When all you gotta keep is strong
Move along, move along
Like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along
Just to make it through
Move along
-Move Along by The All-American Rejects
Chapter Six
I let Jasper drive my truck again. He drove lazily through town, not pushing the speed limit at all. I appreciated that more than I could say. I also knew Charlie would approve. Charlie had called me during his lunch break to check in on me. I told him I would be heading to the Cullens for a few hours and he seemed happy that I was getting out of the house.
As we pulled up through the drive, it was shocking to see how much the house had changed in the last week. The lawn was back to its meticulous state and the house looked lived in. Curtains were pulled back to let in the light in. There was a small break in the clouds that allowed the sun to peak out.
I glanced over again to see Jasper's skin glitter softly. His bare arms though looked different than the other vampires I had seen. The sparkles seemed to refract at the light in different directions. His skin was marred with small marks that I could not completely discern from underneath the shining. I had never been close enough to his skin in good light to ever notice anything before. I couldn't keep my eyes from his arms. I realized that I was staring rather rudely but he pretended not to notice. I knew he did and I wondered why he didn't explain it to me. Was it something to be ashamed of? Maybe he thought it was ugly. I thought it looked interesting. I wanted to study the patterns and find some meaning in them, but I knew I couldn't. So I had settled for glancing at his arms, and neck.
After the truck stopped I shoved the door open, jumping out lightly. Jasper came up beside me and we walked up to the house side by side. As we walked in, the family trickled into the foyer at human speed. Carlisle came in first, his face very serious, although he tried to look relaxed. "How is your arm doing?"
"It's okay. A little sore, but otherwise its okay." My eyes followed as Emmett and Rosalie walked down the stairs, with Esme close behind.
"Good to hear that." Carlisle gave Jasper a significant look.
Jasper turned to me, as if I couldn't see their look. "Bella, I need to talk to the family about what you told me. Why don't you go hang out upstairs?"
"I fixed up one of the guest bedrooms for you," Esme told me, coming up to put an arm around me. "Why don't I take you upstairs to show it to you quickly?"
I looked around at everybody. They were looking at me expectantly. I felt like I was being sent to my room like a child while the adults had a very important conversation. I knew I should be more indignant at this, but I really didn't feel like retelling the story of the last six months. I would let Jasper do that for me. So I didn't protest as Esme put her arm around me and led me up the stairs. She took me through the third door on the second floor.
It was a beautiful room that I instantly felt at home in. Esme's gift for decorating would never cease to amaze me. The walls were a pale blue with crème accents. There was a double bed with a plain oak frame. A matching oak desk was next to the bed, in front of the window. Covering the walls were bookshelves packed with what looked like old and new volumes. In the corner were two oversized chairs with a small table between them and a lamp. It was the perfect reading area.
"Oh Esme, it's beautiful. I love it."
"I'm glad you like it," Esme replied enthusiastically in her natural soft voice. "I wanted to make it a place away from home that you were comfortable with. I also wanted to make it a place you could study if you opted to be homeschooled. I don't know if you were told about that."
"Jasper told me earlier. I would love it if you would teach me; I really don't like the idea of going back to school right now.
"That's quite understandable. We can talk about what you need to cover later and figure out the details. Will you be okay up here?"
I nodded my head in response. I looked at Esme and saw that her eyes held a similar sadness as the rest of the Cullens. It was hard to see. Esme smiled at me softly and leaned forward, kissing my forehead. Her cool lips felt nice on my skin. For a second I thought I had Jasper's powers because I cold have sworn I could feel the actual love coming off of her in waves. But, Esme was just that transparent about her affection. She did not hide anything.
She turned around and flitted out of the room. I took in my surroundings. My first thought was that the room was comfortable. I felt it was a sanctuary away from the rest of the world. My room at Charlie's had so many reminders still of Edward, but this room was a fresh start. I could make my own memories in here. I stepped forward and examined the book shelves. There were both my favorite Victorian classics, but there were newer books that looked interesting. I skimmed the title seeing modern classics, sci-fi books, and memoirs. There were so many to choose from. Of Mice and Men stood out to me so I picked the thin volume off the shelf. It was nice and worn, the book obviously read numerous times before. I took it over to one of the chairs and settled myself in, trying not to think about the conversation that was going on downstairs.
The family all took seats around the table. I thought we would just be talking about the information I had learned this morning from Bella. But the look that Carlisle gave me made me think that there was something even more important to discuss. It made me nervous. Carlisle's calm demeanor was completely gone. He was filled with concern which did nothing to abate my fears. None of the others seemed to know what was going on but they noticed the mood in the room. Carlisle was sitting in his usual chair at the head of the table. There was a seat empty next to him that we were waiting for Esme to fill. I sat down on Carlisle's other side. Rosalie was sitting next to the empty seat reserved for Esme and Emmett was sitting next to her. I couldn't help but notice the people that were missing from the table, but I tried to push those feelings aside as I knew there were more important things to focus on, such as wolves running about and Victoria hunting Bella down.
