Chapter 11: Lost & Found

Disclaimer- Please excuse any typos, grammar errors, spelling errors, etc.

The club was crawling with people, but I didn't expect anything less on a Friday night, this was the hottest club in Seattle, and the search for Bella was that much harder.

"Any sign of her?" I asked immediately, finally locating Jessica and Angela, as I pushed through a sea of people. Nervous twin expressions on their faces.

"I'm glad you're here," Angela said, wiping a few tears off of her face. I gave her a small reassuring smile.

"And you are?" The British fuck asked, looking me up and down. I immediately noticed, this fucker from outside Bella's school. I wasn't in the damn mood for this shit, not when Bella's life was on the damn line.

"I don't see how that's any of your business?" I countered, annoyed.

"Edward Cullen, this is Jacob Black. Jacob Black this is Edward Cullen." Jessica said quickly. "He's helping us find, Bella." She added.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, can we look for Bella?" I hissed sarcastically.

"Let me get this straight you called some random person to help search for Bella?" He asked still sizing me up.

I moved a few inches closer to him, obviously the having the height advantage over him. "Trust me, I'm not a random. Bella happens to know me really well." I said with venom, exaggerating the word. Edward rolled his eyes, and his knuckles clenched and unclenched at his sides.

"What exactly are you suggesting, because I happen to know Bella doesn't deal with low lives such as yourself." He smirked.

I was two seconds away from kicking the shit out of this smug little bastard. He didn't know shit about me, but he looked down on me from his invisible high horse.

"Don't be mad Eddie, that I've probably gotten closer to Bella than you ever will." I smirked in response, the smirk on his face immediately disappeared; and a little part of me cheered in triumph.

That statement boiled his blood obviously, I could tell he had a thing for Bella, and another man getting close to her, made him incredibly angry.

"Look we don't have time for this, we're wasting precious time." Angela shouted. "We all need to search for Bella."

"I agree," I said giving Edward a death stare. "If you're fucking done trying to pick a fight with me you prick, I'll deal with your ass later."

"I look forward to it." Edward sneered. "My apologies, Bella should be the main focus."

"We should have never talked Bella into coming here," Jessica said hopelessly, running a trembling hand through her hair.

I laid a hand on Jessica's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. Its not your fault, its those fuckers that went off with her, we're going to find her." I said hopefully, trying to convince them as well as myself. "We're going to find her."

"Did you see the guys she went off with?" I asked spotting my brothers coming through the door. The air shifted when they walked in, everyone seemed to turn around staring at them, as they walked in perfect sync. The crowd parted for them as I waved them over and they headed our way. I felt a little relieved we definitely could use the extra help.

They shook their heads. "Not good, its really dark in here. I just know one had blonde hair the other had red hair. I think. She didn't exactly introduce us."

"That's good enough, any little bit helps." I said looking out for the guys who potentially took Bella. "Thanks for coming guys." I said once the guys were in earshot.

"No problem." Seth said.

"Now we need to get a move on, the club is becoming more crowded, making it all that harder to find her."

"Who the hell put you in charge?"

"Edward, shut the fuck up." Angela said, her cheeks turning slightly red. I didn't know Angela too well, but I could tell she hardly ever used that kind of language. If I wasn't so focused I would have laughed.

"Thank you, now if there won't be any more interruptions maybe we can put a fucking plan into motion." I said eying Edward.

We talked about a plan, and we all took action immediately.

"Ask around maybe someone saw her, we don't leave this fucking club until we've found her, everyone go!" I demanded and we all split up.

Searching the club was harder than it seemed, even with the added help. I was constantly pushing people out of the way. We searched for what seemed like hours for Bella, and then double checked. She clearly wasn't at the club, everyone came up empty. We were just wasting precious time. I was becoming more discouraged, as butterflies assaulted my stomach thinking the worst about what might have happened. Angela and Jessica had a few recent pictures of Bella, that were used in the search, as we went around asking people had they seen her, but no one had.

Fuck.

I hadn't cared this much about a person, in years, I hoped Bella was alright. I kept sending up my prayers, hoping that someone up beyond the sky was looking out for her. I had to keep going, I wasn't going to give up until she was found.

Her phone must have been turned off, or dead, because it went to voice-mail every time. I would do anything to look in those warm chocolate brown pools of hers again. I was determined not to give up, but as the minutes crawled forward, the more worried I became.

We decided to take our search to out the city, we had no other choice. Jessica and Angela volunteered to check to see if she went to visit her grandmother who was due for surgery in a few days. She might want a quick visit with her, before she went under the knife. The guys went to go search random spots around town, looking for any sign of her, taking her picture just in case someone had spotted her. It took a lot of convincing but Dickward opted to stay at the club just in case she turned up there. And I made my way over to search around Bella's house.

