Chapter 10: Laurel Wreath

We all sit around a small round table in the middle of the kitchen. Bella, Jacob, Billy, Sue and I have cups of coffee or tea in our hands, casually taking sips in the awkward silence. Other than introducing me to Sue, who was the beautiful native woman who was helping Billy earlier, we haven't talked much when we arrived. Nothing else needed to be said. Every word is on the tips of the discomforting stares. I am sure that Billy wouldn't have me here at all, if it weren't for Jacob being here. So, instead, Billy watches me intently, making most of us uncomfortable.

"Dad," Jake breaks the silence and grabbing his father's attention, "I've imprinted."

The room grows heavy and suffocating. All of us, including myself, look over at Jake, who slowly crosses his arms against his chest. I catch Bella from my peripherals, looking between Jake and I, staring blankly. "You… Imprinted," her eyed turn to me, "to her?"

A frown tugs at the corner of my lips. It was a surprise to me too, but the way she asked makes me feel like she's never wanted this. Or at least, not having him imprint on me. Maybe she is jealous? Did she like the way Jake followed her like a puppy? Getting himself hurt. Does she truly care for his happiness?

"Ah, yeah." Jacob exclaims, his thick black brows furrowing together in confusion.

"Jake, she's not human." Billy says.

"And she's not a vampire-our enemy." He glances at Bella as he says this. "She may be different, but she never caused us any harm."

"She could have. That night she blasted herself and Jared right out of the house, singeing the hallway in the process." Billy threw his hand up and over to the hallway that leads to Jacob's and Billy's room. I glance over, having not noticed it before, but there were some black singe marks in a line down the hall that looks like they've been scrubbed at and slightly painted over. "We don't know what she is."

"What other creatures are out there?" Bella asks. "If vampires and werewolves exist, what else can be living among us? Especially a creature that can cause a light ability that can burn like hers does?"

"I know there are witches, but I never heard of a witch causing such damage in that manner of a way." Says Sue.

"Either way, until we know what she is, I am not exactly comfortable with her staying here." Billy declares.

"Dad!" Jake slams both his hands down onto the table, shaking a few cups. "You can't do that!"

"It's my house, yes I can. I am not restraining you two from seeing each other, but until we know an answer, I would feel comfortable with her staying elsewhere. Who knows, when she gets her memories back, she could be an enemy we don't know about." Billy frowns.

"You really think so?" I ask, frowning deeply.

I never thought I was here to destroy something or harm anyone. All I can remember was running away from something and jumping off the cliff. Why would someone who aims to hurt the tribe go and do something like that unless-unless I was being chased by wolves? I glance over at Jake, whose hands are curled into fists on the table, his eyes glaring darts at his father. No. If Sam and the group were chasing me, they would have mentioned it.

"I can see if you can stay with us," Bella announces. "Carlisle might be able to help us figure out what she is. Plus, he is a doctor and might know how to handle a patient with amnesia better. He might help her jog back some of her memories."

"Stay with the leeches?" Jacob hisses.

"I'd rather stay with vampires than live on the streets again, Jake." I gently pat his left hand that uncurls from his fist and tenderly wrap his fingers around mine. Heat runs along my hand and arms and fills my body.

"This is for her own good. You can visit any time, even stay the night if you want. But in order to help clear all this up, it might be best if she stays with people who can help." Bella says while eyeing our hands on the table.

"I don't know about sleeping over." Billy mutters. "I still don't like vampires either."

"It'd be fine, dad." Jake says, "As long as I am there to keep an eye on things."

Jake comes with us when we head back to the Cullen's, filling the car with an uncomfortable aura. He's still not okay on me staying with the Cullen's, but he's dealing with it the best he can. When we arrived and explained the situation to the family, everyone was okay with me staying there except for Rosalie. She isn't too keen on Jake being around, either. She storms off to her bedroom with Emmett close behind her heels, trying to calm her down.

"Let's go to my study." Carlisle suggests. Jake and I follow him up the stairs to his office or study. The walls are covered in either bookshelves with books filling them or beautiful artworks. A desk with a lab top sits in the back of the room by the large floor to ceiling windows; a black couch lies against the wall next to the door. The windows face the side of the house, featuring the beautiful and numerous gigantic trees.

"Most times, to get someone's memory back from amnesia simply takes patience and time. When was the last time you had a memory come back to you?" He asks, rounding the desk and coming to sit in the wheeled chair behind the desk. He gestures for us to sit down on the black couch and we do. The black material squeaks as we sit on the leather.