We all turned our heads expectantly as we heard Esme's light steps reach the dining room. She took her seat next to Carlisle and we looked at each other waiting as if wondering who was going to start.
"I think Jasper, you should start. My news I think is contingent on what you have to tell us about Bella and how she is doing."
I was even more curious as to how what I had to say could affect what Carlisle was going to say. However, I took a deep breath and started to tell Bella's story from the beginning. For the most part my audience was very attentive. Emmett swore under his breath numerous times, especially when he heard about how Laurent threatened Bella. What was most surprising was Rosalie's growls that were elicited by what Edward said when he left Bella in the woods.
"So, now Victoria is after Bella?" Esme's voice shook with emotion.
"Yes, it would seem. The wolves have been keeping Bella safe and watching out for her according to Bella, but I really think one of us should be running patrols out in the woods at all time. Also, I think that you, Carlisle should get in contact with the tribe."
"I'll call them to set up a meeting between us tonight. As for what Bella has had to go through over the last couple months, well it is unthinkable. I honestly knew that us leaving would be difficult but I could never imagine how deeply it would affect her."
"I knew we shouldn't have left. I told you it would end badly," Emmett butted in.
"Well, that does us no good now," Carlisle spoke authoritatively. "We need to be supportive of Bella. God knows we are all going through a difficult time, but we should try to keep a close eye on her."
"She is actually doing better than expected. Her despair that had been with her the last week is gone. She is by no means okay, but I can tell she will make it through all of this," I told the group.
"She is stronger than any of us ever gave her credit for," Rosalie quietly added, not looking up from her hands that were folded on the table.
"Her strength is going to be tested even further. I got a call from the Volturi an hour ago," Carlisle revealed.
There was a stunned silence in the room for a full minute. Nobody knew what to say at first. The first response was Rosalie's growl. "Have they explained their killing of Alice and Edward yet?"
"They sent their condolences, explaining that Edward had broken the law by revealing himself and it was what he wanted anyways. Alice tried to attack one of the guards supposedly. I wonder if she just refused to join the Volturi." Carlisle mused.
"Is that all they had to say," I asked. It did not seem like the Volturi to just call out of nowhere to send their condolences for a murder that they committed.
"No, they said that when Edward had come to them, he had mentioned his and Bella's story. The Volturi are now concerned that there is a human that knows the existence of vampires. Initially Aro wanted Bella to be either turned or killed right away and they would send members of the guard to observe it."
This time I couldn't contain the growl that came out of me. "That is ridiculous."
"I was able to talk them into giving Bella a year. I told them she wasn't ready to become a vampire yet because she still had to graduate from high school and such. I thought that would buy us some time while we decide what to do. I'm not going to force Bella to be changed but if it is truly something she wants I'm not going to stand in her way. If she doesn't want to be changed because of losing Edward then I will protect her."
"We all will protect her," Rosalie chimed in firmly.
Everybody nodded in agreement, looking at each other as if to dare somebody to not agree with Rosalie.
"Well, since that is decided should we tell her right away or should we give her some time?" Carlisle directed his question towards me.
"I think we should tell her now. She really would not appreciate us keeping something from her. She doesn't want to be treated like a child."
"Will you come up with me to be with her while I tell her? I want you there just in case she needs to be calmed down."
I followed Carlisle as he rose from the table. He first pulled out his phone and called information to get the Black's phone number. He was connected within a minute and spoke softly into the phone. "Hello, is Jacob at home? Thank you." There was a pause as Jacob came on the phone. "Jacob? Hi, this is Carlisle Cullen. We talked with Bella about what has happened over the last six months and my family would like to meet with you to discuss what to do with Victoria." There was a gruff response, but I couldn't make out the words. "We can meet at the treaty line near the main road. There will be four of us while my wife stays with Bella to watch over her." There seemed to be some sort of agreement from Jacob because Carlisle said a thank you before hanging up the phone.
"Lets go up and talk to Bella," Carlisle spoke and headed up to the second floor. I followed him. He paused at the cracked door and knocked softly. He waited for her to announce that we could enter before opening the door.
Bella was curled up in an overstuffed chair with Of Mice and Men. It was my copy of it. She closed the book as we walked in. Carlisle took the other chair by her and I came over and stood at a distance behind Carlisle. Bella was exuding calm and curiosity. That bubble was about to be burst, much like everything else in Bella's life.
