Recap:"Mom…am I adopted?" Dekan asked, closing her eyes.
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There were a few moments of silence on the line as Lola thought of the best way to answer Dekan's question. Lola decided that truth was the best route to go.
"Well, baby girl…yes. I did adopt you in 1993, yes." Lola said, biting her lip.
"O-Oh. Okay." Dekan said, staring out into the darkness from Sam's porch.
"Who…why…what made you think of that, though?" Lola asked.
"I was showing off pictures of you and me to a couple of my friends. One girl asked if I was adopted because we shared no genetic similarities." Dekan said.
"I figured it would have been something like that. Do…do you want to know about your biological family?" Lola offered.
"I think…yeah, I think so. But it doesn't mean I'm going to leave you to go to them. You're my mom, blood or not." Dekan said, wiping her eyes.
"Always, baby girl. I'm always your mother, no matter what. I have all the papers the agency gave me stored in a lock box. I'll send it to you if you wish." Lola said, thanking God that Dekan wasn't going to abandon her and that she wasn't upset at her for not telling her sooner.
"Thank you, mama. Did you know who my biological parents were?" Dekan asked.
"I knew your birth mother; she made me your godmother when you were born, as well as one to your brother and sister. It's the reason I adopted you. I couldn't have my own children, and when they died…" Lola said, her voice a bit thick.
"It's okay, mama. Just send the box. It must be hard for you." Dekan said. "I've got to get ready for school tomorrow. Can you call me tomorrow? Just anytime after 6 p.m."
"Of course, baby. Once my work schedule is steady, I'll let you know and you can call me anytime, okay?" Lola asked.
"Thank you, mama. I love you." Dekan said.
"I love you too, baby. Have a great day tomorrow!" Lola said; both hanging up.
Dekan sat on the edge of the porch, staring out into the night. 'I'm adopted.' was the only thought in her head. Emily came outside and mentioned something about school and getting up early. Dekan merely nodded and walked inside, ignoring mostly everyone as she went to her room, shut the door, changing her clothes and turning the light out.
"I'm adopted…" she whispered to no one. Six a.m. came too early.
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Her alarm clock woke her up at 6 a.m. on the dot. Knocking it off the bedside table, Dekan got up, turned the clock off, and set it back on the nightstand. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. Monday. School. Ugh. Emily knocked on her door a minute later, asking if she was awake yet.
"Dekan? Wake up, you start school today." Emily said, cracking open the door.
"Yes, mom, I'm up. Can't I stay home today? I'm sick. The dog ate my homework." Dekan replied, chuckling. Emily laughed, walking to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Dekan walked down the short hallway to the bathroom, turning the shower on and getting in. 10 minutes later, Dekan stepped out, wrapping a towel around her and walked back to her bedroom, dressing in the outfit Alice gave her because her trunk still hadn't arrived. She hoped it came soon; she couldn't wear the same outfit forever. Dekan looked at herself in the mirror, then stopped when she found out she was adopted. Last night came crashing back into her mind. Dekan sighed, grabbing her bag and a folder with paper and a pen and headed to the kitchen. Sam was already awake, his arms around Emily from behind as she made pancakes.
"Good morning, guys." Dekan said, sitting in the chair in the living room.
"Good morning. You excited this morning?" Sam asked.
"Not really. School's school." Dekan replied. Emily served both Dekan and Sam a stack of pancakes, smiling when they started eating right away.
"Sam, you sure I can't marry Emily?" Dekan asked, smiling.
"I don't know, I told you she was a little hell cat…" Sam said, laughing when Emily lightly whacked his arm.
"Okay, okay. As long as I can come over for dinner." Dekan replied, seeing Emily blush.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Bella is coming to pick you up at 7:30." Sam said, taking his plate to the sink. Dekan followed suit a few minutes later.
"Delicious, Emily. Thank you." Dekan said, grabbing her bag and walking out to the porch to wait on Bella. In the distance Dekan could see Quil, Paul, Jared, Kim, Jake, Seth, and Embry walking to the school here in La Push. The group waved at her; Dekan looked away. Embry's head hung low and he hung in the back of the group, not really talking to anyone. Seth sighed and kept walking. Bella pulled up in her old red truck a few minutes later, and Dekan grabbed her bag and got in on the passenger side.
"Hey Dekan. Are you excited?" Bella asked, turning the truck around and heading towards Forks High School.
"Not really, no." Dekan replied, looking out of the window.
"I wasn't either. At least you won't be by yourself. You'll have me, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie there." Bella said.
"Bella, do you remember when you asked if I was adopted?" Dekan asked.
"Yeah. Sorry about that, I can put my fo-…" Bella started, but was interrupted by Dekan.
"I asked my mother last night. I was adopted…" Dekan cut in, sighing.
