(Hello there! Sorry as always for the ridiculously long wait, but here you go! The continuing adventures of Dani Swan hehe. I feel like I rushed some parts of the story here, but I still think it turned out fine. I hope you like the chapter! I own nothing but my OC.)

...

"And in other news, the continuous string of attacks that has ravaged the state of Washington seems to be drawing uncomfortably closer towards our very own Forks. Authorities urge everyone to practice extreme caution and to avoid staying out late into the night for their own safety until these killers whoever they are, are caught. So far three victims have been identified..."

"Honey? Oh my goodness! I cannot believe this! Are you okay? Your Father called and told-!"

"Mom! Mom! Chill! I'm doing okay. I'm just...a bit shaken and bruised that's all. Dad and Dr. Cullen thought it might be best for me to take the day off today to recover though so, Bella and my friends are getting my homework for me." Danielle tried to calm her Mother down, reaching to turn the TV down as she picked up the phone.

She heard a familiar relieved sigh and lightly shook her head at how hysterical her Mom could be sometimes. How did Phil keep up with her sometimes?

"Oh that's good. What else did the Doctor say, Danielle? Did you hurt your shoulder again? Oh God, it's like Bella's clumsiness is moving on to you. This is crazy!"

This time Dani had to laugh. "I know. I'm really okay though, Mom. I stopped wearing my shoulder sling a few days ago and...last night was pretty scary...but I'll be okay. Really." Biting down on her lip, Dani pulled her cellphone back from her ear when it vibrated to alert her of an incoming text.

Paul L.

Hey. Are you doing anything later today?

"Well if you say so. Hey! So Bella is being evasive about this boy she met. Do you know anything about it? What is he? Indie? Jock? Braniac?"

Dani smothered a laugh, shaking her head at her Mom's sudden shift in subject. Sometimes her Mom acted more like a teenaged girl than the Mother of two of teens. "Well he's...definitely smart. All of the Cullen kids are really. Bella seems...pretty into him I guess." She shrugged, deftly moving to put her Mom on speaker before going to answer Paul's text.

Dani Swan

Nothing much. You?

"You guess? Come on! Don't you girls talk all about it together?" Dani sighed. "Not really. I mean...we're not really the boy talk type."

Paul L.

Oh okay. I don't got much going on. Just you know. Work.

"Oh I see. Well you know, maybe you ought to come stay with me and Phil in Jacksonville for a bit. Maybe in the summer? Broaden your prospects a bit. The world is a lot bigger than Forks, you know?" Renee wheedled and Dani chuckled, rolling her eyes a bit.

"I know, Mom. Thanks. Maybe Bella and I can come visit together this summer?" She suggested.

Paul L.

Wait. Are you playing hooky today? Doesn't seem like something you'd do, Swan.

Dani suppressed a snort and began to text back while her Mom expressed delight over her idea.

Dani Swan

Hooky is not my thing, Lahote. It's kind of a long story to be honest and I'm not sure you have the time for it.

Paul L.

I got time.

Dani Swan

I thought you said you were working. :P

Paul L.

:P All right, fine. Change the subject. Are you doing anything later today?

Dani Swan

Hmm. Not really. Just homework, whenever my sister brings it to me.

Paul L.

I see. Well, how about Friday? There's this tribal bonfire then at the Rez. Could be fun.

Danielle hesitated.

Umm, you mean at night?

An involuntary shiver raced down her spine, followed by an anxious twist of her stomach as the thought of being out at night unwittingly brought up images of the pale faced man who attacked her.

Paul L.

Well, that is the best time for a fire. Don't worry, it's not going to be too crazy. Just some cooked out hotdogs, some old stories and maybe some soccer or football afterward. What do you think? Want to come?

Still Dani hesitated.

"Sweetie? Did you hear me?" Dani jumped. "Huh?" Renee chuckled.

"I asked if you and Bella would be able to visit in June? We could all go watch Phil play sometime and hang out on the beach on the side." She suggested.

Feeling her cheeks flush, Dani pushed herself up from the couch and headed up the stairs to check the calendar in her room.

"Ummm...well the last day of school is-Ahh!" Dani yelped when her foot slid on a sheet of paper that had been left on the floor then caught herself on her desk before she could fall.

As her hand closed around the mouse, the computer screen flickered on and Dani froze when she saw the images that appeared.

