Looking for Love

The Twilight world belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play in it.

Chapter 6 – Breakdown

"What was that?" Charlie asked. "A deer? Something must have been chasing it to make it run like that."

"Almost a who," Bella whispered. She could have sworn she saw two figures watching her from the side of the road, both tall, one muscular. Almost like the two guys who had been with Alice, Emmett and Jasper. What would they have been doing out that late, in the middle of nowhere?

The deer had run in front of the car just before the turnoff to the 110 to LaPush, so they were quite near Forks when she saw the shadowy figures in the dark. But it wasn't until they were home and safely off the road, Bella told Charlie about the rest of her night. About going in and being shown the surveillance video; about being fired.

She could tell he was torn. Finally, he said, "I've got a friend In Port Angeles who is a lawyer. I'll talk to him, see if he knows the corporate attorney. You didn't actually take any merchandise, so though it's a borderline situation, we should be able to work something out. I'll call Paul tomorrow."

That night, Bella was exhausted. At first, she just tossed in bed, terrified by the encounter with the stranger on the road, and almost equally terrified by her worry over the problem at Gottschalks. Could they put something on her record, something that would follow her as she tried to get into college or get a job?

None of it felt fair.

Eventually, she felt a sense of restfulness and ease. It was like a perfume in the room, coming in from outside, reminding her of the sensation she had felt days ago when she drove past the high school on her way home from work. Before any of this started, a time which seemed so long ago.

It was like being in a sea of feelings, intense and strange, hers and yet not hers.

Bella also felt a presence. There was someone outside but she wasn't alarmed. She didn't need sight to know they were there, she could just feel it. She went to the window and looked out then shook her head. Though she didn't understand, the intensity of the strange feelings did relieve the fear from her terrible encounter on the road.

But it also started her thinking about her chances with Jasper. With his looks, he was in a different league. Probably a player like Mike. Or like Mike wanted to be. Still, still…she had felt something real there, she was sure of it. She paced for about an hour, picking up a book and putting it back down. At about 3:00 she got back in bed but couldn't fall asleep. She felt a yearning, something so strong as to be tangible in the room. Finally about 5:00 a.m., she fell asleep.

Sunday was lost. She tried to do homework and study for a quiz, but she couldn't focus. Her thoughts kept returning to the terrible night and the encounter on the road. There was a story about the accident on line, though it would take a few days to make it to the local Forks newspaper. Although she had been a policeman's daughter all her life, this was the first time that she realized what her father meant to people. The relief she felt seeing that patrol car coming gave her a new respect for her father, and a heightened sense of his responsibility.

On Monday, she went to school, but she couldn't focus. She sat at her desk in Mr. Banner's class, staring at the quiz in front of her, shaking. She couldn't even read the questions, couldn't focus at all. Finally she went to Mr. Banner's desk.

He looked up. "Finished already, Miss Swan?"

"Mr. Banner, I was in an accident, sort of, Saturday night," Bella replied. "Rather, I was a witness to an attack by Lake Crescent. I can't think straight, and I studied for this quiz but the words don't make any sense. Can we reschedule?"

Then the tears came. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that almost the entire class was staring at her. She was embarrassed, embarrassed that she couldn't focus, embarrassed that she was crying in front of the class. The sympathetic teacher quickly whisked her out of the room and into the hallway.

"Why don't you go to the principal's office and get a note to go home. You look shaken up and you usually do so well," he said. "We can reschedule for another time when you feel more yourself."

He ended up walking to the office where he had a few quiet words with Mrs. Cope while Bella sat in a chair. After he left, Mrs. Cope called Charlie and Bella went home.

Around 3:30, there was a knock at the door. It couldn't be Charlie, she thought, it was too early. And why would he knock? Or, oh God, what if something had happened to Charlie?

She raced to the door and pulled it open. It was Alice, standing at the doorstep, or rather bouncing as she waited. "What happened during class, today?" Alice asked. "I saw you crying. Are you OK?"

"Nothing," Bella said. "Well, it's complicated and a long story."

"Don't nothing me, I know something's up. Talk to me," Alice said, coming inside and seating herself on the sofa.

Bella felt relieved at the strange insistence of this new friend. "It's going to sound strange," Bella replied.

"You have no idea of what I consider strange," Alice said, holding Bella's hands.