Bella didn't really know how to reply to that. She pulled into the parking lot of the school a moment later. Edward and Alice and Jasper were waiting by Edward's silver Volvo.
"Don't tell anyone, okay?" Dekan asked.
"Of course not." Bella replied, both girls getting out of the truck. Bella was met by Edward immediately; darn if he didn't move quickly. Alice and Jasper followed.
"Good morning, ladies." Edward said, taking Bella's hand.
"Good morning Edward." Dekan said.
"Hey, Dekan! Are you excited about school?" Alice asked, bouncing slightly.
"Um, no not really, sorry." Dekan said, chuckling. She couldn't seem to be sad around Alice.
"She gets really excited about things. Don't worry, everything will be okay." Jasper said, and Dekan believed it immediately, a sense of calm coming over her.
The five of them headed into the school; whispers about the new girl and thoughts about Dekan were about to drive Edward up the wall. Edward could sense that something was bothering Dekan, so he listened to her thoughts for a clue. He kept hearing broken thoughts and sentences, nothing concrete. Bella wouldn't budge on any details at all, saying she promised Dekan she wouldn't tell. Edward soon picked up a thought that made him pause. 'She looks so familiar…' was the thought that repeated through Jasper's mind.
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Jerry called at 9 a.m. Monday morning; making a call to the school Dekan attended before Lola and she left.
"Hello, yes this is Jerry Breckinridge, Dekan Breckinridge's father. Her mother has taken her. I've called around and no one has heard anything from either of them. Can you tell me what school she was transferred to, if any?" Jerry said, balancing the phone on his shoulder while he opened a bottle of vodka.
"You will have to come by the office, Mr. Breckinridge; we cannot give that information out over the phone. Please be sure to bring proper identification. It will take about 24 hours to process." the secretary replied.
"Thank you, ma'am. I will be there soon." Jerry said, hanging the phone up and tossing it to the couch.
"Finally. That whore is going to pay." Jerry said, taking his bottle of vodka up to his bedroom. He opened the door, checking on the guns he purchased over the weekend, along with the supply of bullets. He opened his sock drawer up, looking at his collection of knives that could be easily hidden. Jerry smiled. He'd cut on her first, he'd decided. Flesh wounds would do her good. Teach her to leave him to deal with Ronald. He laughed out loud, thinking of all the things he could and would do to Dekan. Jerry changed his clothes, grabbing his wallet and headed out to his truck, making his way to Dekan's old school.
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Jasper had been trying to place Dekan all day. She looked so very familiar, but he just couldn't place her. That's what he got for living so long. Names and faces just started to blur together over time.
"Dekan, you seem a bit upset. What's wrong?" Edward asked, sitting beside her during lunch. Dekan pushed her food around on her plate, biting her lip. She leaned over to whisper. Of course the rest of the group could hear her perfectly.
"Remember when Bella asked if I was adopted? I…I asked my mother last night. She told me I was. She's sending papers and stuff over about my biological family." Dekan whispered.
"Ahh. My parents died when I was younger. My brother and sister and I were adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife. I loved my parents, but I wouldn't trade Carlisle and Esme for anyone or anything. It's not who gave birth to you, it's who loved you and raised you." Edward whispered back. Dekan nodded.
"Thanks, Edward." Dekan whispered. She then got up to throw away her uneaten food. The others soon followed.
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The school day ended quickly. Dekan had homework; but that didn't bother her in the slightest. It gave her something to do. Something to take her mind off everything. When Bella dropped her off at Sam's house, Dekan walked in to see the gang all piled in the living room, eating and laughing and watching television.
"Did you have a good first day?" Seth asked, smiling. Dekan nodded.
"Come and eat with us." Embry said, offering her the chair again, perching on the arm. Dekan shook her head.
"Homework." was her only reply before she walked into her bedroom and shut the door. Jake, Paul and Quil looked down, feeling bad about what they said in their texts. Jake wondered why Dekan hadn't run to Sam and told on them.
Dekan's trunk finally arrived that evening. Sam carried it to Dekan's room, pushing her door open and setting it in front of her bed. Dekan had fallen asleep, her eyes red and puffy. 'Has she been crying?' he wondered to himself. Sam promised himself he would get the answer out of Dekan when she woke up as to why she had been crying.
Sam would hurt whoever made his Dekan cry.
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Author's note: She IS adopted! Ooo so who is her biological family? And why does Jasper think she looks so familiar? Ooo questions and mysteries! Keep reading! All will be answered in due time, I promise! Don't you just want to kick Jerry's ass? I know I do! I want to thank my lovely regular reviewers (Lecia, amalin06, rockangel777, and Nessa Blade!) Mwaaaah you guys are amazing! I want to thank my newest reviewer, Reality-IS-Fiction! Leave me some more reviews, lovely people! Don't forget to go to my profile page and vote in my poll! Don't worry, I will post Dekan's family tree soon!