Reservations: A Twilight Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own Stephanie Meyers 'Twilight'. If I did, there's just so much that would be different. Hell, I may have even incorporated zombies into the mix. Why not, aye?
Carter was very hesitant about walking out of Jacob's room, let alone Billy's house. Of course, having the absolute shit scared out of her by Sam, she had legged it to the only place she could think of. As much as she loved Paul, if he was in any kind of mood like Sam's, she didn't want to be near him so Billy's seemed like the logical place to go. The older Black was understanding of her situation, and though he may not have agreed with every decision she'd ever made, he was level-headed and saw it from her perspective, acknowledging her thoughts and feelings in any given moment. It didn't hurt that he also knew of her fears about Paul 'reprinting' (as she'd jokingly dubbed it) on Rachael.
"You're going to have to come out some day Carter. It's better to face the situation now."
"Billy, you didn't hear Sam last night." Billy had been more than a little shocked when Carter had turned up at his door, banging on it frantically and practically diving for both him and his son the night before. Jacob, not having phased yet, was completely confused and anticipating the story behind Carter's late night visit before being promptly excused from the dining room by his father as she proceeded to explain exactly what had gone on.
"How about you have a bath and we'll talk about this over breakfast then?" He offered. She cracked the door open and looked at him. Her eyes were still puffy and red and he could see that she didn't sleep all too well the night before.
"Really?"
"Really." She nodded, opening the door and praying that none of the Pack were waiting to snatch her from the house. Billy wheeled away, waiting patiently as Jacob assisted him with making some food.
"Dad?" Billy sighed, knowing his son had eavesdropped on their conversation.
"What is it son?" Not paying particular attention to his son, hoping to play it all off as nothing.
"What did Sam do to her?"
"He didn't do anything. This is all just a big misunderstanding." Billy told him. Jacob hit the kitchen bench, his back to his father. He had all of Billy's attention now.
"I'm not stupid Dad." Jacobs fists were clenched and his head was lowered. The boy had been harbouring a grudge against the Uley man since his best friends up and left him to join his gang. "I was there, I let her in and she was not alright. I heard you two talking and that man is involved with this. What did he do to Carter?" Billy was watching his son's movements like a hawk.
"Jacob, calm down." His son chose to ignore him. "Jacob! Look at me." Jacob turned around, anger evident on his face. "I know you don't want to hear this, but it's none of your business. Carter had gotten herself worked up last night and had spooked herself, that's all."
"That's bullshit Dad." Billy gave his son a look at hearing the explicative from his mouth. "You didn't hear her crying last night. You didn't hear her apologising. Jesus, Dad, I haven't seen her this worked up since that time she went missing!" Billy pursed his lips. The younger boys still didn't know about Carter's ordeal, only that she had disappeared for a couple of weeks only to show up out of the blue as if nothing happened.
"I won't tell you twice son. Now leave it be." Billy warned him, hoping that his son would eventually just leave well enough alone. He groaned in frustration as the front door slammed.
''
"Hey Carter?" The knocks on the door had been soft and, smiling at the consideration of the younger man, Carter invited him in.
"Hey Jacob. 'Sup, pup?"
"Did you, uh, wanna hang out today or something?"
"What are you working on?"
"Oh, you know: this and that." He was almost certain that she'd say no but an ear-splitting grin formed on his face as she stood from the bed and shrugged on a jacket.
"Well then: let's go bro." He happily opened the door for her and the two made their way to the shed.
"So how have you been Car?" She looked at him, suspicion clear in her gaze.
"We going to have a heart to heart now Jacob? Aren't you worried the rest of the Troublesome Trio will walk in?" Jacob tensed at the mention of his former friends and Carter was genuinely confused until the boy spoke.