It was the same Vampire website that Bella had been browsing earlier, but something about the images and the words on screen caught her attention.

Cold Ones?...Dani felt her mouth go dry as she scrolled down the screen, scanning over the article until her eyes fell on the slightly horrifying image included with it.

Unnaturally pale skin...blinding fast movements...ice cold to the touch...red eyes...drained of blood...

"Honey? Are you okay?" The sound of her Mother's voice jolted Danielle back to the present, though she couldn't reply right away due to how quickly her heart was beating.

"Uhh...Y-yeah, I'm okay. J-just slipped." Quickly she closed the browser and shut down the computer. "Ca-can I call you back, Mom? I can't find my calendar." She stammered.

Oh sure. Are you sure you're okay? You sound like you're trembling."

"Yeah...it's just the rush."

Hanging the phone, Dani flopped back against the chair and willed herself to get a grip. Get a hold of yourself! Vampires? Really?...

...

"So...Jessica and Angela both asked about you today. They're both wanting you to go to Prom still...with Paul." Bella commented, a slight smirk on her lips as she tried to feign focus on her Calculus homework though she didn't miss the slightly narrow-eyed look her sister gave her.

"You know? I might just go now, just to get them to stop badgering me. I don't know if Paul would be interested though." Dani shrugged, lightly wetting her lips as she looked over her French homework.

Bella arched an eyebrow at her. "Why not? He seems to like...really like you. He's been texting you a lot today." She murmured, glancing down at where Dani's phone had lit up with another message and Dani snatched the phone to hide it on her lap.

"Yeah and what about Edward? He spends an awful lot of time skulking around and staring at you, doesn't he? I'm surprised he isn't here right now." She retorted with a half smirk, glancing up at her twin as she shook her head, blushing before readjusting her sitting position.

"Okay he doesn't stare...that much." Bella responded a bit clumsily, flipping the page in her textbook. "And he's not here now because he's picking me up later. You know that." She said a bit annoyed.

Dani shot her an incredulous look. "Uh huh, sure." Chuckling softly, set aside her French workbook and reached for her Trig book.

"Hey Girls, how's the homework coming? Dani, you all right?" Charlie asked as he strolled into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

Dani nodded, tapping her pencil lightly against her chin as she studied the first problem in her text.

"Fine."

"Yeah we're fine." Bella echoed, carelessly twirling a piece of her hair around a finger.

Their Dad nodded in satisfaction, cracking open a can of beer. "Good. Good. Just a heads up... Jacob is stopping by tonight. I've been asking for updates from the Reservation Watch Group ever since you got attacked so..." He looked over at his daughters just in time to see Dani bite down on her cheek and drop her gaze.

Bella glanced worriedly at her sister. "Have there been any more leads?" She asked. Charlie shook his head. "No more than before. Just some tracks that went cold. It's just gotten too real though, knowing they've been this close in town."

Sighing, he pushed the fridge door shut and started back for the living room. "Hey I need you girls to promise me something." He paused at the door and looked pointedly at his daughters. They met his gaze.

"I need you to promise...not to stay out too late anymore. Especially not alone. Until this guy is caught...Understood?"

Bella and Dani nodded almost in unison. "We understand, Dad." "Yeah, trust me I'm not looking for an excuse to be out late." Dani joked weakly, before reaching for her glass of iced tea.

Charlie nodded back. "Good. All right, Bella make sure you finish all your homework before Edward gets here." Taking another gulp of his drink he strolled out of the kitchen presumably to continue watching the game that was playing on the TV.

Bella nodded. "Yeah Dad."

Dani waited until she was sure their Dad wasn't coming back to the kitchen again, then she glanced over at Bella.

"So...I wanted to ask...I saw something...weird on the computer today." Bella froze with her pencil half writing out a number in her notebook.

"Were you...looking up vampires again because of the attack?" Dani asked hesitantly, avoiding looking her sister's direction as she tried to work out the next exercise in the assignment.

Color rushed into Bella's cheeks again and Dani heard her nervously tap her foot on the floor. "Uhhh...yeah. It was just a crazy theory though." She attempted to brush it off.

Dani slowly nodded. "Yeah I guess..." Sighing she bent back over her homework. "Does seem to match though, doesn't it? Pale icy skin, red eyes...Unless of course I just imagined it in my terror." She muttered.

Bella turned to meet her gaze and as Dani looked back at her, she suddenly laughed. Bella laughed along with her, albeit a bit nervously.

