A/N: I managed to update sooner than expected, because apparently, I had no life this weekend. It was a hard chapter to write, and I do hope it meets your expectations. I think some of you might be unhappy with me for letting the chapter go in this direction, but please, consider everything Bella feels. She's a really good person with a big heart.
Sassy...I love discussing the story with you, and I love your suggestions and your motivation. Thank you for making me laugh with those comments of yours.
And to everyone who review, I love your comments and opinions. They help guide me in the right direction (or at least, I hope it's the right direction).
So...here we go. I'm gonna go hide now.
Disclaimer: Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
Song to listen to: Anna Nalick - Breathe
Chapter 6 – The Verdict:
Bella's week had been quite productive. She had everything unpacked by Tuesday afternoon, and had invited Charlie over for dinner that evening, just to catch up and to give him the opportunity to spend some time with Cameron. They had set a date to go fishing over the weekend, and Cameron was literally counting the days, barely able to contain his excitement. Sam was coming along, as per Cameron's request, and she was glad that Charlie was so accepting. He'd always been pretty reasonable and fair, so it shouldn't have come as such a surprise to her that her father was so open to the idea of spending time with Sam. It would be a great opportunity for the men to bond.
Wednesday and Thursday had found her spending most of her time with Kim and Melissa, who were lucky enough to call themselves housewives. It was effortless being around these two women. They were down to earth, and conversation just seemed to flow without any prompting from her side. She had missed this so much. She had missed having real friends with whom she could share her deepest, darkest secrets, her fears and her passions. And the fact that neither one of these women seemed to judge her, made it all the more easy to feel comfortable around them. It made her apprehension about staying in Forks slip away, leaving her simply content. Maybe staying had been the right decision after all.
They'd had their first family dinner on Thursday evening. Just Sam, Cameron and her. With Cameron sitting at the kitchen table, watching as Sam helped her cook, they had caught up on their week so far, and to her surprise, Cameron had made another friend. Sam didn't look surprised. He simply gave her that 'I told you so' look as he continued to chop up vegetables with little to no effort. God. Was he honestly good at everything? Did he have no flaws?
Together, they had made the best chicken casserole she'd ever tasted. And between the three of them, not a lick had been left over. They had stuffed themselves to the point of discomfort, and it was with deep embarrassment that Bella had to pop the button on her jeans, just so she could breathe again. Sam and Cameron had found this entirely too funny for her liking, but she couldn't help but join in to laugh about it in the end. Sam was clearly an amazing cook, because she's never stuffed herself like she had tonight. She supposed he had to know how to cook, considering he'd had to feed himself ever since he'd moved out of his mother's house.
With promises to have dinner at his house next time, he left them with full bellies, so they could rest up for the following day.
And much to Bella's dismay, Sam had insisted Cameron skip school to be present for Emily's public verdict, leaving no room for argument. His reason for this being that Cameron was as much a part of this whole ordeal, as they were.
Her mom had called shortly after nine, just as Bella had finished towel drying her hair, ready to get into bed and call it a night. Hearing her mom's voice was always welcome, and tonight she desperately wished she could tell Renée all about what had happened on Monday, and what still lay ahead of her tomorrow. She had forgotten how much had to be kept secret, now that she was firmly back in supernatural territory. And Cameron fell into the same category as her mom. For now. She was under no illusions that her sweet boy would be spared the burden of sporting fur and a tail in the near future, and it made her heart drop and her head throb every time it crossed her mind. So far, she had managed to push this disturbing thought to the back of her mind, but the time would come when she had to face it, and she hoped to god she'd be strong enough to watch her boy go through these changes. At least now Cameron had his dad here with him, when it did happen. She had spent countless nights worrying about what she'd do if he happened to phase in Florida. She didn't have a clue how to deal with a young, confused wolf. All she knew was that they had hair-trigger tempers for the first few weeks, and were considered very dangerous, simply because they haven't mastered control over their minds and bodies yet.
