Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has responded so kindly to this story so far. Thank you, too, to the FicSisters' International House of Fanfic for their lovely review. It was wonderful encouragement, and so nice to find so many new readers. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story I have to tell.
~ Beth
Bella sat behind the wheel of her car, her hands shaking too much to drive. Towering trees and heavy brush surrounded the vehicle. The sun had retreated.
I've got to get out of here, she thought, trying to will herself steady. Even as her heart pounded and brain screamed for her to flee, though, another part of her wanted to get back out of the car and follow after the strange wolf. Why?
Because he understood, she thought, and although it was ridiculous, it felt true.
When she was able to drive again, she headed into town. She didn't want to be alone at the house just yet. Instead, she found herself wandering the aisles of Forks' only grocery store, picking up items with little thought and putting them into her cart. Bananas, chicken breast, yogurt, cereal… She found herself by the wine, and picked out a bottle of red – for the dinner tonight. Was she still going to do that?
"What else am I going to do?" she muttered. She almost laughed at the absurdity of the day she was having.
Then she realized what she should do: stop by the police station. Or maybe call animal control? Who on earth is the appropriate point of contact regarding issues pertaining to ten foot wolves? She did laugh then. An elderly woman checking cartons of eggs for broken ones glanced over warily, as if Bella were a crazy person.
Which is what the police will think if I tell them what I saw, Bella thought, pushing her cart to the checkout.
She debated with herself on the drive back to Charlie's house. A large part of her wanted to say nothing. It really was unlikely anyone would believe her, and she had enough going on already, between the handling of Charlie's property and the wreck of her personal life. She didn't need another hassle right now.
The only problem with that plan was that the wolf had been roaming near David's monument. Bella couldn't just stop going there, and, although the wolf hadn't seemed interested in harming her this time, she wasn't brave enough to test her luck with it again. She would have to file a report. It just wasn't safe for an animal of that size to be living so close to populated areas.
Bella cursed as she pulled into Charlie's driveway. There was a familiar truck parked at the curb, and further up the driveway by the house, Billy Black and Sue Clearwater were waiting for her. Sue walked around and met Bella as she got out of the car.
"Hi, honey," the older woman said, embracing Bella.
"Hi, Sue," Bella said, managing a careful smile. She walked around to the back of the SUV and started unloading her groceries. "What's happening? It's nice to see you, but it's not a great time just now."
"I understand," Billy said, "and we're very sorry to intrude, but we needed to talk to you right away. About what you saw out by the reservation today."
Bella froze. "How would you know that?"
Billy sighed. "I can't explain that right now. But we do know."
Bella's mind raced.
"The – that thing – you know about it? Is it something you're all keeping out there?"
Billy shook his head. "Not now. I can't tell you now. We have to meet with the council first. Until that happens, though, we need you to not say a word to anyone about this."
"But, Billy, it isn't safe. I need to talk to the police. That wolf was huge! Someone could get killed."
Billy gave a sad smile. "He would never hurt you, Bella," he said.
She just stared at him.
"Just tell us that you'll wait," Sue said, putting a hand on Bella's arm. "Give us another day, and we'll explain everything. After that, if you still think you need to go to the police… We won't try to stop you."
Bella ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. "This is insane," she murmured, then nodded. "Okay, one day."
"Thank you," Billy said. "And in the meantime, you don't need to worry. No one will bother you."
Bella nodded. "Okay, uh, thanks," she said. The words felt bizarre. She wasn't sure anymore that any of this was actually happening. She watched Sue and Billy go back to the truck, get inside, and drive away.
Because there didn't seem to be anything else to do, Bella went inside and put away the groceries, taking a few minutes first to dust out the cupboards and wipe down the refrigerator. There was food now, at least. A little drop of normal in an ocean of the surreal. And now that her adrenaline had ebbed, she did feel hungry. She made herself a peanut butter sandwich and poured a glass of milk, then sat down at the kitchen table to eat. As she chewed, she ran her fingers over the scarred wooden surface, remembering countless hours spent there, eating meals, or doing homework while Charlie watched TV in the living room.
God, the house is so quiet now, Bella thought. How can one rather quiet man leave such a silence behind him?
When she was done eating, she washed her dishes and put them away and wiped the crumbs from the countertop and table.
She couldn't see herself sorting through Charlie's things just now; her head was still spinning from her encounter with the wolf, and with Sue and Billy's strange response to it.
There's nothing I can do about that right now, she thought, and headed upstairs.