Both girls turned simulataneously towards the living room when they heard a knock on the front door.

"Ah! Jacob, come on in. Is your Dad here?" They heard their Dad greet the new arrival.

"Uh, no actually. He stayed at home. I did bring him though. Paul's a part of the Watch Group and he wanted to deliver some of the updates personally given the circumstances." Jacob responded casually as he and his companion entered through the front door.

"Ah yeah, come on in. Thanks for coming down. You understand how this suddenly got much more personal for me with what happened with Danielle." Charlie responded and the girls exchanged another look before attempting to continue with the remainder of their homework.

"Yes Sir. It's not a problem." Paul responded somewhat tensely as Charlie shut the door behind them.

"Right, well would you two like anything to drink before we get started? I think we got some lemonade or...root beer in the fridge." Dani heard the tell-tale sound of her Dad walking back across the house as the boys mumbled their thanks.

Just as Charlie was about to open the refrigerator again there was another knock. Bella jumped up from her seat, slamming her Calculus book closed as their Dad hurried to answer the door.

"Ah Edward! Come on in! Bella, did you finish your homework?"

"Yeah Dad!...I'm coming!" Bella called back, almost jogging out of the kitchen and narrowly avoiding a collision with the kitchen counter on her way.

Dani started to smirk, bowing her head to try and stifle her giggles when she heard another pair of footsteps enter the kitchen.

"Hey." Dani looked up to see Paul making his way across the room to the table where she was sat.

A smile found its way to her face as she vaguely heard the sounds of Bella and Edward talking to her Dad.

"Hi." Her smile faltered a bit when she realized Paul was looking at her neck and she hastily tried to pull her hair around to cover the bruises.

"He...your Dad said you were attacked...and that it's likely whoever it was is connected to the other attacks around Washington." Biting her lip, Dani stiffly nodded.

"Yeah...It's all over the news." She tried to focus on the equation she was working on in her homework. Paul sighed and pulled out the chair across from her to sit.

Dani flinched in surprise when he lightly touched her wrist and looked up to see genuine concern in his eyes.

"You weren't...hurt badly were you?" His gaze flitted down to the side of her neck again. Dani shook her head. "Just a few bruises...and some anxiety." She added casaully, lightly tapping her pencil against her notebook as the warmth of Paul's hand seeped through the back of her hand.

She froze again when she felt Paul gently hold her hand, his grip so light it almost seemed like he was hesitant.

"I'm sorry. I was going to tell your Dad first, but...just know that we've expanded our patrol ever since Chief Swan told us about what happened to you. These guys...Sam's pretty sure they're much more dangerous than we originally thought. We'll do whatever we can to help catch this guy and make sure he's off the streets for good." He promised, not removing his hand.

Dani managed a weak yet grateful smile at that. "Thanks." Paul smiled back then pulled his hand away so he could scoot his chair back a bit.

"No problem. So...what are you working on? Looks boring." He smirked, suddenly sounding lighter and Dani gave him a playfully fatigued look.

"It is. Math is the bane of my existence, I swear." She muttered, making Paul chuckle. He scooted in his chair a bit.

"Oh yeah? Do you want some help?" Dani gave him a questioning look. "I didn't peg you for a Math guy."

"Oh I'm not, but you know what they say about two heads." Paul joked, pointing at his forehead. Dani laughed with him until Jacob appeared in the kitchen.

"Hey. Don't mind me, Lovebirds. Just getting a drink." Jacob grinned at them before grabbing a glass and filling it at the refrigerator.

Stifling a snort, Dani shook her head as Paul muttered something unintelligible to himself. "Hi Jake. How's your Dad? Is my surprise that you still refuse to tell me about still coming along okay?" Dani asked, twirling a piece of her hair around with her pencil.

Jake grinned over his glass of water. "Dad's good. And it's coming along very well. Should be ready before your birthday. How's your head? You Dad said you got kind of banged up." He asked sincerely, wiping a droplet of water from his chin before turning to put his now empty glass back in the sink.

Dani shrugged. "Getting better. Thanks." She smirked. Jacob chuckled, nodded and made his way back to the living room just as Edward poked his head in the kitchen.

"Hey Danielle. My Father wanted me to check on you when I came to pick up Bella. How is your head and the bruises? Is the medicine working?" He asked kindly.

