Chapter Ten

Laughter rang out in the firehouse as everyone gathered their food, it had been a long week and even a longer shift though they were all halfway through their current one and eager to get dinner.

"So, how were everyone's days off?" Jared asked as he sat down at the table, a wide grin on his face. "Kim and I went to the Reservation to see her brothers' new pup."

Paul chuckled as he began to dig into his food. "Nah sat at home and watched the game that I recorded and ate my weight in hot wings and breadsticks."

The laughter echoed the table once more as the others joined the table. Felix smacked Paul in the back as he passed as he too did the same thing except he had pizza and Doritos. It was good to just relax after a long shift.

Bella groaned to hide her smile. "I went home for dinner, the questionings and interrogation; even off duty he can't stop being a cop. Rose and I were nearly at our wit's end by the time it was time to go home."

"The usual questions?" Jane asked with a grin.

"Yes, do I have any young man in my life? Do I plan to have one anytime soon, why am I still a firefighter when I could be a cop... for Rose and Emmett it was about Grandkids and so on so forth." Bella said with a roll of her eyes as she aggressively cut into the chicken, making sure not to look at Peter who she could see was smirking in the corner of her eyes.

The boys chuckled along with Jane, it was a long standing amusement for them all and the complaints their Lieutenant always give after the family dinner every couple of weeks or so. They've even had the pleasure of seeing such exchanges and it was a never ending supply of blackmail they had. She teased them consistently and they had enough to return the sentiments.

"Eleazar, how were your three days?" Bella asked as she changed the conversation, casting her eyes to the usually silent man at the opposite small table.

"Carmen and I spent our time on a hike in the Olympic Peninsula and to the Olympic Hot Springs. We saw Garrett." Eleazar explained his eyes flickering to each face of the house. Bella and Demetri sat forward with a hopeful expression; they had not seen Garrett since he was injured after the accident with Kate five years ago.

"How is he?" Demetri asked.

A sigh escaped Eleazar's mouth as the thought of his daughter and Garrett came to mind but he smiled nevertheless. "He's doing well, he moved back to Massachusetts after his… attempt. He's a Fire Marshal now and has got a newborn daughter; he named her Katelyn… excuse me."

Everyone watched as Eleazar got to his feet and made his way towards the sleeping quarters, the others were glad of course of the news but sometimes they forget that Eleazar lost a daughter too.

"Is he okay?" Peter asked turning his eyes to Bella who was frowning down at her food. "Who's Garrett?"

Ben turned to Peter, his face grim, and began to explain Garrett in a whisper. "Garrett Nomad was a member of Firehouse 10, he, Bella and Demetri were part of the same graduating class and he was married to Eleazar's daughter Kate. There was a fire in their apartment building from a gas explosion in the restaurant next door, Garrett was thrown back and was knocked unconscious... Kate died in the fire."

"We don't talk about it." Afton explained from the other side of Peter in just a murmur.

The rest of their meal was in silence, everyone was glad to hear of Garrett but it brought back bad memories, memories that several of their firehouse family members wish to forget. This was of course before they were all working together, working their way up the ladder so to speak and all Candidates themselves.

Garrett made a year as a firefighter before the accident.

"Bells, Emmett is here." Jared stated as he cast a look out down into where the trucks were. "He brought that brother of yours as well Candidate."

Bella and Peter frowned at one another as they stood and moved towards the door that lead down into the garage. Both Jasper and Emmett were on shift, why on earth would they be here?

"Em," Bella greeted with question inflected in her voice.

Emmett grinned at his sister but Bella could tell there was something wrong. "We need to speak to Chief Volturi, Bells."

"He's in his office," Bella said as she pointed in the way they needed to go, not that she had to as Emmett had been there plenty of times before. She and Peter watched as Jasper and Emmett made their way inside, if they were both here then something was serious.

JxB

"Bells," Emmett greeted as he and Jasper stepped into the rec room, his smile wide. "Tell me you got food I can steal."

"Get your own food Swan," Paul called over his shoulder from the couch.

Bella pulled Emmett to the side of the room, casting a glance to see if they were out of earshot and whirled around on her brother with a glare. "What did you need to speak to the Chief about?"

"You know I can't tell you that, Bells," Emmett replied sharply giving his sister a pointed look.

She knew that, of course, but there was something that nagged at her about this, it wasn't often her brother needed to speak to her Chief and usually it was because of an investigation about an arson, an arrest of a fire house member and along the lines of those things. "Emmett." She warned.

"Stop, Bells, dammit. You need to stay out of it, please." Emmett was urgent, his eyes wide and wild with panic. "It's bad enough that there is someone out there gunning for Fire Fighters, I don't need you to go out and get yourself involved with this."

Realisation struck her as she caught what her brother was telling her, there was only one thing he could be referencing to and it would be the deaths of her friends and colleges... not only that, he had subtly told her that he was investigating all of the Fire House deaths. She stumbled back in shock, her back hitting the wall as she covered her mouth with her hand, never taking her eyes off her brother who was staring at her intensely.

"All?" She asked, needing it to be confirmed and letting out a curse when he nodded sharply. "Well fuck."

"I'll keep you informed if I must Bells, but keep safe, okay? We don't know why they're doing this but the Chiefs and a few others think it is all connected…" Emmett trailed off as his phone began to ring. "I gotta take this, come to dinner tonight; Rosie is making pulled pork burgers."

He left before getting her reply or before she could take in what the fuck actually just happened. Her eyes slipped close for a moment as she gathered her thoughts only to snap them open as she felt a hand brush against hers and the warmth of a body to her right.

"You okay, Darlin'?" Jasper asked softly as he leant against the wall and looked down the hall Emmett vacated to, watching his partner pace back and forth. He has heard of Emmett being described as a bear, his physique worked to that image but Jasper could only ever see a tiger… Emmett was cunning behind the cheery grin he always had, he hid his intelligence behind jokes but Emmett was very much like his sister in regards to everything; he just hid it better.

"I'm fine," Bella replied catching the thoughtful look on Jasper's face and the grin.

"Want to get lunch with me tomorrow if you're free?" He asked while curling his fingers around her own for a split second.

A grin pulled at her lips. "I'd like nothing more."

Author Note: Look another chapter!