Renée had been happy to hear they were settling in so well, and had reminded Bella that if she ever found herself overwhelmed at all, she was only a phone call away, and would be happy to lend an ear. Renée was great at giving advice, even if she could never manage to apply it to herself. She had a strange sort of wisdom, that Bella guessed came with making mistakes and taking risks.
In the end, talking to her mom had managed to chase away some of her concerns, even though she couldn't verbalize them, and as soon as the call had ended and she'd switched off her bed lamp, sleep had come easily.
Bella, Sam and Cameron headed over to Jared and Kim's place just after ten the following morning, to pick Embry and Jared up. No point in heading over to the Tribal Center with more cars than necessary.
Embry was there with the kids when they arrived. Two stunning children named Arizona and Alex. Arizona was, if Bella had to guess, about fifteen years old. Not much younger than Cam. She looked like her father, every last drop of her. She was positively stunning. Demure, with a petite frame like her mother, and feminine to the core, with long raven hair and the same dimpled smile that Bella had seen Embry wear on so many occasions. All in all, Arizona was the exact opposite of Laurell. Not a hint of tomboy in her.
Alex, on the other hand, took after his mother. Had the same tenacity in him, though, not in a bad way. He had a lot of Young blood in him, but he had Embry's unruly hair and, just like his sister, he sported the same heart-stopping smile. Bella had to admit that Embry and Emily had the ability to produce very beautiful children.
The kids were all going to stay together, with Kim playing babysitter while the 'meeting' was in session, and then they'd all have dinner again, together. Or attempt to, at least. Their dinner earlier this week hadn't quite gone quite like they'd planned, and Bella sincerely hoped tonight would go down much smoother.
A very nervous Embry sat in the front, next to Sam, who once again looked so out of place in her small car (the car wasn't really that small – more a case of Sam being too big). From the back, nestled in between Jared and Cameron, she could see Embry wringing his hands together on his lap, just like Emily had done on Monday evening when she had been confronted about the truth. She idly wondered if his nerves were a result of the looming punishment awaiting them for Emily's wrongdoings, or simply because he would have to face Emily again after what he had learned on Monday? The truth must have been a lot for him to process. Here he had been living with her for years – however long they were married – convinced that his wife and imprint was a good person. And to find out that he had been fooled so well, must have been a shock. She couldn't even begin to imagine how he was feeling right now, with so much uncertainty lying ahead of him. Everything in his life had been turned upside down in a matter of minutes, and he had no choice but to deal with it as best he could, whilst trying to shield his children from all of this harshness.
According to Sam, Emily had been staying with her mother back on the Makah Reservation for the time being, kids with Embry until they decided what they were going to do. Or until fall break, when school was out for a brief period. It was heart breaking to see the kids so confused about Emily not being home, but as Embry had explained it, he'd told them their mother was taking a little vacation on her own. It was better than having the kids bare witness to fall-outs between Emily and himself, and having to find out what their mother had done.
The Tribal Center, which she had frequented regularly while she had dated Sam, looked vastly different than she remembered. Back in the day, it had been a large, almost derelict building that had a hall, where bake sales, Christmas markets and other functions were held. Apart from the hall, there was a pathetic excuse for a Recreation Center at the other end of the building, facing the beach, which had basically no means for actual recreation, and had rarely been used when she'd still been around. Lastly, there was a board room on the second floor, where council meetings were held. She'd never been inside, though. It was only for council members, and on rare occasions, trouble makers, who were summoned by means of a formal letter, to be reprimanded for their actions and punished accordingly.
Emily had been in here this week, from what Sam had told her, but her punishment would be announced in front of the whole Quileute tribe, as had been decided upon by the council themselves. Apparently, her transgressions were considered too great to be kept quiet. Revealing it in front of friends and loved ones was part of the punishment itself. Part of the ritual when a member of the tribe committed such an unspeakable act.
Now, the building had been restored to what Bella could only assume was its 'former glory'. The severely cracked white walls, which hadn't been white in a very long time, had been fixed and given a fresh coat of paint. The roof had been redone in its entirety, and the small, murky windows had been replaced with large stationary windows that provided much needed light and a little more beauty to the building that had once been no more than an eyesore.
