This is fanfiction-not mine, no money.
Erm...welcome back? Sorry about the delay- was a little ill with the first trimester, better now. :) Thanks to Chef Diamondheart for bearing with me as my writing ground to a halt, she really provided some gentle guidance back to writing! (Congratulate her, she has a new job, too!) Thanks to everyone who found this monster fic during the downtime and put in in their favorites and alerts. You may not realize it, but you guys really helped me want to write more. Thanks also to everyone who reviews. You are all too kind.
Cheesy dream sequence? Check. Twisty logic/events at times? Check. Adherence to Fic-canon? Check. Proceed! Please enjoy!
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Bella POV
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The ground felt cold, but I was warm enough to balance it out. The rocks must have been hard, but where they touched me, they yielded. Where before the clammy leaves clung and embedded themselves in my skin, now they acted like a blanket.
Edward was sad; he begged soundlessly for me to look at him, but I was comfortable and wanted to rest where I was. I rolled over and pulled the soft mat more tightly around myself and drifted peacefully, not listening for footsteps or hoping for his return.
The earthy place where I'd lain faded into comfortably crisp sheets. The warmth was all around me and I reached out but found the place next to me empty, still radiating heat from where I knew Jacob had been. I didn't want to break the spell by opening my eyes. This strange peace I felt was more profound than any I'd ever known, despite the reality I knew I had to face.
My eyes fell open slowly, greeted by dim light that barely leaked around the heavy curtain over the window. The clock by the bed read ten-o-clock, so I'd gotten some decent sleep after…
Holy Crow.
I sat up in bed and flipped the heavy comforter and sheet off. The shower was running, so I had a few minutes to figure out an apology to Jake. How do you apologize for throwing a tantrum and attempting to destroy a hotel room?
My head was achy; actually, everything ached, and in spite of the night's hard sleep I was still weary. I used to get headaches from crying when I was a kid, but for so long my nightmares had come with their own kind of pain and torture. I'd almost forgotten what a normal crying jag felt like. My throat and eyes were raw, and my brain felt foggy.
Strangely, it seemed like I'd finally woken up from a bad dream, though the bizarre reality of the world I found myself in made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. I swallowed down the impulse; there'd been enough drama last night.
And yet, if I felt free the night that Billy took the thing out of my hand, then now I felt whole. It was amazing, even though it hurt so much to just…feel.
I needed to get moving, so I got out of the soft bed and winced when I felt the bruises on my knuckles as I held the sheet to pull it taut. Billy would be awake soon, if he wasn't already, so I went into the shared living room of the suite to see if he needed anything. There was a tiny coffee maker in there, and since I didn't hear anything from his room I decided to brew up a pot for him… and me. Standing up made me a little shaky.
What did Jake think of me after last night? Maybe he'd think I was unstable, or that I couldn't handle everything. God, there was so much, too. Hallmark had no cards for this, and I couldn't imagine there was anything from all those books I'd read that could give me any guidance. Classical heroines might throw something, but they didn't punch the floor in a rage.
Then again, few of Austen or Bronte's heroines had to think about insurance, day rates, and long-term care plans. During the previous days I had accumulated a stack of fliers and paperwork from various agencies; copies of the first claims forms mentioned numbers that made my paychecks from Newton's look like pocket change.
It was so late in the morning, and if my dad was up, then he'd probably be missing me. Maybe he was cold and a nurse hadn't brought him a blanket yet. What if he wanted to call but couldn't reach a phone? I fussed with things on the counter, impatient with the need to do something for my dad; I just had no idea what.
I was still agonizing as I poured the foil packet of grounds into the filter when I felt two very warm hands gently take hold of my shoulders. The packet crinkled as I crushed it and tossed it in the trashcan.
I took a deep breath. "Jake, I-"
"How did you sleep?"
"Uh, fine. I wanted to tell you-"
"My dad up yet?"
I huffed. "No, I was making him some coffee. Look, I want to say how-"
"You should shower." He spoke calmly, and stroked a hand through my tangled hair. "Nurse Ratchet won't let us in the room otherwise."
"But, Jake, I…" I grasped for words. "Please, you have to let me talk."
The gentle and forgiving face fell a little. "You don't have to apologize, Bells. I understand about…last night."
"Maybe, but I need to say this. I've kept so much bottled in for so long, and now it just has to get out!" I took a deep breath. "I always thought family stuff was stupid and restrictive. I guess Renee's example made it easy to think that. She never had her life together and any rules she made for me, she broke for herself all the time, so I never really cared about rules. There were never consequences."
My hands shook as I turned and poured water into the coffeemaker. "Charlie didn't make rules to stop me, he made rules so it was safe for me. Now here we are, needing to rush to the hospital because he's there by himself. Alone. And he wasn't doing anything wrong… just doing his job!" I jabbed the switch on the pot viciously, my eyes burning with frustration. Charlie was in danger because his job sometimes called for it. Not like me, who had chosen to put myself in danger for no better reasons than madness and what I thought was love.