After a few minutes contemplation, she decided to make her old bedroom a little more comfortable before she had to spend another night here. She went through the closets until she found where Sue had stowed the sheets and blankets and threw them into the washer to get rid of the stale smell they'd taken on. She pulled the towels out of the closet, too, and added them to the hamper for the next load.
I'm trying to make it feel like I'm not crashing in a dead person's house, she thought with a little shiver as she moved the sheets from the washer to the dryer.
While the linens were washing and drying, Bella found some clean cloths and went to work on the dust that had taken hold throughout the house. She started in her bedroom, wiping down the windowsills, moldings, door frame, and lighting fixture. She found a broom and swept the floor when she was done; Renée had taught her young that dusting without sweeping was basically making a mess and leaving it there. The buzzer went off on the last load in the dryer just as she was finishing. She looked around at the room, clean and bare. It gave her an odd feeling, almost as though it were looking back at her. Almost as though it were waiting.
She shook herself mentally and went to get the rest of the clean laundry. When her bed had been made with fresh linens and the towels had been refolded and replaced in the closet, she checked the time and realized she would have to leave soon if she were going to be on time for dinner with Jasper Hale.
She looked in the mirror and frowned. Her hair was a mess, and there was dust on her clothes.
She went to her suitcase and took out her hairbrush. She brushed her hair until it was under control, if not exactly styled. She rummaged through the clothes in her suitcase then, looking for something that would be suitable for dinner. She hadn't anticipated needing anything other than casual clothes when she'd packed, though. She settled on khaki pants and a dark blue sweater. She only had one pair of shoes with her, so sneakers would have to do. She didn't even consider makeup. She'd rarely worn it since David passed; "unimportant" didn't begin to describe how little such things mattered to her now.
She got into her car and punched the address the lawyer had given her into her GPS. The house was well outside of town limits, she saw, and in a sparsely populated area in the thick of the pine forest.
The sun had begun setting behind the clouds while she drove, and the light was soft and purple when she walked up the drive to the front door of the house. It was a huge, modern structure, with walls of glass and striking wooden pillars. Bella glanced down at her scuffed sneakers and worn khakis miserably and tried to remind herself that she was the client here. She didn't need to impress anyone.
She rang the bell, and a moment later, Esme Cullen opened the door. Bella stared at her in confusion.
"Mrs. Cullen? Um, I'm sorry, but I think I'm at the wrong house," Bella said, leaning back to try to read the address numbers beside the door.
"Not at all, Bella," Esme said, stepping back and motioning for her to come in. "Jasper said we could expect you around seven."
"Jasper Hale? My father's lawyer?"
"Yes, also our son."
Feeling completely off balance now, Bella allowed Esme to lead her into the house. Esme was radiant, perfect really, in a deep blue sheath dress and dark pumps. She wore red lipstick, perfectly applied. Not a hair was out of place. Bella tried to smooth her own messy hair down with her hands while Esme's back was turned to her.
"I remember your Jasper from school, but I didn't realize it was the same person. I mean, the name…"
"Yes, Hale was Jasper's last name before he came to live with us. When he graduated from law school, he chose to use it professionally. More than enough Cullen professionals in the area already, he thought." Esme smiled, leading Bella into a large living room decorated in the same tasteful modern style as the rest of the house. "Carlisle understood, but of course Jasper will always be a Cullen to us."
Bella nodded, then frowned. Esme noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing," Bella said. "I just remembered something I forgot to do." That something was grab the bottle of lousy shiraz she'd left on Charlie's kitchen counter before she'd gone out the door.
Oh well. It was probably for the best. Bella imagined the Cullens trying to politely drink the cheap local stuff, and felt a bit of relief at her lapse.
A moment later, Jasper came into the living room. She recognized the woman with him as Alice, whom she'd known a little from school. They'd both been in the school's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in their senior year. Alice had somehow convinced the drama teacher that a female would work in the role of Puck; her performance had dazzled the assembly. Bella had been Mustardseed the fairy, and had managed to not only screw up two of her five lines in the play, but to stumble over a piece of scenery during her last exit. That had been the last play Bella had gone out for.
Bella was certain that Alice wouldn't remember her, but Alice rushed forward and greeted Bella as though they'd been best friends.
"Bella! It's been forever!" She squealed, embracing her. Bella stood stiffly for a moment, then awkwardly hugged her back. "It's so nice to see you!"
My god she is strong, Bella thought.