"Bella, there is something important that I must discuss with you. I received word from the Volturi," Carlisle spoke quickly to just get it out.
"What did they want?" Bella's voice was strained with concern.
"They first wanted to send their apologies for upholding the law they feel is so important."
Bella was speechless at this. True ire rose to the surface, but it seemed that Bella could not find words to match her feelings. Carlisle took this as a sign to continue on. "Aro also conveyed his concern that there was a human that knew of our existence. The bottom line is he gave us a year to turn you into a vampire or they would have to kill you. Now, I know that this is a difficult decision to make for you. If you do not want to be changed then we will protect you from them. You are a part of this family and I personally vow to keep you safe."
"I can't have you or any of the family put into danger because of me. I would happily become a vampire to keep the family safe."
"But to become a vampire should not be something you feel forced into doing, but something you want," Carlisle argued. "I doubt you could possibly want eternal life at this moment and that is why I refuse to get an answer from you. Jasper felt that we should tell you the truth but that doesn't mean you have to make a choice now."
Bella, who had been entirely focused on Carlisle this entire time, turned her gaze up at me. She locked eyes with me but did not speak. She didn't need words to convey her gratitude to me and she knew it. Instead she seemed to focus on her thankfulness and let that fill her, ensuring that I would feel it. I nodded my head very slightly for her to see.
"We are going to have to meet with the wolves later. We have to discuss boundaries and patrols to watch out for Victoria."
"I want to come," Bella immediately responded. I should have assumed she would want to be there. I really didn't want her around young werewolves who were near vampires, their sworn enemies.
"I don't know if that is going to be the best idea," Carlisle spoke. "Werewolves and vampires do not get along well and this meeting will be difficult enough without a human there to make things more complicated. It would make things easier if you weren't there."
"Fine," Bella accepted, surprisingly easy. Where was the stubborn Bella who wouldn't give in?
"I can take you home if you want before the meeting," I offered.
"You are going?" Bella's eyes pierced me. I felt concern coming from her.
"Don't worry. We are all going, except Esme. She will keep watch while we are talking to the pack."
"That's fine. I'll keep my window open for her and she can come in if she wants."
"She'll be happy to hear that," Carlisle responded.
Bella sat up from the chair she was sitting in and moved as if to put the book she had been reading back on the shelf. "You can take it with you if you want."
"Really?" She asked.
"These books are all yours."
"Thank you so much," Bella told us as she hugged the book to her chest. "I think I'm ready to go home now. I really need to start making Charlie's dinner."
"I'll take you home then," I spoke softly to Bella. Without really thinking I walked over to Bella and put my hand on the small of her back to lead her out of the house. I caught Carlisle's eyes as we left. A half smile graced Carlisle's features. There was a small amount of peace that Carlisle felt on top of his grief and concern. I returned his smile with my own weak one as I led Bella out to the truck. We said our goodbyes to the rest of the family before getting in the truck.
The cab was filled with silence. Bella's feelings were a mess. Her emotions were all over the spectrum so there was little I could decipher about what she was thinking. I was tempted to send her some calming vibes to give her and me some peace from her strong emotions. But, I realized that she needed to work her way through this naturally. This day had been long and she had a lot to take in. She would need to come to terms with it on her own. I could be here for her in a natural way, but I shouldn't use my powers on her, at least not at the moment.
We arrived at her house. The driveway was still empty of Charlie's car. I darted around the truck and helped Bella out of the truck and led her to her house. "Will you keep me company while I make up Charlie's dinner?"
"Of course," I answered simply, glad to be invited in. I would have kept my distance while doing patrols around her house if she didn't want me to come in. I still didn't know how much she trusted me but at the moment I didn't want to leave her alone, and if I was going to be completely honest with myself, I didn't want to be by myself. With Bella there were moments where the grief I felt was manageable. I could focus on her safety and well-being with part of my attention, instead of my sole focus being my overwhelming grief of Alice. Also, if I was going to continue being honest, Bella was a fascinating creature. I never thought ill of Bella and I knew she was a good person, but I had no idea how complex she was.
I followed her into the house as she moved to the kitchen. She started by searching through the cupboards and fridge. I suspected that she had no idea what kind of food Charlie had stocked in the house. She hadn't really eaten since she had gotten back and thus had no use for any of this. She paused after inspecting each space in the kitchen and leaned against the counter, crossing her arms across her chest and letting out a heavy sigh.
I stood in the entranceway to the kitchen, still not completely comfortable in her space. "Is there nothing suitable to eat?"
"Not if I want to eat Top Ramen or Hamburger Helper."
