Chapter 4: Tales

Disclaimer: I don't own all rights to SM.

Word Count: 2,510

BPOV (Bella)

Billy had just finished telling me about the accident that killed Sarah and put him in the wheelchair. Their accident happened the same day as mine, God even the same way that mine happened. What sick bastard would drive drunk? Oh wait the one who did this to them and killed my best friend. Why didn't dad or Jake tell me? I would've come to her funeral; I would have been there for Billy and Jake if I had known. Maybe my healing process would have been faster. I didn't even get to say goodbye.

I was just staring down the long ass driveway that my father seemed to have. Never could understand why he insisted on having a house so far into the woods. It provided privacy not that is need much here in La Push. To think about dad had always had some sort of privacy, even when would go on trips he would get places that were more secluded from everything else, which was nice really. I was stuck in my own thoughts and memories when I felt Billy pat my shoulder to get my attention. I turned to him and looked at his face, noticing the dark circles and worried eyes that were on his face. He always did care about every one well being before his own. Hell even when Rachel and Rebekah were born I'm sure he took care of them more at night than Sarah did.

"I'm going to go in and get some food. Are you going to stay out here and think?"

"Yeah, Billy can I ask you a question?" I was truly dying to know why no one thought to tell me. It would have saved not only me but a lot of other people extreme amount sadness. I could have helped Jake through it all, could've been there.

"Of course Bella, you can ask me anything. What is on your mind?"

"Why didn't anyone tell me? Let me know that this happened? I would've come to the funeral. I would have been here for you, for Jake and the girls. I didn't give her a proper goodbye because the last time I was down I was mad at Jake so I didn't say goodbye to you or Sarah." I was almost in tears again just thinking about not being able to ever say goodbye much less hello and I love you one last time to someone that I felt the closest to a mom next to my own. Damn Jake and our last fight, we may be the greatest of friends but from time to time we butt heads and fight.

"Oh Bella, I don't know why anyone didn't tell you. I think they were trying to protect you, especially with what you were going through at the time. Your father knew that you were coming to terms still with Natasha passing," he replied sounding resigned to the pain that we have felt and the pain that we still feel throughout the rest of our lives.

"I guess that's a possibility, just find to be unfair to me and to you guys." I expressed before continuing and telling him, "Go in have some food; I'll get some when I go back in. I think though I'm going to walk to the beach and just think okay? Mind telling dad where I am, don't want him to worry about me."

"Yeah I'll tell your father what you are doing," Billy said with a caring smile.

"Thanks," I said as I stood and stepped off the edge of the porch, shooting him a wave. The beach was calling my name.

The weather tonight was amazing, it was calm and peaceful. The wind wasn't too terrible and there was no strong leftover chill that often occurs here at night, especially off the water. I was still upset at Dad and Jake for not telling me but I understand where they were coming from, on wanting to protect me. Sure I was having a hard time with my car accident and losing Natasha because of it, but it doesn't give them a right to just not tell me about it, to not tell me till two years later. There was plenty of time between then and now that they could have told me, I talked to Jake numerous amounts of times on the phone throughout the years. I know it's not exactly something you say over the phone but he could have at least said something about his mom. The same goes for dad, he knew how close I was to Sarah. I wonder if mom knew.

After my accident, the doctors were freaking out about the fact that I healed so fast. My injuries were quite extensive; I mean did have broken leg and arm, with dislocated shoulder. My own mother didn't even understand why I healed that fast; I'm human; there is really no other explanation on to why I healed as fast as I did. When I brought up to dad he didn't even fully understand. I was supposed to have the cast on my arm and leg for one month but I only had them on for 2 weeks before I got frustrated with the itching and ripped the casts off. We went to get them replaced but the doctors noticed that they were perfectly healed.

Thank goodness dad didn't live too far from the beach, or the walk would have been interested, for I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, just following instincts. Once I reached the beach I immediately removed my shoes and socks and let the sand go between my toes. I love the feeling of sand between my toes, the cool feeling is soothing and the texture adds to the feeling of tranquility that I was looking for. When I got far enough away but not too close to water I sat down with my knees pulled up to my chest. I just sat there and thought about everything from my accident to Jake avoiding me for some reason, but mostly I just thought about everything that was going on with me. I thought about my emotions towards Paul, towards Jake and Billy, just all around my feelings.

PPOV (Paul)

When I stepped into the living room I noticed that Bella was gone, I could sense that her presence was nowhere near the house even, Billy was here but she wasn't, I looked towards Charlie silently asking where she was and just got a shrug in return. Not even he knew where she was.

"She's at the beach," Billy said from his spot in the living room taking notice that I was looking for her.

"Thanks," I turned to Charlie, "Is it alright if I go and make sure she is okay?"

"Go. She may not seem like it but she usually wants someone to just be there beside her," he answered me.

I started for the front door when it burst open before I got to it completely, revealing a slightly pissed off Jake. He just bumped into my shoulder and went straight to the couch and plonked down, I just shook my head at him and walked out the front door. Obviously, he couldn't stay for too long and he clearly has not cooled down a hundred percent. I swear he needs help sometimes.