Dani shrugged, noticing how visibly tenser Paul got when Edward had entered the room. She glanced up for half a second then quickly averted her gaze, not trusting herself to not freak upon seeing him as she remembered her response to Dr. Cullen and the vampire website earlier.

"Yeah. Still hurts a bit. The bruises still look kind of ugly, but I'll live. Tell your Dad thanks for me." She responded sincerely.

Edward nodded. "Sure. Take care now." Carefully wrapping an arm around Bella, he and her exited the kitchen together and Paul let out a sigh of relief when heard the door shut.

Dani gave him an odd look. "Are you okay?" She asked. Paul started to curl his fingers ino a fist on the table then he relaxed it again and let out a deep exhale.

"Fine!..." Raising an eyebrow, Dani, hesitantly at first reached to take his hand. "If it helps, I'm kind of weirded out by him too. Particularly with the way he acts around my sister. It's almost like he's obsessed." She chuckled, then dropped her voice. "Of course, it doesn't help that the Cullens' pale complexion now reminds me of the creep that attacked me." She muttered.

Paul shook his head, inhaling sharply through his nose as if to calm himself. "There's a good reason for that." He muttered under his breath though Dani had heard him.

"What?"

Suddenly, Paul stood up, abruptly pulling his hand away from Dani in the process. "Nothing! I...I should go talk to your Dad." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Paul turned and strolled out of the kitchen, leaving Danielle to stare after him in bewilderment.

...

"I wouldn't worry about it, Dani. Mike doesn't like Edward either and you see how weird he gets when Edward comes around or someone so much as brings him up." Jessica to reassure her friend as she and Dani discussed their English assignment together.

Dani sighed. "Yeah, but...I don't know Jess, it seemed like more than he just he doesn't like him. Edward didn't even do anything off this time and Paul stormed out like he was fighting the urge to punch him." Bringing her pencil up, she bit down on the edge of the eraser.

"So then, where's Bella in all this? What did she think of the way your boyfriend reacted to hers?" Jessica asked. Dani shook her head at the slight teasing glint in her tone.

"Not much really. She just figured that..." Dani trailed off, jumping a bit in her bed when she heard a sharp tap sound on her window.

"She just figured what?" Jess asked. Dani started to answer when another stone hit the window pane.

Feeling her heartbeat start to race, Dani carefully slipped out of the bunk and crept to the window.

When she pulled aside the curtain, she was surprised to see Paul standing in the yard, peering up at her after having thrown another stone.

Dani let the curtain fall back into place. "Hey Jess? I got to call you back." Hearing the third pebble hit the glass, she quickly set her phone aside and opened the curtain again. This time, she also opened the glass of the window ajar.

"Paul? What do you think you're doing? Stop throwing stuff before my Dad gets suspicious!" She hissed just loud enough for Paul to hopefully hear her without attracting her Dad's attention.

Paul seemed to relax a bit. "I'm sorry. I just needed to talk to you. Apologize for yesterday. Can you come down?" He asked, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Hesitating, Dani checked over her shoulder, then she looked back down at Paul. "Give me three minutes." She responded. Paul nodded and Dani immediately shut and locked the window, moving the curtain back into place again before leaving the room.

On her way downstairs, she gathered up the trash bags from the bathroom and the bedrooms then took them to the big trashcan in the kitchen, passing her Dad who was checking his revolver.

"Hey Dad, I'm going to go take out the trash." She said to him casually and he looked over at her. "Okay, make sure to take the flashlight and a can of pepper spray."

Pausing on her way to the door, Dani sighed then put the big trash bag down by the back door before running back upstairs to grab her pepper spray.

Snatching up the flashlight from the kitchen, Dani slipped out the back door lugging the trash bag towards the big garbage can in the backyard.

She sighed shakily after managing to lug the bag into the can and took a nervous glance around herself. Sheesh! Even in my own yard, I get nervous. She bit down on her lip.

"You okay?" The sudden voice made her jump and Dani barely suppressed a shriek. Upon noticing Paul standing sheepishly on the other side of the garbage can, she sighed, this time in annoyance and ran a hand through her hair.

"Don't sneak up on me like that! I'm on enough edge as it is." She whined in a low voice, checking back towards the house to make sure her Dad wasn't in the kitchen.

"Sorry. Good cover with the trash. Is your sister home?" Paul asked, apologizing hastily. Dani shook her head.