"It's great to see you, too," Bella said when Alice finally let her go. "How have you been?"
"Really good!" Alice said, leading Bella over to a couch. Jasper, forgotten in the doorway, looked amused. "I launched this new fair trade fashion site last year, and that's been fun," Alice continued. "And you know I'm married now." She raised an eyebrow mischievously and inclined her head toward Jasper.
Bella did know; it had been quite the scandal, by Forks standards at least, some years back. Even though Alice and Jasper weren't related by blood and hadn't met until they were teenagers, the relationship had still seemed at least a little taboo to a lot of people. The talk had just escalated when Rosalie and Emmett followed suit a year later. Bella had been one of the gossipers, she remembered with some guilt. It seemed so stupid now, though, just another unimportant thing that she used to care about.
The end of the world certainly does correct one's worldview.
"I'm very happy for you," Bella said sincerely. "And for Emmett and Rosalie."
The couple in question came into the room just then. The widespread disapproval of their relationship had never seemed to bother the two of them. Not much had ever seemed to bother Rosalie, really, who had always seemed to drift on a level above such petty things.
"Hello, Bella," Emmett said. "How have you been?"
Bella started to answer, the standard polite words all on deck and ready to go, but Rosalie cut her off with a snort.
"How do you think she's been, Em? She lost her father and her son in the same year. She's alive and walking and talking, so I say she's been doing pretty damn well all things considered. It's all shit, though. Isn't it, Bella?"
Bella stared at her for a moment, her mouth literally hanging open in shock. She blinked, swallowed, and said, "Yes, it is. Pretty much all shit." And then she smiled, and meant it. "Thank you for saying so."
The moment of honesty felt like oxygen to her. And, somehow, Rosalie's boldness gave her the courage to say a little more.
"I want to believe that nothing else bad can happen, because it all already has, but I know better. There's always something else to lose. Somehow, there's always something else."
Alice reached over and squeezed her hand. "You're doing amazingly well, Bella. I'm honestly in awe of how strong you are."
"Gosh, you don't know that," Bella said, shaking her head. "I'm a mess most of the time, really. I mean, geez, it's taken me six months to even come out here and take care of Charlie's stuff, and that's only because the tax bills were coming due. I'd probably still be on my couch in Seattle wearing sweatpants and watching Law & Order reruns if the house weren't going to cost me more money that I can afford just by sitting empty."
"Well, I should be able to ease your mind about that at least," Jasper said. "I have all of the information here. The estate shouldn't be hard to settle; Charlie's finances weren't complicated."
"Thank god for small favors," Bella said.
"And thank god for dinner, which is about ready to be served." Carlisle leaned around the corner from the kitchen and gave her a little salute with a wooden mixing spoon.
"Is Edward not joining us?" Esme asked.
Edward, that was his name, Bella thought.
Alice made a face. "No, he had some things to take care of, or so he says."
It fit what little Bella remembered of him. She'd sat with him in one class on her first day of high school in Forks, and he hadn't said a word to her. When the bell had rung, he'd run from the room like she had leprosy or something. And he certainly hadn't stuck around to shake hands at Charlie's funeral. No, Edward didn't seem like a terribly social guy.
"Well, that's too bad; he's going to miss out on chicken curry," Carlisle said brightly.
"Great…" Rosalie said, sounding less than thrilled. Bella glanced around and saw that the other Cullen siblings also looked apprehensive.
"Is Carlisle, uh, not a good cook?" Bella asked in a low voice.
"Something like that," Emmett said. "Don't worry; I'm sure you'll like it."
Bella did like the food. It was a yellow curry, just a little spicy, with fluffy white rice and steamed vegetables. Her diet lately had mostly consisted of take-out, peanut butter sandwiches, and bowls of cereal, so the home-cooked meal tasted wonderful for her. The Cullens, though, mostly picked at their meals and pushed food around on their plates. Maybe they don't like Thai food, she mused.
She tried to help Esme with the dishes, but she shooed her away. "Go do business with Jasper," Esme said. "Carlisle and I have these."
After the table had been cleared, Jasper took out an accordion file, calculator, a legal pad, and some pens. He motioned for Bella to take a seat in the chair across from him. Alice gave him a quick kiss before heading toward the French doors that opened onto the backyard.
"You're so sexy when you're working I can't stand it," she said. "I'm going for a walk. I'll see you when you come up to bed." She threw him a wink and disappeared into the darkness outside.
Jasper cleared his throat; Bella felt her face flush.
