Lost

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thanks for the kind reviews!

Chapter Seven

Charlie woke up the next morning feeling rested. He grabbed his watch and looked at the time. He had slept for over ten hours. He hastily got off the bed to check on Bella. Well that was a surprise. He saw Jacob lying next to his daughter, cradling her against his chest. Charlie met Jacob's eyes. He wasn't angry about seeing his daughter cuddled up to his best friend's son. How could he? Bella looked peaceful. After dealing with her nightmares the previous day, he was grateful that she was finding rest now.

"Thank you." He said quietly so only Jacob could hear.

Jacob just nodded. He had been up all night. He may be a powerful wolf but he still needed sleep. It was morning now and felt it was safe enough for him to take a nap.

"I'll head out and get us some breakfast." Charlie gazed at his daughter one last time before he left.

Jacob was glad that Charlie was dealing with it so well. He hadn't really expected Bella's father to kick off. He knew that Charlie knew how traumatised Bella was, although the older man had no idea of the true cause. Jacob's brow furrowed as he thought about what he had read in Carlisle's journal. Just thinking about it again made his blood boil. The vamp doctor was like Frankenstein. His experiments were sick and twisted. So much for finding sleep! His brain was too active. Jacob sighed. He shifted slightly so he could look at Bella. She had her fingers splayed across his heart. Her hair was like a satin pillow as it fanned around her head. But it was her sweet face that caught his attention the most. She was so thin. Her complexion was completely white, her skin translucent. Jacob dared to touch her cheek. Blood suddenly pooled in her face and it came alive. She looked like she was blushing. How odd? He pulled his hand away and watched. The colour blooming in her cheek began to fade. He touched it again. The same thing happened. How bizarre?

Bella was beginning to stir. Her eyes fluttered open slowly. At first Jacob noticed a sliver of fear cross her face before she finally focused on him. "It wasn't a dream." She said in wonder as she stared at him.

"No." Jacob was too caught up in the intensity of the moment to form a proper sentence. His breathing became shallow. What was wrong with him?

The door to the room was suddenly thrust open as Charlie strode into the room. Jacob, startled, rolled off the bed and onto his feet. Charlie pretended not to notice his flushed face. He hid his smile as he dumped the takeout on the small table and shrugged off his thick coat. "It's fresh out there." He announced cheerfully. He looked at his daughter. She was sitting up now. She still looked wan but the dark circles under her eyes had lightened now she had actually enjoyed a good night's sleep. "I couldn't get any cereal or anything I'm afraid, kiddo. So it's a choice of scrambled egg, toast or a full cooked breakfast."

Bella's stomach churned at the thought of eating. The smell was already making her feel sick. "I'm not very hungry." She said softly. Charlie's face fell instantly. Bella felt guilty. She felt a lump lodge in her throat. "I might try some of the scrambled egg though."

Charlie's expression lightened. "That's my girl." He quickly divided the food up and placed a small amount on Bella's paper plate. He passed it to her along with a Styrofoam cup of steaming coffee. "No sugar just the way you like it." Charlie sounded so proud that he had remembered such a small thing that Bella felt even more ashamed. For him she would make a special effort to eat. At least Charlie and Jacob didn't watch her like a hawk unlike Edward. Thinking about her husband made nausea well in her throat. He was out there somewhere biding his time she was sure of it.

Jacob placed a call to his dad to let Billy know the time of his return flight. His father was staying with the Clearwater's while he was away. It was Seth who answered the phone. Unlike the rest of the pack Seth had always liked Bella. He was an open minded kid. He had even championed Edward at one point. He had struck up an odd sort of friendship with the leech after they fought Victoria together during the newborn battle. Seth had been the only pack member invited to the infamous wedding. Jacob wondered how Seth would feel once he found out the truth about Edward Cullen.

"Did you find Bella?" Seth asked after getting the greetings out of the way.

"Yes, I did." Jacob replied curtly. He really didn't want to go into details with the young shifter. Anything he said would eventually be broadcast to Sam Uley. Jacob wanted to be the one who spoke to Sam directly rather than him getting information second hand.

There was a slight pause from Seth. "It must have been hard on you, Jake. Seeing her like that."

Jacob didn't understand what Seth was intimating. It took him a few seconds to catch up. "Bella is not one of them." He said grimly.

"But I thought…" Seth sounded confused.

"Can I speak to my dad, please?" Jacob interrupted him.

"Oh…okay. Hang on." Seth drifted away.

A few minutes later Billy was on the line. "Thank god. I have been worried sick." He chided Jacob.

"I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to call before." Jacob apologised. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good. Sue has been fussing over me. I'd forgotten what it was like to have a good woman taking care of me." Billy fell silent for a beat. Jacob guessed he was thinking about Sarah. "How are you son? Are you good?" He continued eventually.