"I feel like crap, I'm short on sleep and I probably look like I've been hit by a hurricane, but no matter how rotten I look or feel, he feels a hundred times worse and he's by himself, hurt." I held onto the edge of the narrow counter, trying to find words. "He needs me!"
As the first spurts of coffee sizzled in the mini-carafe, I turned around and looked at Jake. I expected him to just grab me for a big hug, or comfort me and rub my tangled nest of hair and tell me how much he loved me.
I didn't expect to see him calmly pull a shirt over his head and walk out the door. It closed with a hollow clank of the lock.
Breath trembled in my chest, like the air had been sucked out of the room, until I heard a soft knock on the door. Confused and curious, I cracked the door to see him just on the other side. He hadn't gone anywhere, so I swung the door wide open.
"Hi," Jake extended his hand with a grin. "I'm Jacob Black. You must be Isabella Swan. Nice to meet you."
…
When we arrived at the hospital, just before noon, I was in a hurry to get to my father's room. My head was full of stupid scenarios of him being abandoned, which made no sense considering how busy the hospital was. The backpack I refused to let Jake carry bounced on my shoulders as I quickly walked the halls, passing the waiting room and familiar nurse's station, leaving Jake behind to push Billy's wheelchair.
I whipped into the room and stopped dead in my tracks.
It was empty. The bed was freshly made. Immediately, I was sick and panicky, fearing the worst, but a voice from behind made me turn…
"Hi Bella," Drew waved wearily from the doorway. "Uh, I saw you run by. I was here when the morning shift moved Charlie about half an hour ago."
"Moved? Where?"
"To a normal recovery ward, next floor up. C'mon, I'll walk you there." I followed Drew to the elevator where Jake and Billy were already waiting. Jake tapped his ear and winked, letting me know he'd overheard the conversation. Drew grabbed some things from his chair in the waiting room and hopped in before the doors closed.
"I got back this morning from running those errands on the peninsula. John and Andy called and said they'll be here later this evening," Drew was saying as we left the elevator. "They may be able to bring your dad's things, you know… from the accident."
I stopped. "What things?"
"His watch, wallet, some stuff from his pockets and so on."
"What about his clothes?"
Drew winced. "I think they're still part of the evidence and besides, you probably don't want them back anyway." The sympathetic look on his face was enough to tell me that he was probably right.
"Oh, okay." I agreed, imagining the state the clothes must be in: torn, bloodstained, and maybe worse. I shuddered and looked back for a reassuring smile from Jake.
He wasn't smiling. In fact he was trembling a little, sniffing at the air and grimacing like he smelled something nasty. Billy turned in his chair and saw where his son was staring. Jake whispered to him and they nodded at each other, then he turned to me.
"We'll meet you in the room, Bells." With barely a backwards glance, Jake pushed the chair down the hall opposite from where Drew was leading me. I watched as he strode with purpose down a hall I was certain he'd never been down before, but I let the tug on my arm lead me to a new doorway.
The room was less crowded by machinery and had more in the way of seating. One chair was a sort of comfortable looking recliner and was probably meant to be a place for a visitor to sleep. The other chairs were upholstered with fake-leather plastic in a hideous orange that no one in their right mind would consider stealing.
The drape rings screeched over the rail they hung from and a nurse I recognized from previous days stepped out, toting a clipboard.
"Oh good, you're here. He asked about you and how you were doing this morning. Did you get some rest finally?"
"I guess so." I barely paid attention to my words because I was watching Charlie. His color was better, and he looked like he was just resting, rather than chemically sedated. The tangle of tubes had been reduced to a single IV in his arm now, and his body lay in a more natural position.
The nurse walked by and set her clipboard on the rolling table. She scrutinized me. "Well, by the looks of it, you either finally let yourself go and have a good cry, or you got blind drunk last night."
Words failed me and my mouth hung open as I searched for a response.
A gravelly voice answered. "Better be door number one, kiddo."
"Dad!" I pushed by the smiling nurse and laid my arms around him as gently as I could. Fear of hurting him kept me from just wrapping him in a hug, and he gingerly raised his free arm to pat my shoulder.
"I'm not made of glass, Bella. They even let me sit up for a while earlier." He leaned back and smoothed my hair. The circles under his eyes were not as dark and his smile was only a little shadowed by pain.
"I'm glad you're doing better, Dad. Can I get you anything?"
"A drink. I'm really thirsty."
The nurse snapped a sheet of paper into her clipboard and slipped it into a holder on the door. "Clear fluids till tonight, Chief." She looked at him knowingly. "Coffee doesn't count."
…
The nurse ordered Dad a tray and left us alone for some time. We just joked a bit and I told him what I could about my weekend at La Push. With the nurse's help, I propped him up with pillows when the rather unappealing clear fluids arrived a little later. At first he eyed it with suspicion, but relented when I reminded him that he'd had nothing but IV fluids for a couple days.
"Don't sell me short, Bells. I had ice chips this morning."