"She'll, uh, probably wish she'd brought a coat. It's cold out there," she said.
"She'll be okay," Jasper said, shaking his head. He turned his attention to the sheaf of papers he was holding. "I'll start with the good news, Bella. Your father was in stable financial shape when he passed, so his estate won't be facing any great liabilities. He actually put a will in place back in December, after—" He paused and met her eyes.
"After David died," Bella finished for him.
"Yes," Jasper said. "Not long after the funeral, Charlie contacted Carlisle and asked him to recommend a lawyer. Not surprisingly, Carlisle sent him my way. When I sat down with Charlie, he said that he wanted to make sure that you and Jacob and any other children you may have would be taken care of, at least to some degree, when he was gone."
"I wonder if he knew what was going to happen," Bella said. "It seemed so sudden to all of us, but I wonder if somehow he knew." She remembered the Christmas card Charlie had sent her that year; its inscription had been uncharacteristically sentimental. She'd chalked it up at the time to David's recent passing.
"I don't know," Jasper said. "But he did do you a service by planning as he did."
He picked up the first document.
"Charlie left a bequest of five thousand dollars to the Forks' Police Benefit Fund. He left two thousand dollars to the World Wildlife Foundation, and two thousand dollars to the Sierra Club. He willed one antique guitar and one landscape oil painting by Solomon Brightleaf to Susan Clearwater. He willed his fishing and hunting gear and his woodcarving tools to William Black. The rest of his possessions are willed to you."
Bella smiled even as tears welled in her eyes. She'd wondered about him and Sue, but Charlie had always just told her to mind her own business whenever she'd brought it up. But he'd loved that guitar, and the painting had hung in their living room for as long as Bella could remember. She must have been right about the two of them.
Jasper shuffled the papers, moving to the next document. Bella saw it was the deed to the house.
"The mortgage on his home was paid off six years ago," Jasper continued. "There are taxes due on the place in the amount of..." He scanned another document. "…Twelve hundred forty-seven dollars."
Bella nodded, trying not to react. She didn't have twelve hundred forty-seven extra dollars right now. Before David had been born, when everything had started to go wrong, she'd gone down to a part-time, contingent status in her job at a Seattle publishing house. She'd been making ends meet with help from Jacob and with the payment from the sporadic checks she received for the copy editing work she did from home when she was able. Things had gotten bad, though. Her savings were all but gone, and it would be a pinch even to pay rent on the Seattle apartment this month. That's another thing no one tells you: grief is expensive.
"I assume you'll be selling the house and land?" he asked.
"Yes," Bella replied. "As soon as I get through his things."
"Of course," Jasper said. "Let me know if you need a referral to a real estate agent."
"I can let you know now," Bella said. "Yes, I will need that."
"Alright," Jasper said, and pulled a business card out of his folio. "Michelle Renfield. She'll do good work for you."
"Thanks," Bella said, tucking the card into her purse.
"Aside from the items mentioned previously, the contents of the house are yours to do with as you choose," Jasper said. Bella nodded, and he went on. "In addition to the house and land, Charlie had two vehicles registered to him. One of them still has a lien in the amount of seven thousand five hundred eight dollars and sixty-four cents. The finance company has delayed collection actions on this amount while the estate was being reviewed, at my request. You have the choice to either place the vehicle for sale and use a portion of the proceeds to pay the lien, or to assume the loan and retain ownership of the vehicle."
"Thank you," Bella said. "I don't need another car, though. I will be selling it."
"Alright," Jasper said, making a note. "If you like, I can get you started with selling it. Rosalie is good with cars; she can take a look at its condition so we know how to list it."
"Um, yeah," Bella said. "That would be great. I don't know anything about cars."
"Not a problem at all," Jasper said, making another note.
"Okay," he said, "Moving on to Charlie's other assets. He had a checking account at First National Bank. The ending balance was three thousand six hundred and twelve dollars and seventy cents. He had a savings account there as well. The balance was eleven thousand eight hundred and forty dollars."
Bella nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. That money would easily cover the taxes owed on the house, and would let her take care of the improvements that would be needed before she could list the place. But Jasper still had more to tell her.
"Charlie also had a retirement account with Great West Financial Corporation. The current value of the portfolio is three hundred fifteen thousand three hundred and twelve dollars."
Bella's shock showed on her face, but Jasper held up a hand and continued reading.