When I got to the beach I could see her figure sitting and the slight wind blowing her long brown hair. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her head was laying on them looking out across the choppy waters. She looked as if she was deep in thought as I sat down beside her and looked at her, she did have a look of tranquility on her face though. God, she was beautiful, looked a lot like her father too. The two could honestly pass as siblings they looked so much a like. I wonder how much looks she got from her mother because she is about as pale and delicate looking as her father. Her height is even identical to his. She has to have had some looks from her mother, just none that were prominent to the unknowing eye.

When I noticed she wasn't going to acknowledge me sitting beside her anytime soon, I went into deep thought as well. I thought about Bella and how I want to get to know her more. I wanted her to know about the pack and my feelings towards her. I wanted to tell her about my own family history and story of my father. I all around just wanted her to know about me and like me, to enjoy being around me. I know that if she wanted to talk to those from Forks and even some from the town, she would learn about my man whoring ways and violent temper.

After an hour of sitting there, I saw her look in my direction and jump slightly out of the shock of seeing me.

"How long have you been sitting there?" she asked her voice full of curiosity.

"About an hour," she looked surprised at my answer. She must not have realized how long we had been sitting here for, and I got my answer with her next statement.

"Really, I thought I was only sitting here for 15 minutes."

BPOV (Bella)

I moved my head to the left and saw Paul sitting with his legs in front of him and leaning back on his hands. Again he was just wearing cutoffs and no shirt, wasn't he the least bit cold, I don't even see goose bumps on his skin. How the hell does he just go around wearing what he wore? When I thought about it, almost all the males and even Leah wore the same thing, almost like they didn't feel the chill.

"How long have you been sitting there?" I asked with curiosity laced in my voice.

"About an hour," he said and I'm sure I looked surprised.

I hadn't realized that I had been sitting here for that long, guess that's what happens when one gets lost in their thoughts, "Really, I thought I was only sitting here for 15 minutes."

"Nope," he said with one of that smart-ass, all-knowing smirks on his face.

"Why are you here?"

"I came to make sure you were okay. That's all." I have him a nod, knowing that he was being honest with the look in his eyes.

After that, we sat in silence. The silence was peaceful and I didn't feel like it needed to be filled with mindless chatting. I could tell that Paul could feel the same way and for that I was thankful, I wasn't quite ready to really start talking just yet.

It looked to be only 7:00 with the way the sun was shinning and the wind was starting to pick up more and making me shiver lightly from the chill coming off of the water in front of us. The section of beach that we were sitting at was one that had the cliffs surrounding us on all sides, but some way the wind still kept coming towards us. The sight was truly beautiful and I just knew that watching the sun set would be pretty, but I wasn't sure if I was gonna be able to make it that long.

"Are you cold?" Paul asked when he saw me shiver.

"A little yeah," I answered looking at him. He moved closer but not too close where he was touching me but close enough I could feel the heat coming off of his body.

"Thanks," I said moving my hair out of the way so I could see him better. I saw his eyes become wider and right then I knew he saw my tattoo on my right shoulder. My tattoo was a medium sized gray, almost silver colored, wolf head howling at the moon. The position of it was just perfect on my shoulder 'cause when I wanted to look at it I just had to turn my head. When I saw it in the artist portfolio I fell in absolute love with it, The amount of detail incorporated into the fur was breathe-taking and at the time it represented the way I wanted to feel, I wanted to feel free and have the ability 'howl' at the moon essentially. It was also like something was telling me I had to get it, that it meant something more to me then the way that I wanted to feel.

He reached his hand out and traced along the out line of it before asking, "What does it stand for?"

"I'm not completely sure. When I went in I was mainly going to get something to represent the way I wanted to feel after the accident that took my friend Natasha, but when I started looking through the big book I saw it and fell in absolute love with it and something in my head was telling me to get it, that it would mean more than just the way I wanted to feel, so I did. I got it done around three weeks after the accident," I told him.

The look on his face was one of complete awe. I continued to look at him. He was built but not to the point where you wondered if the person was on drugs or something, he was the perfect amount of build that let off the vibe of 'don't fuck with me,' but still made someone feel safe around them. He had the same tribal tattoo as my dad on his left shoulder. I always wondered why my dad had the tattoo because both of us aren't Quileute for two reasons: one we are way to fucking pale and all of them are tan and two he's from a different tribe altogether, though he never really talked about the tribe, that he wasn't from here originally. There isn't even a drop of Quileute in any of my family because my mom was from Forks. Besides dad and Paul having the tattoos I've never seen anyone else with them.

"What does your tattoo mean?" I asked with curiosity.

"Maybe you should ask your father that one, not me, I am not someone that can explain in a good understanding," he answered shortly. Weird, never really took him as one to have a short temper but I guess we were just getting to know each other, he could be hiding many things.

"Okay," I said looking and seeing it was getting darker, "We should get going before they send a search team to us, I'm sure dad would try and do that."

"Yeah," he said standing up and whipping himself off then extending his hand out to me and helped me up.

"Thanks, "I said letting go and doing the same as him. The walk back was done in silence because we were both caught in our own thoughts.

A/N Like always R&R. Thanks