I had only been to Bella's a few times, but I remembered exactly where it was. I had to stop myself from driving to see her many times.

I scanned the outside area, it was too dark to see from inside of the car. The street offered little illumination. I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, my frustration getting the better of me. I needed to calm down, I was going to find her. A glimmer of something reflective caught my eye, out of my peripheral. I took a few breaths, before parking the car in front of Bella's apartment that she shared with Angela and Jessica, to do a more thorough search.

When I came across the object that had caught my eye in the car. I bent down and picked it up. A lone sequin pink women's size seven, Chuck Taylor converse. It had to be Bella's. Not only did she have an obsession with everything pink, she normally opted out of wearing heels. This was a good sign, maybe she wasn't hurt at all, if she found her way home she was probably all right, I hoped. The shoe still felt relatively warm, was Bella inside the apartment?

Climbing the flights of stairs to Bella's apartment, two pairs of eyes startled me, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Bella?" I called, hopefully.

No answer.

I moved closer to the figure, and caught a whiff of that strawberry honey scent that I hadn't smelled in so long, that I never thought I would smell again. That simple smell ignited things in me that I never thought possible.

"Bella? Are you alright are you hurt. Everyone is worried about you, looking for you."

Still no answer.

"Maybe we should get you to the hospital, get you looked at?"

"She's dead Jake, she's dead. The surgery is in two days, and she's dead."

I didn't know what to say, I was speechless for several moments. "Honey, I'm sorry."

"I was out partying, and my grandmother was dying, its all my fault."

I moved closer to her, sitting a few inches away from her. "Its not your fault Bella-"

"Yes it is!" She snapped. "Why are you even here, Jacob? I'm sure you have one of your random sluts to fuck." She spat.

"They don't matter to me, but you do, that's why I'm here."

"Like hell they don't. What happened with the blonde chick with the lopsided boobs you were groping when I came into your office?"

"If you would have given me a chance to explain, she doesn't mean shit to me. She came on to me, practically raping me with her forcefulness."

"No one means anything to you, but you! You don't see anyone over that gigantic ego of yours! Adll that matters to you is you. Don't you care that you hurt women's feelings? They're human beings with feelings, and they don't deserve to be treated like trash."

I wasn't going to fight with her, I knew she needed to take her frustrations out on someone, and I didn't mind if it was me.

"You're right, everything you said is true."

"So what have you been doing since the last time I seen you in your office, let me guess fucking more randoms?"

I couldn't even answer.

"I fucking knew it." She was quiet for a moment. "Can I ask something?"

I was kind of scared, but I agreed anyway. "Sure, sure."

"Why did you pay for my grandmothers surgery was it because you wanted to get in my pants, or did you really care for one second about someone other than you?"

"Bella, I-"

"No bullshit Jacob! I want the truth."

"At first, but Bell-"

I felt a slap across my face. "How dare you use my grandmother to try to take my virginity! Its your fault she's gone, its all your fault." Bella was on the brink of hysteria, and I knew it was just because she was hurting.

"I know you're hurting, Bella." I said putting my arms around her. "But its no one's fault, everyone has to die at some point honey,"

"Get your hands off of me," She said pushing me away, but I didn't let up, I knew she needed someone to lean on, and I would be that person for her.

"Jacob leave me alone." And then she collapsed, finally giving up the fight, leaning into my embrace.

I soothed her, while silently rubbing her hair. "I know what you're going through Bella. Believe me I do. I lost my mom at such a young age, and taking the responsibility of someone in a wheelchair wasn't easy. Especially once my sisters left, and I had to grow up fast and do everything. Cook, clean, drive, I had to get two jobs to pay the bills that dad couldn't afford from his disability check. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love so much. But she's in a better place, she doesn't have to suffer anymore. And I bet my mom is taking good care of her, teaching her the ropes of heaven. She's looking down on you, honey. They're both looking down on us. You took good care of her, and she loved you, and if she could, I bet she would thank you for loving her so much, and always being there for her."

Rain started pouring down soaking us to the brim, while I held Bella until her sobs melted into soft hiccups.

"Thank you." She said pulling back, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. "I know you have much better things to do than console me, and listen to my problems, like fuck a random girl." She said sarcastically.

"They don't mean anything to me, Bella."

"Right, no one means anything to you."

"You do, you mean something to me."

"Yeah right."

"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. I haven't been able to get you out of my head, its been driving me crazy, not being able to see you."

