OMG yes... Sorry! I know, three weeks without an update D8 But so many things have been happening... where to begin? Got a new job, for one thing. Which is nice. The web comic is really taking off. Anyone who's interested in it, go ahead and look up longitudes-latitudes on deviantART. Things are going well with my boyfriend, ComiCon's coming up, I'm almost finished with my cosplay for it. Not to mention I've been working on my own books... Ah! So many things! But yes... Here we are again.
Eleven: The Best Laid Plans
That morning, Bella found herself making breakfast. It was oddly satisfying, frying eggs and bacon in the gentle glow of the early morning. Perhaps this was the pleasure Charlie always found in cooking? Even as a little girl, she would always remember her father waking up early to cook breakfast. Though she usually preferred sweet pancakes or waffles, Charlie always made three things for himself: Bacon, eggs, and hash browns. Every once in a while, he'd mix it up by making sausage in place of bacon, but very rarely. He was a simple man, Charlie. He liked simple things. And so, those three simple items stared up at her from the hot frying pan, sizzling and bubbling with oil beneath them. Of course, Bella had never been much of a master chief. Which was why when she tried to toss the egg from the pan to the plate, the yolk fiendishly broke all over the pretty white around it. She had to rush to get it all in a vague shape before plopping it on the plate. Ah well. The hash browns were easier. Toss a can of uncooked hash into the pan, fry it, plate it. No yolks to speak of. When the first two were done, Bella put foil on the plate to keep it hot, before making her way to the fridge for the bacon. She brought it out with a smile and set it on its own plate, happily removing the clips and opening the plastic packaging.
She froze. The smell of raw meat suddenly hit her. It was more potent than anything she'd ever encountered before. It crawled up her nose and took her by the throat. For a split second, Bella was unable to even move. Inside her mouth, saliva began to accumulate, her taste buds starting to throb. Her eyes watched as little rivers of pink began to flow from the creases of the plastic. She was unable to look away. Licking her dried lips, an immense hunger took hold of her. Her hands trembled slightly as she brought the bag of raw bacon up above her lips. Just a little taste... Just one little taste and she'd be ok. That's all she wanted. Her tongue extended, and her mouth opened. Tilting the bag, she let that luscious pink liquid drizzle into her mouth. What a taste! It excited her in a way food never had before. As she swallowed the raw, chilled juices, she found herself unable to put the packet down. Her body was fueled with the desire to consume the flesh before her. Ripping open the package without another thought, Bella grabbed a greasy, fatty strip and stuffed it into her mouth. Her taste buds were aflame with pleasure, taking in every last little morsel of meat. However, just after swallowing and getting ready to eat another, her stomach gave a painful lurch.
Sickness washed over her like a tsunami. Slamming the pack of bacon down, Bella turned and rushed into the bathroom, swinging the door shut behind her. She was barely able to get the seat up in time before vomiting violently into the toilet bowl. A horrifying splatter of recently consumed raw bacon filled the bathroom, along with Bella's coughing and sick retching. Oh what was she thinking? Raw bacon? Of course she was going to get sick! She was only thankful that her body was smarter than she was and got rid of it before it gave her e. coli. When she was finished, she flushed and put the toilet seat down, her cheek miserably resting on her arm as she watched it refill with water.
"Bella?"
She almost jumped at the sound of Charlie's voice. His face was hovering just beyond the crack of the bathroom door, eyes full of concern. Before she had time to explain, Charlie rushed to her side and put his hands on her face. He frowned. "No fever... still... Are you ok? Stomach bug?" His hand pet her frizzy hair, his face much more gaunt now that he was awake. A smile suddenly twitched on his lips. "Oh Bella..." With a shift in mood, Charlie pulled Bella into a firm embrace, clutching her tightly. "I thought I would never see you again. I can't believe you're..." He would have gone on, but his previous concern got the better of him. Pulling back, he held her shoulders. "Are you feeling ok? I was going to bring you to the hospital today anyway. So we can see if you're catching flu. Oh Bells... How... how did you even get here? What on Earth happened, Bella? After that robbery on the train... Did he hold you hostage? That's what the guys up at County have been telling me this whole time. We've actually been looking into the issue and we've got a few suspects. I know that if you looked at a line up we can get whoever did this to you. But only if you're feeling up to it, sweetpea. If you're not, go ahead and tell me now. We can wait. I'm just so glad to finally have you ba-"
Bella's hand covered Charlie's mouth, stopping his barrage of tangents. Despite her stomach still feeling queasy, she couldn't help her smile. "He took me to a place in the woods somewhere near the boarder," she explained. "I didn't have access to any phones or I would have called you. But I was able to make my way back here after I escaped. The Cullens found me just the other night. Emmett and Jasper. They were out hunting for the weekend." The pre-established alibi seemed less like a lie now that it was being used. A frown replaced her smile. "I don't want to go to a hospital... Really. Dr. Cullen gave me an exam. I'm perfectly fine, thankfully. But if you want, you can give him a call."