Those names meant nothing to me. "Are those not good?" I asked.
"Since I'm neither a college student nor a bachelor they aren't the greatest choices. They are actually not that bad, it's just I'm actually hungry and I am craving a home-cooked meal."
"I can take you to the store if you want?" I offered without thinking about it.
Bella hesitated a moment before responding. "Sure, let me just get my wallet."
I was about to insist that I pay, when I remembered that she always had a problem accepting gifts or charity in any way. I didn't want to offend her. I never did understand why she was so unwilling to accept anything from us. It was hard not to speak up though because it went against my nature. A southern gentleman would never have a woman pay for something, but I really couldn't think of any way around it. Maybe in the future I would be able to test that boundary with her, but for now I didn't want to upset her in any way, especially since she was going to willingly cook and eat. It was such a relief for me to know that I wouldn't have to bully her into eating again.
Going to the store was an interesting experience. I actually had never stepped foot into one before. I had never had a reason to. Esme or Edward always did all the shopping for the food for Bella and since I didn't eat, I hadn't gone into a supermarket before. Bella grabbed a basket from a pile for her groceries. I may not be able to pay for her, but by God I was not going to do nothing for her. I gently reached over and swiftly took the basket from her grasp and held it tightly in my hand opposite her.
She glared at me. "I can hold my own basket, thank you very much."
"I wasn't implying that you couldn't. It's just what a gentleman would do."
Her expression softened slightly, but she didn't stop her retort, "What? Stealing it from my hands?"
"Exactly." Although I gave her credit on that reply, I didn't tell her that.
We walked slowly through the store, picking up what looked like random items to me. There were some fresh vegetables in the basket now, pork chops, and a loaf of French bread. She continued down an aisle with a lot of colorful cans before picking a few out and tossing them lightly into the basket. A few more additions to the basket later and we were standing, waiting to check out. The friendly checkout girl rang up all the items and hit the total button. Bella handed the woman a twenty and it took all my strength to not shove Bella aside and swipe one of the numerous credit cards that seemed to be burning a hole in my pants. But, I was able to control myself and I took the bags from the counter as the check out girl was still handing Bella back her change.
Bella did not say or do anything this time as I held all the bags. We walked through the parking lot and I plopped the bags in the bed of the truck. Bella climbed through the driver's side door and sat down in the driver's seat. It was my turn to give her a meaningful look.
"I want to drive," she stated simply.
It wasn't that I didn't trust Bella's driving; I was just actually disappointed to not be able to drive the truck. It reminded me of simpler times. However, I knew it would just look like I was being overprotective of her. I didn't want that. I didn't want her to feel suffocated, so I tossed her the keys through the open window before going around to get into the passenger seat.
"Thank you."
"It's your truck, Bella. Nothing to thank me about."
She didn't respond to this, but I felt a wave of grief wash over her along with a small sense of guilt. She didn't try to squash the feelings like she normally did, nor did the feelings overwhelm her. She seemed to accept them and let them be. Her emotions were no longer immobilizing. She could continue to function which had to be a good sign.
We got back to the house and she went straight to the kitchen and started banging around; taking out pans, chopping food, and throwing things into the oven. It was an interesting process. It seemed like an awfully lot of work to just eat some food. I would take hunting deer any day, much simpler and way more fun.
Charlie walked in just as Bella started setting the table. "Mmm, what is that smell?" Charlie's emotions were immensely surprised and hopeful. I imagine this was a major improvement to the Bella he had seen recently.
"I thought I would make us some pork chops," Bella called from the kitchen.
Charlie hung up his belt by the door and took his jacket off. He started to walk towards the kitchen and then he stopped in mid-step when he saw me standing awkwardly right outside of the kitchen. His eyes squinted together, as if measuring me up. "You're Jasper Hale, right?"
I straightened and stepped forward, offering my hand out to him. I was kind of curious how much he knew about me and my relationship with the rest of the family, specifically with Alice. "That's right, sir."
"I'm sorry to hear about your loss." Pity was oozing from every pore of his body and I no longer had to wonder if he knew about me and Alice. However, he was polite enough to not mention it specifically.
"Thank you, sir. It's been rough on all of us. I was just over visiting Bella."
He studied the situation and I could tell he was connecting my presence with the change in Bella. He seemed pleased with this. "You are more than welcome over here any time. Are you going to stay for dinner?"
Before I could respond, Bella answered for me. "Yes, he is. He was just telling me how hungry he was."
I shot a quick inquisitive look towards Bella. Her eyes were glinting mischievously. I didn't know what she was up to.
