This is a work of fanfiction, and I'm not getting a dime. Shame.
Thanks and welcome back. I have to give huge thanks to WolvesCanEatMe for all her help with cop details in this chapter- the edge of reality makes the blade sharper, no? (By the way, she finished her lovely story After The Rain...go read it!) Also thanks to Little Furry Cannibals for pre-reading and comments- always a huge help and keeps me working! (Read her latest OSs Madness Has No Method and Misfits and Mistletoe for a wild-eyes giggle!)
As always, mega thanks to Chef Diamondheart for her editing (she's more than a beta, folks) and comments. She nudges me to write a little better in every chapter. She ate her breakfast in front of the computer this morning so I could post today. Yes, she's that cool. And thanks, hgmsnoopy, for info about the ferry and traveling from the peninsula to Seattle.
Just a heads up, folks... this is not a fluffy chapter. Bella had to grow up sometime.
Please enjoy chapter 22.
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Jake POV
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Embry woke me up more gently than I would have expected when my shift rolled around at two in the morning. Instead of the usual shove and faceplant onto the floor, he shook my leg until I flipped him off. He just laughed quietly in the hall as I tucked Bella in and put a blanket on her legs. I held the handle when I closed the door so it wouldn't make too much noise, and pushed Embry out of the hall and into the living room.
"Anything out there?" I asked as I shook the sleep off. I pulled open the fridge and poured out the last of the orange juice into two glasses and scrounged for a snack.
"There was nothing. Just like it's been since Seth came across that spot in the woods. It's like they knew we were on to them or something." Embry tossed back the juice and refilled his glass with water. "Looks like you, Paul, and Sam saw the big action."
I snorted at him, but it made me think. "Some action. That's not exactly my idea of fun."
"Better than trailing your nose in the dirt for nothing." There was a sharp bark from outside and Embry elbowed my side. "Better get your ass out there. Paul hates to wait."
I tossed back a chunk of smoked salmon and drank the rest of my orange juice. I immediately regretted it, but I swallowed hard to keep it all down and followed Embry out the door. He wished us a good run and jogged off toward home, and I tossed my shorts on a branch and phased, hitting the ground at a run.
Embry was right; there was absolutely nothing out there. We even made a wider swing than usual, trying to include bits of the peninsula we don't normally bother with just in case the nomad newborns were staying just outside our usual trails to avoid us.
Fuck, man. I hate this. I feel like we're just waiting for something to happen, like they have all the cards. Paul growled, digging his claws in hard to lunge over a fallen trunk.
I don't like it either, I agreed. I wonder what Whitlock would say about this?
This might be their fault, you know. The Cullens might have scared the new ones away.
Naw, it can't be. I replied, shaking my head and flinging water drops off my fur.
Why the hell not? He snapped.
Because there haven't been any new trails since Seth found that fight scene in the woods. Dr. Cullen didn't come until two days after that. Those nomads may not even know they're here.
Paul was quiet for a moment before grumbling, I'm not sure if I think that's great news or just too convenient.
You have a point, but if the Cullens wanted to do something, tonight would have been the time. We didn't know what they could do, and Bella was right there if they were targeting her.
Maybe they want to get closer to the rez. They want access.
Access to what? Fishing poles and that canoe they built at the school? I shot back.
Alright, fine. So what's your answer, asswipe? Paul swung out and shot past me to fling mud as he crossed in front of me.
Jeez, Paul! Keep your toe jam to yourself! I growled, sputtering at the mouthful of wet grit I caught. I think your first idea was right. We're waiting on the nomads to do whatever it is they're planning.
Fuck. What's that gonna be? Neither of us said much of anything else for the rest of the run, trying to keep our thoughts from events that might be around the corner. We separated to wake the next patrol and Leah gave me the same wake up greeting I gave Embry, but at least she had a hot breakfast waiting for her.
Sue fed me a plate of hashbrowns, sausage, eggs, and fruit before kicking me out so I could get my dad up. I remembered there was just enough left at my place for Bella and my dad to eat, so we'd have to hit the grocery store afterwards, which was fine with me because Bella could probably use a trip out after the last few days. Besides, restocking the refrigerator took both of us for some reason; she remembered all the things we needed to buy, and I had to double it so that we'd have enough.
It was almost seven in the morning when I got home, and I could hear my dad's radio reporting the forecast and the regional news. I tapped on the doorframe as the announcer started the news cycle.
"Morning."
"Shhhh." He turned up the radio.
"In area news, police report that the weekend has been a thankfully quiet one and credit the calm to a series of arrests carried out on Saturday. Investigators note, however, that residents of Seattle should not let down their guard, but remain vigilant and maintain the neighborhood watch programs that have sprung up in the wake of recent waves of violence and disappearances. More on this, and your local weather, after the break."
"Morning, Dad. Sleep okay?" He flipped off the radio and swung his legs off the side of the bed.
"Alright. How's Paul?" He dropped his pajama shirt and put on an undershirt.
I handed him a fresh shirt. "A jerk. Do we have floss left? I may still have sand in my teeth."
He chuckled as he buttoned up. "I don't even want to know. Hey! Don't tickle."