"Last night while we were driving here."

"Can you tell me what the memory was about?" Carlisle asks. He types away at his computer while he listens to me explain.

"A man who I believe is my father was teaching me how to use a bow. My mother interrupted us after I made a bad shot and told me that my father wasn't like her and I."

"A bow? Like a hunting bow?"

"No, just a regular-looking bow fit for a kid."

"Interesting."

"How is that interesting?" Jake asks. He leans forward in his spot, his arms resting on his knees with both hands intertwined with one another in front of him.

"The interesting part is that if we get a bow, similar to the one she used, she may remember more of that particular memory or ones similar to it. It is key things like this that can help unlock more of her memory." Carlisle smiles.

It makes sense. The first memory I got was when I looked in the mirror and had a vision of my mother. It was when I looked into my eyes that I saw hers, pleading for me to run away. If I get my hands on a bow similar to the one I used, I might find out more about my father.

It would be a couple of days before we got our hands on a bow, similar to what mine from my memory looked like. We'd look for bows at a range of different stores in town. Luckily Forks is a good hunting spot so there weren't lack of sporting stores. When we weren't looking around, we were watching television or sleeping on couches at the house. Jacob was always around like he promised. Part of me feels bad that he's forced into having some sort of emotion for me, whether you'd call it love or infatuation. But the other part of me is selfish and greedy. This handsome young man has feelings for me that no other can gain. He'll always be mine if I choose. His love won't change no matter who I am- if I am an enemy or an ally. And though it's selfish of me, it makes me feel secure and happy. I'll always have someone in my corner. Regardless, that someone may not have a choice.

The imprinting didn't come without discomfort, though. Often I'd find Bella staring at the two of us even when we weren't being affectionate, which didn't happen often since we were still new to this. She'd watch Jacob occasionally with softened eyes, like she was longing for something she could have had, but it'd quickly change back to normal when she caught herself. I think at one point or another; she thought about having a relationship with Jacob, but ultimately, her love for Edward was stronger.

After the couple of days, when we found a bow, it was a simple wooden stick with a string attached, the size for a child no less. It looked like we could have made it ourselves if we put time into it. Once back at the Cullen's; Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jacob and I went to the back of the house to see if anything would come to my memory if I toyed around with the bow. Emmett grins; his sole purpose for coming is watch a young woman play with a child's bow, probably finding it amusing. Jacob remains at my side, never really leaving it whenever we are at the Cullen's. I think his mistrust of the vampires is still on his mind.

"Let's try to relive the memory." Carlisle walks so fast to a tree off in the distance that he's a blur for me. He pins a paper target to the tree and blurs back to us. "Now do what you did in the memory."

Taking a deep breath, I take the bow and the single arrow we bought, string the arrow, and pull it back. The string isn't as strong as I remember. Obviously, because I am much taller and stronger now than my childhood self. The longer I hold the arrow in place, the blurrier my vision gets until something flashes in my mind:

He stands tall and strong, wearing a gold chest plate covering his chest and back that is shaped to his body. And a gold helmet that covers most his head with a 'T' shape center to show off his celestial blue eyes, nose, and mouth. On his back is a gold round shield with a laurel wreath encircling it. He holds a bow in his right hand and an arrow in his left. Behind him, I stand with my mother, her eyes open wide in fear while she cradles me to her side. We're out in the forest somewhere, nowhere I recognize. And something is coming.

A tall, long hair blonde male, pale as a vampire, with brilliant red eyes approaches us slowly from up ahead, a wide grin shows off his perfectly white teeth. He's wearing a heavy black cloak underneath a pair of black pants and a black shirt.

"Ah, ah, ah, Non ego operor illud [I wouldn't do that.]" The vampire warns, in a thick ancient accent.

But the young man doesn't listen. He brings up his bow and strings the arrow. "Solum relinquatis mea. [Leave my family alone.]"

"Daddy," I cry out, tugging away from my mother's grasping arms. She pulls me back into her side and runs her hands down my hair.

"Don't worry, your father never misses," she hisses out towards the vampire.

But this only makes the vampire smile more gleefully. "Quod youll 'animadverto nobis. [We'll see about that.]"

My father releases the arrow aimed directly for the vampire, but in a millisecond, the vampire disappears altogether, reappearing behind my father. Before he can make any sudden move, he tears the helmet off my father's head, takes a grip of his curly blonde hair, pulls his head back and with a blade that springs out from underneath his cloak, he cuts my father's head clean off. His heavy body collides with the ground, the metal breast plate tinning when it lands on a few rocks. Blood doesn't squirt out from the exit wound but it looks like his neck and head was made of marble.