When she entered the hall, she was pleased to find that the transformation of this old building had not only applied to the outside, but also to the inside, which to be honest, had required a lot of love as well. Long beige curtains were swept to the side to allow natural light to filter inside, and instead of the ghastly yellowing linoleum, dark laminate floors, along with the eggshell walls, gave the place a sense of warmth that she felt it had lacked for so long. To the side, tables, which also looked brand new, were grouped together, just begging to be put to good use. A vast number of chairs that had been packed into neat rows in front of the stage, were already basically filled by occupants she barely knew or recognized, and she was surprised to find the front row open. She could only assume that someone had been assigned to assure that said row remained unoccupied.
"Let me guess," Bella whispered to Sam as he lead Cameron and her to the front, "These improvements were also your doing, right?"
"It was the least I could do," He casually shrugged it off, and it made Bella realize that Sam didn't necessarily want to be praised and complimented for his generosity. It genuinely seemed like he did it out of the goodness of his heart, expecting nothing in return. Her son had truly missed out on the opportunity to learn from his father. To benefit from seeing Sam do things for others. This was what she wanted for Cameron. To be equally generous towards his people. Toward anyone he came across, for that matter. And hopefully now that they were here to stay, he'd still have the opportunity to follow his father's example.
"You're a good man, Sam Uley." The words left her mouth on the heels of a reverent sigh. She wondered if he'd been told this before? And if so, how often, though? He wasn't hers anymore, but it didn't mean she couldn't tell him how proud she was of him. And so, she did just that. "I'm proud of you. I'm proud to call you Cameron's father."
"So am I." Cameron made himself heard, too. "I don't think I could have asked for a better example of generosity, leadership and character."
Bella looked up at Cameron with a smile of amazement, and shook her head briefly, taken completely by surprise at his words. She couldn't have said it better herself, and looking at the two men now, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Cameron possessed the same innate kindness Sam did. She'd seen it before. They were so much alike, and with more time in Sam's presence, she was sure he'd turn out to be the exact same man as his father. And all in all, what more could a mother ask for?
Sam stopped at the front row and turned to face Cameron and her, wearing the strangest expression she'd ever seen on him. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, and for a moment, Bella was almost certain that he didn't know what to say. Didn't know how to accept compliments or praise. He tore his eyes away from hers, and focused on Cameron, the corners of his mouth twitching up into something that could be considered a shy smile. He even sported a faint blush, and she wanted to chuckle at the endearing sight of a grown man like him looking so embarrassed by compliments.
And then he focused his gaze on her, again. His obsidian eyes burned with so much intensity that it made her breath catch and her stomach flutter, blood suddenly pumping furiously through her body. What was this man doing to her?
He cleared his throat and sighed. "You're making way more of a fuss about this, than I deserve. It was honestly something that had been necessary. The people of the community need to have a proper place to spend their time. Especially the kids. They deserve a safe place where they can let go and relax. A place where they can keep themselves busy without getting into trouble. It's honestly nothing big."
"Nothing big?" Bella gaped at him in disbelief. "It's huge! Sam, don't you realize how much this means to your community? Can't you see how amazing these supposed 'small gestures' of yours are?" He gave himself way too little credit. Sure, boasting about it wasn't what she wanted him to do, but he could at least accept a little praise where said praise was due. Well overdue, apparently.
Old Quil joined them, coming to stand next to Sam. "Good to see you again, Bella." He greeted with a smile and a nod of the head. It struck her as odd that the old man seemed to have gained little extra signs of ageing over the last seventeen years. He looked exactly the same as he had back then. It was something she knew she shouldn't ponder over for too long, or it would only leave her with more questions. There was always a mysterious air to the old man. Something you couldn't quite place. Like he possessed some sort of ancient magic, as ridiculous as it sounded.
"It's good to see you too, Mr. Ateara. It's just a shame that it had to be under these circumstances."