"Sue says I need to check your feet more often. Hold still or I'll do it again."
He put his watch on and when we were both satisfied, I helped him settle onto the pads in his chair.
When the coffeepot was halfway done brewing, I hit the shower. By the time I was out, Bella was sitting up on the air mattress. She was beautiful. Her hair was crazy, flopping over her shoulders and wrapping around her neck. Bella's face was still a little pink; she must have gotten wind burned from the runs last night. When she flipped her hair behind her, I saw that her cheek had a couple little scratches. I must have cut it too close to the branches and twigs during the run.
"Morning, sleepyhead." Careful to leave the door cracked open, I sat next to her and ran my finger down her cheek. "Sorry about that." I whispered.
She put her hand to her cheek and felt the rough little lines. "Oh. That's okay. At least I didn't trip." Sighing, she rubbed the spot on her face and stretched her other arm out and winced. "Oof, not used to getting bounced around like that. My arms and shoulders are killing me from hanging on to you."
I leaned over and murmured in her ear. "You know what helps that?"
She shivered and snuggled into me. "What?" Her curves pressed against my side.
Damn damn damn damn.
"Hot shower. Go."
She looked at me blankly, her cheeks pinker than the windburn.
"C'mon, my dad's here and he's got nowhere to go today. Plus, Sue and Old Quil are gonna be here in a couple hours to talk to Sam and me about last night." I kissed her nose. "Go. Then you get a bowl of cereal because we're out of everything else. We can talk groceries while you eat."
It was only after she was in the shower that I lay back on the bed and inhaled the pillow. Maybe I could get Dad to stay late at Sue's tonight.
…
"Okay, three pounds of bacon. Do they have bulk packs?" Bella scribbled in a notebook she decided she needed to keep as we made the list. She said it was getting complicated. "Maybe we can get the butcher to give us a break on it if we buy a whole slab. Does anyone have a deep freezer? Maybe we could share it with someone who'll split the cost?"
My dad looked at Bella with a little surprise. "Well, I've got a deep freeze out in the garage, but Jake'll have to look at it. It quit on me a couple years ago." He frowned. "Lost a hell of a lot of fish when it died."
Bella looked pleased and made another note. "Okay, how about eggs, bread, milk, orange juice… lunchmeat?" She gave me a sly grin. "I hear it's the foundation of a good relationship. Ham or turkey?"
"Ham. Don't forget hot dogs and potatoes." She jotted them on the list and took a bite of cereal. We fell quiet for a minute and her eyes glazed a little, the thoughtful, busy look on her face fading to a stare.
My dad and I exchanged a glance and waited a couple minutes before my dad cleared his throat. "Maybe you ought to add some fruit, too. You like apples?"
She didn't move.
"Bella?" She tilted her head toward my dad like she heard something, but didn't move her eyes. Absently, she rubbed her bandaged hand.
"Bells?" I said softly.
"Sorry, just a little…distracted." She shook her head. "Apples, right? I can make an apple pie, if you like."
My dad held up his hands. "Only if you have some time. Don't forget, you have homework, and I don't want to hear from Charlie if you do badly next week."
Bella smiled fondly when my dad mentioned Charlie. "No sweat. Hey Jake," She picked the pen back up and tapped the end against the paper. "Do you need any help with anything? We can work on your stuff this afternoon."
I looked down and rubbed my face and neck. My dad shifted in his chair a bit and neither of us said anything.
"Jake? What are you working on right now? I'm really good in English and science. Lay it on me."
I scratched at my scalp. I wasn't ashamed, but I also wasn't sure of how Bella was going to take it if I didn't tell her the right way. Fortunately my dad beat me to it.
"Bella, Jake has a lot of responsibilities that sort of keep him from being able to…study effectively." She processed this and her eyes widened.
"Jake, are you flunking?" She puffed up like a chilled bird.
"No, Bells. I'm not flunking." I settled on the half of the story that was positive. "I'm starting alternative school in a few weeks. We all are."
Bella slumped. "Oh. Well…" She fumbled the pen and dropped it on the table. "I see."
"My dad needs me, Bells. The principal suggested it and I thought it would let me take better care of him." I groped for anything to help me. "It's not just about the whole...thing."
She had the pen and was adding a few more things to the list, which had suddenly become very interesting. I tried to make her look at me but she just stared at the paper.
"Bella, sometimes there are things that are more important in the short term than algebra or book reports." My dad said firmly. "They aren't doing this just for you. Since there are other Cold Ones on the peninsula, they have to do it anyway."
He smiled a little at her and softened his tone. "Theirs is the first generation that anyone even cared if they went to school at all. What does it matter what the diploma looks like, or what time of day they went to class?"
Bella looked up, her eyes full of tears. They dropped when she blinked and I wiped them away. Her lip trembled a little but she just nodded and pulled a tissue from the box my dad pulled off the counter behind him.
She fought the tears back, and I hoped it was because she accepted my dad's reasoning. The tissue landed in the trash can with a short toss and she tugged at the end of her shirt like she was tidying her mind along with her clothes.
"So," she started, smoothing the little butterfly bandage on her hand. "You want to restock the kitchen or not?"