"Yeah, I'm good." Jacob took a deep breath. It was now or never. He had to tell Billy that it wasn't going to be just him and Charlie coming back to Forks. "We found Bella."

"What?" Billy was startled.

"I can't go into details, dad." Jacob said before his father had a chance to start firing questions at him. "All I can say is that she's not one of them. But she's been through a rough time. We're bringing her home."

"Bella is coming back here." Billy was aghast. "What happened? I don't…"

"Dad I can't say too much. I'm sorry. I'll tell you the full story when I get home."

"When will that be?"

"Our plane will touch down in Seattle about ten on Tuesday night. We'll be staying in a motel then driving back the next day." Jacob revealed.

"This is huge, Jake." Billy shook his head in disbelief. "How's the old man?" He asked referring to Charlie.

"Relieved that he's got his daughter back." Jacob replied. "As am I."

Those last few words were telling. Billy sighed. His son was already getting too involved again. But he could hardly lecture him over a phone line. "Do you want me to warn Sam?" He checked.

"I wouldn't bother. Seth will let it slip. I'll deal with Uley when I get back. I have to go. Bye dad."

"Goodbye son. Just be careful." Billy warned him.

"Always." Jacob promised before he ended the call.

Bella broke out into a cold sweat as soon as she finished eating. It was no more than she expected. She felt miserable as Charlie's shirt clung to her skin. She had no clothes other than the soiled ones she had worn when Jacob rescued her. She felt mortified. She was going to have to ask Charlie to get her some clothes, not just outerwear but underwear too. Jacob was still gone. Bella wished he was there, she would find it easier to ask him. But after everything she had been through asking Charlie should be simple. Oh, god!

"Dad, I need to take a shower."

"Go for it, Bells." Charlie smiled. He was reading a newspaper, his feet propped up on the small table in front of him.

"I will." Perspiration beaded on Bella's brow. She was really going to have to say it, wasn't she? No subtle hint would work on Charlie. "Dad…I…I don't have a change of clothes with me. I need….um….um….other things."

Charlie lowered his paper as he looked at his daughter, perplexed. "What other things?"

"I can't go commando." Bella dropped her heaviest hint yet. "It might be alright for Jake, but not for me." Surely he would understand now.

"Commando?" Charlie rustled his paper as he began to fold it in half. He sat forward in his chair. "I suppose Jake is built like one but you're too weak to exercise like that, kiddo. Take one day at a time."

Bella pressed her lips together. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This conversation was so absurd it was mortifying. She was just going to have to be blunt. "Dad, I need…"

The door opened and Jacob came in. Father and daughter jumped at his abrupt entrance. "For goodness sake, Jake." Charlie put his hand over his racing heart.

"Sorry." Jacob shrugged. He looked at Bella. The blood had rushed to her face again at his sudden entrance. It gave her skin some colour. It made her look like she was blushing. He smiled at her. "I've got you something." He passed her a brown paper bag.

"Thank you." Bella's head was spinning. Perspiration coated her skin. She could feel herself getting groggy. Her emotions were overwhelming her again. She worried that she might pass out. Instead she focused on the bag. She opened it up, feeling Charlie's eyes on her as his curiosity was piqued too. Bella pulled out a pair of jeans, a thick sweater, two pairs of panties and a bra. She felt faint as she arranged them on the bed in front of her. She saw Charlie's eyes zero in on the underwear as comprehension finally dawned on him. He began to cough as he tried to hide his mortification.

"I think they're the right size." Jacob was totally nonchalant about it. "The woman in the store helped me pick them out." He grinned as Bella's eyes met his. "I know you don't like going commando. That's my thing."

Charlie's skin reddened as he finally understood what Bella meant by commando. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm just gonna…um…get some air." He grabbed his jacket and headed outside.

As soon as the door closed Jacob and Bella began to laugh. She fell back against her heaped up pillows and giggled. She hadn't laughed for a whole year and a half. It was an odd feeling. It started in her stomach and bubbled in her throat. She rolled onto her side as tears welled in her eyes. "I shouldn't…but I can't help it." She wheezed.

"Charlie will get over it." Jacob chuckled. Just for a few moments it was like they were Jake and Bells again.

In the end it all became too much for Bella. Her chaotic emotions ranging from sadness to mortification to laughter sent her under. She blacked out, slumping on the bed as if she had been sucker punched. Jacob's laughter died as he was reminded of the gravity of the situation. He hurried to her side, checking her over frantically for any signs of injury or illness. But he couldn't find any. It was like she had fallen asleep. His breath caught in his throat as he gently rearranged Bella on the bed so she was more comfortable before packing the clothes away. Jacob then pulled up a chair and sat down.

"I'm sorry, Bells." He murmured. "I am so sorry."