"Yes," He agreed. "Though it should all be resolved soon." He tried to assure her, almost as if he thought Emily's punishment would bring her some peace of mind. Instead, it left her feeling sick to her stomach. She hated not knowing what was going to happen.
"And you must be Cameron." The old man turned his attention to her son, extending his hand in greeting. "Quil Ateara." He introduced himself briefly.
"Forgive an old man for saying this, because I'm sure you've heard this a lot lately, but you look so much like your father."
Cameron chuckled, eyes crinkling as he awarded Mr. Ateara with a genuine smile and took the offered hand, giving a firm shake. "Yes, I have. But it never gets old." He said and glanced at Sam for just a moment, like he was proud to be compared to his father.
"Your father is a very good man." Old Quil pointed out. "And you have some big shoes to fill, young man. Though I have no doubt that you will. Especially now that you are able to spend time with him."
"I look forward to learning from him, Sir." He admitted easily. "And even if I only get to be half the man he is, I'd be just fine with that. I'd be proud of myself."
"My, my, my," Old Quil chuckled in surprise. "Your momma raised you quite well already, I see." His eyes twinkled as he turned his gaze to focus on her. "Very wise boy you have here, Bella Swan. I have no doubt that he'll make our people very proud someday."
"Thank you, Sir. I tried my best." She accepted the compliment with ease. Cameron was a very good boy, but the more time she spent with Sam, the more she wondered how much of it was actually her doing, and how much Cameron had essentially inherited from his father. Surely, she couldn't take all the credit. He had been a surprisingly easy child to raise. Nothing like the horror stories she'd heard of when people told her about their kids.
"Are you ready to do this, Samuel?" The old man asked, placing a weathered hand on Sam's shoulder. It was always weird for her to hear people use his full name. Sam fit him better. The name sounded younger and more dynamic than Samuel.
"Yes, Sir. I'm ready."
"Good," Old Quil nodded. "See you up there in a moment." He turned away, heading up toward the stage where Emily and Embry were already waiting, along with the rest of the council.
"Are you guys going to be okay here?" He wanted to know, before he also took his place up on the stage. "I didn't know if you wanted to be up there too?"
"No, no, no." She shook her head and waved away his concerns. "We'll be perfectly fine right here. It's much more appealing to watch from a distance, than to be up there for everyone to see." She knew if she were to sit with Sam and the others, every eye would surely be on Cameron and her. And she wasn't about to subject her son and herself to the curious stares of the La Push community, no matter how innocent their intentions were. Thanks, but no thanks. She preferred to remain as inconspicuous as possible. "Unless you wanted to join your dad up there?" If Cameron was okay with it, she'd allow him to take his place next to Sam.
"Nah," He declined. "I'm good right here, thanks Mom."
"Then it's settled." Sam accepted. "I'll see you two after all this is done, okay?"
"Sure." Cameron and she replied in unison, and got settled into their seats.
Bella kept an eye on Sam as he gracefully moved through the isle and up to the stage, back straight and head held high, like the proud leader he was. And god, why was it such a turn-on to see him so confident?
It was incredible to watch the way the people averted their eyes as Sam walked past them, just like they had done for Old Quil, when he had walked to the stage not long before Sam. This seemed to be a sign of great respect, and it made a sense of pride well up inside of Bella. It was overwhelming to see that the young man she had dated briefly, so long ago, had come so far since then. He was respected by his people, and highly regarded. It made sense, though. Sam had done so much for the Reservation. Wanted to improve lives of all the people here today, and more importantly, he wanted to provide something more for the youth. Something he'd never had growing up. This seemed to be his passion. Providing opportunities for the La Push youth. Not only had he made improvements to the school, but he had fixed up the Tribal and Recreation Center for these kids. For his people. And Cameron and she fell into that category now, too. They were part of his people.
"I thank all of you for being here today." Old Quil started out, addressing the tribe. "It is not a happy occasion for which I called your presence, but rather a gathering for the punishment of Emily Call, because of her transgressions."