"You don't want to wait until later?" I asked. "I thought you'd like to get lunch in town, maybe? Make a real trip of it?"
Bella fiddled with the bracelet, rolling one of the beads in her fingers. "Well, maybe we can hurry in and have breakfast at the diner…" She narrowed her eyes at me. "You must be starving."
My stomach answered for me. It was almost nine-thirty, and I'd eaten a snack-sized breakfast at Sue's table. Bella smirked at the resulting gurgling roar and grabbed her bag from the floor. I went back to my room and pulled a shirt over my head, but wore the basketball pants she'd given us. They were a little muddy in places, but what was that around here? They were in better shape than most of my clothes anyway.
We said goodbye to my dad, who made a last minute request for reduced sugar ice-cream –for the pie, of course- and we headed out the door. It was a standard issue day, but I always thought that the gray sky made the greens of the forest that much brighter. Bella smiled as she got a breath of cool sea air and we held hands as we walked to the Rabbit. Whatever was bothering her was being carried away on the breeze.
I started the engine and she relaxed into the seat, watching the trees blur by as we got to enjoy our first bit of time alone to just run an errand and not have to tell deep secrets, hidden pasts, or bare our souls. It was just us. And a grocery list.
We may have passed four or five cars on the way, waving to each because it was almost always someone I knew in a car I'd worked on. Then there was a car I didn't know. In the approach, I could tell it was a performance vehicle by the sound, but in an unassuming package.
What was an unmarked police car doing out here?
When I was close enough to see the face, it wasn't someone I couldn't immediately place, but the driver slowed down and peered at me through his windshield, squinting and looking back and forth until we passed each other on the two way stretch of highway.
Sirens and lights flipped on, and I heard the screech of tires. In the rearview, I saw the smoke of the fast U-turn and the lights winking as they pointed at me.
"What's going on, Jake? You weren't speeding, were you?"
"I'm driving a Rabbit, Bells. It runs great but it's still a Rabbit."
The car sped up behind me, the lights flashing from the interior and grill rather than the roof, and a quick whooping sound told me I needed to pull over. I stopped as far onto the gravel as I could without going in the ditch.
"Damn. Maybe we'll eat lunch in town after all." I said as I pulled out my wallet. I had my hands on the steering wheel and my driver's license ready when a drawn and stressed face appeared at my window. I rolled it down as fast as I could, the handle barely cooperating.
"Bella? Oh, thank god." My mouth fell open and turned to look at her.
"Drew?" She said cautiously. "What's going on?"
"Can you get out of the car for a minute, Bella? I need to talk to you." I remembered Drew and Bella saying we might run into him in town, but like this? He looked like hell, and his clothes were rumpled like he'd jumped into whatever was on the floor and driven over. Not that I hadn't done the same.
As she walked with Drew to his car, I got out and stayed behind, but I could hear everything.
Charlie had been injured by what seemed to be a hit and run accident early in the morning. He was in surgery to stop some internal bleeding and repair the damage, and he might lose a kidney. A bone in his leg had been broken and was being reinforced with pins, and some other serious, but not life threatening injuries.
"Bella, I need you to gather your things for a few days in Seattle. SPD has a hotel room waiting for you a block away from the hospital and I can have you there in a few hours. Where do we need to stop?"
Bella's knees were wobbling and she started to sink. Drew caught her arm, but I was there in an instant and had her in a bear hug to keep her from falling. He looked at me, then where I'd been standing, and then shook his head.
Shit. That wasn't human speed.
Her mouth just opened and closed with no sound coming out.
"Her bags are at my house at La Push. We can drive back there, grab them, and head out."
Drew nodded. "Let's make a quick stop at her house in Forks and let her grab any important papers or anything else she wants."
I tried to guide Bella back to my car, but Drew had her by the elbow and settled her into the unmarked cruiser. He signaled that he would follow me, and so we headed back to the rez as fast as I could push my poor Rabbit.
I ran into the house and saw my dad on the phone, a grave expression on his face. "Yes, Detective White. I understand. I'll be there."
"You heard?" I yelled as I started tossing all of Bella's things into her bag. I chucked all her wet bathroom stuff in a plastic bag and then into the shower caddy.
"Yes, and pack yourself and me a quick bag, too. I have to go with her, and that means you go, too."
I paused, and tossed that flannel shirt she'd adopted from me on top and zipped up the bag. "Why?" I asked and poked my head out the door.
My dad was a dark outline at the end of the hall, light from the kitchen and living room backlighting him in the dark hallway.
In his hand he had an envelope.
"Oh…my god." I breathed. It was the power of attorney paperwork I found in the drawer.
"I have to go because I share some legal responsibilities with Bella in the event of a grave injury, or…" He didn't go any further.
I threw Bella's bags into the living room and tossed a couple pairs of underwear, shorts and shirts into a bag for me, and then packed clothes for my dad, along with his care supplies, glucose monitor and test strips. I could hear him on the phone with Sue telling her what had happened and that we were driving up with Bella. Sam would find out soon enough.
"Jake, wait." He said as I was about to barrel out the door. "You still have to guard her. No one else will be in Seattle, so you have to stay with her all the time. Understand?"