They had one more day to get through until the return flight. They had spent their time mostly inside. Bella ventured out for a little while, but her exhaustion soon had her heading back inside. Her latest blackout had weakened her considerably. She could see that Charlie and Jacob were getting very worried about her. Bella hated putting them through this. Once again she was causing trouble. She hated herself for it. But what else could she do. She kept her own worries to herself. Carlisle and Edward were out there. She could feel their presence. It was odd but she just knew they were being watched. Jacob knew too. He was very tense. He hadn't been sleeping much, only ten minutes at a time during the day. At night he was at his most vigilant. Bella wished she could talk about it with Jacob, but there wasn't much chance with Charlie in the room. Bella wasn't certain how much her father knew about anything.

Night drew in. They would be leaving in the early hours of the morning and heading to the airport to catch their flight. The time couldn't come soon enough. Charlie was asleep on the twin bed. Bella was in the other. Jacob was outside, keeping watch. The temperature outside was frigid but it had no effect on him. The sky was dark, only a few stars managed to pierce the thick cloud cover. His breath fogged in the air in front of him every time he breathed. It reminded him of the many nights he used to stand guard outside Bella's house in the lead up to the newborn battle. At least then he had his brothers to back him up, but here he was in unfamiliar territory and felt exposed. He scanned the immediate area keenly. Everything was quiet, too quiet. It was like the silence before the storm. Something was building up he could feel it. He was surprised that the bloodsuckers hadn't made a move already. But perhaps they were trying to wear him down by biding their time. Well they didn't have long left. In a few short hours they would be leaving Anchorage for good.

The door to their lodgings cracked open and a thin ray of light lit up the darkness. Jacob turned as Bella shuffled outside. "You should be resting."

"I can't sleep." Bella smiled wearily at the irony. Normally she did nothing but sleep, but the heightened tension was even piercing her exhaustion.

"It's cold out here, Bells. You should stay inside." Jacob motioned for her to go back in.

"Can I stay with you just for a minute?" Bella pleaded. "I'll tuck myself under your arm. You're like your own sun."

Jacob couldn't help but smile. It wasn't the first time she had called him that. "I'm glad that I'm useful for something." He held out his arm and Bella ducked underneath and snuggled into his side.

"Where have all the stars gone?" Bella asked as she gazed up at the heavens.

"They're resting just like you should be." Jacob replied in amusement.

"I do nothing but sleep." Bella lowered her gaze to the ground. Her memories of her time with the Cullens were fragmented and hazy. Sometimes she felt like she was going crazy. "What happened to me, Jake?" She said suddenly taking him by surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"I never used to be this person." Bella didn't seem to expect an answer. She continued to ramble. "When I moved to Forks and first lived with dad I was an independent person. I knew my own mind. Where did that girl go?"

Jacob vividly recalled his first encounter with Bella when she had first come back to Forks. He had been captivated even then. He remembered his excitement when Billy told him that Charlie's daughter was coming to stay permanently. He had never forgotten the pale girl with the sparkling brown eyes who used to play with him during the summer break when she came to visit her dad. In her seventeenth year she was older, more beautiful then he remembered. He was fifteen and still finding his feet around girls. But once he laid eyes on her he never saw anyone else. She was bright, funny and yes, fiercely independent. Billy had brought the old Chevy over to Forks so Charlie could give Bella her homecoming present. Jacob had spent hours fixing the old monster up. The time had been worth it when he watched the ray of happiness cross Bella's face at the sight of the old monster. She loved that truck so much.

Bella was still talking, as if lost in the past. "I keep trying to pinpoint the moment that she disappeared and you know what I simply can't remember. I think it was a gradual thing." She sighed, reaching out to loop a lock of hair behind her ear. "I want to find that girl again."

"You will, Bells." Jacob said earnestly.

"My Jacob." Bella smiled tiredly as she suppressed a yawn. It was catching up with her now. "I suppose I better go to bed." She said reluctantly.

"Night, Bells."

"Night." Bella slipped out from under his arm and went back inside.

It was nearly four in the morning when Carlisle Cullen finally made his move. Jacob had sensed something would go down but he didn't expect the coven leader to saunter confidently out of the darkness, bold as you like. He was alone. Edward Cullen was nowhere in sight. Jacob got ready to phase. Edward was probably hiding in the shadows like the coward he was while Carlisle was there to distract him.

"I come in peace." Carlisle held up his hands as he approached. "You cannot phase Jacob Black. You would only expose yourself. People are stirring already. You can hear them."

Jacob scowled. Carlisle Cullen was right. God, he wanted to rip the bastards head from his shoulders. He couldn't believe the vamp doctor's audacity. "I don't give a shit right now. If it means I get to tear your sick head from your shoulders it will be worth it."

