Mom and Phil...so maybe we should postpone this discussion until after we've saved the world? I think one apocalyptic crisis at a time might be my limit." She tried to inject a note of humor into this comment by forcing a half-smile onto her face, but truthfully, she really wished at that moment that she was still able to sleep so she could crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head, and not have to think for a few hours.
Peter immediately assured her that she should take all the time she needed to figure things out and that he would support whatever decision she made, but even as she smiled gratefully at him her eyes darted back to Charlie, anxiously awaiting his response.
"I guess you have a point there," he said at last, though he still didn't look very happy. "I understand this is a lot on top of everything else you're dealing with - everything you've been dealing with for years now that I never knew about. Just promise me that you'll find a way to work something out with your mother sooner rather than later, okay? She deserves to know."
"I will," she promised, the breath she'd been holding leaving her in an audible sigh of relief. "I want to; I just need to be sure I won't be putting her or anyone else in danger. Thank you for trusting me."
"You've earned it. I should've said so sooner, but everything you've done, all the people you've helped... I'm proud of you, Bella."
Her eyes burned with tears she could no longer shed, reminding her that crying was another of those human capabilities that was greatly underrated. Silencing the part of herself that wanted to argue that it was Peter who really deserved the credit, since for the most part she had just been along for the ride during his exploits - an idea she knew would be met with vehement denials if she voiced it, mainly from Peter himself - she darted over to Charlie's armchair and threw her arms around his neck.
"Thanks, Dad."
###
Charlie had Peter take him back to the scene of their initial encounter soon after that, saying he needed to call someone to tow his car (of course, he would tell them he'd hit a tree while swerving to avoid a deer). Jacob was still there, back in human form and fully dressed, but Paul had gone home to brush his teeth, claiming he needed to get the taste of rotten vampire out of his mouth, and to be there when Sam reported the day's events to the tribe's elders.
"That'll be one heck of a talk," Jacob muttered, imagining the looks on their faces when they heard that a human had seen two of the pack take down a vampire - a human who happened to be the chief of police, no less.
"I'll be having my own talk with Billy, Harry, and the rest of them too," Charlie grumbled. "To think that there've been werewolves running around here for years..."
He was also dismayed to learn that Bella and Peter wouldn't be staying now that their business in Forks was finished, but he understood that they were needed elsewhere. He did, however, insist on going with them despite Bella's protests.
"You can't just show up, drop all this on me, then expect me to let you disappear again. I've got three years' vacation days I never used, and I'm not sitting around here knowing you're off dealing with more lunatics like the one that smashed my cruiser. Besides, if the world as we know it's about to end, I'd rather not wait around for it to come crashing down on me."
She couldn't argue with that, so they agreed that he would fly out to Colorado in a day or two, which would give him time to get things in order before leaving, though she suspected it was actually an excuse to get out of teleporting again. Charlie did not seem overly fond of her boyfriend's usual mode of transportation, nor did he appear to find Peter's assurances that there was almost no risk of them accidentally ending up in the wrong century particularly comforting.
The pack also decided to send a representative to monitor how the virus situation unfolded and provide reports to help them decide if further intervention was warranted, and if so, what form it would take. Bella half-expected Jacob to take the job since he was the only wolf who'd shown any inclination to voluntarily converse with a vampire so far, but surprisingly the pack's only female member, Leah Clearwater, volunteered before he or anyone else could get a word in.
Unlike Charlie, Leah had no problem with teleporting - in fact, Bella got the impression she was quite eager to get away from La Push - so it wasn't long before they were back at the Cullens' mountain lodge, where Alice apologetically explained that she and Esme had moved Bella's and Peter's belongings out of the guest house in order to turn it into a makeshift clinic for their patients. She was dismayed that she hadn't seen Leah coming, but Esme handled the situation with her usual gracious poise, quickly figuring out which space could be converted into an emergency guestroom and escorting the girl, who looked uncomfortable at finding herself surrounded by so many vampires although she was obviously trying not to show it, upstairs.
"And how are our other new friends settling in?" Bella asked quietly as they made their way to the guest house.