My mother screams hysterically, and the vampire slowly turns his head towards us with a very wicked grin.

"Quis fiducia? [Whose next?]"

I'm ripped out of the memory by my own scream. My legs give out from beneath me and I collide onto my knees, all while tears soak my cheeks. The arrow is no longer in my hand, but instead, perfectly shot in the center of the target, yards away.

Jacob immediately springs into action, wrapping his arms around me protectively and allowing me to wail into his shoulder, as the memory is still so fresh in my mind. Carlisle makes it to me next, placing a hand on my shoulder as he looks over me for any sign of injury.

"He killed him!" I shout, "He killed my father!"

"Who? Who killed your father?" Carlisle asks.

"A vampire!"

It took several minutes to get me to stand back up, and even longer to move into the house where everyone else was waiting, wondering what could have put me in this shape. Carlisle backed them off while Jacob moves me to the living room and onto a black clothed couch. I would have preferred the solitary of a room with a door but most of the rooms are taken up by their owners. I don't think Jacob thought about the study. He sits down next to me, our hips touching while his arm wraps around my waist to continue to comfort me. Esme left to go get me a drink, so it is only Carlisle, Jacob and I in the living room. No one else dares to come down for this part of the process.

Carlisle comes to sit in front of us on the glass table. It doesn't make a sound under his weight.

"Whenever you'd like to start, I will be here to listen." Carlisle says.

I didn't need a minute. I wanted it all out of my mind, so I spoke as clearly as I could through the tears that are falling.

"I could understand them when they were talking in a foreign language. I knew what they were saying."

"Do you know the language?"

"Not off the top of my head, just that I understood it. The last thing the vampire said was 'Quis fiducia?'"

"Sounds latin," Carlisle rubs his pointer finger and thumb along his chin. "Anything else?"

"M-my father," I try to speak, clearing my throat before continuing. "He wore a gold chest plate that doesn't look like this era. There was a laurel wreath on his shield, and he was using a bow and when he died, he didn't spill blood but cracked like marble." I say, reliving the memory brings out even more tears. I can feel Jacob's arm tightening around me, pulling me close to his side.

Esme comes out with a tray with two glasses of water on top. She leans down and hands me one and the other to Jacob. I take a slow sip, trying not to choke on the liquid as I swallow. Jacob simply nods to her in thanks, but places the water down on a side table next to the couch.

"What could all this mean?" Jacob asks.

"That if her father was different, he was different significantly. Meaning, he's definite not human." Carlisle stands up, "I'll have to do some research."

Carlisle walks over to Esme, kisses her on the temple and then walks up the stairs towards his office, but before he disappears, I call out to him and he pauses.

"My mother said that he never misses when he uses a bow. But he did. He missed. The vampire was too fast for him."

"A laurel wreath, marble, bow, shield and never misses. I think we got something to go off of." Carlisle says, half smiling.

Jacob and I sleep on separate couches in the living room with the lights out but the fireplace still burning. It's comfortably warm in here, much better than outside where the fall weather is taking over. He snores softly in his sleep, telling me that he clearly is knocked out. I lie looking up at the wooden ceiling, my mind forcing me to relive the memory over and over again. Just now I have no more tears to shed.

Grumbling, I roll over onto my side and watch Jacob. He sleeps on his back, his chest rising and falling slowly to his relaxed breathing. The fire of the fireplace darkens his skin to a beautiful, rustic copper. For someone who hates vampires so much, he sleeps so easily in their house. I am surprised he's even here with how fervent his father was about him not staying here overnight. He's probably doing it against his dad's wishes.

Slowly, I climb off the couch and make my way across the room to where he sleeps. I kneel down next to him. My eyes trail over the shape of his lips, reminding me that he hasn't been smiling as much as he used too-before he phased, that I know about. He must have been in so much pain when I was gone, pining after Bella the way he had. It must have hurt him when she went back to his mortal enemy, a vampire, instead of him. Someone who was there for her when she was at her most low.

I run my fingers along his neck, feeling the heat rising from his skin. It's a comforting warmth to me, but still reminds me of the night at the theater. He's the same feverish temperature as he was back then, but no longer in agony. Dropping my hand down onto the couch, I rest my head on top of it and watch him sleep with a weak smile on my face.

Before I know it, my eyes close without my control and I find myself slipping into a light sleep.