CHAPTER THREE : R&R

I slept for twenty-seven hours solid without so much as twitching. When I woke to the sound of rain splattering on my window my body ached in stiffness, hunger, and the need to pee. I was covered in a layer of grime and my hair looked like a rat's nest but some of my color had returned as my body recovered from the loss of blood. Freshly washed and combed, I heard the coffee pot chugging away in the kitchen as I took the steps carefully in the dark.

Charlie was reading the paper with a steam cup sitting in front of him. "Mornin' Bells," Charlie called, not looking up from the sports section. "You feel better?"

"Much," I told him with an amused smile as I grabbed myself a mug. "Though I didn't mean to sleep for quite so long. You should have woken me up."

"Nope, your body needed that after taking trauma like that. Until those bruises are healed up your doing some R&R." Charlie folded down the top of his paper and looked at me with serious brown eyes. My eyes. And I knew the stubbornness in them well.

"Dad," I whined as I set my coffee down and eased myself into a chair. "I have to find a job –"

Charlie shook his head mulishly and refused to budge. "Until your body is healed I'm grounding you from adult responsibilities. No working, just rest and relaxation – why don't you go do something fun today? Maybe we could go down and visit Billy and Jacob on the Rez, or we could catch a movie in Port Angeles."

Not once did Charlie's stare waver and I realized it was foolish to keep arguing, he wouldn't budge. I had thought I would be annoyed – under any other circumstances I would have been terribly incensed – but Charlie made it feel less like slacking off and more like actually caring for myself. I hadn't done a whole lot of that as a college student, now that I was freshly graduated maybe my body did need a week or two to just – rest. I could use the time to get reacquainted with my old home. Besides, visiting the Blacks and maybe being able to walk down to Second Beach while they chatted sounded wonderful.

If there was one silver lining in all of this, it was that La Push had the most breathtaking views and the private beach – Second Beach – was full of smooth white sand unlike the public, First Beach, which required swimming shoes because the sharp rocks. Maybe one day I could make a day of hiking down to Third Beach. It was a brutal climb and it would be a serious challenge for my limited motor skills – but the beach there was supposed to be the most beautiful sight in all of the Olympic Peninsula.

"Let's go see Billie and Jacob," I agreed with a small, aching smile. "I'd like to see the beach again and dig my toes in the sand. It's been too long."

Charlie beamed at her underneath his mustache and hid his face behind the paper. My stomach growled loudly and I remembered how hungry I was. "You want some breakfast?"

"Oh no – I don't usually eat in the morning…" He grumbled from behind his paper. I knew that tone, it was the same one he used when he had tried to trick me into believing he had forgotten my birthday when I was younger. If Charlie thought I wouldn't remember that voice he was sorely mistaken.

"Are you sure?" I asked again enticingly as I opened the fridge, literally feeling his resolve waver between us.

"Bells you don't have to –"

"I'm starving," I told him as I turned back to the fridge. "I'm eating, you in or you out?"

"I'm in." He called, his happy tone colored in defeat. "Thank you!"

"Dad?" I hollered as I realized he had two dozen eggs about to expire. "What on earth possessed you to buy two dozen eggs? They expire – Jesus, they expire tomorrow."

Charlie chuckled and I heard the paper rustle. "There was a sale at the store – turns out I'm not so good at making them though. Set the stove on fire and had to use the damn extinguisher."

I choked back laughter as I looked at Charlie. His face was beet red in embarrassment and I bit my lips to suppress the quaking of my body. My ribs felt like they might burst. "How about you go get dressed and I'll whip up some breakfast casseroles. We can surprise Billie and Jake with breakfast."

When Charlie came back down I was still struggling with the urge to laugh as I pictured setting fire to eggs. But the food was done and I was dressed, I had even had time to blow dry my hair. Charlie helped me load the food into the back of my car and I tossed him the keys as I slid into the passenger's seat. "Jesus Bells, I forget how tiny you are." He grumbled as he tried to squeeze into the seat.

This time I was unable to hold back my laughter and broke out into peels of light-hearted merriment. "I have a big presence," I told him confidently as I pulled the lever under his seat up and sent him sailing backwards.

"Ah, that's better."

Of course, as soon as he started the car Charlie balked at the raging metal music that came blasting over the XM radio. He switched it back over to standard radio and dialed in to Port Angele's Classic Rock station. I grinned at him fondly and laid my head back as I watched the trees of the forest zoom by. I gazed into the darkness and I thought perhaps I could feel it staring back at me.

