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Into the Woods
By: Everleigh Allen
Chapter 45
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Charlie Swan sat at his desk and looked at the file in front of him. With a deep breath he opened it and took out the newly signed death certificate of Jacob Black.
He was not looking forward to giving his friend the certificate, but the coroner had finally agreed that some of the boy's remains were found in a fire within the forest among several other unknown pieces of debris.
His death was listed as undetermined.
Charlie frowned as he closed the file and grabbed his jacket from the hook. He walked through his office door, closed and locked it before bidding the night secretary goodbye. He then took out his phone from his pocket, texted Bella he was going to be late, and called the Clearwater's to assist with the news. Maybe they would give the old man some comfort that Charlie was no longer welcome to give.
It was going to be a long drive to La Push with some very unwanted news.
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"You know, you could have said you were with Edward," Jessica sneered. "You didn't need to be all drama and mount him."
"What would have been the fun in that?" Bella scoffed.
"It's like, really mean," Jessica hissed.
"Mean." Bella scoffed as she shook her head. "Walking to my boyfriend and sitting with him was… mean."
Lauren huffed as Jessica just glared at Bella. "You don't even get it. You knew how Jess felt about him. She told you."
"She said she wanted him, but yeah, no. That's not going to happen." Bella sighed. She was so done with the conversation, especially after everything that they had been through together over the summer. She thought it was best to make sure everyone was on the same page when it came to her and Edward. "Edward's mine and he's been mine, he'll stay mine and all that dramatic shit that you all crave." Bella grabbed her keys and rolled her eyes as Jessica and Lauren huffed and puffed next to her, no doubt trying think of something to say.
"But you just moved here!" Jessica finally whined. "There's no way he could truly like you so fast!"
"I mean, how is that even possible when he's all- and she's totally… ugh, vile." Lauren glared at Bella as Bella got into her car.
"Clever." Bella snorted. "But since you can't piece it together… we obviously, we've met before today and have been together for a while to be as close and comfortable as we are. There is no single Cullen, any longer. End of conversation."
"Hello love, and girls," Edward said as he walked up to the passenger side of the door and then stopped and looked at the two vapid girls before them.
"I don't merely like Bella," Edward grinned. "I adore Bella. She's like a drug to me. I need her. I want her. She's mine. She's going to stay mine forever and I will never, ever willingly part from her." Edward droned on dramatically as he winked at the two girls.
"Wow," Jessica breathed. "So romantic."
"Oh, so smothering," Bella laughed as Edward smirked at her after he opened his door and got in.
"At least someone thinks I'm romantic."
They shut the door and Bella put the car in reverse, pulling out of the parking spot. "I prefer actions… and sex. Lots of hot sex would be hugely romantic right now."
Edward chuckled. "There's nothing I would want more."
"Your house then?" Bella grinned as Edward nodded, already starting to disrobe.
"How do you feel about road head?" Edward eyed her with his cocky little smirk.
"Oh, see? Now that's romantic." Bella rolled her eyes.
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"You look so beautiful." Charlie sighed. He grabbed Bella's hand and gave it a slight squeeze and then let it drop to her side.
They were standing in the kitchen, about to leave for the school, but grabbing a bite to eat before the long afternoon ahead. Charlie had been pulling long day shifts for the past week so he could have Bella's graduation day off.
"No one looks beautiful in their graduation gowns, Dad." Bella smirked as she added turkey onto the bread, then cheese and lettuce before placing the other side of buttered bread.
"Well," he huffed, "You managed it, anyway." Charlie huffed, his dark eyes twinkling.
"Thank you," Bella whispered, taking the rarely given compliment as she handed him his sandwich.
Charlie thanked her and grabbed up his jacket before handing Bella hers. Bella took it as Charlie grabbed his keys.
Before she could make it out the door her father stopped and turned toward her, eyes misting. "I wish your mother was here to see all this."
Bella saw the darkness that lined his eyes. "Still no word from her?" She whispered before she took a bite of her sandwich, her throat tight and constrictive. She watched him shake his head.
She swallowed her bite as her eyes lit up. "Well, if it makes you feel better, the last I heard she was in Italy." Bella smirked as his eyes darted to meet hers. "There's a YouTube video of her and a fountain at night. There was dancing."