"Troublesome Trio? More like Traitorous Twins." His expression was one of anger and resentment. "You've seen more of them the last two days then I have in two months. Why are they with Uley and his gang?" Oh, right. She'd forgotten about that: the whole 'my friends abandoned me to join the steroid using, Uley gang' thing. "Why were you crying? What the Hell did Sam do to you Carter?" His questions were nothing short of a barrage as he kept them going. "Are they part of it too? Are they hurting you? Have they touched you? If they've laid a hand on any part of you Carter, I swear, I'll kill them." He stopped, taking in deep breaths as soon as Carter's hand had come into contact with his chest.
"Jacob, calm down. Please?" He nodded, doing as she asked.
"Sorry Car. It's just-"
"I know. But it's okay. Look, I was just having a bit of a panic attack last night and I'm sorry if I scared you and made you worry. I-" she raised a hand when she saw Jacob's mouth move to say something, "was being my silly old self and I appreciate the concern but I'm a big girl and I can deal with my own problems." Jacob begrudgingly accepted what she'd said and moved to the workbench, grabbing various bits and bobs that he'd need.
''
Hours passed them by as they sat: Jacob working on a car motor as Carter played assistant. They alternated between light conversation and comfortable silence and by the time the sun had begun setting, the two made their way back to the house.
"How long are you staying?" Carter shrugged.
"I should probably go back to my place."
"You don't sound as if you want to. Is Paul part of it too?" He was trying his best but he really could not drop it. He needed to know if the woman, who'd become another sister to him, was going to be alright.
"Jacob," she smiled softly at him, "there's just so much that you don't know. Please, try to keep your innocence for as long as you can. I never want to see you lose that smile, okay?" Without waiting for a reply, she ruffled his long hair and made her way to the room. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
''
"Well that didn't happen, that didn't happen," Carter pulled a face as she tore out another page, "and thank everybody that didn't fucking happen. The cruellest thing Isabella ever did was name her first-born child fucking Renesmée." She was currently seated on the living room floor of the house belonging to the Forks Police Chief, papers scattered around her as she dissected everything she had ever written, hoping to come to some sort of understanding in regards to what might have the Alpha so on edge. So far, she concluded that: a) it couldn't be the nomad Vampires because they were dead, b) it couldn't be a new born army attack because they didn't exist and c) it couldn't have anything to do with the Cullen's and a possible breech of the Treaty because they no longer resided in fucking Forks! She let out a cry of frustration as she threw another page at the ground, completely fed up with life as the paper made a sharp descent and the corner of the page made its way into her eye. She was crying now and that was the scene that Charlie walked in on.
"Ca-Carter? Are, are you alright? What's wrong?" He was more confused than he was concerned at this point but only because he concluded that there wasn't any danger. "Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. Why are you crying? What's all this?" She looked up at him and a new wave of frustration hit her, prompting her to continue with the tears.
"I-I-I just ca-can't figure it out! Wha-what the fuck is g-g-going on Charlie?!" He couldn't help but give an awkward shrug, hoping that the answer to her question would show up right now. "It's all going to Hell and t-the best thing I-I-I've got? Even the fucking pa-pag-pages I wrote on d-d-don't want to comply."
"Jesus, Carter, what is all this?"
"This is everything that shou-should have happened; this is t-t-the world wit-without Car-Carter."
"You need to sleep." Was the only thing Charlie could think of at that moment. "Come on: up you go." He helped her to the top of the stairs, guiding her gently to her room. "We'll talk in the morning Car."
The next morning Carter sat there, across from Charlie, as he handed her paper after paper, re-reading its contents and letting out scoffs and grunts of disapproval as he went.
"It's something alright." He looked up at her with a small smile. "Was there any version where my daughter uses her brain?" Carter chuckled along with him at that. She knew for a fact that Charlie was hoping Isabella would turn a new leaf but that just wasn't so. "Everything that happened in this book, Carter, seems very similar to a few situations that you found yourself in." She raised an eyebrow. "So what I want to know, above everything, was why you thought it would be a good idea, at all, to go and put yourself in the situation instead. Whether it was accidental or not. You do realise that you're important to me as well right? You're my daughter. You were willing to trade places, to trade your life, for someone who would readily step aside and let you. Don't get me wrong: she's my family, my blood, but for what it's worth, for what counts, so are you. Explain this to me, everything, and don't leave a single thing out young lady. Understand?" Carter nodded.