There was an audible murmur of low voices and shocked looks shared between the people gathered together. Bella caught a 'must be bad if we were all called here today' and 'wonder what she did?' from people sitting close to her. Bella looked over at Cameron to see his reaction. His face was blank and his body rigid, gaze trained solely on Old Quil as he spoke, and she couldn't help but wonder how hard it was for him to sit here and endure all of this? Or perhaps it wasn't hard for him, at all. Maybe he was glad that there was some form of retribution for the life he had to lead because of Emily.
"As council, we have decided to punish Emily as we see fit, for her transgressions, and will do so in private. However, we do feel that she should be reprimanded in front of our tribe as a whole, because of the severity of her actions. And so, I will allow Samuel to continue."
Sam, along with all of the other council members, had remained standing as a sign of respect to Old Quil, and only when he took his seat, did they sit down as well.
Sam slowly walked over to Emily and Embry, who were standing to the left, away from the council. He turned to face the couple, and Bella noticed that Embry didn't stand close to Emily. Nor did he look at her, and she found her heart breaking for him because of the shame she was bringing to his family.
"Emily Call," Sam addressed her in a cool, detached tone that made goosebumps erupt all over Bella's skin. She was sure glad not to be at the receiving end of Sam's wrath, because she had seen how downright scary and intimidating he could be when it had been called for. Emily kept her eyes trained to the ground as Sam towered over her, a sign of respect for the leader of their pack. Or was it perhaps due to shame that she couldn't meet his eye? Bella suspected that, if it were in fact a sign of respect toward Sam, it didn't necessarily come from the heart for Emily. It was more likely due to the fact that it had been ingrained into her from an early age to respect the Chief of the tribe. "You knowingly interfered with the relationship between Bella and I, seventeen years ago, and as such, my son had been born away from tribal grounds."
Emily was silently crying, her head still kept down, while yet another buzz of shock filled the hall. Even Embry couldn't meet the eye of his people, ashamed to be associated with such disgrace. Unperturbed by Emily's tears, Sam continued in his compelling double-timber voice, speaking clearly so all the people gathered could hear. "He had to grow up away from his people, and away from the traditions we try so hard to instil in our youth from an early age, so they can carry forth everything we hold dear about our heritage. You did a great injustice to the future chief of our people, by allowing him to grow up without a father. And you hid the truth from your tribe. From your husband. You chose to keep the information to yourself concerning Bella Swan's pregnancy, and for that, you will be banished from the tribe and sent away to live on the Makah Reservation. Unless any objections are made by the victims to your crime, after this ceremony has concluded, you are never to set your foot on Quileute grounds again." Sam pushed a bent forefinger to the bridge of Emily's nose, eliciting gasps from all around the room. Bella had no idea what it meant, but as Emily slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her hysterical sobbing, she knew it didn't mean anything good. She made a mental note to ask Sam about it later, when they had a moment alone. "Shame falls upon you for what you have done." He stepped away from Emily to face Embry. It was his turn now, and Bella silently prayed they'd have mercy on him.
"Embry Call," He addressed his friend in a softer tone. Not noticeably so, but enough for Bella to hear the minute difference. Sam obviously cared a lot for Embry, and felt sorry for him because of what he had to endure. "Because you were not in a relationship with Emily at the time of her transgressions, the council has decided to pardon you from any punishment. You, and your children will be allowed to continue your life on the Reservation as you see fit."
By now, Emily had been reduced to a blubbering mess, pulled in on herself as her hunched shoulders shook with sorrow and shame. The sight of her so distressed, made Bella look down at her feet, biting her lip so she didn't start to cry. Shaming Emily in front of the tribe had been enough for her. As she'd mentioned to Sam before, nothing was going to make up for the time they had lost. And having gone through what she did, made it extremely hard for her to accept Emily being banished from La Push, to live on the Makah Reservation instead, without her children. This was simply too harsh. How could the council allow a mother to be without her children? Yes, she understood that their children had to remain on the Reservation, because they were Quileute. But there had to be a better solution. One where mother and children didn't have to be separated.