Charlie nodded. "I think I will. Did he check you for stomach viruses?"
Bella shifted uneasily. "Er... well no but – "
"Then I'm giving him a call later this afternoon. He'll make a house call." There was a pause. "Speaking of which, are you and Edward still together?"
What an odd question. She supposed they were, even though they were meant to end things a month ago. The best laid plans of mice and men... "Yes," she answered. "Why?"
Charlie thought for a minute, but decided that it wasn't appropriate to keep talking on the bathroom floor. Standing, he offered Bella a seat in the kitchen, got her a glass of water and insisted he finished up the cooking. He even made a bowl of oatmeal for Bella. Something easy on her stomach. After they sat down together, Charlie could barely eat, and instead used most of that time to clutch Bella's hand. Bella got the sudden feeling that he wanted to remind himself that she wasn't a dream. "Why did you ask if Edward and I were still together?"
He hesitated. "I've been thinking... This is the third time you've tried to leave Forks and something's happened. The second time you've tried leaving for good and you've been kidnapped..." There was a silence as Bella waited him to continue. "Bells... Look, I know this place... It isn't the most exciting town in the world. There are a lot more exciting places across the country. Across the world, really. But... I think... I think that it might be best if you don't leave Forks for a while." His eyes shifted quickly to the side before looking back to her. "I know that school means so much to you. But I can't stand the thought of..." His hand tightened on hers. "Of something happening to you again. Let alone if I'd ever see you alive again... Anyway, the reason I ask about Edward is... well, if you two were still together, maybe there'd be more reason for you to – to stay."
Bella's heart sunk within her. Oh if only they'd had this conversation three months earlier. Then again, Bella might have just been more eager to leave a father who wanted her to hold off on her dreams. So perhaps Alec would have been unavoidable either way. But listening to this speech now... Now when she knew the horrible future ahead of her... It cut her to the quick. But she couldn't let her father know. She couldn't even let Charlie know how she really felt, let alone the real truth. A weight of guilt doubled upon her shoulders as she forced a smile.
"Dad," she said, looking him directly in the eye. "I'm not going anywhere. More than anything, I want to be with the people I love the most. That means you and Edward both." She added a second hand to both of their's. "Don't worry, Daddy. I'm going to withdraw from the school and settle here. Where I'm safe." No matter how many times she did it, and no matter how hard it was for her, or how necessary it was, Bella would never be able to rid the dirty feeling of lying to her father.
He seemed to buy it. His eyes twinkled and his old smile returned to him. It wasn't quite as charming or warm; it had been degraded by days on end of worry and searching. But either way, it was there. Charlie stood and kissed her forehead, before pouring them both a couple glasses of milk.
After breakfast, he did indeed call Carlisle to come take a look at her, which he obliged to that evening. As expected, he backed up Bella's story without fail, and even gave her a pill bottle to take for her stomach troubles. It was, of course, just filled with placebos. They both knew that no pill could take care of her ailment. For most of the day, she and Charlie spent their time together. He even called the day off, explaining the situation to his deputies, who were more than understanding. Charlie would have spent hours obsessively cleaning the papers scattered through the house, but Bella assured him that she'd pick them up later. They were not what was important. So, taking a broom, Bella swept them all to the side for later, and let her father focus his attention on what counted. For a while, it almost seemed like old times. Thankfully, Charlie wasn't crying anymore. Instead, he and Bella watched old movies on the couch together, ate sugary snacks and even played games and told jokes. In between Bella's naps, of course. (It was strange, being nocturnal) Not since moving out of the house had Bella had a full day with her father like this. There were moments, even, when she was laughing at something Charlie had said, or simpering at The Elephant Man for the five hundredth time while Charlie handed her a tissue, that it felt like she had achieved her old life back. That these tiny, precious times that she and her father shared had the power to turn back the clock. Back before vampires and werewolves and shifters. Back before monsters stalked her at every turn, licking their chops and waiting to destroy her life. Things were simply normal. And how special it was to just be normal for a change.
But that night, after Charlie ordered from their favorite takeout place and Carlisle had done his scripted check-up, Bella found herself alone in her old room. Her luggage sat at the foot of her bed, which had been cold for too many nights. Her walls were depressingly bare, a few forgotten boxes peeking out of the closet beside her naked desk. She could recall so many memories in this room. Dragging her tired body to the bed, she remembered all the nights Edward would sneak in for fun. Or some days when Jessica would pop in unexpectedly and make herself right at home. What she wouldn't give to really have those days back again. Laying along the frigid sheets, her hand mindlessly went to her stomach. She felt a faint, firm form under her skin. The pulse of blood made her hand jump from time to time. After breathing slowly, her eyes watching it move up and down, Bella tried her best to suck in her stomach. That little, petite mound would not go away. She tried again. And again. But nothing came of it. All it accomplished was wearing her out just before making her sick again. It wasn't long before she was off to the bathroom to toss up her orange chicken.
Sorry if these chapters are a little slow. I swear it gets more exciting later. This is just mood setting.
~T.