"Your anger is understandable." Carlisle said easily as if he was just enjoying a pleasant chat with a friend. "You are protecting Bella. Or at least think you are. But in reality all you are doing is hurting her. She is ill, Jacob Black. Dangerously ill. Whatever she has told you is a lie." His blonde hair rippled gently in the wind. His expression was open. Sincerity dripped from his tongue. Only Jacob knew how poisonous his words could be.

"Bella has told me nothing." Jacob countered sharply. "Whatever sick experiments you've been performing on her have wiped her memory. You are an evil scumbag. You will pay for what you've done to her."

Carlisle's expression didn't waver. "I have done nothing but try my best to cure Bella of what ails her. Her condition is delicate. Each moment that she remains untreated is detrimental to her health. I don't know why you are under the allusion that I have been performing experiments on her. I am a doctor. I took a scared oath to heal not harm."

"Bullshit." Jacob snarled. The sky was getting lighter. Soon the sun would be up, so would Charlie and Bella. Jacob could hear other people inside the lodgings beginning to stir. Carlisle was a crafty bastard for confronting him here in full view of others. Jacob pulled the notebook out of his back pocket and waved it in the air. "This says otherwise."

For the first time a wave of emotion crossed the vamp leader's face. "Whatever is in there is false." He denied vociferously.

"It is all documented in your own hand." Jacob challenged him. "I know about the experiments you've been performing. I know you stole my blood and Ephraim Black's too."

"You have it all wrong." Carlisle insisted.

"Bella wasn't the first; you experimented on the little seer too." Jacob snapped. He was getting angrier with each passing second. He was having difficulty fighting the wolf inside him. His counterpart was screaming for the kill. Jacob wanted to give in but he couldn't with too many witnesses around him.

Carlisle's posture relaxed completely. "Ah I see. Alice gave you the notebook. She was the one who took Bella away from us." He nodded wisely as if it was all making sense now. Jacob frowned, wondering what bullshit story the vamp would concoct next. He didn't have long to wait. Carlisle emitted a weary sigh. "Poor Alice, she does suffer so." He schooled his handsome features into an expression of deep sorrow. "Let me tell you about Alice. She was born in 1901 into a middle class home in Biloxi, Mississippi. Her parents were simple folk; her father was a jeweller and pearl trader. He travelled often. Her mother stayed at home to care for Alice and her younger sister."

"I don't have time to listen to this bullshit." Jacob interrupted him.

"Oh you do." Carlisle insisted. He was closer now. Jacob's nose wrinkled as his sickeningly sweet scent wafted over him. "You need to understand about Alice." He began to speak faster, more urgently. "Alice was prone to having premonitions of the future as a child. Though she rarely spoke about her power, people in town talked a lot about her through her adolescent years. On two occasions she tried to warn a friend and one of her cousins about her predictions. They refused to listen. When the predictions came true she was branded a witch and was blamed for cursing them."

"So?" Jacob spat sarcastically. He wished he had a lighter on him. He would get pleasure out of seeing Carlisle burn into a pile of ashes.

"Alice had a horrifying vision of her mother being murdered. She told her father who refused to listen, so he silenced her. Months later her prediction came true. Her father remarried quickly. He was the real killer. To cover his tracks her father had Alice declared insane and she was incarcerated in a mental asylum two counties away."

It was a horrifying story and Jacob found himself drawn in despite his hatred of Carlisle.

"She endured some vicious treatments while inside. Her head was shaved. She endured electroshock therapy which rendered her completely mad. Then she encountered James."

"The same vamp that bit Bella." Jacob's fists clenched.

"Yes, he was the one who turned her. Once she was a vampire her madness only intensified along with her psychic powers. I came across her a few years later; she was a wretched little creature. But I am a doctor. I knew I could heal her enough to make her second shot at existing worthwhile. It worked to an extent. She was always particularly close to Edward. His mind reading ability bonded them. I think when Bella came into his life she became increasingly jealous of her. Bella was everything she wanted to be but couldn't. Alice is insane. She has set me up, she has set you up and Edward, too. In doing so she has put Bella's life at risk."

The sun was rising now. The faint rays lit up Carlisle's face and his skin began to sparkle. "I cannot stay here much longer. But I had to risk it and tell you what I know. You are not a fool Jacob Black. I am not your enemy. Edward loves his wife. He would and has done everything to protect her. He will continue to do so as will I. You can take Bella back to Forks but be assured we will follow. I am the only one who can help her." Carlisle finished earnestly.

The door handle rattled. Jacob could hear Charlie calling his name. It was time to leave. The door opened and Charlie emerged. "It's time." He stopped speaking when he saw the angry expression on Jacob's face. "What's wrong?"

Jacob whipped around to face Carlisle. But as he expected the vamp doctor was nowhere to be seen. "We have to get out of here, Charlie. Now." Jacob said abruptly as he ran back inside to wake Bella and collect their belongings.

A/N-thanks for reading!