"Sounds delicious."
"Don't be a smart alec. The only time I ever even drink juice is Sunday when you make pancakes."
"Sorry, orange juice is not on the list. You'll have to make do with apple." He sipped slowly, but it wasn't long before a few containers were empty and he was holding his arms close to his body from the chill. Everything on the tray was cold. "Do you need another blanket?"
"I could use one. I think I lost my thicker one when they moved me." I scrounged through the room until I found a cabinet with some fresh linens and a warm, if slightly scratchy, blanket. As I laid it on the sheet over his legs and up to his chest I heard his breath catch. When I looked up, the tired eyes I saw were glazed with tears.
"Bells, I'm so sorry," He patted my hair with his free hand. "You shouldn't have to go through this. You're just a kid, and you've been through so much already. I'm so, so sorry."
I took his hand and held it in both of mine. "No, Dad. I've put myself through it, and now is my chance to make it up to you. We'll be okay, no matter what we have to do. We'll be okay together." I pulled an ugly orange chair up to the side of the bed and laid my head on his shoulder. "We'll be okay."
We weren't really the affectionate types usually, but the closeness was comforting to us both. After a few minutes of just being together I felt his shoulder relax and his head rest completely on the highest pillow behind him as he fell asleep. Once I was sure I wouldn't wake him, I sat up and stretched.
He looked better. There was more color in his face now that he had something, even if it was just juice, in his system. I moved the tray and the rolling cart it was on away from the bed and settled into the recliner to wait for Jake and Billy.
…
"Psst. Bells. Hey, wake up, please?"
I opened my eyes and tried to lift my head, but it hurt to move it. I'd fallen asleep watching my dad and my head had flopped awkwardly to the side.
Semiconscious, I propped my head up with my hand. "Yeah? What's up?"
"I need to borrow your phone."
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Sam POV
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Patrols had been brutal since we spent our evenings with the Cullens. At least we were all able to sleep during the day since Embry, Quil and Seth had ended the pretense of attending school. The story was that Billy and Old Quil had pulled them from school to explore some long-abandoned ritual for young men of the tribe. No one questioned it, especially since Old Quil was involved.
"Here, you'll need this." Emily sat a cup of coffee on the arm of the couch next to me. I smiled at her wearily and took her hand as she sat next to me. She was the comfort I wanted, and the anchor I needed. I'd do anything for her. It was becoming harder and harder to leave every night, knowing that there was a chance it could mean a fight. The little black haired leech was convinced we would fight as the sun dropped, but hadn't been able to pin down the day. She said it would not be raining, but that the ground would be wet.
Needless to say, I wasn't as impressed by her as her family was. The ground was always wet.
It was midafternoon, and I needed to run one more short patrol before meeting up with the pack for the meeting with the Cullens. Despite Emily's good cooking, the food felt like a rock in my belly. Dread had a way of wrecking a good meal.
Emily stood to head into the kitchen. She had a big meal to prep since we'd started using our cabin as a home base before meeting with the Cullens. We had to take in a lot of food to keep ourselves going through the training sessions. Sue directed cash our way to cover the costs, but there was no price tag on my Emily's peace of mind. I could see that she suffered every time I left.
Just made it even harder to leave her.
She left me to brood, stirring a pot, dumping something into a bowl, and lining a pan with foil while I frowned into my cup.
The phone rang. Emily's free hand shot out and picked it up while the other never stopped working.
"Hello? Oh, hi!" She nodded with relief. "Yes, he's been trying to get a hold of you…" Before she could get another word out I had the phone out of her hand.
"Jake? Where the hell have you been since Sunday? Last I heard you were driving to Seattle."
"Mostly at the hospital, and you'll never guess who I just had a meeting with."
"Dr. Cullen." Complete silence. "Jake? You still there?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
That first night, as we went into one of our rounds of demonstrations led by Whitlock, Dr. Cullen had gotten a phone call. He politely took it away from where we practiced, but we could still hear pieces of the conversation. A friend of his in Seattle had a busy emergency room and a backlogged surgery with too many of his staff doctors out. He was calling in every unaffiliated doctor in the area he could get on the phone, hoping that one or two could lend a hand. Dr. Cullen excused himself, promising to return as soon as he could. That was Sunday night. Today was Wednesday.
"Have you heard from him at all since he left?" Jake asked.
"He calls the second, and he conveys the messages. Last night he said he thought he could be back before the end of the week." I hoped so. I didn't like the idea of the treaty primaries both being so far away.
"Huh. Well, my dad and I talked to him a few minutes ago. He thinks we need to get back to town as soon as we can, but we can't leave Bella alone. We need a reason to get me and Bella out of here for a couple days, but I don't want to leave my dad up here alone with Charlie. I don't think he can handle all the damn curbs and stuff by himself."
"Fuck. That leaves you on the road with her by yourself. I can't let you do that, Jake." We already knew we worked better in groups when we patrolled and fought, but Whitlock pointed out and demonstrated that a one-on-one between a wolf and a newborn would not go well for us.