It took a good three hours for Carter to tell him everything that happened and Charlie played his part well, pretending to be hearing it for the first time. He asked questions, got visibly angry when appropriate (though that wasn't really an act at all) and offered comfort for her when she had finally finished the story.
"How are you feeling now?"
"Like an emotional moron." Charlie chuckled at her.
"I'm guessing that was the story all about how your life got flipped, turned upside down?" Carter looked at Charlie in disbelief before bursting out laughing.
"Charlie! You did not just try and rap the Fresh Prince theme!" He smiled at her, happy to see her in good spirits again.
"It's good to have you back kid. Now, the real question is: what are you going to do? This world is different to how you thought it would be; has changed from what you know. Again, honey, nothing is written in stone. You should have realised that by now."
"You know, if you got any wiser you'd sprout wings and start going 'hoot'?" She shook her head. "I used to believe that subtly interfering would actually help. I used to believe that everything happens because it needs to. My thoughts are all over the place and there's just so much guilt."
"Well, how about we start with the facts? Number One: You're Carter Swan: the eldest daughter of the Forks Police Chief. Two: No matter what happens, you have me, you have your soulmate and an entire tribe of people who care about you. Want to continue?"
"Number Three: Charlie Swan is the greatest father in the world and I love him." She pecked his cheek and hugged the man. "Also, this conversation has given me a giant ego boost. I think they should name a country after me, or at least unveil a statue that reflects my Goddess like qualities." She went to walk upstairs when Charlie called out to her.
"Hey, sweetheart?"
"Yes?"
"I love you too." Carter smiled back at the man who saved her life. "Sweet dreams kiddo."
"You too," she ascended the stairs, "Dad."
''
Meanwhile, on the Reservation
Samuel Uley would like to think of himself as a just and reasonable being. Since his change, he had shouldered so much responsibility. He had an imprint, a wife, to take care of, he had a Tribe to protect but what seemed to constantly test his patience was the responsibility of being Alpha to a pack of shapeshifting, younger men… and the imprints that came along with them. One in particular.
Sam thought back to the night before: finally finding Carter, losing his patience with her and, of course, seeing the genuine fear in her eyes as she ran away from him as if she truly was afraid of him. That got him. He tried to excuse his actions. He wasn't sorry for what he said, wasn't sorry for the way he said it either. She needed to know that this wasn't a game. She had risked her life a handful of times and, without seeming to consider it, she had risked his Beta's life, his brother's life by extension. Paul was an absolute wreck at the moment and it was effecting the Pack. No one was able to piece together Carter's sudden mood change, her odd choices or her new company. He shook his head, not wanting to even think about the blood-sucking shadow that she had acquired.
The point was: Carter needed to stop with the self-pity. She needed to get over whatever it was that had been affecting her and he hoped that the desperation in his voice last night would sink in and that she'd wake up to herself and let the Pack in, and if not the Pack, then at the very least Paul. He had been with her through her roughest moments and to have him being brushed aside didn't sit well.
On top of all of that, the girl was spending her time in close proximity with Jacob Black, rightful Alpha to the Quileute Pack and soon to be Shifter. If she were to be near him when Jacob finally phased… He let out a heavy sigh. This was a recipe for disaster and Sam wasn't sure if everyone would survive the upcoming fallout.
''
Authors Note: Heeeeeellllllooooo (hellllooooo, hellllooooo, hellooo) *Echoes continue around the vast expanse of nothingness* I'd like to formally inform you all that I am back! I'm terribly sorry for not updating but I had major writer's block (and if we're being completely honest: I got side tracked with another few fanfiction stories that I'm writing). Here's to hoping that this becomes a regular thing again… updating, that is. Hope you all enjoyed! Things are going to get a little more intense in the upcoming chapters. Thank you all, as usual, for sticking by this story. Stay tuned, my lovelies!