"No!" He chuckled. "Guess Demetri has his hands full, then?"
Bella nodded, "I feel for the man and the ones we're not supposed to know about…"
"The vultures?"
"The Volturi." Bella snickered. "But that's quite fitting. But yes, them…"
Charlie always called them vultures since some of them, in their creeptacular glory; sometimes hovered around Forks after Jane had been killed. Some come to spy on the Cullen's but others to try to test the waters of freedom. One or two came to make sure the witch was really dead. One, Heidi, tried to use her powers of persuasion to convince several of the Cullen's to move to Italy, which they respectively declined.
Bella was able to thwart any such vampire powers, merely by everyone holding hands.
Power sharing with the shield, Emmett called it.
"Anyway," Bella continued, "a few of them sought out Demetri and demanded him to come back to Italy or threatened death which is laughable since Felix is in Alaska and Jane is destroyed but Demetri humored them. So, he took Renee to Italy."
"Oh, no."
"Oh, yes. The first thing she did was strip down to nothing and dance in their fountain."
Charlie shuddered.
"Once they finally got her into the tunnels and away from the townspeople, she finally met the three Volturi… er, Kings, I guess they would be. Aro was intrigued by her beauty and flamboyant personality, but one grab of Aro's hand and he was crying like a baby."
"What? Why?"
"Because she's Renee and bat-shit crazy, and apparently she makes people crazy… but I guess in his case, crazier. I'm unsure about the extent of her gifts, but apparently, they affected Aro's when they touched. She pushed pictures or thoughts into his head or so I've heard."
"I'm not surprised," Charlie laughed. "So?"
"So, Renata, Aro's shield came to help him, but the damage was done. Marcus, can tell connections and read that their union and mating was solid. Heidi tried and failed to tamper with their bond, but without the aid of Jane, who could induce pain with her mind, they were impotent to making them stay as guardsmen. Renee, naked and happily standing there in her new, perfect, vampire body was also very distracting towards the other guards and witnesses. So, they sent them on their way; damage control, probably, since they were escorted from Italy and sent on a flight to Amsterdam."
"Oh, no!" Charlie chuckled, imagining his ex-wife in Amsterdam.
"Yeah, that's a whole other story. Anyway, Demetri is free from the Volturi for eternity. They're happy. Renee is having a blast being the free spirit she is and apparently likes to run off."
"Old habits die hard."
"Yeah, but Demetri is a tracker and likes the thrill of the chase… so they make it work." Bella shrugged, taking another bite or her sandwich, contemplating the enigma that was her mother.
"I'm glad she's finally happy." Charlie sighed with a slight frown. He knew they were too different to work out and Bella was the best part of their union, but it still hurt a little to see someone you loved move on and never look back- and also know they would never come back. Not that he really wanted her to come back, but still.
"You are too," Bella smiled softly as she nudged her father. "You're happier now, too."
Charlie huffed, ignoring his daughter's comments. They sat in his car and ate quietly before Charlie started the car and drove to the school.
"Even though she isn't here, can't be here; just know that I'm sure she wants to be. It's one of the proudest moments a parent can have."
"I know," Bella smiled, tears lining her eyes.
"Let's go get you graduated."
"You'll have all kinds of proud moments, Dad."
Charlie's mustache twitched, "Until you're changed into one of them."
"You'll still have moments, then, too. So just... stop, okay. You're going to make me cry and I don't do the whole crying thing."
Charlie nodded and turned his head out the window, seeing the little wisps of light fluttering around outside.
"You'll have an audience, it seems." He huffed and Bella just squealed happily.
Alice was rubbing off on her.
"They are very brave little souls." Bella laughed. "Probably making themselves look like lightning bugs, just so they can be here for me."
"I've never seen lightning bugs in Washington."
"People are so self-involved; I doubt they'd notice… anyway, we should get going. I know Edward, Alice, and Jasper are already here."
"I always welcome a visit from Alice." Charlie smirked.
"If you were only 40 to 80 years younger, you might have had a chance. Oh, and no Jasper. He's a protective one, so don't bother."
"Stop it, Bella," He chuckled, shaking his head as his eyes shined full of mirth.
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A/N: Only a couple more… thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts!