This is a work of fanfiction. Recognizable characters and events belong to Stephanie Meyer and I think we all know this by now. I earn nothing from this, so don't sue me.
Welcome back, everyone! I'd like to thank everyone who has read, favorited, alerted, and especially, reviewed Sublimation. A few of you have even ventured to read Bacon, and I really love you for that.
Many thanks go out to my darling and intrepid pre-readers, Little Furry Cannibals, WolvesCanEatMe, and Bragi151. The feedback they provide is great, and it helps me stay on the straight and narrow. Chef Diamondheart is, of course, the Queen Bee. She has worked, moved, planned a wedding, written, commented, beta'd and posted all in a few weeks time and somehow has managed to do it all like it was easy. Seriously...she's amazing, and a fabulous writer and Sub would not exist were it not for her.
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Please enjoy. Thanks.
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Jake POV
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Movement.
Movement next to me, weight shifting and...
POP!
A sharp smack right on my forehead jolted me up, growling and trembling. I slung an arm out blindly, my eyes not yet adjusted to being open yet. Paul stepped back, easily avoiding my swing and laughed.
"Watch it, Black, you might have actually touched me that time!" He smugly walked into the hallway. "Embry kicked me to get me up today, so consider that a friendly wake-up call." He got to the kitchen and paused while I went to the bathroom for a piss.
"Are these all the eggs you have... oh wait, there's another dozen. Dude! You have bacon!" He called out, his voice hollow from yelling at the back of the refrigerator.
I heard a pan hit the stove. "Hey! Clean out your own fridge, asshole!" I dried my hands off and hurried out to stop him. "Didn't you eat before-" I nearly tripped over my dad as he wheeled out of his room.
"Jake," He said gently. "Why don't you help Paul cook breakfast for us all?"
"But he-!" But my dad cut me off even faster this time. The look on his face stopped the argument entirely.
"We're always happy to share a meal, aren't we?" His tone of voice said I would be scrambling eggs and turning bacon for awhile. I realized then that my dad was up and dressed. I glanced over at Paul who was holding the two packages of bacon, his face cautiously blank. My dad gave a tiny nod, and I realized Paul had been at my house for longer than I thought, helping my dad up so I could get ready for patrol.
I walked to the kitchen and held out my hand to Paul, who slapped the packs of bacon in my hand and flipped the burner on for me. I handed him a loaf of bread and pulled my sister Rachel's high school crochet project off the toaster so he could get started. He picked up the multi-colored pile of yarn and snorted. "Cute, you ever consider this for a hat, Black?" I rolled my eyes, laying the first layer of bacon in the pan.
When we had all eaten enough, I cleared the plates and cleaned up most of the mess. Paul drank half of my orange juice and headed outside, stretching his arms to prepare for the run. "Meet me out here when you're ready to go." He called over his shoulder.
My dad sipped his coffee and waved goodbye. I leaned over to refill his cup. "Uh, can you tell me what was going on this morning?"
He smiled. "I think Paul is trying to apologize to me for some things he said before you phased. We had a little...moment the day before, and he's trying to make things right."
"Yeah, he's a regular saint." I scoffed, and set the pot back in the coffee maker. I was just about to walk past my dad's chair when he grasped my wrist lightly to stop me. He pulled me down so he could speak quietly into my ear and not be heard by the other pair in the yard.
"No one looks after Paul. The elders watch over him and make sure he has food and something to wear. Aside from that, the pack is all he has. Phasing was probably the best thing that ever happened to him." He released my arm and I lifted away a few inches just so I could look at him. "We take care of our own, Jake."
I nodded my head in understanding. He didn't need to explain to me all the details; it was well known that Paul had been without real supervision most of his life, and the place he called "home" was really only a place to sleep sometimes. There is a big difference between a home and what he had.
I headed out the door and joined Paul in a bit of stretching before we started the run. We strapped our shorts on and phased, picking up a gridline to the nearest trail and heading to the Forks patrol run. When we approached the outskirts Paul and I heard Jared and Seth milling around by the trails around Bella's house.
Jared shook out his fur and began walking off. Tag out. You three can run the last loop; I'm going home to Kim to celebrate our six month anniversary. We watched as he ran into the dense woods, his thoughts full of excitement at having two shifts off after a night of patrolling and being "on post" around the Swan house.
Paul snorted. Ask him sometime what they're celebrating.
What?
Her first time! Paul flashed scenes stolen from Jared's mind from that night. I wanted to look away but within a minute I'd seen how Jared had cared for his imprint and how awed he'd been to do it.
Hey guys. Seth's voice softly murmured into our minds, mercifully distracting me. We joined Seth and trotted along the grid line, flattening our ears as we ducked under branches.
I thought you weren't scheduled today? I asked Seth. Aren't you supposed to be with your mom?
Sam wants me to work on my…issues. He sent me to go with you today. Seth cringed and we saw the uncontrolled phases he'd gone through when we so much as thought about Bella after the fight in the clearing. Sam was worried about it after he nearly phased in front of her at the bonfire.
Why today? I asked innocently.
Paul burst into laughter, cackling like a hyena and actually tripping on an exposed root. Are you kidding me, Black? We all stopped running, maintaining formation and he turned and plunked down on his ass in front of me.
Tell me, dude. What's for lunch? He leaned back and started laughing again, this time Seth joined him. I cringed internally, knowing they had seen last night's phone call and I was busted once again.
You guys suck.
Whatever. Let's go. Paul guarded his mind and leapt back into a run. I followed, Seth bringing the rear. We ran across the forest, circling around in a wide arc to check for leeches, especially the one that Sam tracked from the car that Bella's dad was still dealing with. Our noses began to burn slightly with the smells of car exhaust and humanity as we neared the road by her house. It wasn't a long circuit, but long enough for us to feel the empty and gnawing pits of our stomachs again. The three of us slowed to a walk on the barely existing trail near Bella's house.
Paul glanced over at Seth. Ready?
Seth nodded. Yeah, I think so.
He was nervous and danced around on his paws a bit. As we phased the last images in my mind were Seth's, accompanied by his anxiety. He would be in an enclosed space with Bella. He liked Bella and considered her like a sort of cousin, remembering the summer days when we all would play together. Now he was a little nervous, and was afraid he'd hurt her.
That was why he was here when Paul and I would be here, I guess. Smart move, Sam. Now if there was a plan for my own nerves. It may be a new day, but I was worried what she would think now that she'd had time to think.
We reached the edge of the trees by her driveway and, as the breeze blew gently around the house to us, the three of us did a synchronized impression of Pavlov's dog. I heard the gulps on both sides. Whatever was for lunch smelled really good.
We phased and pulled our shorts on, then piled onto the porch. Seth stood stiffly and stared at the door while I raised my hand hesitantly to knock and...
"Honey, I'm home!" Paul shouted. Something loud banged to the floor and we heard a muttered profanity.
Seth fell off the stairs laughing. While he rolled on the driveway gravel the front door opened and a shocked and flustered Bella opened the door. There was a splatter of sauce on her shirt and a rag in her hand was covered in the same stuff. Her eyes went wide when she saw Seth rolling on the ground, then wider as Paul gave her the biggest shit-eating grin ever.
She finally turned to me with a deer-in-headlights stare and I wasn't sure if this was such a good idea anymore. Maybe she needed more time before I hauled half the pack to her house...to eat, no less. I really didn't know where to begin. Unfortunately, it was too late.
"Uh, hi Bells!"
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Bella POV
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The morning drizzle and mist had given way to fog, then more drizzle, and finally a typical gray day in Forks. The greens and browns always looked so vibrant after the fog lifted, and I wondered why I ever thought of this place as desolate. It was alive here; alive with things I never would have imagined back in Phoenix.
Arizona was bright with sunshine, but in hindsight, gazing out the little window in Charlie's kitchen, it was sterile. At least, my life there was sterile, especially compared to what I had now. What I was sure I had after last night.
I was just finishing the extra mushroom gravy for the sandwiches and shut off the burner to let it cool a little. My big slow cooker was completely full of the hot sandwich filling and it bubbled quietly, filling my kitchen with a nice meaty aroma.
A faint rustle outside made me look up from my pot and I held the handle lightly as I turned to listen for a knock or the handle turning. I didn't expect dad home yet, not for a few hours since the deputy's wife was having some early contractions. Steve was at the hospital with her, of course, while my dad covered for him at the station.
"Honey, I'm home!"
The sound of an unfamiliar voice made me jump and my elbow bumped the pot, knocking it off the stove as my body lurched in surprise. It hit the floor evenly and a volcano of hot gravy erupted, spewing half of the contents on the floor, cabinets, and me.
Oh, damn.
I grabbed a towel with my good arm and wiped enough of the floor so I could get to the door without slipping and tried to blot some of the mess off my shirt. I opened the door and saw…
Well, I'm not sure what the heck I saw.
Jake had a sheepish look that turned into a bright smile full of humor when he saw my splattered clothes. Paul was leaning on the banister, his face in his palm just shaking his head. There was a third in my driveway, bent over laughing. It was Seth, and he was red in the face snorting at…well at me, I suppose.
I looked back at Jake, unable to form words. I stood dumbly in the doorway just gaping at the trio of huge boys who all now stared right back in various stages of amusement.
"Uh, hi Bells!" Jake crowed at me. He was even bigger in the light of day and he literally darkened the doorstep, filling the doorway as he half leaned in and sniffed, gazing at the slow cooker. My eyes had become dry from staring and I blinked when the light peeked around his shoulders again.
"Um, can we, ah...can we...come in?" Jake pointed into the house.
"Smooth, Black!" Paul sniggered as he pushed off the railing to stand upright.
I moved aside so Jake could walk past me, followed by Paul who was just shaking his head and Seth who had finally caught his breath. The four of us stood in the kitchen, three dark shoeless and shirtless giants and little me. Their eyes wandered around until all three pairs rested on a stack of plates and a basket of big sandwich rolls, split and hollowed for the filling.
"Hang on," Jake grabbed a big kitchen towel and mopped the rest of the mess up and picked up the pot that was nearly glued to the linoleum with gravy. He set the towel by the sink and reached for my hand.
"Bella? Are you okay?"
I glanced at the men in my kitchen, suddenly feeling very self conscious and unsure. Was I okay? Maybe, but somehow seeing these things in the daytime made them more real, and no longer odd dreams or stories.
"Um…are all of you...like Jake?" I didn't even know how to finish my question. Paul watched me carefully and made no attempt to hide his mistrust. Seth looked a little nervous and fidgeted with his nails. All three of them were in shabby and kind of dirty shorts, and I just knew I'd have to clean after they left.
Jake cleared his throat to get my attention. "Yes, we're all very hungry and whatever is in that pot smells great!" He leaned over and wrapped me in a big hug when I smiled at his joke. I released a lungful of air and laughed when he leaned back and gave me a little wink. When he released me, I sank back on my heels and held out the stack of plates.
"So, uh, you guys ready or what?" The plates were snatched from my hands and they descended upon the pot. The hot beef sandwiches steamed and then vanished in minutes. The three shorn heads bent over the kitchen table as the boys applied themselves to the piles of steaming sandwiches, virtually inhaling two apiece before relaxing over a third helping and starting to talk. That is, Jake and Seth talked, but Paul kept watching me. Now I understood why Jake was nervous about him- that guy had a stare that could bore through you.
"Don't mind him, Bella," said Seth, who looked like he wanted to relax, except that his knee kept bouncing. "He just doesn't know how to say thank-you!"
"Piss off, runt!" Paul mumbled back. Seth just half smiled and rolled his eyes to Jake and they chuckled.
Jake gave Paul an affectionate punch to the shoulder and they went back to eating. I cleared my plate, having eaten half a sandwich at the counter. The wingspan on the three at the table left no room available even for me. As I set my plate in the sink, the bracelet Jake gave me slipped out from under my sweatshirt sleeve and tapped against the counter.
All three dark heads spun simultaneously in the direction of the sound of the concussed bead. Before my eyes, Seth started to tremble, his very skin blurring and a low rumble vibrating my ears. Paul jumped up immediately and grabbed the younger boy firmly by the arm and neck and rushed him out the door like a bouncer. I went to the window and leaned over on the counter to watch as Paul half guided, half carried him into the trees, leaving a few broken branches behind on the ground.
I stood staring at the snapped limbs scattered on the gravel and took deep breaths, unsure of what I had just witnessed. I felt warmth and Jake's arms wrapped around me in the next moment.
"I'm sorry, Bells. I wish you hadn't seen that." He whispered into my ear.
"What...what was that?"
"Seth has trouble controlling it. I think the sound of the bead reminded him of the danger you were in and he reacted." He raised his head and lightly rested his chin on the top of my mine.
I frowned. "Wait, I thought you said it was Paul and Sam with you in the clearing?" I turned around to face Jake. "How would Seth know that sound?" Jake's face was troubled for a moment, like he wasn't sure how word his response.
"Well...when more than one of us is in wolf form, we can talk to each other. Like in our heads, only it's a lot more than just words." He struggled, opening his mouth and closing it a few times. "It's like you can see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and even feel with their senses. Tastes and smells, too." He gulped and looked down. "Even their emotions."
"So, Seth...?" I prompted.
"Seth saw in our heads what happened in the clearing with the leech who stalked you. Ever since then he's been very...protective. He's not able to really control it because he's so upset about his dad."
"Oh. I should have remembered." I felt awful at forgetting about that. Seeing him laughing had looked so natural. "Will he come back?"
Jake snorted with laughter. "I doubt it! I give it a fifty-fifty chance he's naked now."
Naked?
My jaw dropped and I just stared...again. "Uh, why would he be...you know...naked?"
Jake laughed harder. "C'mon, Bells! You saw how big we are!" My blank expression sobered his chuckling and he brushed my hair away from my face. "The clothes don't, um, change with us. Most of us have trashed more clothes than you can imagine. I'm pretty good, I've only blown it twice, but Paul has wrecked all of his and most of everything he's been able to scrounge. It looks like Seth is on that road, too."
The reason for their lack of clothing and the state of what they were wearing was suddenly clear. It was entirely possible that they were wearing nearly all they had, and it was in constant danger if Seth was any indication. I immediately regretted my brief annoyance at the dirt they might be tracking in.
Jake's eyes grew distant as he gazed out the window toward the place Paul and Seth had entered the woods. In that instant he looked older, as if he had a great weight on his mind.
I reached up and ran my fingers over Jake's short hair. "I'm so sorry. I didn't kn-" My eyes burned and I knew the tears were coming. He swiftly pulled me to his chest and lifted me up to sit on the counter. I wrapped myself around him, lightly resting my sore arm on his shoulder, and wishing somehow I could ease whatever he must be going through.
"Don't be sorry Bells. Please don't apologize to me. I'm the one who's sorry- I'm sorry I can't give you the normal life you deserve." He buried his face into my neck and breathed deeply, stroking my hair
I snorted derisively. "Jake, I think the ship with my chance at normal sailed over a year ago. I just attract weird."
"I think you attract weird because you're good with weird, Bells. You ran with vampires, for god's sakes!" He shuddered and breathed me in again, then leaned back and smoothed my hair down. "So, how did you know the name of the one in the woods? Was he a... friend of the Cullens?"
"No. He was with a small coven of nomads." I said softly. The memories were constricting my voice and I wasn't sure how much to tell him. "I was with the Cullens on a baseball night when they showed up."
"Baseball night?" Jake looked at me incredulously.
"There was a thunderstorm. It's the only time they can play because it covers up the noise." Jake nodded his head in understanding. I felt almost shaky with relief; until that moment I hadn't fully realized the strain of keeping so many secrets. "At first they thought I was a snack."
Jake drew in a sharp breath and pulled me back to his body tightly as if to protect me from my own words. I winced at the movement in my arm but he didn't see it, then I sagged into him with relief. The tightness in my chest eased at being able to unburden some of my burning secrets. He rocked me gently, and though he didn't ask me to speak anymore, I felt like he needed to know. "The Cullens defended me, but it made the nomads angry. I flew to Phoenix to escape their leader, the tracker James. H-he wanted me." Jake stilled and I felt the faintest rumble in his chest, the vibrations carried into his skin for a second before they stilled and he took slow, deep breaths.
I sighed and closed my eyes, bracing myself for what I had not spoken of in half a year. "That's why I left last year. I wasn't running away from home, I was running for my life." Another rumble, deeper and louder now. I ran my hand over his cheek soothingly. "They killed him, Jake. The Cullens killed him before he could kill me." I couldn't tell him how I nearly survived, but not as myself. Not yet.
"But not before he hurt you, isn't that right?" Jake spoke very softly and kept his head bent down, tucked in my neck again. "Is that why you were in plaster at the prom?"
I leaned back and put my hand under his chin to raise his face to mine. His eyes were red and glassy.
"Yes. I nearly died." Jake's face went wild for a split second, and then he pulled me to his lips, a hard kiss that demanded the affirmation of life. My heart began pounding wildly at his touch. His hands ran down and just under my shirt to spread across the bare skin of my back as his tongue flicked out and caressed my lips. I opened to him, needing suddenly to know for myself that this- this- was real now.
We stayed locked in a tight embrace even after we released the kiss, our bodies pressed together, his hands gently holding and stroking my skin.
"Hey Jake, Seth says -whoa!" Paul had barged right into the kitchen and froze. Jake moved his head around mine to look at Paul, blocking my view of him now.
"Seth says whoa?" Jake deadpanned, as if daring Paul to say something. Paul didn't stammer or leave, but he snorted a little.
"Quil. Man we gotta go." A shadow passed over Jake's face and he relaxed his hold on me, sliding his hands out from under the back of my shirt. His brow was deeply furrowed when he turned back to me.
"I'm sorry. I really have to go. Quil is changing and I need to be there for him." My hand flew to my mouth, remembering his foul mood at the bonfire.
"Jake, last night he said he had a headache. Is he alright?" Jake chuckled and rested his hands on my thighs.
"If he is changing right now, he probably had a roaring headache and a lot worse today!" I must have looked puzzled, because he continued more compassionately. "Bells, the last part of the change hurts like hell. We've all been through it... some worse than others."
My eyes stung again with the realization that my Jacob had suffered. The strain he reflected just thinking about it was enough to tell me that he'd been through more than he was telling me over the last few days. I touched his face, bringing his attention back to me. He gave me a little smile, warming his handsome face and I leaned forward and kissed him again.
"Jake," Paul reminded.
We continued kissing.
"Let's go now or I'll tell her about the tree fantasy." I felt Jake wince and he nipped my lower lip one last time before setting me back on my feet. He smiled ruefully at me as Paul held the door open with a flourish.
"Tree fantasy?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Jake just shook his head and, carrying Seth's plate with his uneaten third sandwich on it, followed Paul through the door. Before he closed the door behind him he mouthed the words "I love you."
My stomach flipped. Somehow it was different without the shock and in the light of day. I smiled and felt my cheeks warm. I mouthed the words back and his face lit up. As he pulled the door closed he peeked around and gave me another wink, making me blush even deeper.
I could hear his laugh across the yard as they slipped into the trees.
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Jake POV
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Seth was still phased wolf, which didn't surprise me since he'd destroyed his shorts. Paul had calmed him down while I was with Bella but now he was shaking slightly. I set Seth's plate down a few yards inside the trees so Paul and I could strap our shorts to our legs before joining him.
Quil's phase was almost complete, and Embry was busy talking him through the last burst of growth. The three of us started to take off in the direction of home, but I jerked my head back to look at the house through the trees. We couldn't leave Bella unprotected.
Seth, do you think you can handle standing guard here? He pricked his ears up as he lapped up the sandwich, droplets of gravy clinging to the longer hairs of his muzzle.
You want me to do it alone? Surprise mingled with pride ashe peered up from the plate.
I want Paul to come with us when Quil phases. He's got more experience dealing with the new guys. I paced over to him and he sat up. Someone has to stay here to keep the leech away.
His chest puffed out a little. Nothing gets past me, Jake.
Good. Run the circuit and let us know if anything happens.
Paul and I turned and accelerated into the forest, barely pausing to acknowledge Seth's assent. We could feel Quil's distress and I howled in sympathy for him. Embry swiftly joined in, tracking back from his patrol line and we made our way back home, single file with me at the point.
Suddenly a ripple in our shared mind disoriented us. I veered off course for a moment.
That's Quil. Just concentrate and follow him. Paul advised, never breaking stride. I had not been phased when Seth and Leah changed for the first time, but Paul had felt it enough to know what to do. I thanked him without words and he just kept running, glancing back to make sure Seth had stayed at post through the confusion.
Quil recovered quickly, his aches dying away and releasing him to stride across the road that cut La Push from the Olympic forest and we fell back to follow. He was largely quiet.
Dude, Jake. Something is wrong. We usually can't get him to shut up. Embry and I shared a wave of nervous energy that pushed us to go faster. He broke off and took a separate trail.
Then we heard…music. Quil was playing music in his head, the theme from Indiana Jones on loudspeaker in our collective mind as we nudged our routes to intersect his. He kept adjusting course, forcing us to veer off from our eastward track.
Jake, I know where he's going. Set parallel to me.
Paul, keep going. Embry, I'm joining you. I ducked out of formation to head Embry's way, Paul keeping his current course to intercept Quil should he make the run toward Olympia.
Embry, ten bucks says he's going due east. Paul challenged.
Done, but you should know I feel bad about stealing your lunch money.
It's on, bitch.
I joined Embry, falling into a relaxed gait behind him, Indiana's theme song still flourishing from Quil.
Where the hell is he going, Embry?
Just then Quil seemed to find his voice. Follow me, Indy! I know the way!
Embry and I snorted, recognizing Quil's favorite line from when we were kids. We would play adventure games in the woods searching for treasure or rescuing girls. The summers that Bella spent here she sometimes had to play the damsel in distress, which usually wasn't too far from the truth considering all the times we had to hoist her out of trouble.
We followed him as he headed up into higher elevation, our breath becoming visible in thick exhaled fog. The vegetation changed as we went up; tall trees and rain forest gave way to lower shrub and finally scrubby lichens.
Quil slowed, still some distance ahead of us and Embry and I held off, not wanting to crowd him. Quil cocked his head, looking every bit a puppy, and sprinted up a hillside.
We were in the higher foothills of the Olympic range, and a field of white stretched out in front of us. These were the snowlakes, patches of permanent snow that many people didn't know about and if they did, tended to avoid. Hikers sometimes made a point to visit, just to say they did, and then hurried back down because it could get balls cold at night up here, even in the middle of summer.
Quil hopped up and down, then took a running start before belly flopping and sliding down the snowy hillside. Embry and I watched, dumbstruck. Quil rolled as he slid, yipping and howling before reaching the bottom with a sprawl, sinking into the deep piles of bright snow that slid down the hill all year.
His head popped out of the heap, a cap of white on top of his grinning head. He stood and shook off while we just stood there, still staring.
You gonna join in or just stand there while I have all the fun?
Embry and I took off at the same time, racing to see who got to the top first. I took the lead and I felt his teeth grazing my tail before they sank in. I yelped, tripping into the edge of the deeper snows, buried up to my knees. Quil and Embry ran to the top of the hill and waited for me, and then all three of us dove into a sprawl, racing down the hill and play fighting the whole way down. I had my teeth in Quil's scruff when we hit the snow pile, and the impact launched me off his back and headfirst into the drift.
We laughed like kids, and for the first time in what seemed like months, we felt like we used to. We weren't separated by secrets anymore, the watchers were our brothers, and we were friends again.
Paul approached and we cringed a little, like we'd been caught misbehaving by a teacher. Quil supplied the Darth Vader theme as the silver wolf waded knee deep in the snow, shaking his head at us.
So kids…Indiana Jones? I would have thought you guys would be more Top Gun, seeing as you're acting all gay right now. I'm sure I can find a volleyball for you somewhere.
Don't you dare compare Indiana Jones to that shit! Indy is the man. Quil hopped up to defend his hero.
He scored pussy in every movie! Embry offered.
He hunted treasure, beat up Nazis… Quil continued.
And he carried a whip! Embry gushed and leaned back, imagining himself wielding a bullwhip. The scene shifted a little too far and Paul, Quil and I all yelled at him to knock it off. I laughed when he slunk up defensively but he flashed an image of a shiny new box of condoms stashed in my nightstand and stuck his tongue out at me.
You asswipe. Did my dad see you do that?
Nope, he was too busy eating the brownies Emily wanted me to deliver, but if you like I can assure him that you're a good boy. Better yet, I could let Charlie know how responsible you are? I envisioned Charlie and his guns coming after me with Deputy Steve ready to neuter me with rusty scissors.
You're a dead dog, Call! I jumped on him and we rolled until we buried ourselves in the snow, sputtering and laughing as it melted in our noses. Quil wiggled happily in the snow and yipped at us.
Pups… Paul noted mentally with a cringe. For the record, Black, the armor Embry delivered is standard issue by Sam's decree. Paul interjected. You have to buy your own from now on, though.
Paul sniffed and looked west. We need to head back and meet with Sam; he'll want to talk with you, Quil. Are you ready or do you children want to sled a little more?
The three of us rose, puffing and sniggering at each other and followed Paul out of the foothills. As we descended, Paul fell back to allow me to take the point, and we made a single file track into the grid lines, and began a patrol back.
So, will you be giving me a ten, two fives, or ten ones? I'd feel bad about taking your singles, I know your girls like them in their panties. Embry mused.
Please Call, I'd be taking their panties off before the money ever came out of my pocket. You on the other hand, would be too busy sniffing them.
Quil and I both squirmed uncomfortably from the one up war they had begun, complete with sensory information. They kept the back and forth going even as we passed the abandoned Cullen house.
Are they always like this? He whined to me.
Yes, and worse. It's a competition since Sam and Jared are imprinted.
Quil's questioning mind was then bombarded for the better part of the run to the highway with the pack information and history. By the time we reached the 101, he knew nearly everything we did, and we gave him a replay of the pack meeting from the night before.
We slowed as we neared the pavement, waiting for a few cars to pass before we crossed. The recent increase in 'bear' sightings was enough to make us more cautious about our movements even though there was hardly any traffic out this way. Four quick blurs flashed over the asphalt and before regrouping on the other side.
Just as we were about to set out again, Seth's voice sounded an alarm in our heads and our noses began to burn.
Come back! They were here!
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Bella POV
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The kitchen radio was just hopeless. I scratched at the flaky grime that covered the entire thing except for a thin ring around the volume knob and a fingertip-sized oval around the on-off button. I had tried wiping it down on numerous occasions, but I suspected that years of fish fry and kitchen disasters had left the hard and slightly greasy layer bonded to the very plastic of the appliance. I sighed in defeat and just turned it on as usual.
Between ads and the odd oldie here and there, news reports were updated, and I let the drone ease the silence as I kept busy with laundry, dusting, and any other menial task I could invent. I was so desperate to keep myself occupied that I ironed Charlie's shirts and handkerchiefs. I stopped myself before I ironed the sheets.
There wasn't much leftover from lunch, but there was enough for a small sandwich for both Charlie and me. I warmed up some soup and added some fresh chopped vegetables to make a nice and quick supper when he got home.
"So, how's Steve's wife? He's not a daddy yet, is he?" Charlie smiled tiredly, his eyes a bit blood shot from the last few days.
"No, Steve's not a daddy yet. They got his wife's early labor under control and now she's got to get a lot of rest, no lifting, that sort of thing. Their doctor wants her to get at least two or three weeks further along before she delivers." I nodded like I knew what it all meant.
Charlie grew thoughtful, stirring his soup and scooting around the carrots and celery. "He's worried because his wife doesn't have any family around here, and he thinks she's going to need more help than she realizes after the baby comes."
We ate quietly as we often did, Charlie pausing to compliment the sandwich before turning again to the Sunday paper he had not been able to read yet. The radio station cycled into the news updates once again, and in the silence I listened. My father inclined his head also and allowed his eyes to drift away from the page he'd been reading.
"...and reports indicate an increase in the violence along and moving North of the US-Mexico border. Sources say that the local gang affiliates have been receiving orders to increase the human and drug trafficking activities in these areas, causing widespread panic. Reports of missing persons, a constant problem along the border, have increased as well. In other news, the first quarter reports..."
Charlie squinted his eyes, pushed away from the table and stood abruptly, the chair scratching over the floor and tipping on the rear legs, nearly toppling over. He took a quick step and punched the off button, silencing the ominous news. He sat down heavily and picked his spoon up off the table and set it in the bowl before pushing it away.
My mouth was closed but my jaw slack, leaving my eyes wide and cheeks hollow as I stared at him. He glanced up and ignored my obvious shock before shaking out the paper. My dad ran his eyes over the small Metro section without reading, his jaw clenched and twitching. The strained atmosphere was unbearable and after a minute or two I itched to speak.
"Jake came for lunch today," I offered a little lamely. "He's feeling a lot better." My dad's mustache twitched a bit and I could just make out the start of a faint smile again. His shoulders lowered as he drew a calmer breath, unlocking his jaw.
"That's great, Bells. When he didn't call, I got a little worried." He lowered the paper to the table, smoothing out the place on the side where his grip had wrinkled it. "I'm sure everything will be fine now."
I couldn't help the lopsided grin I had when he said that. I finished clearing the dishes and couldn't help noticing when Charlie glared at the radio, brushing at his side as if wiping away crumbs. It was time to sweep the floor anyway and I didn't remind him to use a napkin. Besides, after the lunch I'd 'hosted' I was pretty sure the floor could use a once-over anyway. At least they hadn't left footprints.
I was sure my Dad was right. Whatever happened, everything would be fine, and I hummed quietly while I washed the dishes, glancing out the window periodically. I wondered where Jake was and hoped Quil was okay.
.
Jacob POV
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The foul, burning stink singed our noses as we set off at a furious pace, growling and panting, desperate to kill.
Who has a lighter? I snapped, pissed at myself for not having packed one. It was a mistake I would never make again.
Got one. Paul answered.
Me too. Embry said.
Single-mindedly we tracked, racing to Seth as he fed us every detail about his surroundings while he sprinted back to Bella's house. We mentally catalogued the scents, comparing them to the ones we already knew. There was the faintly animal smell of the leech Sam had tracked and that Paul and Jared found by Bella's house, but the others... others... were unknown.
New vampires. They were multiplying.
Knowing my conclusion at the same time I made it, Paul, Embry, Quil and Seth all roared in fury. I sent Paul and Quil to meet with Seth on one side of the path Bella's, while Embry and I took the other approach. We circled around, muzzles covered in foam from exertion and rage.
How dare they. How dare those disgusting stinking dead things come here. They were near my Bella, they put my family, my brothers and sisters, and the people here in danger. I actually wanted to taste their venom, to feel the snap and tear of their inhuman bodies as I shredded them apart. There was nothing I desired more than to see pieces of them dissolve into thick smoke.
The four of us howled in frenzy and we zig-zagged as we prepared ourselves to attack.
But there was nothing. We met at the end of the scent trail, which was overlapping the circuit Seth had run when he discovered the intruders. Immediately we started swapping thoughts again.
Fuck! They must have caught a car on the highway and left in it.
Damn, watch the news reports, maybe there will be another missing person in the peninsula?
Or maybe another leech came and picked them up. I snapped my teeth as I said it.
We all fell silent as the idea of yet more vamps flooded us with anger. The trail had revealed no less than two new vampires, so at least three had run here tonight. There was no telling how many might have been in the car. Counting the three on the trail, the redhead we knew of, and anywhere from two to four in the car that probably picked them up... fuck, that's a lot of leeches.
Paul, Embry, scan the whole area and check the house. Quil, Seth, we're going back home. Quil and I need to talk to Sam and Seth needs to go home for the night.
What? I can help! Seth whined.
No, if Sue knew I kept you out here, she'd have my ass in a sling and I DON'T need a visual, Embry. I was in no mood for the usual accompaniment he provided to every conversation we had while phased.
We split up, and by the time my group made it to Sam's place, Paul and Embry had covered every inch of ground in a quarter mile radius around Bella's house, carefully staying hidden.
The vamps are long gone, man. We retraced the steps and they must have gotten in a car about a hundred yards from her house. That's as close as they got.
That's too fucking close. Did they leave anything behind?
Well... Embry hesitated.
Paul stepped in. I think there's something funny with them. Everything was fine, just footprints here and there on a straight path, then we got to a spot where the ground was torn up bad. A tree was beat up, a couple rocks smashed, and skid marks deep in the mud. It looks like they fought, then after that one set of marks disappeared.
I let my own eyes roam over the damaged tree trunk and crumbled rock, the moss torn away exposing the gray beneath. The missing bits left a serrated edge exposed, the dull color standing out in the greens and browns of the forest.
One less vamp? Embry thought hopefully.
Maybe, but they probably tore one apart and carried it off. They would have burned it right away if they wanted it gone.
Jesus... that's hardcore. Paul commented, awed.
Our experiences with vampires for nearly a century had been confined to the Cullens and the occasional nomad who foolishly thought our piece of the world was nice place to hole up. These weren't skulking wraiths or wanderers. There was organization and discipline within their ranks which made them the most dangerous thing we'd ever encountered.
I'm going to talk to Sam, you two stay out here for a minute. My voice was sterner than I'd intended, because they both stood at attention. I reminded myself that we were on our home turf, and that these were my friends, my brothers.
Quil, Seth is going to show you how to phase back to your human form. See how fast you can learn to do it, and how long you can hold it. I'll be right back with a pair of shorts, and I'll make sure I get you both something to eat. Okay? They both nodded and relaxed, wordlessly forgiving me for my slip.
I phased and stepped into my shorts as I walked into the cleared yard area around Sam's cabin. He was at the table, Emily quietly setting out plates and warming up food. We'd been expected. She handed me a glass of water and kissed Sam's cheek on her way out of the kitchen, patting my shoulder as she walked out.
"So, how's Quil? We heard you guys for miles." Sam looked a little sad but relieved, and even laughed a little when I gave him the unabridged version of his phase. Even Sam loves Indiana Jones.
"He and Seth are out back, working a bit. That's not the real reason why I'm here, though." Sam pressed his lips together in a hard line.
"Why then?" He watched me closely, like I was a coiled snake.
"We hit a trail on the way back." Sam exhaled gustily and frowned. His frown grew deeper and more angry as I told him what we saw and where the trails led. When I described the picture Paul had relayed, he actually started growling a little. So did I.
"What do you think about it, Sam?" I tapped my foot, anxious and full of adrenaline from reliving the chase.
He leaned forward and rubbed his hands down his face, pushing his fingertips into his closed eyes as if to cram the answers into his head. He pulled his hands away, his eyes now red from rubbing.
"We fucking call the Cullens."
.
We just don't get a break, do we?
So the Three Stooges are back together, was it what you hoped? And lunch was eventful, but do you expect anthing less from a pack of wolves?
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