"Well, with Demetri's help, we were able to track down everyone who was bitten at the hospital - eight total, including the girl's mother - and bring them here, out of the public eye. It was a lot slower without Peter, but we managed. Alec's been a great asset in caring for the patients, and Jane... Well..."
"She's really perfected her forehead-sponging technique," Elle offered.
"It's all in the wrist," a flat, dry voice remarked, and the group looked around to see the former Volturi enforcer emerging from a back room. Bella and Peter did a double take at the sight; at some point while they were gone, she had removed the hooded robe that seemed to be the Volturi guard's uniform, leaving her in a dark blouse and skirt she had presumably worn underneath. Some of her makeup had flaked off, but she hadn't taken time to reapply it, or to deal with the wisps of hair that had escaped her previously tight bun. Whatever had gone on in the last two days, she had clearly been busy.
"That one's getting worse," she continued, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at the doorway behind her. "I was just going to-" She stopped midsentence, her nostrils flaring; then suddenly she was right in front of the newly returned pair, sniffing them with a look of pronounced distaste. "What is that awful stench? It smells like you've rolled in wet dog fur."
"Not quite," Bella told her while mentally bracing herself to shield the others if Jane reacted badly to the news she had to impart. "While we were looking for our carrier, though, we did run into some members of the local Quileute tribe. They're... Some of them are...special..."
"More humans who share our gifts? Wonderful." Somehow, Jane managed to sound even more deadpan than usual as she said this.
"Yes, but their abilities involve shape-shifting. Into wolves, specifically. You could call them-"
"Werewolves."
"I was going to say wolf-shifters," Bella muttered, but Jane wasn't listening.
"You encountered a pack of werewolves? At least tell me you had the good sense to exterminate them."
"Uh, no. Once we explained what we were there for, we were actually able to work together - they were a big help in taking down the carrier-"
"They even brought one back with them," Elle said helpfully.
Jane's eyes widened, and although the rest of her face remained impassive, her anger showed clearly in their dark red depths. "You. Did. What?"
They were spared having to answer when Carlisle came downstairs with Edward, Emmett, and Jasper right behind him, while Alec, Demetri, and Rosalie appeared from different rooms on the ground floor. "What's all this about werewolves?"
"Those two-" Jane pointed accusingly at Bella and Peter "-claim to have met werewolves near Forks - members of some Native American tribe-"
"Ah yes, our Quileute neighbors. Certain members do indeed possess the ability to take the form of wolves, but they are quite different from the creatures Caius hunted for so many years. They are in control of their transformations, retain their rational minds in their animal form, and do not prey on humans. Their condition is hereditary, not spread through infectious bites," Carlisle explained. "When we first established our residence near their territory, we were able to negotiate a treaty which allowed us to live in...perhaps harmony would be too charitable a term, but to coexist without open hostilities."
"You negotiated with a species that's probably some kind of cousin to werewolves at best?" Demetri asked incredulously. "I'm starting to think the ones who were there when you stayed with the brothers were right - maybe you are touched in the head."
"It's possible."
"Don't treat this as a harmless eccentricity, Demetri," Jane snapped. "Any species related to werewolves are dangerous."
"Actually," Bella piped up, "I'm not sure werewolves are their closest relatives, or at least not their only ones. One of them told me that a lot of the current pack first manifested this ability during last year's solar eclipse, which was also when a bunch of other people like Peter accessed their powers for the first time. Couldn't that mean they have more in common with evolved humans?"
"A fascinating theory," Carlisle said, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "Of course, I'd have to run a few tests to confirm it..."
Far from being mollified, Jane's look of disgust only deepened. "And in the meantime, we have to live with one of these creatures?"
"No one's making you stay," Rosalie pointed out.
"She's correct," Carlisle agreed, "though if you do choose to remain here I expect you to treat all other guests in my home with a basic level of civility. That means no unprovoked attacks."
"You might also want to consider modifying your attitude toward anyone different from yourself," Edward advised her, not harshly. "I know change is difficult, particularly when you've lived so long among a rather insular group, but it seems substantial changes are on the horizon whether we like it or not. Not long ago, the idea of our kind dying of disease was unthinkable, but it's certainly happening now. Although I don't know what further changes may be coming, our survival could very well depend on our willingness to adapt - by making previously unthinkable alliances if necessary."