Emily looked up from her bowls and smiled at me. The need to drop everything and stay in the cabin with her forever was strong. The phone's plastic case creaked as I squeezed it harder.
"Let me make a couple calls, Jake. I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, see about getting the hell back here. In could be days or a week or two, but they're going to come. I have to have you here when they do. You can consider that an order."
Over the phone, I heard the swish-gulp of Jake swallowing hard. "Yes, sir. I'll make it back."
"Bye Jake, I'll call you back after the meeting tonight. Let Billy know."
"Bye."
I hung the phone up and swore. How had my life gotten so complicated? I was trying to tuck in a shirt the wrong size; gobs of fabric in some places, coming loose with every move in others. I wouldn't trade it with anyone, and the idea of not having Emily made me sick, but if it could just be a little different…
Emily looked up, startled, when I jumped to my feet and was halfway to the door before she could blink. "Patrol, be back soon." I said after I kissed her cheek and lips. I tossed my shirt over the back of a chair and jogged out the door to the trees, leaving my shorts on a branch. As I phased I felt the echoes and voices of my pack as they prepared for the change of guard. One recoiled the moment I joined them and backed away, curling her thoughts into a tight ball where she could hide.
Leah, I greeted formally. I knew my thoughts were full of ache, but the pack ignored it and went about their business. Leah phased and left the pack mind as swiftly as she could, leaving me with Seth and Paul as they finished their run.
Seth, remember how I was saying that I needed to get Jake back in town?
Yeah. How long does he think he'll have to stay in Seattle with Bella?
Not sure, but we need to make a plan to get him and Bella back here, and I think you can help. Do you think your mom might like getting out of town for a day or two?
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Jake POV
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My Dad listened while I spoke with Sam, nodding grimly during the call.
Sam hadn't given me an actual order since the night I phased, and though it rubbed me the wrong way it didn't take much for my mind to start racing to find a way to obey it. I knew he was right, as much as it bothered me.
I walked back to the waiting area, nearly tripping over Drew's legs. He was dozing, and had them propped up on the row of chairs across from him. My dad was down the hall at the vending machines, so I sat next to Drew and waited.
The guy had a funny way of being everywhere. It was like he watched me; if we were back on the rez, we would have taken care of business by now, except he never seemed like he meant anything by it. He just seemed like he wanted to ask me something.
Drew let out a gruff sounding snort and slowly sat up, dropping his feet loudly off the chairs. "Hey, man. Where'd you go?"
Pretty sure that's not what he really wanted to know.
I leaned back and slouched. "Saw an acquaintance from town. Dad and I had a chat with him. We figured Bella'd like the time with her dad." Plus Cullen said he'd kept an eye on the place, and he hadn't noticed any unwelcome visitors of the undead kind. It was the only reason I was letting her have the time with her dad without me.
"Huh." Drew said sleepily. The guy looked like hell. He kinda reminded me of Embry when Quil and I first saw him after he'd phased; his eyes were rimmed in purple and he hadn't shaved.
"Did you see him? Charlie?"
He nodded. "Yeah. He looked good… well, good considering," Drew sat up and rubbed at his neck and face until he looked a little more alive. "You think he might be okay with a visit from me? I, uh, have some paperwork for him. "
…
When my dad got back with some drinks, the three of us headed down the hall to see Charlie. It had been a good couple of hours since we'd arrived at the hospital, so I hoped that Bella had her chance to talk with her dad. I knew how important it was just to be there; sometimes I used to stay around the house all day with my dad when I knew he felt bad or funny.
Drew followed us into the room, staying off to one side after we pulled the curtain all the way to the side. He set down his stack of folders and leaned against the wall quietly.
"Well, look who's awake now." My dad said gently. Charlie was sitting up and sipping juice. I squeezed the wheelchair by a chair and settled it so they could talk.
"If you say anything about old times," Charlie muttered, "I'm going to have that evil nurse toss you out." He managed to keep a straight face until he actually looked my dad in the face, then he gave a tired smile. "Good to see you, too, old man."
"You look worse than me today. If you go another day without shaving you'll look like Sasquatch with a bad handlebar."
"That's funny coming from a guy with a ponytail."
Bella and I watched as our dads tossed the insult ball back and forth. I'd seen it for years, but I guess she'd never really noticed. Knowing more about how they had become so close made me see it a little differently, though. Our fathers were just guys; old friends with history who couldn't see each other without the kind of good natured ribbing that some would think was mean, but it was just how they started their conversations. I guess it beat crying after all they had been through. As they talked, I wondered if the whole pack might be like this someday.
Bella stood up and cracked her back. "Dad, I think I'll take a walk. You think you'll be okay?"
"Bells, take a break. Go grab something to eat with Jake, okay?"
She smiled. "Yes, Dad."
My dad took a breather to let Charlie think of a comeback, chuckling as he got my attention. "Jake, you still have the phone?" I pulled Bella's cellphone out of my pocket. "Bella, do you mind if I make a couple calls?" He gave me a glance that said the calls weren't just about checking in back home.