"There was a misunderstanding at work. I set aside a dress for a friend. I didn't take it, I just wanted to put it out on the next night's shift so she could check it out," Bella began. And the words just started spilling out. "But it appeared on the security tapes and I was fired. On my way home, my truck stalled out. This creepy man, well I had seen him in Port Angeles, but now I saw him up close. He had stolen my phone. He must have followed me, because he pulled over, disabled my truck then pushed another car off the freeway…"

"What kind of creepy?" Alice asked.

"He gave me the creeps," Bella said. "Really good looking yet impossibly strong. I mean, he pushed a car off the road."

"Wait, I'm calling my brothers,' Alice said, pulling out her cell phone and dialing.

"What are they going to do? He's dangerous!" Bella exclaimed.

"Just wait a few minutes," Alice replied. "It's better to have guys around. They know cars, after all, as well as other guys. Maybe they can get to the bottom of this."

Bella wasn't sure, but she fixed tea for herself and Alice while waiting for the brothers to arrive.

Emmett and Jasper arrived, bringing their third brother, Edward. Bella hadn't met this Cullen before. He was much like the others, very good-looking with pale skin and shadows under his eyes.

"Now, spill," Alice demanded. "From the beginning. When did you first see him, and what did he say and do."

"You won't believe me," Bella said, "but he pushed the car off the road and then into the lake."

Jasper and Emmett exchanged glances. "We believe you," Emmett said. "It's easier to do than people think."

"OK, then," Bella said. "But the people in the car must have made a phone call before they died."

"Or their vehicle accident alert was triggered and that's how the police were called," Alice suggested.

"People's sense of time is often distorted under stress," Jasper commented. "The incident might have taken longer than you think."

The five sat at the dining room table, Bella making diagrams to illustrate the accident in one of her school notebooks. For some reason, she was more relaxed talking to these new friends. The words started flowing, and details she hadn't recalled for either the police or Charlie came flowing out. Time passed quickly, and soon she heard the sound of Charlie's patrol car pulling up.

"Dinner!" Bella exclaimed.

"I'll get a pizza," Alice whispered, pulling out her phone. "What kind does your father like?"

When Charlie came in, he surprised to see Bella had visitors. Bella introduced the Cullens and announced they were having pizza for dinner. Charlie seemed pleased with Bella's new sociability and went into the living room to watch the game.

"Who's playing?" Emmett asked, helping put Charlie at ease. Emmett leaned against the door frame, half watching the game, half paying attention to the conversation in the kitchen.

The pizza finally arrived, and the teenagers agreed Alice would stay with Bella while the brothers went home to discuss the incident with their father.

As they were gathering their coats from the closet, Jasper glanced at the roses on the console in the living room. "Beau?" he asked.

Bella blushed. "I don't know who they're from," she said. "I found them on the porch after I came home from work."

"They were left here late at night, after your trips to Gottschalks?" Jasper asked.

When Bella nodded, he went into the living room to examine the flowers. As he bent over the rose, a curious look appeared on his face. "Can I take a leaf?" he asked. "These might have been from your attacker."

Bella was shocked. "You mean, he knew where I lived?"

"Now wait a minute," Charlie said, rising from his chair. "You think that guy was here?"

Edward stepped between Charlie and Jasper, blocking Charlie's view of his brother. Once out of Charlie's sight, Jasper plucked a leaf, slipped it into a Kleenex and then into his pocket.

But Charlie was now in full police mode. He got out his notebook. "Had you seen this man in Forks?" he asked Bella.

"No, Dad," she replied. "Only at the parking lot in Port Angeles."

Charlie grumbled a little and pulled out his phone. "Hello, Joe?" she heard him say. "Any leads on the suspect in the attack on my daughter?"

Jasper and Emmett left while Charlie was still on the phone. Bella felt a pain as Jasper walked away and winced.

"Something wrong?" Alice asked.

"Oh, nothing," Bella replied. "Still shaken up, I guess."

Alice smiled knowingly. "I miss them when they're gone as well," she said.

"I just met him," Bella said.

Alice patted her hand. "What makes you think he doesn't feel the same way?"

Bella's head shot up. "He only just met me," she said. "And, I mean, I'm nothing, I mean – look at me," she gestured to her face and body.

"I am," said Alice. "You don't know how long he's been looking for you."

Xx

Whoo-hoo! New story for Valentine's Day. It's dragged on a little longer than I had expected. There have also been some problems with fanfiction: I've had problems uploading chapters and a few people have mentioned not getting story alerts.

(And yes, I know Gottschalks is closed. But I couldn't see setting this story at the Port Angeles Walmart…)

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