The sun was beginning to break over the horizon when Charlie and I pulled up to Black house. I had many fond memories here – both from before and after Sarah Black's death. Jacob had been devastated when he had lost his mom in a car accident and I spent many afternoons on the front porch with him, eating popsicles together as our legs swung off the edge. To my surprise, Billy and Jacob were sitting on the front porch.

What surprised me even more was that Jacob Black looked like the airbrushed cover of the trashy werewolf romance novels I had been surrounded by in the bookstore in LA. He had unbelievable muscles – and had no shirt on – leaving my eyes free to rake over his impossibly sculpted torso. He was so huge that he almost looked double the size of his father. Whatever they fed the Jacob was some serious protein, his arms alone looked like to be the size of my thigh. But as I stared at them, they stared back with mouths gaping at my battered face.

"Jesus Jacob Black – it's been ten years since I've seen you." I called to him with the biggest smile I could muster without hurting my bruised face. "Please tell me your brain grew with the rest of you."

All three of the men laughed and I felt myself smiling wider even with the pain. The tension had broken and their eyes were no long staring at the bruises on my face and around my neck. "Bella Swan," Jacob drawled slowly, almost dangerously teasing as he stood fluidly and raised his arms to hold on to the porch roof and lean out over the steps, "please tell me you learned to walk as well you sass in the past decade."

Once again, they laughed and my cheeks flushed slightly. It was well known I had never been able to walk across a flat surface. "Bells made breakfast if you're hungry," Charlie called to Billy as he popped open the back door.

"It smells delicious," Jacob called with a sunny smile and he came around to the other side of the car to get the rest.

"Thanks Jacob," I smiled lightly and closed the car door with a bump of my hip. "So how have you been? You look great – very Arnold Schwarzenegger."

Charlie and Billy were already in the house and Jacob walked slowly back up to the porch. "I wish I could say the same Bella, what happened to you?"

My feet stopped and I looked down, rehearsing the story in my head sadly. I wished I could tell someone the truth. The truth was that the truth weighed heavy like a stone in my stomach and I choked constantly on the secret. I just wished I could have said the words aloud to someone – I didn't understand how cathartic it was to talk about your problems until I had a problem I couldn't talk about. It was eating at me – festering away inside me insidiously.

"I was – attacked in a park." I told him quietly, almost too quiet for even me to hear but Jacob seemed to have heard me.

His face went stony and he said, "I'm sorry – if you ever need to talk about it, I'm here."

Jacob repeated my exact words to me that I had whispered to him the day of his mother's funeral. My eyes watered without permission and I struggled to blink the tears back. How I wished I could tell Jacob – talk to him about feeling the cold dead bodies of vampires draining my life from me. I wished I could talk to him about how weak I felt even now – how I could still feel the scorching venom running through my veins whenever I closed my eyes.

"Thanks Jacob," I gave him a half smile. "But it's not so bad, a woman interfered before they could do anything but bruise me." Thankfully, I had chosen to wear a hoodie so Jacob couldn't see my arms or through my lies.

"Thank the Spirits," Jacob said as he took the porch steps two at a time and held the door open for me. As I passed him he breathed, the edges of his broad nose flaring, and then he blanched. "Bella, are you wearing perfume?"

My lips curled downwards in a confused frown at the sudden question. Jacob's warm eyes had hardened a little and he didn't look quite so friendly anymore. My stomach churned a bit in fear but I shook myself out of such stupid thoughts. I had met Jacob the day Billy and Sarah had brought him home from the hospital, he would never hurt me. He was practically family. "No," I replied, questioning him with my tone.

"Huh, you smell weird." Jacob's nose wrinkled and then he tossed his head back and laughed when I gaped at him.

"Jacob Black!" I screeched after him as I chased Jacob into the house. He laughed and the porch screen door slammed closed behind us. I continued to chase after him into the kitchen as Charlie and Billie were setting the table. "Billy Black!" I yelled as I skidded around the corner. Billie looked up with wide eyes and I almost laughed. "Beat some manners into your son before I do." And then my laughter burst through the damn and I sat at the far end of the table.

Both of the Chiefs laughed and Jacob plopped down next to me with a huge glass of orange juice. "I can't believe you told me I smelled Jacob – you smell like you've slept in the woods for a week. Is that a twig in your hair?" I reached over and snatched it out of his hair and held it up in disbelief. "I swear men are disgusting creatures."

Charlie laughed and nodded, "Don't you forget it Bella. I'm too young to be a grandfather just yet."