Jane looked like she wanted to continue the argument even though she didn't seem to have a rebuttal on the tip of her tongue, but before she could come up with one her brother walked over and laid a calming hand on her shoulder. "It's a fair point, sister," he said quietly. "Perhaps we should give it some thought."
She shrugged him off, then, in an obvious attempt to change the subject, told Carlisle, "I think the man in that room is about to die, if you want to look in on him."
The doctor's face fell, and he rushed past her with most of the others following him. The patient in question was a human who'd been infected through a bite, virus and venom entering his system in the same instant. Now his transformation was almost complete, but it was evident from the signs of decay all over his body that there would be no saving him.
"It didn't work," Carlisle murmured, the sight hitting him like a physical blow. "I had hoped an infusion of the most potent antivirals I could get my hands on coupled with untainted blood prior to completing the change... But it appears that was as ineffective as everything else I've tried. Utterly useless..."
Frozen by devastation, he couldn't even make himself go over to the cot and try to comfort the man he'd failed as he flailed weakly in his final agonies, each breath a tortured gasp; then Alec stepped around him and placed a hand on the man's forehead. His writhing stopped immediately, his breath evened out, and his face relaxed into an almost peaceful expression as his eyes fell closed. They never opened again, even when Emmett and Jasper dismembered their owner with professional efficiency.
When they took him outside, Bella saw that the lawn had a new addition - a fire pit which, judging by the amount of ash within and the faint heat she could feel emanating from the stones, had seen a great deal of use already. Esme joined them once they got the pyre going again, and although Leah chose not to make her presence known, they sensed her watching the proceedings from a safe distance.
If the ex-Volturi guards knew she was there, they kept quiet about it, even Jane. While they had seen plenty of vampires die (many of them at their hands), the man now burning in front of them wasn't guilty of any crime except being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was reassuring in a way to see that this seemed to matter to them, which was why, as the fire died down, Bella decided it was as good a time as any to risk setting them off again.
"There's something else you need to know," she said, addressing Carlisle but making no effort to prevent anyone else from hearing her; they would find out soon enough anyway. "We caught up with our carrier on the road that goes through the forest around Forks...and my dad drove right into the middle of everything. He saw me, so of course I had to explain how I'm still alive. He knows everything."
Her admission brought the expected ripple of unease, though everyone was still subdued enough that there were no angry outbursts. Eventually Demetri asked, "Do you really think that's wise? I know some people thought we were overly harsh in our enforcement of the law, but that doesn't mean there aren't good reasons to hide our existence from humans."
"He's right," Alec agreed, a shadow falling over his normally blank features. "Humans aren't very tolerant of those they deem too different, even among their own species."
"Does this have to do with what Demetri said about Aro saving you and your sister from being burned at the stake?" Peter questioned. "Because I like to think we've progressed a little since those days."
"Indeed," Jane said dryly. "Nowadays someone like you would more likely be hauled off to a laboratory and vivisected. That's what usually happens in the movies."
"I wouldn't have pegged you for a movie buff," Emmett commented.
"Life could get rather dull between missions," she replied with a slight shrug. "You can only stare at the same artwork so many times before you've uncovered every ounce of 'hidden meaning', so we watched a lot of television."
###
Leah retreated back to her room as soon as the fire went out and did not reappear at dinnertime, so after some discussion of how to handle the situation Peter was tasked with delivering her meal. Bella wished him luck but didn't accompany him farther than the foot of the stairs. Upon reaching the top, he found the second floor in near-total darkness, everyone else in the house possessing such good night vision that it apparently didn't occur to them to turn on the lights. With his hands full, he telekinetically flipped the switch, made his way to Leah's door, then let her plate hover in midair while he knocked.
A few seconds passed with no sound to indicate whether she was coming or not; then, just as he started to consider leaving her food outside the door, it swung open. She didn't say anything, just stared at him with her arms folded across her chest.
Refusing to be put off by her borderline-hostile expression, Peter said, "I brought you some dinner. Hope you like pot roast."
Her eyes finally showed a glimmer of interest as they flickered to the plate (though that could have been due to the fact that it was still floating in midair), and she reached out to take it, giving the contents an appreciative sniff. "Smells good. Did you make it?"