When all the people had departed, it was finally time for the pack ceremony to begin. The hall was considerably quieter and almost empty. The only ones who remained were Seth and his wife (Bella didn't know her name), holding a newborn in her arms. Rachel sat next to Melissa and Quil, while their companions were still up on stage, and Bella wondered if Quil's wife had offered to stay behind to look after the kids?
It was scary knowing that there was more to come. What else could there be to do or say, that couldn't have been done in front of the community? Why the privacy? It had to involve something only the pack knew of, and it was this realization that made a shiver of apprehension run down Bella's spine, and a sense of dread gripped her heart. This wasn't going to be good. It could only mean one thing. It involved the imprint, somehow…
"During deliberation, the council thought it best to present Embry with the option of breaking the imprint, should he feel inclined to do so. We imagine the shame that has been brought on the family's name, is a heavy burden for Embry to bear." Sam said, and briefly met Bella's gaze. His face was hard. Blank. It was a face she hated to see. The same one that she'd seen at Allison's funeral. As far as she had known, there wasn't a way to break the imprint. And now that she knew it could be done, she wondered why Sam never chose to have theirs broken? After her leaving of her own volition, according to Sam (or according to what Emily had lead Sam to believe), why didn't he break their imprint? Why would he continue to endure the pain of being separated from her, when he could easily have been freed from their supernatural ties? "We will give you one week to make your decision and come back to us with an answer. If you do wish to proceed, Mr. Ateara will perform the ritual to release you from any ties to Emily."
Emily shook her head, and cried out a strangled plea to Embry. She gripped his shoulders and begged him not to break the imprint. But Embry coolly removed her hands and took a step back, lifting his hands in defeat. "I'm sorry, Emily, but I need some time to think."
"No, honey, please? Please don't do this to us. You know I love you with all my heart. I never meant to deceive you, I swear."
Bella could practically hear the woman's heart break. And she could feel her own heart break for the pain Emily had to endure. It was simply too much. The punishment against Emily was too harsh. Too extreme. The council had to come up with a better solution. This was downright cruel.
"I don't know if I can believe you after everything you did, Emily. I don't know if you love me because of the imprint, or if you you've truly grown to love me all by yourself. Perhaps it's better to break the imprint, so you can be free. So we can both be free."
Dinner with the pack tonight had been nothing to write home about. There were no surprises, at least. But it had been a quiet, somber affair. No one had much of anything to say, all still absorbing what had happened. Not even Quil seemed to have a joke to make, obviously sympathizing with his friend.
Alex and Arizona had been kept in the dark, and despite not understanding what was going on, they could sense the tension. They could tell something wasn't right.
But young Laurell, to everyone's relief, had successfully managed to get all the other kids to join her in a game of hide and seek, which had seemed to put Alex and Arizona in a good mood for the time being, at least. It had given them the chance to escape the tension and forget about their concerns for a while.
"You've been awfully quiet the entire day." Sam said as they reached her front door. He had once again walked them to the door to make sure they were safe, and despite her gloomy mood and her annoyance with Sam about the whole situation, she still appreciated his concern. "Is everything okay?"
"Cameron," Bella said and looked away from Sam to address her son. "Would you mind giving your father and me a moment alone to talk?"
"No problem," He nodded briefly and accepted the house keys Bella held out to him. She remained quiet, looking at her feet while she waited for Cameron to unlock the front door, go in, and close it behind him.
When they were alone at last, she lifted her gaze to meet Sam's dark eyes. He looked worried. "I honestly can't believe you." She whispered in a low voice, words forced from between clenched teeth as she prepared for a fight. "How could you, Sam?"
His eyes flashed, and he cocked his head to the side to observe her with raised brows. "What do you mean, how could I?" He asked, looking surprised by her sudden anger. "I assume you're referring to Emily's punishment?"
"Punishments," She corrected him. "Plural."
He scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair, clearly annoyed. "You agreed that she had to be punished."