"She's on another date with Edward. Shocker. So what's up? Why are you sneaking around here? You do know my Dad has guns, right?" She asked.

Paul nodded, crossing his arms as if he were getting cold, which he might be given he wasn't wearing a shirt. "I know I just...I felt bad after leaving you like that the other day and...I figured I owed you an explanation." He slipped his hands into the pockets of his shorts.

"I see. And you couldn't just text me or something because...?"

"I couldn't wait." Paul cut her off. Sighing loudly, he ranked his hands through his short hair and started to pace in a circle in the yard.

"You deserve to know...and I should have told you sooner, but I didn't...I didn't want you to feel pressured or anything. I didn't want you to feel like you had to do anything or choose anything just because!..." Trailing off again, he stopped pacing and faced Dani again, trying to master himself.

"But with what happened to you...what could have happened to you, you need to know what you're up against, and if we're going to be hanging around together, then you need to know what I am."

A chill ran down Dani's spine at Paul's words and she took an involuntary step back. "You're not making any sense, and you're kind of scaring me. Are you okay, Paul?"

Closing his eyes, Paul took a deep breath, then dropped his arms at his sides out of his pockets. "You remember...when you mentioned how the Cullens look similar to the guys that attacked you?"

Dani slowly nodded. "And I said there was a good reason for that, and there is. You see..." He dug his nails against the sides of his pants.

"The reason the Cullens and your attackers seem similar to you is because they are the same. They're bloodsuckers!...Vampires."

Dani felt as if her heart had stopped. She took another staggering step back. Paul held up his hands as if trying to calm a frightened animal.

"I know that sounds crazy, but I promise it's all true and there's one more thing I need to tell you."

"What? That werewolves are real too and you're a wolf? Come on, Paul. What are you playing at?" Dani retorted a bit shakily, taking another step away from him.

Paul gave her a pleading look which she could barely make out in the dim light of the yard. "Dani...I know this is a lot and I'm sorry, but it's true. I am a wolf. Well a Shapeshifter really and I-."

"Whoa!" Now it was Dani's turn to cut Paul off. "I-I don't know what's this is about, but I've heard about enough! You expect me to believe that I was attacked by a vampire? And that you're a...?"

Paul bit his lip. "Dani, it's all true, and I can prove it to you if you want." He straightened his posture and moved towards the shrubbery that surrounded the trash cans. Dani shook her head when she saw him reach down towards the waistband of his pants.

"No! Stop! What do you think you're...? You know what? I think you should just go home, before my Dad catches you here." Turning she started to stalk back across the yard to the house.

"Dani wait! I'm sorry! Let me explain!" Paul called after her, but Dani did not stop walking until she was back inside.

Looking up from his work, her Dad shot her a worried look. "You okay? What happened? Was there someone out there?"

Dani shook her head, struggling to take a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm fine. There was a...raccoon." She muttered, rushing past him up the stairs.

Once she was back in the safety and privacy of her room, she shut the door then collapsed back on the bottom bunk and burst into tears.

...

"You're absolutely sure nothing happened?" Charlie asked for what felt like the hundredth time in the past three days as he, Dani and Bella sat having dinner at the Diner. Dani sighed.

"Yes Dad." She rubbed her head as if warding away a headache while chewing through a mouthful of pasta. "I'm sure. I told you already I just thought someone was out there, but it was just some critters at the trash cans. Guess I'm still too jumpy." She muttered, jumping when her phone suddenly vibrated.

Bella gave her a slightly amused look. "You really are." Dani shot her a "not helping" look before checking her phone.

Paul L.

Hey, I'll totally get it if you never want to see me again, but I owe you a big apology. I never should have freaked you out like that and I'll never forgive myself for being such an idiot. You have every right to never want me to talk to you again, but before that, can you meet me one more time tomorrow at the cafe we ate at once down at Rez for dinner? You can bring your friends or your sister with you if you want and I promise i won't keep you long. After that I'll never bother you again.

"Well..." Charlie sighed in a relenting way. "I guess it's not surprising. Well, don't you worry. It'll fade in time and you'll be just fine as long as you keep your pepper spray on you." He pointed at his daughter with his soft drink glass.

Dani nodded sighing and putting her phone away after typing a quick response, she twirled her fork around in her plate again.

Dani S.

You don't have to go all out. I'm sorry for wigging out so much. It just...felt like a lot.

"Yeah I know..."

Paul L.

