A/N: Sorry for the extreme delay, I've been writing chapters between classes (and sometimes in classes when I'm bored) to try to keep up, but I suffered a massive writer's block three days ago. I'm trying to write through it; not that easy. So bear with me if it's a bit choppy and disconnected. But I am having fun coming up with new ways to have Bella abuse herself! maniacal laughter Anyway, on with the story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story except for my own ideas and mistakes
Witchy Woman
Answers?
Once Bella had the truck parked in the driveway, she immediately jumped down from the cab, scraping her knee, and ran to the door, tripping only once. Luck appeared to be on her side.
She sat down in the closest chair at the table and turned to face the door. She had to be prepared to ambush Charlie with her questions. She knew she would get emotional, and already was, judging by the way the chair was shaking on its own, so she tried to remember how Charlie taught her to ground herself.
Sitting upright in her chair with her hands in her lap and her feet flat on the floor, she imagined her spine was like the base of a tree. At her tailbone, she extended herself into the ground and imagined roots growing deep into the earth holding her down. As the roots she imagined started to grow, Bella imagined the line of her spine extend upward all the way above the atmosphere, into the cosmos.
Feeling much more in control and calm, Bella settled in to wait for her father to get home. She didn't have long to wait. Soon she could hear Charlie's cruiser as it pulled into the driveway. Waiting for the telltale sound of his boots on the walkway Bella found herself very anxious.
As soon as Charlie walked in the door, Bella saw that he knew something was up. He walked to the table purposefully and sat in a chair.
Deciding to just get to the point Bella asked, "What are the Cullens?"
Charlie looked thoughtful for a bit and Bella was afraid he wouldn't answer. After a few seconds of deliberation he said, "Honestly, I'm not sure what they are. I know they are not human, but what they are is still a mystery to me. What I can ascertain they are a mythical being of some sort. I think Billy knows something though. Whenever I bring them up, he gets silent. They don't seem to have caused any harm, but none of the Quilleutes like the Cullens, none of the older ones anyway."
Disappointed at the lack of answer, it took Bella a while to remember she had something else to talk to him about. Bella asked her loaded question, "Are there any other powers I should be expecting?"
"What do you mean by that?" Charlie countered.
"Oh I don't know levitation, premonition, mind-reading." Bella listed noncommittally, as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Have you experienced any of them?" Charlie asked with an unreadable expression on his face.
Bella hesitated, "Yes, I think I can read minds."
"Every witch is born with the ability to cast spells, but as a witch becomes experienced, they also get more powers. Each witch develops different powers at different stages in her life. Telekinesis, telepathy, premonition, and levitation are only a few. I knew you would be advanced, but I didn't think you would be this advanced."
"What do you mean by 'advanced'?" Bella asked using air-quotes.
"Well," Charlie began, "you were born with more magical ability than most witches, let alone half-witches. I knew that you would develop your powers more quickly than others so I assumed you would have the power of telekinesis by now. However, most witches don't develop telepathy until their 240th sabbat."
Bella looked down, stunned, trying to process everything. "So you're saying that I have the same amount of power as a 30 year old witch?"
"Yes, if this rate keeps up, you'll be more powerful than me in a dozen years."
"Well, I don't really have telepathy yet. So far I can only see peoples memories, they all hit me at once, so I can't listen to their mind long enough to communicate with them, or hear what they're thinking."
"Really?" Charlie asked looking up in surprise.
"Well, I only tried it on a squirrel and one of the Cullens."
"Did you see anything useful in their mind?"
"Well," Bella thought for a moment. "He had a lot of memories and not all of them were his. There were other peoples' memories in his mind, and there were so many memories that were his. I think he must have lived longer than seventeen years to have that many memories."
"Well, it's possible that they have the abilities to read minds as well, it would explain all the memories. And they might age slowly like we do, or not age at all."
That is possible, Bella thought as she looked at her father. Charlie only looked over thirty because of an aging spell, even though she knew he really looked twenty or so. Looking out the window Bella contemplated how to figure out what the Cullens were. Billy knew what they were, but wasn't about to share any information. If Billy knew, then surely other Quilleutes knew. Maybe she should pay LaPush a visit. Telling her father of her plan, she decided that she should go with a group of people, to make it less suspicious. It would have to wait a week or so, though, for the weather to be better. Why would they go to the beach if it was raining?
Now that she had a plan, Bella felt immensely better. Walking over to the refrigerator, Bella took out all the ingredients to make chicken and potatoes. Putting the potatoes in foil and in the oven, she simmered the chicken in white wine with some lemon and garlic, something clean and simple.
Setting the table, she allowed her mind to wander. What would she do when she saw Edward again? Should she ignore him, or confront him? Should she tell them what she was? The second she thought of that, she immediately felt stupid. She couldn't tell anyone, especially another creature with powers similar to her own, what she was. It was stupid and dangerous. Let them overlook her. Once she found out what they were, she would decide from there.
Bella and Charlie ate in silence, each consumed with their own thoughts. Bella ate absentmindedly and when she was finished, rose automatically to do the dishes.
Grabbing her toiletries, Bella went into the bathroom to take a shower. With the warm water running over her, it was easy for Bella to feel safe and stable. Everything was going well. Maybe Edward didn't hate her, maybe it was something happened before she came here in Biology. That seemed much more logical. As much as she tried to believe that, there was a little voice in the back of her head saying that maybe he could tell what she was and that was why he hated her. She hadn't thought of that before. Pausing with her hairbrush in mid-stroke, she had to think about that for a while. Is it possible that they knew what she was? They didn't seem to pay her any attention in lunch, though. She was probably just overreacting.
Climbing into bed she agonized over going to school the next day. After tossing and turning in her bed, she finally fell into a restless sleep.
Waking up the next morning, Bella was a little disoriented. It wasn't until she was getting dressed that she remembered everything that had happened the day before. As she pulled on a warm sweater and jeans, she tried to remember some of the names she had learned. There was Jessica, the one that talked a lot; Eric, the one that creeped her out; Mike, Jessica's friend, who seemed nice enough; Lauren, she was very stuck up; Angela! Bella felt a surge of relief at remembering the girls' name. She was really very nice and Bella had felt really embarrassed to not remember her.
Deciding to start with those few, she would subtly suggest to them hanging out at the beach when the weather turned warm in two weeks, and then have them invite a few others. A small gathering like that wouldn't arouse suspicions at all. And now that she could remember their names, it would seem like she genuinely wanted to get to know them, not that she didn't of course, that just wasn't the primary reason for the trip to LaPush.
Feeling much more like herself, Bella practically skipped out to her truck in order to get to school.
A/N: I want to explain how witches age in this story, to avoid confusion. In the beginning, humans and witches age similarly, but the older witches get, the slower they age, until they stop aging altogether. So, I caved CherryBlossoms016, witches are immortal, it makes things so much easier. Without her magic, Bella aged like a normal human; with her magic she will look seventeen for a long time.