"Yeah. Got it." I was going to go no matter what, but it was official now, especially since we thought the nomads might be hiding in the cities. She definitely needed me with her. I needed me with her. I took a deep breath and helped my dad over the threshold and locked the door behind us.
Bella was in the front seat, wide eyed but not really looking at anything. I dropped the pile of bags by the back of the car and opened the driver's side rear door for my dad, then headed back to load the trunk. Drew met me there and did it for me.
"Thanks." I said gratefully, and turned back to help my dad into the back seat.
Bella was out of the car, walking around to sit in the backseat so my dad could have the front. He knew it was no time to argue with her, so he eased himself into the more comfortable seat, scooting it as far forward as he could tolerate to make room for me.
Drew somehow wedged the wheelchair in the trunk and slammed it shut, and ran to sit behind the wheel. I reached over and found Bella's cold hand. As we were pressed into our seats by the acceleration, she flicked her eyes to her limp hand, like it wasn't hers, and rested it in mine until we hit her driveway in town.
My dad stayed in the car as Bella, Drew and I walked to the door.
Bella fished around for her keys, and when she approached the door with them, Drew held up his hand.
"Please, Bella. I need to go in first." She turned them over without a word and we stepped away from the door. Drew jiggled the door, then opened it wide, his hand on his weapon.
"Hello? Police! " Drew yelled out as he walked in, his walk loose and ready. I could hear him opening doors fast, announcing himself, as he walked through the whole house. Finally, he came back to the front door, holstering his pistol. "It's okay. You can come on in, now."
Bella hesitated, and I took her hand and gave her a little tug. "C'mon Bells. We need to walk through and make sure we don't forget anything important."
She walked slowly, but when she made it past the door she seemed to remember why we were here, and looked around with purpose. Bella ran up the stairs, tripping once and banging a knee before I got to her. She limped up the rest and ran into her dad's room, scanning around and sorting the random things with her eyes.
She yanked a drawer open and grabbed a few things, shoving them in a worn gym bag from the bottom of Charlie's closet. She walked around the room, packing a few more things, and then headed to the bathroom where she closed an old fashioned leather zip bag before throwing it in, too.
We came back down the stairs and she ran to the middle of the living room. She grabbed a couple framed pictures and a thick manila envelope and laid them in the bag. Drew stood in the kitchen and stayed out of the way. He had to jump to the side when Bella pushed past him to open the pantry, and pulled out boxes of granola bars and Pop Tarts. She shoved them in my hands, along with a couple bottles of water, and turned to Drew.
"'Kay," She said, and carried the bag out the door to the car. She was in the car, clutching the bag to her chest by the time we got there and we left as soon as our seatbelts clicked.
…
We drove in near silence for almost an hour. I used Bella's phone to call Sam, who had already heard. The pack was ready to go the meeting with or without me, and I was glad they were still going. The signal was lousy on the way and the call kept dropping so we gave up after hammering out the big issues.
At first Drew tried to find a radio station, but somehow pop rock, pimps and ho's , and hillbillies didn't really fit the mood. The news was too dreary, and it was interrupted by the scanner and calls over the radio anyway.
I'd been holding her hand, and she only held back enough so that her fingers didn't slide out of mine. She stared out the window, not seeing anything that went by. I wanted her to talk to me, anything but this eerie quiet that reminded me too much of the past and all the X'd out days on the calendar I'd thought off as I shook Edward Cullen's hand.
"Bella?" My dad cut the quiet with a gentle voice. "What did you pack for Charlie?"
She sniffed and picked her head up from the window she'd been leaning against. "Um, some clothes, bathroom stuff, some medical records and notes he had, and a couple of pictures."
"Oh? What pictures?" My dad craned his neck around a little to see into the backseat.
Bella pulled her hand from mine and opened the threadbare gym bag. She nudged the folders to the side and pulled out the pictures, barely giving them a glance as she passed them to me. Dad's hands were up and ready to take them, so I didn't get a good look. They had the yellowish cast of older pictures and there was a bit of dust left on my fingers after I handed them over.
"Oh, yes. I remember this one." He said as he shuffled one over. "Bella, you must have been in second grade or so. That morning we went out to fish so early that you got hungry before lunchtime and we let Jake take you in the woods to show you the berry bushes. Did you notice the smudges around your mouth in the picture? You must have eaten the whole bush! Then we…" He wound a story that lasted at least forty-five minutes, and I had no idea if it was true or not. What I did know is that Bella's hand came back and her fingers locked onto mine so tightly that her nail beds were white.
…
We jumped the line at the ferry when Drew flashed the badge and loaded right away. Sometime during the half hour trip across the strait, the radio blared with a voice I recognized. It was Detective Thompson. My dad stopped talking as Drew quickly switched to his little earpiece and told Andy to go ahead.
Bella was stiff and she closed her eyes as Drew nodded and "Uh-huh'd".
"And he's where now?" Andy replied back in a garble. The sound coming from those tiny earpieces was really hard to hear over the sound of the ferry engine and turbines.
"Okay. Anything else? Alright, thanks, Andy. I'll tell them right now." He tapped the set and pulled it from his ear.