Charlie seemed pleased and sat down at the table. Bella placed a final pan on the table before joining her father. Bella motioned for me to sit across from her, so I did, not able to refuse her. I think she knew that. Well, I can just take a small portion, I thought to myself. However, that plan was immediately foiled when Bella took my plate and started heaping large amounts of food on it. I had no idea what she was doing. She placed the plate in front of me and I gave her a questioning look. She just smiled in response.
I started to pick at the food hesitantly, not sure really what to do. Charlie luckily was not paying that close attention to me, so I was able to push some of the food quickly into the napkin that was on my lap. Bella chuckled into her food as she kept eyeing me. If it weren't for her amusement, I might actually be annoyed with the charade. However, it was so nice to hear her giggle softly and there was a small amount of lightness in her emotions throughout dinner. I wouldn't take that away from her.
Finally, I was able to discard enough of the food on my plate as to not look suspicious. Charlie wouldn't have really cared anyways, because he just kept looking at Bella in amazement, It was easy to see and feel that he had been extremely worried about the mental state of Bella. But, today, she looked like she might pull through this after all. She was by no means better, but one could see that there was maybe some hope for her and by extension, me as well.
Charlie stood up and took his plate into the kitchen. I followed suit, bringing in a couple of the pans as well, trying to hide my napkin that had all my food stored in it. Bella dropped off her dishes in the sink. I went forward and started to fill the sink with hot soapy water. Charlie walked back into the living room and I heard the sports channel being turned on. Bella stood next to me leaning against the counter. "How do you know how to wash dishes?"
I rolled my eyes at her. "Somebody had to wash all of those dishes you used at our house."
"There were not that many dirty dishes and I offered to clean them but Esme refused to let me, saying that I was a guest."
"Well, that's a likely excuse," I joked, smiling at her. "While we are talking, what was with you making me eat dinner?"
Bella giggled which made my smile widen. "I just wanted to see what you would do. I have never caught a vampire by surprise. Edward and Alice would always speak up too quickly and get out of dinner. It was funny; I have never seen a vampire look so confused."
"I'm glad I can provide you with so much amusement," I replied sarcastically, although I kind of meant it for real.
Jasper had been pleasant for dinner and had even cleaned up afterwards. Then he sat with Charlie and discussed the prospects for the Mariners this season, apparently it wasn't good because of some recent player trades. I sat with them in the front room but I was continuing to read my book. I knew that my feigning interest in sports would be useless since nobody would believe me.
For the first time in a while I was able to stay up past 9 pm. Usually I passed out restlessly before that, but Jasper's gift had given me such great, restful sleep that I did not feel the need to collapse in exhaustion. I felt tired, but in a normal way. It was a great feeling. I had taken a nice long shower and got into my comfiest pair of sweats and a soft tank top. I dried my hair quickly and reentered my room where Jasper was waiting. He was currently staring at a shelf with my books and cds on it.
"Why haven't you listened to music recently?"
"Like I told you yesterday I haven't felt like listening to music in a while," I answered non-committedly, trying to avoid the question. Jasper seemed to see through this.
"Listening to music is something you just do, not because you feel like it. It can heighten good moods, or help you shake off negative emotions."
"It didn't do that." I paused, feeling kind of stupid and very exposed. But I guess that wasn't any different than anything else that had happened lately. "Music only served as a reminder of him. We listened to most of that together and talked about it."
"Is it all music or is it just the stuff you listened to with Edward?"
"Mostly stuff that I listened to Edward, which was a lot of music."
"But not all music," I pointed out, feeling pleased at finding a loophole. "Looking at your music library and knowing what Edward listens to that covers most classical music, alternative rock, and acoustic rock. That leaves tons of other music that you can listen to. I will make you some mix cds of other music you can try out."
I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't know if this would work, but I wasn't going to say no to Jasper. Maybe other kinds of music would be better. "You can try," I told him as I crawled into bed.
Jasper came over and sat down at the edge of the bed by my legs. He put his hand over my broken hand, soothing it. "How are you doing? You have had a lot to process today."
I studied Jasper's face and it was interesting because it was unusual to see concern and kindness grace his features. He was far from cold and mean, but for the most part he had kept his distance from me and was impassive. Now he was not hiding his emotions at all and it made me feel protected to know that he genuinely cared about me instead of feeling obligated to comfort his dead wife's friend.
Jasper took my silence as being worried. "It's going to be okay. We won't let anything happen to you."
Suddenly, Esme came through the window lightly. "Everybody is waiting outside to meet with the pack, Jasper."
I saw Jasper's eyes move back and forth between me and the window a couple of times. It was as if he was struggling between something. He stiffened a little as if coming to a decision. "Okay, well I should get going."
It finally hit me that he was going to be gone. He had only stayed with me now for a little over 24 hours but I liked him near. "Will you come back after the meeting is done?"