When Billie and Jacob roared with laughter my cheeks burned fiercely and gave Charlie a glare. "I don't know Charlie, a few weeks of mandatory R&R…I might meet a cute Rez boy with all this free time on my hands." I giggled as Charlie gave me a playful glare.

"So, Charlie, it just so happens Harry Clearwater is also off today – a rare event. What do you say to a fishing trip while we let the kids hang out?" Both Jacob and I snorted our amusement as Billy made some old surfer sign with his thumb and pinky.

Charlie looked to me questioningly and I realized he was asking me if I minded. "Go on," I told him happily, "I want to go down to Second Beach anyways. Call me when you're ready to go okay?"

"You got it Bells," Charlie smiled thankfully and slapped his hand on the table. "All right old man, you got the leeches?"

My entire body jerked violently and the fork in my hand clattered down to my plate with a horrifyingly loud crash. All eyes turned to me and I looked up – my heart was racing and I tried to think of anything to cover my embarrassment. "I – I'm sorry, my wrist just ached for moment. It caught me off guard."

"Are you okay Bella?" Billy asked me with concern in his eyes, "Do you need any Tylenol?"

"Actually, that'd be great," I told him as not just my wrist, but whole body gave a quake of pain. "Thanks, Billy."

"Are you sure you're okay to go out?" Charlie asked me as Billy wheeled into the kitchen. "I can always drive you home if you need to rest some more."

I waved him off with shaky hand, "I'm fine Charlie." I didn't know what else to do other than lie. How could I explain what was happening to me? How every cell in my body felt weak and bruised?

It was now nearing seven-thirty and I had had three large mugs of coffee and my mind was alert and sharp. I could no longer hide away from the reality that was burning in my throat. I was thirsty despite having drank so much I had to pee. "Thanks Billy," I murmured as Billy handed me two tablets and I washed them down with the last of the coffee. "Can I use your bathroom?"

"Of course," Billy threw me an odd look, "Do you remember where it is?"

I stood as I nodded and left the kitchen quickly. The bathroom was the second door on the left and I was both appalled and humored to see that the shower was still draped with the awful Hulk curtain that Sarah had allowed Jacob to pick out when he was eight. The bathroom mirror killed my nostalgic smile though as I found a wraith staring back at me. My cheeks were gaunt and there were purple bruises underneath my eyes as if I hadn't spent all day yesterday sleeping. The eyes that looked back at me were too bright and sharp and even my upper lip was no longer too small for my bottom lip.

The truth stared back at me and it took a full minute for me to realize. I hadn't come out unscathed. The venom hadn't killed me – but it had altered me. Was I still human anymore? I didn't feel human – I felt like I should be dead. Even my aching body felt as though it were rebelling against the life that had been snatched away from it. How long had I burned for before Lua had gotten those leeches on me? I tried to remember but the searing pain of the venom was still too fresh in my mind and my hands curled.

To my horror the counter beneath me cracked and I jumped back in alarm. But I had no time to react because I could hear footsteps leaving the kitchen and coming down the hall much to light and graceful to be Charlie. A knocking came and I tried not to breathe, "Bella? You alright?"

"Yeah Jacob," I answered with a strained voice. "I'm fine."

Everything was not fine and I thought for sure Jacob would see right through me but I could almost feel his shrug as he said, "Okay, if you're sure. I'm heading out to the garage, come on out when you feel like it. I want to show you my newest project."

"Sure, I'll be right out."

When he was gone my gaze snapped back to the mirror – my bruises looking awful in the light above the mirror. I didn't look like me anymore. I looked like I had been ravaged by the death and carnage. Maybe – maybe I would still be pretty once my bruises had healed but how did I cure the gaunt hollows of my cheeks? I had always been thin but now I felt frail and sickly.

My thoughts were still clouded when I pulled myself away from the mirror and flipped the light off. To my surprise, I could still see the door handle and the cupboards to my right. Turning, I could see the entire room as if I had only put sunglasses on and not plunged the windowless room into pure darkness. Nearly running from the bathroom as if it had done this to me, I raced to the garage and burst in as if the devil were chasing me.

Jacob was standing another man that looked as if the gods themselves had chiseled out every muscle in his body in homage to masculinity and beauty. It was his black eyes that knocked the air from my lungs however beautiful his body was. I had seen those preternaturally black eyes before – right before I almost died – but where the vampires' eyes had been sharp and cruel, the black eyes that looked at me now were warm and full of surprise.

Oh yeah, my bruises.

"Hello, I'm Bella – I died a couple of days ago and I've decided to start haunting Jacob." I tried to break the ice as I stuck out my hand.