"That was Andy Thompson, Bella. He's been with your dad since it happened. He says the doctors just finished in surgery and it looks good, but they're going to keep him sedated for a bit longer because of the internal bruising and the hit to the head he took."
"So…where is he now?" My dad asked.
"He's in observation, recovering from the surgery, and he'll stay there until they take him out of the sedation." Drew paused, and looked into the rearview mirror at Bella. "What it all means is, he's okay. Charlie's banged up and he's gonna need a lot of help, but he's okay."
My dad's eyes were wet and he rubbed at his face to mop up the tears with his sleeves. I could feel the heat in the backs of my eyes, too, and even Drew's were red.
Bella's were dry.
…
Drew talked to the nurse at the station and got directions to Charlie's room. I pushed my dad's wheelchair while he held Bella's backpack in his lap. She walked behind Drew, swaying every few steps and correcting herself awkwardly.
The smells in the hospital were killing me. The mix of bleach, alcohol, iodine and sickness reminded me of leech, but without the same burn and rage that went with it. It would take awhile to get used to this, and I longed for fresh air already.
The detectives that had been at Bella's house for dinner were standing outside of a room talking, and looked up when they saw us approaching.
"You made it." Andy said, relieved, and he pumped Drew's hand up and down. John took Bella aside as I introduced my dad to Andy and Drew stepped aside to talk with a nurse. With an ear to all the conversations going on around me, I pieced together that Charlie was still sedated, stable, and looking a little rough, so we should be prepared.
The nurse invited Bella into the room, and John put an arm around her. "Are you ready, honey?" He asked. I wanted to go in with her and started to push the chair forward, but my dad's hand gripped my wrist. At first I thought he was restraining me, but when I looked down his jaw was clenched and his lips drawn in a tight line.
He looked straight at the door. "Give me a minute, Jake, then take me in?" He looked up at me apologetically, and let go of my arm, waving me in. I strode into the room right behind Bella and John. As we entered, the nurse pulled aside a long curtain.
Bella stopped.
Charlie's face was obstructed by tubes and the tape that held them in place. Foam blocks held his head in place and there were more tubes running along his arms and one that snaked under the sheet that covered his lower body. His grayish skin was splattered with yellow and purple marks that had been half-heartedly wiped off, leaving streaks behind.
The nurse who had waved us in stepped by me and put her hand on Bella's back. "It's not as bad as it looks. This is post-operative care, so we have all the bells and whistles on. By tomorrow, half of that will be gone." The nurse slipped past Bella and checked over a computer screen, made a few notes, and walked out after letting us know that the doctor would come soon.
John let his arm drop from Bella's shoulders and she took a tentative step forward. She laid a hand on the bed, touching the sheet and running her fingers over the pad underneath. Her movement stalled when she got within an inch of Charlie's arm. Without looking, she reached back, searching. John stepped up and tried to hold her but she shook him off.
"Jake?" She breathed. I caught her hand and rushed forward to wrap my arms around her. She held on to me with one arm, the other extended to keep touching the bed. She began to stroke Charlie's arm, carefully avoiding the IV.
John stepped out of the room with Andy and Drew, and a minute or two later, Bella let go of me and sat down in a chair that someone had set behind her. She continued stroking Charlie's arm and then his forehead, so I stepped out to check on my dad.
He was talking quietly with Andy, a serious expression on his face but not the tense mask of earlier. I reached down and took Bella's backpack.
"Is Bella okay?" He asked softly.
"I think so. It's hard to tell." I said honestly.
He rubbed his face. "When people overload they shut down. She's had too much, what with…everything, and I don't think she's coping yet. We need to keep a close watch on her for Charlie." He looked at the door. "We can't let him down."
I nodded and wheeled my dad into the room.
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Bella POV
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Billy helped pass the time by telling fishing stories as he held my dad's limp hand. Jake stood behind me, rubbing my back, and having to move out of the way whenever a nurse came in to check the machines that beeped and blinked, flashing green and red in my peripheral vision.
I felt numb, but it was different from zombie. Like newly exposed land that warned of an impending tsunami, I felt strangely calm, alien, as if forcing myself to keep it together until I was absolutely sure my dad was okay. Then I would be dragged away by the undertow.
The touch on my back reminded me that no matter when, or how, I fell apart, there would be a hand to pull me out.
The nurse returned again with a partner. "Honey, we need to draw fluids and change some dressings." She opened a drawer in the bedside table and pulled out a covered plastic tray marked 'Sterile' and set it on the bed between Charlie's legs. "You should probably go to the waiting room for awhile. The other gentlemen are there and I think the doctor is on his way. We'll send him there. Okay?"
I reluctantly let go of my dad's hand and clutched my bag to my chest, as if it would protect me. I ached all over from sitting in the chair, hunched over for a couple hours. Jake helped Billy into his wheelchair and we left together, wincing at the metallic screech of the curtain's rollers as the nurse pulled it closed behind us.
Jake's stomach growled loudly on the way to the waiting room, and he sniffed the air as we drew closer.
"Oh, thank god," he mumbled.
John and Andy had bags of burgers and fries with a few little fast food fried desserts. I picked at mine, and Jake took care of the rest, John assuring him that they had eaten already and not to be shy. After we finished, the detectives cleared the coffee table and sat with us. They both fidgeted with their steaming cups, flicking the tops and tapping them on the table.