"No problem. The charger cord is on Dad's bedside table if it runs low."
"Thanks."
I followed Bella out the door. We got maybe ten feet away from the door before she stopped. "So what was up earlier? You took off down the hall like there was free pizza down there."
Bella's face paled when I told her that my dad and I had found and met with Dr. Cullen.
She froze. "Carlisle is here?" She looked around the nearest hallways anxiously. "Are any of the others here?"
"No, just the Doc. Apparently he's the doctor's friend who came to help out. I borrowed your phone so I could call Sam to check in and let him know what we talked about." I walked her over to the waiting area and we sat. "I have to get back home, soon. When I do, you need to come with me. From what the Cullens are saying, the nomads could hit any night, and I need to be there."
She blew a breath out. "But, Charlie… I can't just leave him here alone."
"Sam is working on something. At the very least, my dad will stay here with him." She bent and rested her forehead on her palm. "It's too dangerous for you to stay here without one of us with you. It won't be for long, and maybe in a week this will all be over. You'll have the rest of your life to help Charlie, but you need to let us help you now."
Bella's shoulders drooped, letting her hair flop around her face. "I don't know Jake. We…we need a plan. And I have to know that Charlie will be okay."
"I'll know more tonight. Sam's going to call me and let me know what he can do. In the meantime, Dr. Cullen is working with your dad's doctor. As soon as we know what we're dealing with, we can come up with something."
…
We grabbed a bite at the cafeteria and headed back to Charlie's room. About a half hour had passed and I was sure the conversation between him and my dad had finally gone beyond trading insults. When we got there, Drew was sitting in the chair Bella had been using and holding some papers for Charlie to read, a pen in his hand.
"Dad?" Bella walked quickly to his side to look the papers over. My dad was sitting back, relaxed in his chair, and acted like he was just keeping an eye on things.
"Hey Bells. Drew here has done more legwork than I thought possible in just a couple days." He looked up from the stack at the younger man. "Sorry if the city of Forks treated you like a courier in the process."
"No trouble, Chief. Just a few more papers to carry."
Bella's face went from frowning concern to surprise as she skimmedthe pages. "You want to transfer, Drew?"
Charlie answered for him. "My deputy has one foot out the door with a wife who's about to drop a kid and demand to move closer to her family. I'm laid up for the next few months, and, well, may never really be able as much work in the field as I did before." He smiled. "I'm not sure this could have come at a better time."
Charlie took the pen from Drew's hand, signed and initialed the papers and handed them back. Drew handed him an envelope. "Sir, this is the one your office asked me to bring."
Charlie grimaced and handed the envelope to my dad. "I think I know what this one is. Maybe we should look it over together."
As Bella, my dad, and Charlie looked over paperwork authorizing long-term care, Drew gave me another one of those funny looks. It wasn't anything that made me worry, but he always made me wonder if he knew more than I wanted him to.
I gave him a head nod and stood to walk out. I couldn't decide if the guy gave me the creeps or not, and it was time to clear the air. After a minute or two, I heard him excuse himself to get a drink and he joined me in the hall.
We started down the hall. When we were out of normal hearing range, I cut right to the bone. "So, you're moving to Forks. Why?"
"I want out of Port Angeles. My work on some prior cases made me a little…unpopular." I frowned. He seemed a little nerdy, but a pretty nice guy. "Remember how long that thing with the car in Forks took?" He continued. "It was a pissing contest between the DAs of Seattle and Port Angeles. Port A was never going to win, but some people at my department used it as an opportunity to set me up. I can barely walk into the station anymore without someone saying something." He looked back at Charlie's room. "I have a lot in common with the Chief, at least that's what John and Andy say."
He walked down to the waiting room and sat in the far corner. I took a chair across from him. "Is that why the detective from Port A didn't come to investigate the car?"
Drew laughed and looked up at the ceiling then rubbed his face. "Without the detective to back me up, I was cut loose and being positioned for the firing squad. If I failed to get jurisdiction over the case, legit or not, they could figure out a way to get rid of me." He grinned like he'd made gotten his chip kinged. "I just beat them to the punch."
"Alright. I gotta know, and I know this is probably rude." I said, and Drew looked up at me curiously. "Why didn't they like you?"
He smiled. "That's easy. I did an internal investigation. It doesn't win you any popularity contests, and I was too new to know what a bad idea it was at the time." He sat up. "Now I get to ask. What is it with you guys at La Push?"
The hairs on my arms and neck stood straight up. "What do you mean?"
"You know, the crime levels on the peninsula have skyrocketed over the last few months, but it's like there's a little halo around your reservation and the surrounding areas. I overheard you on the phone earlier talking about patrols." He cocked his head a little. "You guys have a community patrol program or something?"
I smiled, relieved. "Something like that. We keep an eye on our area."
He frowned. "I know you're probably very protective, but you can't engage in vigilantism. It means you're no better than the criminals, you know."