That's cause it is. I was just so worked up after talking with your Dad that day and finding out what happened to you that I kind of lost control. Anyway, I still want to make it up to you properly. Will you humor me? Just one more time and I promise I'll leave you alone if that's what you want.

"Here we are. Some berry cobbler on the house. How is everything, Girls?" Cora the Diner Girl asked as she set the pastry in the middle of their table.

Bella nodded while Dani did a thumbs up. "Great." "Yeah, tell Frank he really outdid himself with the penne sauce this time." "You bet." Smiling, Cora nodded then turned to whisper to the Girls' Father.

"Excuse me Chief? I don't mean to pry, but...with what happened to Waylon and now with Danielle..." Glancing over her shoulder at some of the other patrons in the Diner, she took a deep breath before continuing.

"Are there any new leads on the creep responsible for what's been going on?" She asked in almost a whisper though the girls heard her.

Charlie sighed and wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering. "A few...though it's not clicking together nearly as fast as we would like." He cast a meaningful glance at Danielle.

Cora nodded in understanding, straightening her posture. "I just hope he gets caught fast. He's gotten too close now..." Trailing off, she turned to carrying her tray back to the kitchen.

Charlie nodded in agreement, taking a sip of his drink.

Dani S.

A little worked up?

Paul L.

Okay fine. I was really worked up. You know I've never been great at keeping myself under control in situations like this. Or at least that's what Sam and Jared are always saying. Anyway, what do you say? Will you meet me? Let me treat you to a "I'm sorry I'm an idiot" dinner?

Dani hesitated.

"Hey Dad? Edward's family invited me to hang out with them again tomorrow night. Apparently they like to play baseball and...they invited me to be there this time." Bella shrugged as she poked at the remains of her salad.

Charlie gave her a look that was both amused and a bit concerned. "Baseball?...You're going to play baseball?" Dani tried to hide her own amusement.

Bella blushed and shook her head. "Well...maybe. I mean...maybe they'll let me keep score." She stuck a forkful of kale into her mouth.

"If Edward doesn't want Dad going after him with his shotgun, they will." Dani joked as she speared a couple more bites of pasta onto her own fork. Bella lightly kicked her under the table as Charlie grunted.

"Well you know the usual rules. Don't stay out too late. Home by curfew and take your pepper spray with you." He shifted his plates around then reached to help himself to a piece of the cobbler.

Bella nodded and reached for a dessert plate. "Yeah I will."

Glancing back at her phone, Dani sighed, reached for her glass of water and took a gulp before speaking. "Actually Dad...I'm going to be out tomorrow evening too. Angela and I might go down to the Rez to hang out." She said while texting her friend at the same time.

"Oh?" Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to chaperone?" Dani shook her head. "No, it's okay Dad. I know you're real busy now with that case and all...besides Paul will be there too." She bit her lip, glancing up through her eyelashes at her Dad.

Charlie seemed hesitant, but then he nodded slightly. 'Well if you're sure. Jacob said, Paul's Patrol Group keeps a tight watch around their borders so I know you'll be pretty safe down there, but just in case..." He started to point with his fork.

"I know Dad. I always have my pepper sprays." Dani patted her purse before sending a reply to Angela.

Dani S. to Angela W.

You're a lifesaver! Thank you! Thank you! See you at 5:30 then.

Dani S. to Paul L.

I'll be there with a friend. See you at Six.

...

"Hey Dad! Angela and I are leaving!" Dani called, carefully pulling on her jacket as she and her friend started to head out for the Rez. Edward was already at the house as well waiting for Bella to come back downstairs for their "baseball date" with his family.

Dani recalled hearing her Dad snap the barrel of his shotgun when Bella went to tell him that Edward was here to pick her up earlier, which almost made her snicker a bit as she bent to pick up her purse.

"All right! Be safe and call me when you're headed home!" Charlie called back from the kitchen just as Bella came back down the stairs, being a little more careful on the steps.

Dani watched for a moment as Edward quickly extended a hand to help her down the last few steps and blinked at how lightening fast the simple movement was.

"You ready?" Angela asked and Dani shook her head, somehow managing a smile for her best friend. "Yeah! Totally. See you Bella! Edward." She nodded at her sister and her boyfriend, getting a nod in return from Bella and a wave from Edward before she followed Angela to her car.