"In addition, Charlie had two life insurance policies, both of which name you as the sole beneficiary. The first was issued through the police department with a benefit of twenty-five thousand dollars. The second was a private insurance policy purchased through Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance Company with a benefit amount of two hundred fifty thousand dollars." He gathered the papers back together, tapping them smartly on the table to straighten the stack. "Charlie wasn't a wealthy man, but he has left you with some security, Bella. Once you pay the lien on the truck and the tax debt on the house, the value of his estate for you, in addition to the house and land, will total – before taxes of course – five hundred eighty-eight thousand nine dollars and six cents."
"Oh," Bella said. "Oh my goodness." She sat back in her chair. Esme appeared from nowhere and set a steaming cup of tea down in front of her. Bella reached for it and took a sip, her mind spinning.
"I've been in contact with the life insurance companies, and you can expect those checks to arrive within the next two weeks. If you expect to still be in Forks then, I can notify them to send them to Charlie's address here rather than your home in Seattle."
"Oh, yes," Bella said, trying to focus on what he was saying. "That would be fine."
He opened the folio and took out two slips of paper. Bella realized they were checks.
"I've notified Charlie's retirement service and local bank to close his accounts and issue the funds to his beneficiary, which of course is you. Here are those checks. I'll just need you to sign here that you received them." Bella leaned forward and took the pen he offered. She signed where he pointed with a shaking hand.
"This is a copy of the current bill for taxes owed on the house and land. You should send payment as soon as you're able so fees don't accrue." Bella nodded and took the paper from him, adding them to the stack in front of her. He stood up from the table. "I'll go get you a folder to keep all that together. Back in just a moment."
Bella sat back in the chair, sipping the tea while he was gone. It was good, black tea, sweetened with milk and sugar. The warmth and flavor soothed her even as her mind raced. She had hoped that Charlie's estate would at least cover its own expenses, and if she were very lucky, his funeral. She had never considered that her father, who had always lived very simply, had accumulated such a savings. This would change her situation a great deal. Bella's financial state had grown dire; it had been looking for a while now that her only option was going to be to move out to Phoenix soon and live with Renée, at least until she could get herself together well enough to get back to work full-time. Now, she wouldn't have to make that choice. Now, she would have more time.
Underneath the overwhelming relief, though, was a surprising surge of anger. If Charlie had known to prepare for his own passing, then why in god's name hadn't he just gone to a doctor and gotten checked out? As much as Bella appreciated his provision for her, she would have much rather had him here still.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Later, she told the tears that were pushing forward. Just a little later.
"Here you are," Jasper said, handing her a crisp red pocket folder. Bella took it from him and stood.
"I can't thank you enough for your help," Bella said. "And for having me over here tonight. I haven't had a good meal and nice company in way too long."
"Not at all," Jasper said. "Charlie was a good man, and a pleasant client to have, as such things go. And we all very much enjoyed your company tonight as well. We really will have to do it again soon."
He walked with her to the foyer and retrieved her coat for her. As she shrugged it on, she heard music coming from down the hallway. After a moment, she recognized the tune, and couldn't stop herself from walking toward the sound. Jasper didn't protest, but walked with her to the doorway of a cozy parlor. The room was decorated in dark wooden paneling and deep green- and garnet-colored upholstery. The central focus of the room was a grand piano, its dark wooden surface glossy. She recognized the man playing it as Edward, that last elusive Cullen. His dark, reddish hair fell across his forehead as he bent over the keys. Alice sat beside him on the piano bench; the other Cullens lounged around the room, listening.
"Edward is the family's musician," Jasper said, his eyes on his brother. "It's lovely, isn't it?"
Bella nodded, but couldn't speak. The tears she'd held back fell now, soundlessly, as the music surrounded her. The song was a slow, soulful rendition of "Moon River."
It had been Charlie's favorite.
After an instrumental verse, Alice began to sing the lyrics, her voice rich and sweet.
"Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
Oh dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way
Two drifters off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end
Waiting 'round the bend, my huckleberry friend
Moon river and me"
A few minutes later, Edward slowed the tempo, then brought the song to an end. As the last note rang in the otherwise silence of the room, he raised his head and met Bella's eyes. It wasn't a casual or polite glance; he stared at her with intent, but what intent she did not know. She found her eyes locked to his. Her heart pounded in her chest.
After a long moment, and with what seemed not inconsiderable effort, Edward looked away. He rose from the piano and strode from the room, exiting by a doorway on the side of the room opposite Bella and Jasper.
Bella, her face still wet with tears, stared after him, clutching her purse in her hands.