"Yes, I did." She laughed darkly. "But when we talked about punishment, I assumed that it would be something along the lines of repaying the community, somehow. By helping out at the Recreation Center for the next two years. Or by taking part in community service, somehow." She blew out a harsh breath. "I didn't think you'd banish her from the Reservation, for god sake. And possibly have her imprint be broken." She shook her head at him. "And what's worse, you're separating her from her children. How could you be so cruel? You know how it feels to find out you have a child. One you never knew about. One who had to grow up without you there. And now you're doing the same thing to them? This wasn't supposed to be a tit-for-tat punishment, Sam. Public shaming, fine. That she deserved. But this decision you made so callously?" She looked away from him, finding his eyes too intense. "I can't believe that you of all people would allow it so easily."
"It wasn't solely my decision, Bella." He said and grabbed her chin, turning her face back to his. "And like I mentioned during the ceremony, anyone who wanted to, could appeal on behalf of Emily. If you feel so strongly about it, then you are more than welcome to meet up with the council for further discussion."
"Fine." She nodded sharply. "Then please, arrange a meeting so we can put a stop to this madness."
"Are you sure this is what you want, Bella?" His eyes softened suddenly as he looked down at her, and it made her anger fade to mild irritation the longer she held his gaze. "It would mean that there would be no repercussions for her actions."
"Of course there would be repercussions. But like I said, make her do something for the community. Let her help with after-hours tutoring, or something to that extent. But Jesus," She sighed harshly, "Don't send her away from her children." Embry could decide if he wanted to end their marriage, break the imprint, or both. That was something she couldn't decide for him. It was a personal matter. But the least she could do was attempt to keep their children from living without a mother.
"If that's what you want, then we'll propose this to the council." He conceded easily, taking her by surprise. "It's your choice. I just don't want you to regret your decision at the end of the day."
"I don't think I could live with myself if I let her leave, Sam. What kind of person would I be if I put her through the same thing she put me through? It would make me no better than her."
He nodded slowly as he considered her words. "You are a wise woman, Bella Swan. And you have one hell of a good heart. You know that, don't you?"
"It's not like that, Sam." She denied. "I'm not as perfect as you make me out to be. I'm just a mother who'd do anything for her son. And so, I can sympathize on the matter."
"You give yourself way too little credit." Sam challenged, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Anyway, I guess it's time for me to head home. We can discuss the matter further, tomorrow. It's been a long day."
"Yeah, it has. It's been hard on everyone." She agreed.
"Goodnight, Bella." He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, making her stomach flutter again, just like earlier when he'd given her that indiscernible look. "Tell Cameron I said to get a good night's rest and that I'll see him bright and early tomorrow morning to go fishing."
"Will do," She stuttered, and pressed her back against the door to steady herself, watching Sam turn away. It had been emotionally draining to witness the punishments being doled out with so little concern for the consequences. And there were a lot of things that had been said, that she was still struggling to understand. Things that were probably going to keep her up for half the night.
When Sam was already halfway to his house, Bella released the tender bottom lip she had worried countless times today, and asked the question that had been on her mind ever since they stepped out of the Tribal Center. Knowing he would be able to hear her, she spoke the question softly, allowing it to drift to Sam's ears on the gentle evening breeze. "Why did you never break our imprint, when it only caused you pain to be away from me? Why did you choose to endure the torture even when you realized I wasn't coming back?"
Sam stopped right at the edge of her lawn, body frozen for a moment. She kept her eyes trained on his back, hoping he would give her an answer. And just when she thought he wasn't going to, he let out a dejected sigh and shrugged, choosing not to turn around as he gave her his answer. "Because I kept hoping you'd come back to me. I just couldn't seem to give up."
Later that night as Bella lay in bed, still wide-awake despite getting her answer, she wondered how long Sam would have continued to wait for her? When would he have realized that it was time to give up and ask Old Quil to put an end to his agony? And now that she was back, what was it that he wanted from her? As far as she knew, the wolf would give his imprint anything she needed. Anything. So, if that were true, would friendship be enough for him?
A/N: Looking up from behind the couch, biting my nails. What did you think?