The smile on my face got wider as I remembered the satisfying rip when I pulled off Laurent's head. "Oh, no sir. We'd never do anything like that."
"Huh. Well, that's interesting. I'd like to learn more about what you guys do, maybe check out your system sometime. If I can get the transfer completed soon, the first thing I do will be to contact your patrol guys and see if we can set up some cooperation. Whatever you guys do, it's working."
I filed that in the back of my head for later. "Sounds great. I'll be talking to my, er, patrol leader later for updates. I'll let him know."
"Great. Hey, I need a coffee; can I buy you a soda or something?" I stood to join him and he looked up at me. "You know, you grew like four inches in a couple weeks. Is that normal for your tribe?"
"Sometimes." I answered, and gave him a bland smile.
…
Over the soda and coffee, it occurred to me that Drew was just observant enough to be good at his job, which meant I needed to watch my ass better. I could have blown it with the way I caught Bella by the car; I moved too fast and he had eyed me when I did it. Hopefully he was too tired and busy to remember.
It was getting close to dinnertime, and my stomach was letting me know. Drew laughed when he heard my stomach growl so we headed back to the room to see if Bella wanted anything. When we got back, I knew something bad was happening.
Charlie's face was serious, and Bella was pale. As I came in the door, Bella turned. There were tears in her eyes.
"What happened? Are you guys okay?"
Bella rubbed a sleeve over her eyes. "The nurse came by and saw that we were filling out the paperwork." She sniffed hard and pointed to the doctor's notes and signature. "Dad's going to spend some time in the rehab facility in Aberdeen, but… after that…"
"After that," Charlie continued, "I'm going to need someone nearby to help me do day-to-day things, and my insurance doesn't cover an aide for more than four hours per day unless I had some bigger problems than I've got. It, um…" he paused, "looks like Bella may have to help me out for a little while."
I looked over at my dad, who had been quiet the whole time. There were two messages being given to us: one, that Bella was going to be taking on a new role in her life, and we might be the model for that; and two, that Dr. Cullen and Dr. Cooper had probably gotten a chance to chat. I had no idea if someone in Charlie's condition would normally get sent to rehab so soon, but I had a feeling that this might be Cullen's way of getting things arranged. Now I needed to hear from Sam to know what he'd figured out.
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Sam POV
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Sue looked tired and worn when I stopped by her place. Seth thought she might like a break from the fishbowl that home could be, and that having something useful to do would give her a purpose since she was still off from work for another week or two.
I had not set foot in the house since the day we buried Harry; it was a house I avoided even though two of my pack members lived there.
Leah still lived there.
While Sue reluctantly accepted all that had happened, it wasn't fair for me to impose myself on Leah in the only place she had that was hers. Imprint or no, it was my fault she had lost so much.
I rapped on the door and stepped back to give whoever was inside some room.
"Sam? What are you doing here?"
"Can I come in, Sue?" I looked over her shoulder into the kitchen.
"She's…Leah isn't here right now. You can come in." Sue said a little stiffly.
I closed the door behind me and sat at the table. She immediately opened the refrigerator and pulled out a wrapped sandwich. I held up a hand. "It's not your job to feed me just because I'm here. This is business, and I need to know if you can help."
Sue set the sandwich on a plate and put it front of me. "You're a member of the pack, you're in my home, and you need to eat. When I learned about all of this, I swore to do anything I could to make sure you could do your job. Now eat and talk."
I ate as quickly as I could.
"We need to get Jake and Bella back here. The Cullen's fortune teller is convinced that it's only a matter of days before the newborns come, and the pack…I need Jake here. I can't have Jake here without bringing Bella back, too."
A kettle on the stove started to whistle. Sue poured hot water into a mug and thoughtfully stirred her teabag around. "So, what do you need from me?"
"I need you to go to Seattle to stay with Charlie and Billy. Jake won't leave his dad alone, and I can't imagine that Bella would leave without knowing someone was there with Charlie." I knew Sue was very close to Billy, and had always been friends with Charlie. There was so much on the line. "They have a hotel room you can use, we can pack you a few meals to take with you, I can get everyone to pitch in for gas if you need it-"
"Oh, do shut up, Sam. I was thinking of going anyway." She sipped her tea calmly as I let out a relieved sigh. "If any more of my or Harry's extended family decide to drop by to 'help out' I think I'm going to scream. I'll never understand the need to suffocate the bereaved."
I had no answer for her, so I just shrugged again. Sue set the mug down and eyed me. It was some time before she spoke again, and I could feel the sandwich turn over angrily in my stomach.
"So, are you happy, Sam?"
"Pardon?"
"You and Emily. Are you happy?"
I suddenly clenched my jaw so hard that it popped. I had not spoken to anyone besides Billy about this, and then only to be sure it –imprinting- had actually happened. My protective side reared up, offended by the idea that I might not be happy with my imprint. The other part of me was prepared to take the verbal beating I deserved.
"Yes. I'm happy." I refused to elaborate. The pull was already telling me to run back to the cabin.