Jasper looked slightly surprised at this. "If you want."
"I do," I confirmed. Jasper nodded before making his way to the window. As he crouched to leap out the window, I remembered something. "Tell Jacob I say hi."
Jasper made a sound of derision before jumping. I chuckled lightly, which I had to admit felt good. Sure it wasn't a great big laugh, but there was something so soothing about it. It made me feel a little guilty. I wondered if it was too soon for me to be doing things such as smiling or laughing. What was the proper grieving time? Was there such a thing?
Esme took the rocking chair in the corner and pulled it over to my bedside and sat down. She didn't say anything at first, letting me settle into bed and get comfortable. However, after a few minutes, her soft voice spoke out. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard Jasper reassuring you that we would keep you safe. Are you worried? Because he is right, we will do everything we can to protect you."
Hearing gentle Esme say this broke my heart. "I know you will. I don't doubt that and that is what worries me. I can't bear the thought of anything worse happening to this family because of me. Enough harm has befallen you and you have suffered enough because of my existence. I can't stand that you guys are going to continue to put yourself in harms way for me."
"But, you are a part of this family. You need to know that even because Edward is gone we still feel so connected to you." Esme's voice was more passionate and emphatic than I had ever heard it. "We made a mistake in leaving you six months ago and we can't change that. However, we can learn from our mistakes and not abandon you so quickly. If something were to happen to you, it would break all of our hearts. I can't bury another child. I refuse to let Victoria or the Volturi harm you in any way. You are my daughter and you have to let me and the rest of the family do what we can to help you."
She was so vehement, I didn't really have anything to say to refute it. She truly believed the words she spoke and it made me feel like I belonged to this family. "Thank you Esme."
"No need to thank me dear. Now you probably need to get to sleep. It's getting late."
I lay down fully and snuggled into the blankets. I closed my eyes, but there was still something nagging at me. "Do you think they will be okay with meeting the wolves? Do you think they can keep their temper in check because I have seen how easily the wolves can change?"
"Don't worry. Carlisle can handle them well and Jasper can help keep the situation calm."
That made me feel better. Of course Carlisle has dealt with the wolves before and knew what to say. He would be fine. And Jasper has his power. How did I forget that? I took a deep breath and closed my eye trying to relax. I reached my hand out and grabbed Esme's hand. She grasped it tightly and started to run soothing circles on my hand. I felt myself slowly drift off into peaceful sleep.
We ran closely together making sure to not let much distance between us. Carlisle trusted the pack and by extension we all did as well, but most of these wolves were young. They were inexperienced and probably had trouble with their anger. The topics we were going to discuss were likely to dredge up anger in the pack.
We came to a stop at the treaty line. I sniffed the air and smelt the faint hint of dog. The sound of bounding paws came closer to us. It sounded like there were four, maybe five wolves coming towards us. They soon came into the small clearing that we were standing in. The four of us tried to keep a relaxed stance, attempting to look as non-threatening as possible to the wolves. It was difficult though because every instinct in my body was telling me to tense and get in a defensive stance. They seemed to have picked the biggest wolves to join them. They were massive and all different colors. It suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea how we were going to communicate.
All of a sudden the russet colored wolf transformed into a human. He quickly took a pair of cut off sweats from his ankle and pulled them on. He was slightly embarrassed, but got over it quickly. I wondered if this was the leader of the pack or not. He was tall, taller than both Emmett and I. His face was deeply etched with worry lines.
Carlisle stepped forward and reached his hand out to the boy. "I'm Carlisle and this is my family. This is Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper," he said as he pointed at each of us.
The boy reached out his own hand, uncomfortably. I think he was as tense as the rest of us. This was not coming naturally to them as well. "I'm Jacob, and this is Sam, Paul, and Jared. Sam is the leader of the pack, but I will be speaking for the pack."
So this was Jacob. How in the world was this is a sixteen year old? He looked older than all of us and we were each in our early twenties physically.
"Well, Jacob. I wanted to discuss the possibility of getting rid of the treaty lines temporarily."
One of the wolves, but not the largest one, growled.
"I'm not sure about this," Jacob hesitantly mumbled.
"We still would not trek onto your land if possible. I just think that Victoria might know about the treaty because she was working with someone who was close to some friends of ours. She may try to use the treaty line against us. I want to put the treaty lines on hold in case there is an attack. Your pack will be free to go to our side and vice versa if Victoria shows up."
Jacob glanced back at the largest wolf. There was a slight nod from the wolf, who I assumed was Sam. "That seems like a reasonable request. We can agree with that. However, once this is all over then the treaty lines go back up."
