Chapter 12 - Our Father

It was a nice sunny day out…Far and few between in La Push. Jared was sitting on the arm of the couch waiting for Janel so they could go to the cook out at Emily and Sam's. Janel walked down the hallway in a pair of black cargo capri's, a black form fitting t-shirt with white ankle socks and simple black sneakers. Her long raven hair was left down. Jared stood up and said, "Damn it…You look beautiful." Janel walked up and said, "Thank you." Janel pushed up on her toes and softly kissed Jared's lips…She started to pull away and Jared quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up off the floor to be level with him. Janel giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist and held on for dear life. Jared chuckled and said, "I'm not going to drop you." Janel laughed and said, "I know…" Jared pushed her into the wall next to the door and kissed her lips softly.

Jared gentle placed her back on her feet in front of him and gave her waist a soft squeeze as he let go of her and she walked over and picked up the 2 big bowls of potato salad. Once they got to Emily and Sam's, Janel took the food in and pushed it into the fridge. Emily was making hamburgers and getting them ready to go on the grill…she'd stayed up the night before making some of the other side dishes. Jared walked in and said, "Do you need Janel's help for anything or mine Em?" Emily said, "Of course not…I'm just waiting for Sam to get back from patrolling and he's gonna start cooking. You guys go have fun…Sam will call ya if he needs anything." Janel laughed out an ok as Jared picked her up over his shoulder and walked out of the house and over to the beach with her.

Jared and Janel walked hand in hand in the sand…Every time the water would get close to their feet, Jared would grab her by the waist and swing her around in circles and listen to her laughter…it was music to his ears…she hadn't had bad dreams in a couple of days and Jared truly hoped they were completely gone. He honestly couldn't bear to see or hear her in so much pain some nights she was able to contain the dreams to just moving around in bed and others she would scream out and it killed Jared to hear she was in pain and there was nothing he could do…if he ever got a hold of her step dad he would rip him apart..He guaranteed it.

After about an hour of romping around on the beach the two were pulled a part by hearing Sam yelp that he was home. Jared took Janel's hand in his and kissed it as he led her back to Emily and Sam's…Sam had started a fire pit and as the sun was sinking it was getting chillier so Jared walked to the truck and grabbed Janel's favorite blanket...Apparently it had been her fathers and her mom had taken it to have something to remember him by…Janel took it and never washed it so it still smelled like him. Jared wrapped it around her shoulders and proceeded to have her sit next to the fire pit in the sand as he planted himself behind her wrapping her in his cozy 109 degree arms, while he nipped at her neck with kisses.

Pretty soon Janna and Jacob joined them next to the fire pit. Janel said, "So Jacob…I see you finally got her to admit she loved you." Jacob said, "Yea…It wasn't easy either…Do you know how stubborn she is?" Janel laughed and said, "Hell yea…she's my flesh and blood…of course I know…How could I not?" Janna said, "Keep talking shit and I know someone who's going to be missing her closes when she finally does come home." Janna said, "Why do you still have that stupid blanket?" Janel shrugged her shoulders and said, "I hope he's out there and we find him some day…I know it's a fantasy…But I can't help but hope." Janna rolled her eyes and said, "My sister the big dreamer." Janel said, "And my sister the stubborn ass."

Once every one had eaten they took their garbage into the house…Sam walked up to Janel and said, "How's it going with Jared…Are you guys doing ok?" Janel said, "Yea…A couple of confessions of real life and some general pissed off phasing in the bedroom and we seem to be doing just fine." Sam laughed as he pulled Janel in for a huge hug and said, "If you ever need anything you let me know…You and Janna are complete family now." Janel said, "Thanks Sam, we really couldn't have made it this far without you or Emily." Janel returned the hug burring her face in his neck…She could suddenly smell a scent that was oddly familiar to her…but she couldn't put her finger on it. She didn't think anything of it as she turned and joined everyone else in the sand by the fire pit.

Jared re-covered her up and the blanket grazed her nose and she jumped up and looked straight at Sam and as she pointed she said, "Who are you?" Jared stood up and said, "Are you losing it?" He gently took her arms in his hands and she thrashed out of his grasp and Janna jumped up at her sister's reaction. Janna said, "Janel what's wrong?" Sam stood looking at the raven haired beauty and said, "The same person I've always been Janel." Janel shook her head no and said, "No…NO…WHO ARE YOU…You smell like my blanket…This was my father's blanket…I know you stopped aging at 19, but how old would you really be right now?" Sam said, "34…What did you say your last name was?" Janna said, "We never did." Sam said, "What's your mother's name?" Janel said, "Kimberly Swan…Janna don't you recognize our father?"

Sam said, "Whoa…You're what?" Janel picked up the blanket and said, "Smell him! I swear on my life Janna…SMELL HIM!" Janna smelled the blanket and walked over to Sam…The scent was the same…Completely nothing different. Janna looked in Sam's eyes and knew immediately he knew who they were…they were his daughters…Janna said, "Oh My God…You know…Don't you?" Sam looked at the sand covered ground and said, "Yes…But not how you think."

Janel walked over and looked at Sam and said, "What do you mean it's not how we think?" Sam said, "I knew of you, but I didn't know where you were, you're uncle Charlie kept me in the loop when you're mother wouldn't…Sit down and we'll talk about this calmly." Janel started shoving Sam around the fire pit and rambling… "Where the hell have you been all our lives…you left us with a lunatic whore…She got us in trouble for everything she couldn't stop having sex with anything with a dick after she left Washington…Why didn't you even look for us…We would sit and hope you was real or alive or something and then she married that asshole and who does he pick to rape 24/7 for 4 months…Not mom the one he married or Janna the fuckin knock out with curves for days he picks me…He tortures and rapes me for 4 months EVERY FUCKING NIGHT AND WHERE WERE YOU?"

Janna had never seen her little sister lose it like this before…Apparently the stress was finally taking its toll on her…Jared stood there not sure what to do when it got quiet. Sam finally said, "I was going to look for both of you but I figured you'd be better off…I'm a monster…I don't want you to see me as one." Janel looked up into the familiar eyes…she should've known why he looked so familiar the first day on the beach…Tears were streaming down her face and she said, "It would've been so much better here…Our lives would've been so much better with you…Better than being tortured and raped for 4 months or going for 6 months without my sister because mom had Janna thrown in Juvie…Because mom wanted to teach her a lesson."

Janel got quiet as she turned to Jared and said, "I wanna go home…now…please." Jared looked at Sam and he nodded his approval knowing nothing that could be said tonight was going to be any help. Jared wrapped his arm around her and led her to the truck and took her back to his place. Jared got her changed into her shorts and tank top that she wore to bed and pulled her in bed and she laid on his chest in silence just staring into the darkness of the room. Either one unsure of what the next day would hold.