"Hmmm." Sue sipped her tea. "Leah hurts, but I suppose you already knew that. Too much happened at once for her to sort through, so it's all mixed up. I know it can't happen yet, but when all...this ends however it does, you need to give her the time she needs." Sue raised the mug again and blew at the steam. "Don't try to fix her."
She sipped and said nothing more, but was clearly waiting for me to respond. "Okay. I'll stay out of her way."
"Good. I'm not going to say I understand how you're all feeling, but I have an idea that there's enough guilt and heartache that I don't need to be adding to it. I have my own to deal with right now." Sue grew quiet and stared at the chair at the head of the oval table, the mug tucked under her nose to breathe the steam.
I stood to leave, not wanting to interrupt whatever thoughts Sue was having. I had the door halfway open when her voice stopped me.
"When do I need to be in Seattle?" I looked back. She was still gazing at Harry's old chair.
"I can let you know after tonight's meeting. I'm going to talk to Dr. Cullen and then call Jake to find out what we can do about Charlie and Bella."
Sue made the faintest nod and closed her eyes. The faintest trail of tears began to streak down her face so I left as quietly as I could. It seemed cruel to stay and force her to talk any longer.
.
Jake POV
.
When I hung up the phone, Bella walked out into the waiting room to join me. It wasn't really late yet, but her dad was exhausted from being awake so much, and a nurse scolded us for having him talk so much that day. My dad was allowed to stay in the room after promising to let Charlie sleep. The recliner that Bella had occupied for most of the day was plush and comfortable, so I figured he would be okay. I settled him into it to get him out of his wheelchair a couple hours ago and by the time we were halfway down the hall I was sure I could make out the sound of him pushing a pillow around to sleep.
"Who were you talking to?"
"Sam. They ended the meeting early and he's back home." I told Bella the plan, Sue would come up with Seth as soon as we could manage to leave. We'd take Sue's car back to La Push and Seth would ride along to provide backup.
Bella leaned back in her chair and picked at a loose thread on her cuff. I nudged her with my elbow and she gave me a tired smile. "So what are we doing now?"
"I think we're waiting to find out what the doctor's plan for your dad is, and to come up with a good reason to get back to town." Her smile disappeared. The last few hours had been about her dad, his condition, and full of hope about recovery and an eventual return to normal life. We had hardly mentioned our other reality.
The need to go home was starting to get to me, though. I wanted to be by the sea, near my pack, and the wolf was starting to become restless. I'd been preoccupied enough by everything, the hospital and taking care of Bella that I'd kept myself busy. Now, there were things to do.
It was late enough in the hospital that things were winding down- most visitors were gone or at least staying in the rooms with their loved ones, and the staff change was over, so the bodies that had filed in and out for the past hour had finally stopped. Since it had been kind of quiet for the last ten minutes, the sound of quick footsteps coming towards us made me look up.
It was Dr. Cooper. He looked frazzled, but that was pretty much normal.
"Miss Swan?"
"Yes?" Bella sat up and was about to stand, but the doctor motioned her to stay and sat down next to her.
"I know how much you're here, you need to take a load off, too. So, you saw the insurance paperwork I signed for your father earlier today?"
"I did. I didn't realize he'd go to rehab at all, but I'm worried about the following weeks."
The doctor arched his head back sucked air through his teeth. "Yeah. That. So, he has pretty good insurance, especially for such a small town, but it's the time afterwards. There are only a few home aide workers in that area, and frankly, not much funding to cover them for people who haven't lost a limb or need major help. Your area can handle those who need constant nursing care, or almost no help at all. Everything in between is sort of lost in the shuffle."
Bella frowned. "So…"
"I think he can manage to get an aide for a few hours a day, maybe three days a week, and that's if I exaggerate his condition a bit." Dr. Cooper looked very serious. "Miss Swan, I see that you're over eighteen. Are you still in school?"
Her jaw went a little slack. "Um, yes," she ventured. "Why?"
The doctor's face scrunched up with sympathy. "Unless you can make some pretty major arrangements with family and friends, you may have to help your dad with some pretty personal things for a few weeks after he leaves the rehab facility. I'm not sure your father's needs will be…compatible with you being gone for seven or eight hours a day."
She froze, stunned. When tears dripped off her lashes the doctor pulled a tissue from a box on the table across from him. As he handed it to her, instead of sobbing, Bella…giggled. Dr. Cooper glanced at me, confused. She continued to snicker and covered her mouth with the tissue.
"Well, Jake…" she choked out between the hiccupping giggles, "looks like we're going to be classmates!"
Dr. Cooper looked even more confused. I just ignored him as he pulled a notepad from a pocket in his coat. "Miss Swan, I'm going to write down a few things I think you need to think about installing in your home. A therapist at the rehab center can help you more than this, but it may be a good idea to get started right away. If you have a two story home, you might think about converting some space downstairs temporarily to a bedroom. The Chief shouldn't climb stairs for a while." He continued to talk as he wrote, and I rubbed Bella's back as she calmed down, wiping her eyes and nose from time to time.