"No, you'd probably be throwing it out if I did. It was all Bella and Esme." Frowning at the grimace that flashed across her face, he added, "I've already had some, and I can personally guarantee they didn't spit in it."
This snarky promise made the corners of her mouth twitch ever so slightly. "If you say so." She started to push the door closed with her foot, only to stop when she realized he hadn't made a move to leave. "Is there something else?"
"I just wanted to ask if you're settling in okay. I can tell you're not very comfortable here."
"In a house full of bloodsuckers, some of whom clearly aren't 'vegetarians'? Yeah, I saw those red eyes earlier. Why on earth would that make me uncomfortable?" she scoffed.
"Demetri, Jane, and Alec aren't part of the family; they're just here to help manage things, same as you."
"I'm here to make sure it doesn't turn into some kind of horror-movie apocalypse," Leah corrected him, "and if that means killing every last leech in this place, don't think I won't do it. No matter how good their pot roast is."
"Why do you hate them so much?" Peter demanded with a frustrated sigh. "All of you - your friends tried to mind their manners around me, but in their heads, when they forgot I could hear them, it was all 'leech' this and 'bloodsucker' that."
"They're our natural enemy," she informed him with the air of someone reciting a rote lesson.
"Says who?"
"Our tribe's entire history."
"The definition of history is stuff that happened in the past. Has any vampire ever actually done anything to you, or anyone you know that's alive today?"
"You mean besides activating the wolf genes that ruined my life?"
"That wasn't them," Peter protested, his frown now one of puzzlement rather than annoyance. "Jacob told Bella it was the eclipse last year that triggered you, when there were no vamps around."
"Most of us," Leah agreed, "but not all. Some of us had their first change way before that." Sam's face flashed through her mind, accompanied by a strange, painful combination of longing and resentment. Remembering that he knew what she was thinking and feeling, she quickly pushed Sam's image out of her head and glared at Peter as if daring him to bring it up, which he wisely decided not to do.
Instead, he said, "I'm sorry you've had a rough time. Just don't let it make you bitter, okay? You may have a right to be, but you're better than that."
Her eyes narrowed as she tried to determine if he was patronizing her, but when she looked into his face, all she saw there was sincerity - which made him the first person outside of her immediate family who hadn't written her off as a spiteful bitch for daring to be unhappy that the man she loved was destined for someone else.
"Fine," she said grudgingly, "I guess I can try to look past what we've been taught about bl- ...Vampires, I mean, and judge them as individuals." She paused for a moment before adding, "I did notice that it seemed to matter to them when that guy died earlier...and I guess your vampire girl can't be a total idiot if she likes you."
Peter left her to eat her dinner in peace after that, knowing he wasn't going to overturn centuries of prejudice in one day but feeling that important progress had been made nonetheless. A family of vegetarian vampires, three former members of the Volturi guard, a wolf-shifter, and an evolved human all working together toward a common goal, even coexisting under one roof without trying to kill each other, seemed like a historic achievement.
His musings on inter-species cooperation were interrupted when a soft voice said, "That was really nice, what you said to Leah," and he looked up to find Bella at the top of the stairs, perched on the banister.
"I didn't know you were listening. I thought you were still down there or back at the guest house with everyone else."
"I wasn't listening - I mean, I overheard your conversation, but I wasn't trying to. I was just waiting for you. I wanted to see you."
This seemed like an odd thing to say, considering that she saw him all the time. "And you couldn't wait for me to come downstairs?"
She didn't answer right away, hopping off the banister and sidling up to him before saying, "Charlie will be here soon."
"I know. It'll be good for you to spend time with him."
She looked up into his face then, her expression almost irritated. "Yes, but that means less alone time for us." Moving closer, she very deliberately slipped her arms around his neck while gazing pointedly into his eyes. "Fewer opportunities to finish what we started before those pesky wolves butted in."
"I see. Well then, we should probably make the most of the time we've got." He briefly grasped her waist before sliding his hands lower, past her hips; then his grip tightened, pulling her feet off the floor.
She yelped in surprise and instinctively tightened her own hold, wrapping all her limbs around him like a sloth hanging onto a branch, but of course he was strong enough to support her weight easily. Her clinging didn't seem to bother him, though, so she made no effort to disentangle herself as he carried her down another hall to their new room.