Jacob burst into laughter as the man just continued stare – completely bewildered by me. His mouth had started to gape at me but he had had some presence of mind, enough to grasp my hand in his. I couldn't blame him, I had only finished staring in horror not two minutes ago, but Jacob seemed to take offense for me and punched the man in the shoulder, breaking him out of whatever spell he'd been under. "Don't take offense to Sam's rudeness Bella," Jacob told me as he threw a heated glare towards his friend.

"Oh no it's fine," I waved Jacob off and tried to show Sam I wasn't offended. "I know I look pretty bad right now, but I'm just thankful to be alive. If it bothers you I could –"

"NO!" They practically yelled in unison, cutting me off. My lips curled into a smile as held my arms up in surrender.

"Okay, okay, sheesh." But the tension had broken now and I felt my aching body relax as I hopped up to sit on the back of a car in the garage.

Sam looked at me again, throwing me a curious look. "What happened Bella?" His voice was a powerful rumble of dulcet baritone chords that sent my body quaking in desire.

"Uh," I responded intelligently, slightly dazed at the sudden intense desire that heated me from the inside. There was a haze of lust fogging up my brain and I could scarcely remember the question. "I – um, I was attacked in a park back in LA."

My desire died when I thought I saw a streak of red out of the corner of my eye, only to find a kid in a red shirt skateboarding in the road. Sam brought my attention back as he said, "I'm so sorry."

I tried to wave off his intensity with a shrug in attempts to diffuse the urges coiling in my abdomen. "I survived," I tried to laugh and brought a grim smile to Jacob's lips. "But enough about that – I don't want to be a downer. What brings you here so early?"

"It's Jacob shift down at the garage and he didn't show up," Sam told me and I raised my eyebrows at my childhood friend.

"Aw, c'mon Bella you made a wicked breakfast." Jacob whined as he rubbed his stomach. "I haven't been this well fed in years. I'll take whatever punishment – it was worth it."

"Well you just lost your tray of left overs," I told him with amused authority ringing in tone. "If Sam eats half as much as you do, you'll be lucky if there's enough for a snack later."

"You don't have to –" Sam began to say at the same time Jacob groaned, "Bella –"

"Oh, shut up, both of you." I commanded, pleasantly surprised when they both did. "Jacob – to work. I live here now you can see me anytime." I turned to Sam and my expression softened with a smile, "And you, in the house. I'm using you to punish Jacob, so I hope you're hungry."

"Not fair," Jacob whined as he gave me a hug and spun me around, garnering a squeal of delight from me. "Thanks for breakfast Bella, it was delicious."

"No problem Jacob," I said as he sat me back down on my feet. As he ran off, I turned to Sam. "You coming?"

"Yes ma'am," he nearly growled and followed me back inside the house. The heat of him so close behind me made my body shiver. Even without looking at him I was hyper aware of where he was, my body could feel his presence. I calmed once he sat at the table and I was able to focus on reheating breakfast. Jacob had eaten three plates full before he had dropped his fork in contentment – with his size it only slightly surprised me – so I heated up everything that was left.

"You just moved here?" I nearly jumped when Sam's rumbling baritone broke the silence.

I nodded and turned to grab him some coffee while we waited for the food to heat. "Yes, well – technically just moved back. I lived here for a little while and then I visited Charlie here every summer until I was thirteen."

His warm fingers brushed mine as he grabbed the mug of coffee from me and I gasped when I felt small sparks of electricity tingle my hand. He seemed to feel it too because Sam's soulful black eyes jumped to mine in surprise. "Thanks," he smiled at me with straight white teeth peeking behind his lips.

"Do you work with Jacob then?" I asked, trying not to get caught licking my lips at the thought of licking and biting that soft bronzed skin. My teeth almost ached with the desire to bite his flesh. What would Jacob do if his friend came back with bright purple hicky displayed on his neck? I giggled at the thought.

"I own the garage," Sam told me as I turned to check the food. "I employ some of the guys on the Rez who are good with their hands."

Carefully, I sat the food on the warming pads on the table and grabbed a plate and fork for Sam. "Thanks Bella," his stomach growled loudly as he eyed the food hungrily. "You didn't have to but thanks, this looks great."

As Sam loaded his plate, I sat at the table with a fresh cup of coffee warming my hands. "I feel like I missed so much while I've been gone. I didn't even realize I missed Forks until now."

Sam looked at me thoughtfully for a moment and nodded, "This place has a funny way of growing on you. As much as I hated to admit it a few years ago, this place just feels like home."