Carlisle nodded emphatically. "That's perfectly understandable. Bella just gave us the bare minimum of what has happened over the last couple months concerning Victoria. What can you tell us about what she has been up to?"
Jacob didn't hesitate to answer this time. "Well, she is fast. She keeps getting out of our reach. She was also out on the water the day that Bella jumped off the cliff. I think she was trying to sneak onto the lands that way. Her scent was impossible to trace because of the water. We have seen her only once over the last two weeks, and that was very briefly. She tried getting past us, but we chased her off and she got away again. We have lost all traces of her since then."
"We never should have underestimated her," Emmet growled. He had been moving from foot to foot, getting anxious over hearing how close Victoria had been. I'm sure he thought that if he had been the one after Victoria, she wouldn't have gotten away. I wasn't so sure about that. It sounded like she could be very stealthy if she felt like it.
"It's too late now Emmett," Carlisle said in a placating voice to Emmett, before turning back to Jacob "We want to thank you for everything you have done to protect Bella, your tribe, and the people of Forks. We should have known that Victoria would have been trouble because we killed her mate."
"It's our duty. And some of us are more than happy to do it."
"I'm afraid that Victoria may not be the end of our problems. This is not directly related to you, but I feel like we should be honest with you about a situation that has arisen. A group of vampires, named the Volturi, are kind of our informal government and they make sure that no vampires do anything that would endanger the vampire community."
Jacob snorted at this and there was a similar sound coming from one of the other wolves, I think it was Paul. Emmett growled in response to the wolves and Rosalie put her hand on his arm as if to restrain him, although her face showed her clear anger. Carlisle sent me a pleading look and I sent out calming vibes to everybody, making sure everybody relaxed. Carlisle noticed everybody's relaxed stance and continued on.
"My son, Edward, went to them to ask them to take his life because he believed that Bella had killed herself. My daughter, Alice, went after him to Italy with Bella to try to save him. A long story short they were unsuccessful and the Volturi had Alice and Edward killed for breaking the law. Edward had shown himself in public and apparently Alice attacked the vampire trying to restrain Edward. Bella fortunately was not with them at the time. Alice had made sure she was no where near there. We went and got her from Italy and brought her back."
Jacob interrupted; he was impatient and uncomfortable, especially at the mention of Bella. "I don't mean any disrespect. I am sorry that your...family is suffering. But, what does that have to do with us?"
Carlisle ignored Jacob's rudeness and continued calmly, as was his way. "You see, the Volturi found out that Bella knows about vampires and that is strictly against the law. They wanted her to be killed or turned immediately. I was able to buy us a year. They are going to send some representatives in a year, wherever we are, to see that we have followed through on the bargain."
"You aren't allowed to turn Bella though. That's against the treaty!" Jacob's rage was staggering. I could see him using all his strength to try to keep his anger in check, but he was having a difficult time of it. I tried to calm him, but it was difficult. This seemed to only make him angrier as he glared at me. Bella must have told him about my power.
"We know this. We have no plans of killing Bella outright, but if she makes the decision to become a vampire I will change her. I am not going to force a decision on her. I saw what making decisions for her did to my family. It caused the death of two of my children. If she truly wants to be a vampire, I'm not going to stop her, in fact I will change her myself. However, if she chooses to not change we will do everything to protect her from the Volturi." Carlisle's voice was steely, betraying his true feelings on the subject. He remained cool, but he was not going to pretend that everything was alright.
"Now, I know this will put us in breach of the treaty, and if you decide to continue to uphold the treaty we will leave and never return. However, I ask that you consider our story. If we turn Bella it will be completely of her own volition. We would not choose this life for her but I am not going to make decisions for her. I wish that you would just think about this and consider her change as not in breach of the treaty. We have no intentions of harming any other humans and we mean only to protect Bella and to make her happy."
Jacob got a handle on his anger, although it was still bubbling underneath the surface. I could tell he was working hard to keep himself in check. "You have spoken your peace, and it will be up to our elders and for the leader of my pack to make a decision on that." Jacob turned to Sam, who nodded his head. "They will think about what you have said and will make a decision. Obviously this is not our first priority at the moment. If I understand you correctly, you aren't going to do that change soon?"
"Of course not. I refuse to take an answer from her for at least a couple of months. I want her to make her decision completely on what she wants and not what she feels obligated to do. I also want her to finish up school and have a chance to say goodbye to this life and her family. There is no rush on this matter. Victoria is our number one priority. I just wanted to give you fair warning about what might happen and I hope that we will be able to keep our treaty intact through all of this."
"Thank you for being straight forward with us. I appreciate that. Now on the matter of Victoria, are any of you going to be running patrols around Bella's house?" Jacob's voice returned to a cold, business-like manner.
