Side Note: Apologies for the extended wait.

Previous Chapter...

As she opened the door to the garage, all of her memories with Jacob hit her at once. She gripped the handle, and attempted to steady herself. As impossible as the task seemed, she managed to lock the door behind her, and gradually made her way to one of the battered chairs.

Her eyes stung with unshed tears. She bit her lip to hold back the impending misery. It wasn't time to cry. Crying can come later. Now she had something important to do. Jacob pointed her in the direction, and now she needed to find out where to go from here. After a deep breath, she opened the book and began to scan the various legends on the wolves.

Do Not Own Twilight.

"What you seek is seeking you."

-Rumi

Chapter 7 - Searching the World for You

Bella's vision blurred and her stomach growled from lack of food.

Five hours of meticulous reading and so far nothing. She heard Paul open the door to the garage, and close it after a few minutes. She needed to be alone. He knew without asking, and for that, she was grateful.

She was not sure how long it had been since Paul checked on her.

She became frustrated with the lack of information. She wished Jacob would appear and tell her whether or not she was close to solving how to reunite them.

A knock rattled the garage door. Bella popped her shoulders, and put the pen in between the pages of the book.

"Come in."

Jared walked in and glanced at the inside of the garage. He'd never been in here. Jacob didn't like anyone but Bella, Embry or Quil to watch him work. "Billy is resting. Paul had to go do his patrol, and I am to make sure you get fed, girl."

Bella smiled at him. Jared's eyes widened, "You smiled."

She touched her lips and repeated the act, "Yeah. I did."

He helped her gather her notes and they made their way to the house. Jared told her about his night and entertained her during dinner. She smiled and managed a giggle when he told her about Kim's father catching them kissing.

They cleaned up together and sat on the couch, still chatting away. Bella was so wrapped in listening to Jared the silence was deafening when he stopped.

"I'm glad you're smiling again. And talking a little more... What brought this change?"

"You'll call me crazy."

Jared surprised her by grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "You saw Jake again, didn't you?"

Bella's eyes watered. She nodded and furiously rubbed her face. "Why can't I talk about it without being so emotional?"

He put his arm around her shoulders, "Because he's not gone for you. We can't see him, only you can. For you, this isn't about death, it's about bringing your soulmate back."

She tried to fight it, to be stronger than she had been, but hearing Jared's reason hit home. It's why she couldn't grieve like a normal person. "Thanks, Jared."

He squeezed her once and stood up, "I'm going make some coffee and you're going to tell me about the book; we'll keep researching together."

Her sleepiness disappeared. As much as she craved to dream and see her Jacob, she needed help and Jared could help her.

Two pots of coffee and another full meal later, Bella felt like she finally made some progress. Jared pointed out a few things she overlooked. Depending on the tribe, there were different rituals for bringing a spirit back.

Bella yawned and stretched, exhaustion crept through her. She remembered the package.

"Hey, Jared?"

He moved like an elephant in the kitchen, clanking pots and pans together. "Yeah."

"What are you doing?"

"Making Billy's breakfast. We've been awake for awhile, girl." She bit her lip and tapped her fingers on the table.

"What is it, Bells. Don't think I don't know that face."

"I got a package at Charlie's yesterday. It's under the seat in the truck, can you bring it in?"

"No problem. Let me get this shit cooking first."

Billy chose that moment to wheel into the kitchen. "Boy, watch your mouth."

Jared rolled his eyes, "Yes, Sir."

Bella giggled again. Billy grinned and wheeled over to her side. "It's good to see you laugh."

Bella showed him her notebook, and told him about the dream she had about the book and Jacob. Billy offered to call Quil Senior and ask if there were any rituals concerning spirits. Neither noticed Jared leave to go to her truck.

Bella jotted some notes for Billy to ask him when the front door was ripped of its hinges.

A furious Jared and Paul stood in front of them. Both trembling, fighting back the phase.

Bella's heart raced; something was wrong.

"What-"

Paul's growl made her flinch. She realized her package was in his hand. She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. "Why does this have leech stink all over it Bella?!"

She was stunned. She had no idea why her package would have a vampire smell. "I don't know... Oh god. Charlie."

"Charlie is fine. This isn't a random vampires stench. This belongs to a Cullen. The blond bitch and her linebacker husband."

The ability to piece together sentences failed her. Rosalie and Emmett would never interfere on purpose. Is that why they used another surname? To trick Bella? Didn't she make herself clear when she parted ways with them?

An argument was happening around her; Paul was ready to talk to Sam about patrols and discuss their options if the Cullen's came back. Billy did not agree. He felt there was no need. Carlisle may have been a vampire, but he would not go back on his word. Jared paced the living room, commenting here and there.