"If you really wanted to see me you would have found a way."

"You weren't answering my phone calls, or responding to me."

"There are other ways of communication, Mr. Black."

"Are we back to that?"

She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Were you hurt tonight? After you disappeared?" I asked.

"Disappeared?" Her face bunched up in confusion.

"Yeah, we've been looking all over the city for you. Angela, Jessica, Edward, my brothers from the shop, the whole city of Seattle."

Her eyes turned into saucers. "Really?"

I nodded. "Angela and Jessica said you were really drunk and left with two boys."

She laughed gently. "I was slightly tipsy, but I drunk water in between drinks, so I wouldn't get too messed up." She laughed. "It may sound lame, like a stick in the mud, but I have to make sure nothing crazy happens to me."

"You being a stick in the mud is one of your best qualities."

"Thanks… I think." She paused. "Anyway, I know James and John from school, they're twins. When I got the call about my grandmother, they offered to drive me to see her, since my car is unreliable, but I turned them down. They walked me to my car, so they could make sure nothing happened to me, they even followed me home, because they were worried I might have had too much to drink. They actually took really good care of me."

"That's good," I said relieved. "I'm glad. Why didn't you let anyone know?"

"I was too numb to do anything. I was too scared to see her. I don't want to remember her like that, with no soul in her body, I want to remember her full of life. So I've been here every since just thinking."

"Why haven't been answering our phone calls?"

"I was so angry, I cut it off. I was so damn angry, at everyone. I would have told Jessica and Angela about my grandmother, but they were too wrapped up in a group of guys to pay me any attention. I couldn't even find them when I was leaving, because we got separated. But obviously they must have spotted me leaving with the twins. I couldn't really think logically after I got the call from the nurse. My grandmother meant everything to me. I haven't even called my dad yet. I've needed times to think, and process everything."

"So are you sure you're alright?" I asked for clarification, my eyes raking over her to make sure.

"I' m sure, I'm okay physically." She reassured.

"We were really worried about you."

"Yeah Jacob, I'm sure you were really worried." She rolled her eyes.

"I was, Bella."

"Why?"

"Because, I care about you. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"You caring about someone else, I find that hard to believe."

"Well it's the truth."

"If it really is you need to show me. You just can't say you care and then tomorrow disappear on me, like I told you, you have to work for me. I'm still making you work for me."

"Fair enough. So are you saying I still have a chance with you?"

"If you play your cards right, and if you drop this ridiculous charade to get in my pants, its not going to happen, until you treat me properly."

"You're kind of fucking amazing, Bells." I said moving her soaked hair out of her face.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Jacob. I guess I need to call up Angela, Jessica, and I'm sure they've called Charlie by now, he's probably freaking out, I bet he's driving here as we speak to try to save the day. I never meant for things to get so complicated."

"I guess its a good thing that you have friends who would turn the whole city upside down to look for their best friend."

She smiled. "I guess so, and I guess-I have you too."

I smiled. "I need to call the guys to call down the search, and tell that British Fucker too."

She chuckled. "Edward?"

I nodded. "He has a thing for you, you know."

"No way. We're just friends."

"Does he know that?"

"Well I would hope so, I would never date Edward, yuck. I see him as more of a brother."

"What do you see me as?"

"Nothing."

"Well that hurts my ego."

"I didn't mean it like that- but it wouldn't hurt your ego to be bruised a few times."

"Bella?"

"Mr. Black?"

"You're a piece of work." I said.

She shrugged."And I like it that way. Like I said, you have your work cut out for you. Papa didn't raise no fool."

I chuckled. "You know, I'm really sorry about your grandmother."

She searched my face for a few minutes. "Thanks, but like you said she's in a better place now. I'd like to go visit her tomorrow, but I'm so scared."

I stilled her shaking hands. "I can go with you, if you want."

"No, Jacob. I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask. I'd like to say goodbye to her too, I had gotten quite fond of her."

"At least you can get the money back you were going to use to pay for her surgery."

"No Bella, I don't want that money. Its yours to do whatever you want with it."

"Thank you. I want to give her the proper home going she deserves, I could never do that on my meager salary."

Things turned silent for a moment. The rain had started to slack up, suddenly Bella stood.

"I better be going inside now, I'm kind of soaking wet."

"I like the sound of that."

She hit me in the stomach. "Sorry? Old habits die hard?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you going to invite me in? You know to get dry?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Well I suppose it is the least I can do since you did have the entire population of Seattle looking for me."

I smiled. "Yes, it is the least you can do."

"Come on in Mr. Black."

"Thank you Ms. Swan," I said making my way into the apartment.