"Sooo, let me get this straight. I'm just supposed to be your support tonight right? I'll just find a table off to the side like the first time Jess and I went with you to meet Paul and only jump in if you signal me or if it looks like things are going south?" Angela clarified after they'd been driving for awhile.

Dani nodded, not facing her friend as she fiddled with her hands nervously. "Yeah and also you're here to help my Dad relax more too. Not surprisingly, he's been much more on edge since what's happened. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't bought me and Bella a third can of pepper spray." She chuckled and Angela laughed with her as they made a turn towards the Reservation.

"Yeah I don't blame him. Everyone's been more on edge since then since that means this pyscho has been through our town. Do you know if he and other police are getting closer to finding out who it is and catching them?" Angela asked, taking a quick peek at her before facing forward again.

Sighing, Dani shook her head. "Not enough to to be comforting, but he and the other officers are busting their butts over it so hopefully it won't be long." She murmured half to herself as the road soon turned from paved asphalt to gravel.

Angela eased the car into a slower speed as they reached the borders of La Push. "Yeah fingers crossed."

The two girls fell silent for awhile until they reached the cafe. To Dani's relief, it didn't appear to be a particularly busy evening for a Friday and she exhaled slowly in an attempt to calm herself as she carefully undid her seatbelt.

"Okay, this is it. You ready?" Angela asked, getting out of the car herself and Dani nodded, pressing her lips together.

"Yeah. Thanks again for coming with me." She glanced at her friend and Angela nodded. "Of course."

Taking another deep breath, Dani walked towards the doors and pushed them open, blinking a bit in surprise when she saw a table near the middle was set with a nice looking deep blue tablecloth, two place settings with a picnic basket set in the middle bathed in the light of two flickering candles.

"Oh my...!" Angela gasped as she followed Dani inside and saw the table setting. "Wow, he really went all out with this apology. He's a keeper, Dani." She nudged her friend slightly.

Dani was so stunned she barely managed a nod in acknowledgement before slowly approaching the table. Upon getting a closer look she realized there was a large cupcake sitting on top of the basket, another lit candle stuck in the middle of it with the words "I'm So Sorry" written on it in white icing.

She inhaled shakily, not noticing when Angela slipped off to find a table off in a corner as she stared fixated at the cupcake.

"It's chocolate. The cupcake I mean...with strawberry frosting. Sam's girlfriend made it for me..for you." Dani turned to her right to see Paul approaching from the counter, scratching his head sheepishly, but mostly nervously as he carefully looked at her, watching, she knew, for her reaction to his set up.

Looking back at the table again, Dani finaly felt a smile creep at the corner of her lips as she looked over at the cupcake again.

"It looks good. You...weren't kidding about a proper apology I see." She chuckled a bit nervously and Paul echoed it.

"Nah...I feel like such an idiot, Dani and I wanted to make sure you knew how sorry I was." After another moment, he walked a little closer, coming to a stop at the other side of the table.

Dani nodded and gestured at the basket. "So what did you bring?"

Paul shrugged and leaned over the chair. "Just some catfish fry and some fries. Oh! And this!" Reaching into the picnic basket, Paul pulled out a bottle of what looked like ginger ale and held it up for Dani to see.

"Jacob Black said this was your favorite soda so...yeah." He mumbled a bit awkwardly. This time Dani laughed a little louder.

"He's right. Wow you...I don't know what to say. This is quite an apology." She shook her head, feeling her eyes misting over as she looked over the simple yet elegant spread one more time.

She was startled by the sound of her chair being pulled out and turned to see Paul gesturing for her to sit down. "Shall we?"

Seeing the nervousness still in his smile, Dani nodded and allowed him to push her chair closer to the table after she'd sat down.

Turning she snuck a glance at Angela and saw her beaming at her whilst sipping on an iced tea she had ordered.

Dani turned back around as Paul took his own seat and reached to open the picnic basket and serve her a piece of fried catfish before putting one on his own plate. After dividing up the fries, Dani started to reach for the ginger ale when Paul stopped her with a hand to her arm.

"No, it's okay. I've got it. You just relax." He smiled still a bit nervously as he unscrewed the cap and stood to fill both their glasses.

Dani watched him for a minute before bursting into giggles. "Well aren't you the perfect gentleman?" She teased lightly. Paul's cheeks grew a little warm.

"Well...today I am. I'm usually more of a mongrel. Ask Jared." He shrugged and chuckled as he resumed his own seat.