He pulled a few sheets from the notebook and gave them to me. Bella was still blowing her nose. "Hang on to those. I can ask a social worker to visit if you think you may need help with finding the materials for the house, or finishing any more paperwork that comes up."
Bella nodded and thanked him, then ducked past him to the women's bathroom across the hall. "Is she going to be okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, I think so." I kept one eye on the door, but faced the doctor. "She's tougher than she realizes, I think."
"Hmm. Do you take care of your dad? The gentleman in the wheelchair?"
"Yes, sir. Since I was about thirteen. Diabetes problems." The door stayed closed. "I'm switching to alternative school to be around more during the day. Some friends can check on him in the evening while I finish school."
"Ah," he made an understanding sigh. "You're quite a remarkable young man. She's not in for the long term commitment like you, but you certainly can be a big help to her if you have time."
"Thanks. We spend a lot of time together. I'm sure I can help."
The doctor excused himself and headed to the elevator. As the doors opened, he had to jump to the side.
"Jake! Oops, sorry, Doc." Andy and John both shouted as they barreled out, nearly knocking over Dr. Cooper. They came to the waiting area and looked around. "Bella here?" Andy asked.
"Just stepped away. She'll be back in a few."
"Good. We have, uh…" John pulled a large, lumpy envelope from a floppy briefcase. It had signatures all over it and bits of torn red tape everywhere.
"It's Charlie's stuff, from the accident. Is he awake?" Andy finished.
"Nope. He finally racked out around eight thirty. Bella and I were taking a break to decide what the plan was for the next couple days, and the doctor dropped by with somenews. So…" I pointed at the bathroom.
"Bad news?" Andy asked.
We spent a few minutes catching up. They were really glad to hear about Charlie, but sorry that it meant Bella needed to leave regular school. I wasn't really sorry at all, I'd get to see her more, but I felt bad that it meant that she had to change her plans…again. Just when she thought she was getting things figured out.
They said they would have been at the hospital earlier, but they got held up at the station, then grabbed a bite to eat on the way over. I could hardly blame them, especially when John pulled a sealed plastic bag with a little box inside. There was steam on the inside of the bag. When he opened it I instantly caught a whiff of cherry pie.
"You're supposed to share that with Bella, young man." John scolded when I almost grabbed it from him. He just laughed and handed me two plastic forks.
The door to the ladies bathroom cracked open and Bella slipped out. She'd pulled her hair back and looked tired, but better than I expected. Normally she got all pink and puffy when she cried.
"We heard the news, Bella," Andy said. "I know it's going to be tough, but if you ever need anything, and I'm not even kidding, you just let us know. You, ah, know enough to understand how serious I am about that."
"Thanks, Andy. I'll remember."
John waited a few moments before gruffly clearing his throat. "Uh, Bella, we brought the things we mentioned. Charlie's things." He motioned to the chairs and we sat in a cluster, our knees crowding against each other in the tight space.
Bella's back was straight as steel when she took the brown envelope. She looked at the seals and initials all over the package, fingering the flap nervously. John gave her a reassuring nod, and she ripped the top right off and turned it over.
A plastic bag stuffed with more bags fell into her lap, some paper and some clear plastic. I recognized Charlie's scuffed and splitting wallet, watch, and a small notebook I'd seen him scribble in. Bella fingered the wallet through the plastic and pulled her lips into her mouth.
"Bella?" Andy said softly. "Honey, I know this is hard, but we need you to check the contents and sign for them. I'm so sorry…" He held out a form with a list on it, dotted line at the bottom.
She took a deep breath, then another. Bella held the bag like it might burn her as she took the flaps of the bag in her fingers, bracing her arms to pull.
I was so close, I could hear the grip of the plastic bag's red seal pop and give way.
In an instant, my nose was burning and the wolf began to claw at my insides. I stood, stumbling, and said something about checking on my dad while she took care of things.
LEECH. Not just any leech. It was the leech. I'd never smelled it, but I didn't have to. My brothers had.
It was the red-head, with traces of the one we'd tracked around Bella's house.
She was the 'car' that hit Charlie.
When I got to Charlie's room, I found Bella's phone lying on a wheeled table next to my dad, who was dozing. I snatched it up and dialed as carefully as my shaking hands could manage, ran into the bathroom and shut the door behind me.
"Hello?"
"Sue?" I barked. "You're still coming, right?"
"Erm, yes, Jake. Is everything okay?"
"No. You're still bringing Seth, right?"
"Well, yes…"
"Come tomorrow. Bring Paul, too."
Thanks so much for reading. Sorry this took so long, the new bun in the oven only recently gave me my brain back. Again, thanks so much to Chef Diamondheart for not giving up on me, WolvesCanEatMe for her advice, and Little Furry Cannibals for the usual madness, fun, and inspiration. Hope your foot is better soon, dear!
Thanks again!
-sfiddy