"So," John began, "is the doctor on his way?"
"That's what the nurse said. Anytime." Billy answered.
Andy cleared his throat and John shifted in his seat until he was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. He set his cup down and took a breath. "The thing is, Bella, we wanted to talk to you before the doctor got here. There are some things we think you ought to know about Charlie…your dad. He-"
"How did he get hurt?" I interrupted hoarsely.
"Well," Andy said, "the injuries indicate a hit and run, but the scene showed no skid marks." He rubbed at his forehead angrily. "We were just around the corner when it happened, and we didn't hear a thing."
John slapped his notebook onto the coffee table. "I swear to god, if it was some asshole with a phone on their ear…" He shook with anger and stood up. John paced the room a few times before stopping at his chair again. He rubbed his eyes wearily.
"What I was going to say, Bella, is that your dad has some hist-" He didn't get to finish because a damp-haired and very harassed looking doctor in fresh scrubs walked briskly into the room.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, I'm Dr. Cooper. You must be Miss Swan?" The doctor held out his hand and we shook, the smell of his strong soap overwhelming the burgers for a moment. "Mind if we have a seat? I've been in surgery and on my feet for six hours. I would have come much sooner but the ER and OR have been very busy and I had to call in a favor to get an extra set of hands. He just gave me a break so I could hit the locker room and come see you.
"So, the nurses have let me know how he's been doing, and I have to say that I'm very pleased with how Mr. Swan is doing."
"Chief." John said.
"I'm sorry?"
"He's a chief of police. Not a mister." John clarified and leaned back, taking up the whole armchair.
"Ah. Sorry." The doctor sat up. "So, the Chief has a couple broken ribs, and the broken leg is stabilized with a few pins. We can look at the x-rays later if you like. The big concern was some internal damage. We saw that there was an internal bleed as soon as he came in, and we located it very quickly and were able to repair the damage before it got very far. The impact he sustained alone probably wouldn't have caused the tear, but the fragments broke free and sheared through the encapsulating scar tissue. Fortunately his kidney was alright, but it could have-"
"Fragments?" I blurted, interrupting. John and Andy looked away. "What do you mean, fragments? Bone?"
Dr. Cooper looked confused, inclining his head towards me. "Um, no… the bullet fragments." He looked over at the detectives and made a not-so-subtle gesture towards me.
John stood suddenly and handed the doctor the last fried pie. "Can you give us some time, Doc?"
Jake put his hand over mine and stilled the shaking I hadn't realized had begun. Billy wheeled a little closer and folded his hands in his lap.
The doctor saw the sudden closing of ranks around me and took the pie. "Uh, sure. I thought…well…anyway, thanks." He stood and raised the pie in an awkward salute. "I'll, uh, stop by on my next break." Dr. Cooper stuck his free hand into his scrubs pocket and left the room.
Andy ran his hands over his legs and leaned forward, clasping his hands like he was praying. John held his chin as he paced the room. He finally he stopped and patted Andy on the shoulder.
"Bella," John started, "your dad wasn't always just a cop in a small town."
I blinked. There wasn't much to say to John's statement. He picked up his drink and took a sip.
"Andy and I met your dad back in the eighties. There was a crime wave in Seattle and there were suspicions of internal corruption. The SPD started recruiting from nearby small towns in the hopes of finding guys who would be willing to take on internal investigations. Your dad was one of the few who accepted the offer. Most of them were looking for an out from where they were, and, all things being equal, we didn't ask too many personal questions." John sipped his coffee again and Andy cleared his throat to speak.
"All we knew was that he'd been through a recent divorce, and since it was a common enough story, we didn't really pry… at the beginning." The detectives exchanged a glance before Andy continued. "John and I were part of Internal Affairs leading the investigation. We noticed after a few months that Charlie was taking risks. Not just doing the job, you know, but doing it the hard way."
John looked into his coffee cup. "We had to cover his ass once or twice for doing things a little recklessly. He wasn't breaking the rules, just…bending them a little more than the Lieutenant would want to hear.
"We were getting ready to do a huge bust. After two years, we had found the main contact from within the force, and if we moved fast, we could have the guy and weaken the structure that was built around him."
I tightened my grip on Jake's hand. "What…happened?"
John rubbed his eyes. "We were ready to go into the hotel room where a meeting was being held. The evidence was airtight, the right people were there, all the pieces were in place. Then, while we were waiting on back-up and for our commander to give us the green light to go, the targets started to move. It would all fall apart if the meeting ended, and we'd have to wait for the next one, and we didn't know if we'd ever get another chance like this."
Andy leaned back. "Charlie became obsessed by the case. They were dealing drugs from within the force, human trafficking, teenagers just disappearing, businesses under the thumb of protection rackets… you name it, those slimes were in on it. He refused to let the sons of bitches just go back into the shadows like rats." He crumpled the paper cup he'd been drinking from and threw it into the corner, missing the trashcan. "Charlie jumped the gun and took off for the room. He figured we could at least pin them down until the back-up made it. He had his revolver out, ready to go, but we weren't expecting the marks to have guards. Charlie had already found cover close to the room, but John and I were running to follow him."