"Yes, at least one of us will be with her or near her at all times and possibly another doing patrols in the woods."
"I think one of the pack members should also do patrols near Bella, as that is the most likely place we will see this vampire again."
"That is fine. Bella may be spending some time at our house as well. The pack may continue their patrols near our house. Also, you are welcome at our house anytime. If there is anything we can do for you, do not hesitate to ask. I know you will probably not take us up on that offer, but we truly are appreciative over what you have done for Bella and everybody else."
"Thank you. Now, if there is nothing else to discuss, I think some of us are anxious to start patrols." He motioned towards the grey one who was shifting restlessly, while the other two wolves were completely still.
"I think that is everything." Carlisle looked at the rest of us, as if asking if he had missed anything.
"Actually, I was hoping that I could speak to Jacob alone," I said.
The grey wolf growled and snapped his jaw. Jacob rolled his eyes at the wolf. "Cool it Paul. You guys go off and check in with the rest of the pack. I'll catch up with you guys later." Sam came up to Jacob and looked him straight in the eyes and nudged him with his nose. "I'll be fine Sam, don't worry. If anything happens I'll shift and call you guys." Sam nodded before following the other two off into the woods. Jacob just looked exasperated as if he was being bothered by overprotective parents.
Carlisle smiled at me and gave my arm a quick squeeze before heading out of the clearing as well. Rosalie followed him, but Emmett stopped to whisper, "Don't get into a fight without me," before he ran out of the clearing to catch up with Rosalie.
"So…" Jacob started awkwardly, shuffling his feet a little. I realized that without the pack and the rest of the family there, I was no longer dealing with Jacob the wolf, but with Jacob the sixteen year old teenager. I was relieved, because that was who I wanted to speak with.
"I wanted to talk to you about Bella," I started slowly, gauging his reaction. He was surprised and a little alarmed.
"Is she okay?"
"She's doing better in fact, but I think she could be doing even better if she had her best friend come and visit her," I stated matter-of-factly, not really believing what was coming out of my own mouth.
"I tried to visit her once, but it was just so painful. That wasn't the Bella that I have known for the last couple of months. I mean, things had been far from perfect, but there was still a little life and vitality to her and when she was with me, I felt like she was almost whole again. But that Bella looked dead. It hurt me so much to see her like that and know there was nothing I could do to fix it."
"I understand. I truly do. But, she needs you. I think she is worried that she scared you off. I know it would mean a lot to her if you tried again and came by sometime and visited."
"You wouldn't mind if I did that? Not that it would stop me, but we are sworn enemies. It seems like you shouldn't be here encouraging me to be around Bella."
"I only care about her getting better. I don't know if you know this, but Alice was my wife. She was my sole reason for sticking to this lifestyle. Without her, I honestly felt like I was lost at sea and that there was nothing out there for me. However, Bella has given me something to focus on. And I feel like if she can survive this and move on, maybe there is hope for me." I couldn't believe I had told all of that to this dog. I hadn't told anybody else that, but I felt that Jacob and I had a common goal, keep Bella safe. Sure I could feel that his feelings were deeper than mine and far more romantic, it was practically seeping from every pore in his body, but I still knew we had that connection.
Jacob must have sensed this as well because he didn't contradict me in anyway. He felt pity and guilt, but overriding all of that was concern. Concern for Bella was his dominant emotion, and I knew that he would try again. "Okay, I'll come by tomorrow and spend some time with her. I've been so worried about her. I knew I shouldn't have given up on her, but it was so painful to see."
"I understand, Jacob. It was hard on my entire family. I think the only reason we were able to be around her is because we each were experiencing grief, so there was a connection. Otherwise, I'm not sure we could have handled it. I promise though, things are looking up. She cooked Charlie dinner today."
Jacob's face brightened at that. "That's a good sign. Well, I can't wait to see her then. Thanks for speaking to me about this. I appreciate that you are trying to do what's best for Bella, even if it is talking to me."
"You're not so bad, Jacob," I smiled and he returned it. I could kind of see why Bella would be such good friends with him. He had a kind spirit and he truly meant well.
A/N: Grad school=less time for editing story. That is pretty much my life right now. I go to class, study until dinner, fit in a couple tv shows and then go to bed. It doesn't help that I'm not the fondest of this chapter. I see its purpose and I don't hate it, but it was kind of hard to edit. I feel like some of the dialogue might be stilted, but I honestly couldn't come up with a fix. Oh well.
Thanks for all of those that have been understanding, and also to those that have reviewed or alerted this story. I appreciate it. Remember all feedback is welcome. Thanks!