Bella had a flash of clarity, pressed her fingers to her lips, and whistled.

The men silenced immediately.

"Before Paul here wages a war over a box, why don't I open it and see-"

Paul slammed it on the table and stormed out of the house.

Bella peeked at Jared. "Can you talk to him? He hasn't lost his temper in a while. I know he's worried, but unless there's something to fret about he doesn't need to switch to def con five."

The tension eased off Jared; he chuckled and shook his head. "He'll come back after running it off. He needs to let out some steam. The truck reeks by the way. It smells like you had Blondie and the Hulk rubbing themselves all over it."

When Jared left, Bella sat and stared at the offending object. R. McCarty. Chile.

Billy cleared his throat. "I'm going to call Quil from the bedroom. Give you some privacy."

"No, you don't have to. I'm just... stumped as to what could be so pressing she had to send it to me."

"I know, sweetheart. I think you should do this without anyone around so you aren't pressured into feeling anything. Take your time and if you want to tell me, you can."

He wheeled himself out of the kitchen.

Bella's adrenaline rush from Paul and Jared's reaction wore off. No matter how much she wished she could lay down and take a nap, she knew she had to be brave.

Paul eventually made his way back to the Black house. He was worried. About Bella, the vampires contacting her again after she asked them not to, and how she spent every waking minute searching for a sign of some sort.

He leaned against the porch, staring at the beaten front door. He didn't remember doing that. When he smelled the blond tick and her husband, for lack of a better description, he lost his shit.

Thinking about the events of the day had him balling his fists in anger at the leeches... He needed to be calm to talk to Bella. Billy taught him techniques to channel and control his anger. He breathed deep and focused on the good things in his life.

The pack.

Billy.

And Bella - his best friend.

Once he was sure he was in control, he pushed the door open and walked into the kitchen area. The contents of the box splayed out on the dining table. Bella's arms crossed over her chest, steadily glaring at the new cell phone, a dozen cards, and a hefty envelope.

"Are all vampires this annoying? I know you weren't there, but I told them I wanted nothing more to do with them. How much clearer could I have been?"

Paul rubbed his hands over his face. Frustrated didn't begin to describe how he felt. "I'm going to regret asking, but what is all this?"

"A cell phone, gas cards, a sealed envelope, and a letter."

"Did you read the letter?"

She huffed in irritation. "No. I was... couldn't. This is stupid! I didn't want to do it alone."

Paul took a minute to take in her appearance. She was... scared. "What's wrong?"

Bella's entire presence changed into one of nervous, anxious energy. "What am I going to do if its bad news? If something's going to happen to Billy, or Charlie, or anyone else I care about? Why now? I can't handle losing anyone else."

He rushed over to her side and hugged her. She struggled to breathe, panicking at the thought of another person dying.

"Bella, stop. Breathe. It's okay. No matter what that letter says, it will be okay." He rubbed her back and reassured her.

.

.

.

"Do you want me to read it out loud?"

Bella looked over at Paul, the letter she refused to read in his hands. She sighed, "Yeah. Might as well. Right?"

He unfolded the paper, skimmed the words, and scrunched up his nose. "This smells worse than the fucking box... Alright, here goes..."

Rosalie sat back in her chair and gazed at the painting on her wall. It was her most vivid and most cherished human memory. One forever seared into her mind. It was her, blue-violet eyes gazing in awe and wonder at baby Henry, her friend Vera's son.

Only Emmett knew of her passion to paint. He knew the sadness within her over losing so much all those years ago. There were days she daydreamed about meeting Emmett as a human. Would their lives have been different if she had met him first? She saved him only two years after her change.

She cleared her thoughts of those painful "What if's", and began to write a letter to the human girl she envied almost as much as she envied Vera...

Bella,

I hope this letter finds you well. I realize you requested to never hear from us again, and I respected your wishes. The contents of the package and the explanation in this letter are courtesy of Alice. We both know she meddles regardless of what people tell her. In her words, she asked I tell you she did not intentionally "see into" your future. A vision came upon her and she wanted to help in your endeavor. You may loathe us for your love being deceased, but we hold no ill will toward you. Alice relayed you would soon be taking a journey. You would need funds and a way to communicate with your family. I attempted to talk her out of interfering, but she assured me she would find another avenue of helping you if I did not assist her. I'd rather be the one to see you are still safe and living out your life. Use it all Bella. Alice forced the vision to discontinue. She did not want to intrude more than she has. I programmed my number in the new phone, should you need anything in the foreseeable future. Good luck.

Rosalie

Paul left after reading the letter. Bella asked him to; she needed some time alone. He did not press her for answers. He knew she would talk to him when she was ready.