Laughing along with him, Dani picked up a fork and stuck it into her fish.

"So uhhh...Dani, I'm sorry." Paul began, continuing when Dani looked up from her food to give him her full attention. "I'm sorry about what happened in your yard that night. No matter what, I should not have told you all that stuff the way I did. Especially after what almost happened to you. I know I acted like a real freak and if you'd rather I keep my distance after this, I'll...I'll understand, but just know I'll try hard to make sure it never happens again. Forgive me?" He asked almost timidly, his eyes shining with that nervous daring to hope expression.

Dani sighed and looked back down at her plate as if it would tell her what to say. Then she smiled and shook her head. "Well...as long as you promise not to pull whatever that was in the yard again, you're forgiven. Also this is really good. Did you fry it up yourself?" She asked, chewing on another bite of her fish before looking up at her dinner companion.

Paul ducked his head a bit as if embarrassed. "Uhhh, my Mom helped a little and Sam brought the sauce. The fries though are from the freezer section of the grocery store." He mumbled through a mouthful fries.

Dani almost let out a full laugh at that and just managed to duck her head and cover her mouth to keep from choking on her food or worse...spitting it out.

"You okay?" Paul asked, pausing mid-chew on his own mouthful of food until Dani held up a hand, grabbing her napkin with the other hand. "Fine!" She dabbed at her mouth, trying to contain her coughs.

Grinning, Paul continued to enjoy his meal. "So...does your Dad like...think I'm a total punk now?" He asked slowly, while twirling a fry around. "I bet he hates my guts now actually."

Blushing, Dani shook her head. "Actually...I haven't told him what happened. I would have, but...I was kind of really upset so, it slipped my mind." She responded, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks.

Paul's shoulders slumped a bit at that. "Aww man. I'm so sorry Dani." He murmured through a mouthful of fries.

Looking up at him, Dani reached to touch his hand in a comforting manner. "It's okay. I think it's more than clear how sorry you are, Paul. I'm sure my Dad would have been won over too." Giving his hand a light squeeze she straightened back in her chair before continuing to dig into her food.

Paul started to grin. "Of course...he'd probably still want to rough you up a bit. You know scare you a little. The whole Chief Swan shebang. Make sure you know not to mess with his daughter again." Dani tried to hold a straight face as she raised her water glass to her lips and then broke when she saw the blood drain from Paul's face.

"Ohh!" The horror quickly morphed into a playfully annoyed one and Dani burst into a fit of giggles as Paul jokingly pointed at her with his fork. "You're messing with me. Is that how it's going to be after I pulled out all these stops for you, Swan?" He asked with a playful growl that made Dani laugh harder.

"Did you just growl at me?"

Smirking, Paul started to growl again only to get cut off by his own laughter and the sound of a phone going off.

Instinctively, Dani bent to check her phone and felt the fun, easy going mood evaporate like water when she saw the text her Dad had sent.

Dad

Dani, I need you to come home now. Bella's ran off. She's trying to go back to your Mom. I don't know why.

"Hey! Everything all right?" Paul asked, quickly sobering up as well upon noticing the look on Dani's face.

Feeling her hands begin to tremble, Dani shook her head and fumbled for a bit before managing to send a quick reply to her Dad.

"No...My sister she...she's run away from home. I'm sorry! I have to go!" Standing abruptly from her seat, Dani nearly tripped over the chair in her rush to get to the door and Paul scrambled up after her.

"What? What do you mean she...? Is she okay? Is there anything I can do?" Paul asked all at once, somehow managing not to trip over his own chair in his scramble to get up.

Angela met Dani halfway across the cafe. "I-I just need to get home to my Dad!...Make sure he's okay and then figure out what happened to Bella! I'm so sorry Paul!" She apologized hastily, but Paul shook his head.

"No! No! It's fine! In fact, I'll come help you find her! I know the woods here like the back of my hand and all the back and side roads too. I'll even get Sam and Jared to help. It'll at least increase our chances of finding her before she gets too far!" He offered.

Dani and Angela exchanged glances and Angela shrugged before saying in a low voice. "You know, he's right. If Bella's really run off to Phoenix, then we need all the help we can get."

Blinking back tears, Dani nodded her head in agreement. "Okay. But let's go! I'm worried about my Dad! He's probably losing his mind!"

Nodding back in earnest, Paul rushed after the girls. "Let's go!"

...