Andy reached over and punched John affectionately in the shoulder. "This big bastard is an ex-linebacker. He was an easy target, and Charlie's sharp eyes saw where the dirtbag inside the hotel room was aiming."
John's eyes were red and watery. I could feel tears of understanding burn and my vision blurred. John's hazy outline moved and leaned over the table toward me, taking my free hand.
"Bella, your dad, Charlie…he took a bullet for me. The jerk saved my life, and it could have killed him. He spent a couple weeks in the hospital healing up after the surgery, and this pushy bastard-" John pointed to Billy and smiled- "took him home when he was ready and kept him in Forks from then on."
Billy let out a hard exhale with a smile. I looked at him with new eyes, feeling strange that there was so much history in the room I would never have guessed at.
"Yes, Bella, I knew. I brought him back home and he stayed with Sarah and me until I could kick the renters out of his house. After that, Harry, Sue and I checked on him every day until he started to work again." Billy stared out the waiting room's window at the gray sky outside. "I took him out fishing nearly every other day for more than a month. It was the one thing I could get him to do. Finally he started talking to me while we fished," he looked back at me, "mostly about you, and after a couple months, he was the one picking me up before dawn to hit the lakes. And then…Sarah…" Billy looked around at the hospital walls uneasily, "… well, we've been doing it ever since."
…
Minutes passed, and one of the nurses poked her head into the waiting room to let us know that they were done in my dad's room. As we stood, Drew returned, his face exhausted and hollow, but determined.
"Here, I thought everyone could use these." He set down a cardboard caddy with fresh coffees, and took one. John and Andy each took one and Drew spoke with them in the corner quietly for a moment before they all nodded and shook hands. Jake handed his dad the last cup of coffee and slung my backpack on one shoulder.
"Bella?" Drew said as he walked back toward the hall with us. "I have some things to take care of here and back home." He said seriously. "I'll be back soon, okay? Jake," Drew put his hand out. "Keep an eye out for her, huh? Charlie needs you." They shook and Drew turned to Billy. "Sir, it was an honor."
John and Andy told him to hurry back, and, with a firm handshake from them both, he jogged to the exit.
I sat by my dad's bed once again. The lurid streaks of color were gone and he looked a little more comfortable. John and Andy left to finish filing reports and to see their own families, promising to be back the next day. It was getting late, and the nurses suggested we go to the hotel room that the detectives had reserved for us, but I refused to leave. I pushed my chair alongside my dad's bed and catnapped with my head on the bed beside him.
The next shift's nurses were less friendly and they banged around the room as they prepped the dressings, waking us all up. A doctor dropped by and reported that my dad's 'numbers' looked great, and he'd be allowed to wake soon, but not to expect him to carry on conversation yet. He was very kind, and had a couple meal trays delivered to the room for us, to Jake's relief.
Time lost all meaning in the day that followed. The drugs keeping my dad sedated were removed from his IV and we waited. I was afraid to leave the room- that I might miss the moment when his eyes opened, but a nurse assured me it would be several hours, and that we ought to go to the cafeteria and get some real food. We trooped down to the lobby and made our way there, and ate quietly. I jumped every time a cell phone rang because the nurses had my number in case he did wake up. It was never my phone.
Andy and John stopped by for an hour or so, but said they had to meet Drew to finish up the paperwork for custody of the car. I thought only someone from Forks could do that, but they said they'd explain later.
It was too wet to just wander around outside, so we walked the halls, looking at the artwork done by patients and volunteers. When we made our way back, I could feel my chest tighten as we entered the room again, hoping that Dad's eyes might flutter open when we walked in, but they didn't.
The nurse from the first evening was back. "Hello there, honey. Great news, your dad's heart rate and respiration is changing. It'll probably be sometime in the next hour." She frowned at my re-intensified staring. "How about I send the book cart by? A watched pot never boils, you know."
The book cart came. Jake and Billy found some sports magazines and talked quietly about the semi-finals. All I could see was classics and a few airport-type thrillers. I took a magazine without looking at the name and opened it without reading.
I must have dozed off, because my head snapped forward when I felt someone shaking my leg. Jake whispered my name and pointed at the bed. Charlie's eyes were half open and hazy from the last bits of the cream that had been dabbed over the lids. He shifted an arm around and winced, then he faced me. His eyes opened a little wider, and I grew hopeful, a huge smile spreading over my face.
His lips parted, his mouth dry and sticky sounding. "Renee?"
I wanted to cry. "It's Bella, Dad. Bella."
"Oh, good. Might be a little late. Finish…homework." His eyes closed again and the beeping on the monitors slowed to a steady beat once again.
His words whirled around in my head and made me dizzy. The exposed sand trembled with the threat of the coming wave.
I drew a shaky breath.
The nurse was already behind me, and she leaned over to whisper to me. "Honey, that was great for just coming out of it. I think you ought to get out of here and get your ass to that hotel room now. All you'll do is make yourself sick now." She walked top the end of the bed to write something on the chart. "And you all need a good shower. I don't want you in my ward again until you've all slept and smell like soap. Now go… out with you. If anything changes, I have your number."
.