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Billy had a council meeting to go to. He left shortly after asking her to order pizza for dinner. One day of indulging would be okay, or so he reasoned. Bella compromised with ordering veggie burgers from a diner near the res and Forks border.

While she waited, she skimmed through the notes she made about her last dream with Jacob. One of her scribblings caught her attention...

The first legend told that night was the one of Kaheleha. "Kaheleha was not the first spirit warrior, but we do not remember the stories that came before his. We do not remember who was the first to discover this power..." Their spirits would leave their bodies, but they needed a vessel to come back to. She opened the book once again, and turned to a legend she felt a connection to. One from another tribe...

There are times when one must journey through the spirit realm. The soul is a powerful entity. Our people understand the imperative of seeking the other half of the soul.

The tale of Amitola and Ohitekah is one known to many in our tribe. Ohitekah gathered some young warriors for a hunt; he hoped the newer generation would flourish into strong, noble fighters. Ohitekah broke from the group, following a stream to the northern side of the mountains. As he speared the bountiful fish in the water, a woman timidly approached the leader. Ohitekah described seeing a colorful aura surrounding them both, the strings of his heart interweaving the woman to his very soul. Her smile soothed his worries of never finding a mate, for he knew it was her.

Amitola radiated life and purity. Ohitekah spoke to the goddess, sharing the most intimate thoughts with her. Amitola cared for him with words and soft caresses to his hands. As the sun disappeared from the sky, Ohitekah begged her to come back to his home, to stay with him until the end of her days. Then destiny took a turn. Nashoba, one of the young warriors, shot an arrow through a herd of deer, near Amitola. Ohitekah's pushed his beloved out of harms way, the arrow pierced his heart.

The events surrounding what took place after Ohitekah's death are unknown.

Kinan, Ohitekah's father, shared his memories...

Amitola, Nashoba, and the group of young warriors carried Ohitekah's body to the village. Nashoba embraced the older man after Ohitekah was taken to the cottage where the fallen were cared for before their spirit returned to the ancestors. Kinan looked to the young man and he felt faint at the sight. The flesh was of Nashoba, but the eyes belonged to Ohitekah. He glanced at the woman holding Nashoba's hand, she smiled sadly. Kinan spoke with the youth and confirmed Ohitekah lived within him.

He did not question the gods or fate. Destiny finds a way even in the most tragic of circumstances.

Four winters later, Amitola gave birth to Kinan's first grandson. He was the mirror image of Ohitekah. Nashoba proudly held his heir, Itan, in his arms and carried him through the village to see the Elders. Kinan blessed the couple and prayed over his grandson.

Amitola and Nashoba lived a long, fruitful life. Nashoba fathered five sons and two daughters. After Kinan's spirit returned to their ancestors, Nashoba carried on the tale of Ohitekah and the great lengths a soul can journey to remain with the one they love.

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Bella called the council building and spoke to Billy. Tomorrow night, after the bonfire get-together Emily arranged, she would tell the pack. Tonight, she was going to talk to Charlie. Billy understood. Charlie was another matter...

"Have you lost your mind, Bella?"

Charlie was never one to beat around the bush. Why she thought she could give him the bare minimum was idiotic.

"You know how much I hate pulling the 'adult card', Dad, but I will if I have to."

He rubbed his temples, his skin slightly reddened. Bella knew the expression - he was angry.

"I know you are legally an adult. However, that doesn't mean I don't worry. You are still grieving over Jake's death. I get it, we are all still hurting, and a cross country road trip isn't going to fix it."

She crossed the room and hugged him, catching him off guard. "I need to do this. I know you don't understand, and I wish I could explain it. One day, maybe I can. For now, trust me. Easier said than done, I know. You will worry, you're my dad, you'll always worry."

Charlie wrapped his arms around his daughter and muttered in resignation, "You damn right I worry... there's no way I can talk you out of this? I could take away the truck keys."

Bella smiled up at him, "You could, but I'd find a different mode of transportation."

As much as it pained him, deep down inside a little voice told him to trust her. "Alright. Give me an hour and I'll stop at Billy's before dinner at Sue's."

"Where are you going for an hour?"

Charlie squeezed her one more time, then went to grab his keys off the counter. "You honestly don't think I'm gonna let my baby girl leave without protection, do you? I'm getting you some mace. Enough to last a whole year if need be."

Bella's laugh was thick with emotion. "Okay. See you soon, Dad."

Now all she had left was to talk to the pack. That would prove to be the biggest challenge of them all.

The small portion concerning Kaheleha was from Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer, Chapter 11 - Legends.

The legend of Ohitekah and Amitola is by me.

Working on Ch. 8.

Thank you for taking the time to read.