It was a very nice room, and she understood why the others had decided the guest house was the best place to keep all the infected they were caring for together, but at that moment she really missed the privacy having a whole house to themselves afforded them. At least with her shield, she could ensure that not even a vampire's ears would be able to make out what went on inside.
"You think we'll need soundproofing?" Peter asked when he felt the subtle change in air pressure, raising an eyebrow at her.
"I don't know, but I don't want Emmett eavesdropping on us. I don't want him making fun of me if...if tonight's activities end up being less than raucous," she mumbled, burying her face in his neck to hide her embarrassment.
She heard him inhale sharply, and then he quickly crossed the room and put her down on the oversized bed, gently unwrapping her arms and legs and pulling back so he could see her face when he sat down beside her. She tried to resist, turning her head away, but when his hand cupped her cheek, thumb stroking her skin as he drew her gaze back to him, she found herself giving in without a fight.
"Hey, talk to me. If he's giving you a hard time, I want to know about it."
"He doesn't mean anything by it; you know Emmett and his sex jokes."
"It's not okay for him to make you uncomfortable, though," Peter insisted. "Whatever you do or don't want us to do together, it's none of his business."
"I want to do everything with you," Bella blurted out, and was immediately grateful that her tendency to blush at the slightest provocation was a thing of the past. "You know that, right? I love you, so of course I want us to...do all the things that entails. It's just that this is all new to me, and I've had to adjust to being super strong and I know I've kept you waiting a really long time-"
Peter cut off her babbling by pulling her into his arms, and she snuggled against him without the least hint of hesitation. "See, you're already doing great," he told her while rubbing her back soothingly. "You're not worried about us being this close anymore, are you?"
"No, this is good." In fact, when she recalled the thrilling sensation of his skin on hers, she decided she wanted to get a little closer. Slipping her right hand between them, she began unbuttoning his shirt while reaching for the hand on her back with her left and guiding his fingers underneath the hem of her sweater.
They soon picked up where they had left off in Forks, only this time, no wolves interrupted.
###
"Wow. Your friends sure don't make it easy to visit them, do they?"
Bella had gone alone to meet Charlie at the airport and driven him as far up the mountain as it was possible to go by car; the terrain eventually grew too steep for driving, however, forcing them to park the Jeep she had borrowed with the rest of the vehicles the Cullens were currently using and continue on foot.
"This is one of the places they go when they need to disappear for a while, so inaccessibility is kind of the point," she explained. "It also comes in handy when you have a bunch of vampires infected with a mysterious mutant virus that you need to keep away from people. I wish you'd let me take your bag."
"Nonsense," Charlie huffed. "I know you're stronger than Superman now, but I'm perfectly capable of carrying one bag a couple of miles. You did say it wasn't much farther than that, didn't you?"
Despite his protests, she noticed that his breathing got heavier as they ascended, and their conversation dwindled as the climb took up more of his energy. She was about to repeat her offer to relieve him of his luggage when Peter swooped out of the sky and landed directly in front of her, his expression instantly alerting her that something was seriously amiss.
"What is it? What's happened?" Her first thought was that Jane, Alec, Demetri, or all three had decided to make Charlie their next meal, though that seemed unlikely; after being stringently warned that they were expected to be on their best behavior when he arrived, they had raided Carlisle's medical supplies and drunk most of the blood he'd intended to use for transfusions. Having realized that this wouldn't stop the virus from spreading through a bite victim's body, the doctor hadn't had the heart to protest.
Peter's answer took her completely by surprise. "Mom just called - Claire's missing. She and Bennet think the Company took her."
Sure enough, the lull didn't last long, although I can tell you that the progress on bringing the different species together that occurred in this chapter will be important before the end so this wasn't all pointless filler...and of course I couldn't resist the chance to work in a little more fluff. What can I say, I'm a sucker for that stuff.
I know some of you might be surprised that Leah's become the most prominent wolf in this story instead of Jacob, but I feel like I've seen a lot of him in Twilight fanfic and I wanted to give some less-used characters a turn in the spotlight. I won't rule out him reappearing later, though.