Jake POV
.
The hotel room was a two-bedroom suite with a sitting room. I got my dad out of his wheelchair and into a recliner as soon as we walked in. I turned on the TV and got him settled with some water while Bella showered. John called Bella's cell to make sure we were okay, saying we should order something from room service and that it was taken care of. I took him at his word and ordered half the menu.
I helped my dad shower next, and got him to bed. He was exhausted and I felt bad that he'd sat up at the hospital so long when we had these rooms, but he assured me that there was no way I would have been able to pry Bella away, and he'd be okay. He went to sleep soon after.
While Bella ate, I borrowed her phone to let Sue know how things were. She was relieved that Charlie spoke at all, and said she'd be up the next day with Seth to give us a break. According to Sue, we'd have a lot of things to plan for from what I could tell her about Charlie's injuries. I talked to Sam, who said the meetings were going well, and they'd begun to do non-contact sparring with the Cullens, though the Doc wasn't there the last two nights. Whitlock said he'd been called away on urgent business and would be back soon.
Sam wasn't happy that I wasn't there, and said I needed to be back in a couple days to at least get some first hand training. The pack mind was only good for so much, he thought.
Bella brushed her teeth and crawled into the second bed. The couch was a pull out, but I had no plans to stay there. I showered and, after checking on my dad, slipped into bed with Bella and was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
…
I woke to an uneasy quiet. I couldn't hear Bella's breathing and I reached out to shake her. She was gone.
I found her in the little living room, television on, flipping through the channels mindlessly, giving the room a dizzy strobe-light effect. She was sitting on the couch with her knees drawn up under her chin.
"Bella?" I said. No response. "Bella? Baby, are you okay?" She stopped pressing the remote, stalling the TV on an infomercial. "He's going to be alright. Really."
A sniff. "I know. It's just…he…Mom." She took a choked breath. I sat next to her and put my arm around her.
"What's wrong Bells?" I pulled her closer and she leaned into me, wrapping her arms around my chest.
"It was because of my mother." She murmured. "Renee left and …"
Bella burst into tears. "Oh God, I would have been like both of them! I was going to just leave, and then…then I was just like him!"
I was confused for a moment until I realized what she was really saying. She would have run away with Cullen, leaving her father, her home…me…and then when he left her instead she became the hollow and destructive shell she'd been for months.
She cried until she calmed down, and then started crying again. Suddenly, Bella stood up and yanked a pillow off the couch and threw it against the wall. She groped for anything and grabbed the remote, sending it flying across the room. The batteries clattered into the corner of the room. I caught a lamp before it hit the floor.
I recognized it all. I'd done the same when I thought I'd lost her to imprinting, though I did a lot more damage. I understood her frustration and hate, and I let her go, flinging her things around the room until she sank to her knees and started punching the floor with her bare knuckles. Bella was having the release she needed after days of pent up confusion and pain, and finally she was dealing with it the only way she could given all that had happened.
She was shaking all over from exhaustion, so I picked her up and took her to the bathroom. I cleaned her knuckles in the places where they'd split a little, and wiped her face with a cold washcloth to cool her down and clean away the tears. By the time we finished, she was drooping against me and mumbling 'thank you, thank you.' I carried her back to the bed and covered her up, knowing she wouldn't be up again anytime soon.
I went back to the bathroom for a drink and heard my dad moving around. I took a bottle of water to his room and tapped on the doorframe. "Hey." I held out the bottle. "Drink?"
He leaned up on an extra pillow. "Please." I sat on the edge of the bed and handed it to him. "Was that, er, what I think it was?" He asked, eyes wide.
"I guess so." I rubbed at the chills on the back of my neck. Watching her rage had felt too so familiar.
"Good." Dad said. "I was beginning to worry about that girl. She'll be fine in the morning. Tired, but fine."
"What do you mean?"
His eyes were red again. "Son, I heard what she said. Charlie did the same thing when Renee left and took Bella with her. He hid, he hurt, and finally when he found a way out, he took it. It nearly got him killed and I have a feeling that may have been his goal. I never asked, and he never brought it up."
He took a drink of water and sat up the rest of the way. "People don't always react to things in the healthiest ways. Bella has spent the last year allowing things to happen to her, decisions to be made for her, and watching her life from the sidelines."
Dad handed me the bottle of water and I drained it. "She can't sit by and watch anymore, Jake." I nodded, hoping I understood. There was so much happening around us, beyond our control and yet in every part of our lives, that couldn't wrap my head around it. At least, not at three-o-clock in the morning.
"Thanks, Dad. Goodnight."
"Night, Jake."
In the books, I always thought Bella was the worst of both her parents, and there's no excuse for that if you ask me. I just had to fix it with fire.
On a more fun note, Pavarti held a goofy contest and a bunch of us entered for fun. Check out her C2- Teabagging Twilight. I won the "Most Likely to Get Splinters in Her Ass When Camping" award. Good Times!
By the way- I'm way behind on the latest and greatest pack fics. Please send me recs and comments in PMs or your reviews (if you choose to do such a lovely thing!).
Thanks for reading! By the way- Dr. Cooper is the name of Peter Facinelli's character on Nurse Jackie. :)
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