Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.
Chapter Twenty-Three
"Hey, Bella. Wait up," Angela called.
I turned and saw her hurrying towards me as we walked out of school. She came to a stop beside me, slightly out of breath. I smiled as she straightened up.
"What's up, Ang?" I asked.
"What are you doing this weekend?" Angela asked.
"I'm going to Port Angeles with Alice and Leah. We're prom dress shopping," I sighed.
"Oh. Okay, then. Sounds fun. I'll see you tomorrow," Angela said, her face falling as she turned away.
"Ang?" I called.
She turned back, her eyebrows raised in question.
"Do you want to come with us?" I offered.
"Are you sure? I don't want to impose," Angela questioned slowly.
"Of course I'm sure. Come on. It'll be fun," I urged.
"Alright," Angela grinned.
"Okay. I'll talk details with you tomorrow," I told her.
She nodded and waved, walking away. I shook my head and started towards my truck. Jared was leaning against the driver's side door. I skipped up to him and grinned.
"Hey, Jared. Whatcha doing?" I sang.
Jared laughed softly, shaking his head at me.
"Nothing much, Bella. You ready?" Jared asked.
"Yep. Let's go kick vampire butt!" I cheered.
Jared rolled his eyes and took my bag. I went around and slid into the passenger seat. Jared hopped in and started up my truck. I watched the scenery flash by as Jared drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. I grinned and sat up straight when we pulled into the Cullen's driveway.
"Excited for another round with Crazy Kate?" Jared laughed.
"You know it!" I shouted, punching the air.
Jared laughed harder and shook his head at me. I joined him as he came to a stop in front of the house. He climbed out of the truck and I moved to follow him, but stopped.
"Jared? Why's Charlie's cruiser here?" I asked.
Jared looked at the cruiser, looked at me, and sighed.
"Jake was supposed to tell you, damn it," Jared grumbled.
"What's going on?" I pushed, my eyes narrowed.
"Come on. They'll explain it all to you. I don't want to get chewed out for their brilliant idea," Jared huffed, holding out a hand to me.
I slid out of the truck and took his offered hand. He led me around up the front steps and into the house. Everyone was gathered in the living room. The wolves were around Charlie, protecting him from the human drinkers. The vampires were keeping their distance, but were too interested in this new development to stay away.
"What's going on? Dad, why are you here?" I asked, frowning at everyone in confusion.
"Bells, I am not going to be left in the dark again. After what that bitch, Victoria, did to you, I want to make sure these leeches aren't causing any problems," Charlie glared.
I choked back a laugh when my dad called the vampires "leeches". He had obviously been talking to Billy and the pack too much.
"Honey, he's here to watch you practice with Kate. He wants to make sure you can defend yourself," Jake explained, coming to take my hand.
I shook my head and glanced around the room. Everyone was waiting for me to decide how to go about this.
"Alright. Let's head out back," I sighed, shoulders slumping.
Jake brought me to his side and kissed my temple. I closed my eyes, inhaling his scent.
"I missed you today. How was school?" Jake asked as we walked outside.
"Alright, I guess. I can't wait for graduation," I groaned.
"Me either," Jake grinned.
I laughed as I walked away from him to stand near Kate. Edward walked up beside me, his face entirely blank.
"Alright, Bella. Let's see if you can keep me from shocking Edward," Kate grinned.
My shield was already up and around Edward when I felt a slight twinge. It wasn't uncomfortable and it didn't hurt. I was just a slight annoyance, like a bug buzzing in your ear.
"Ugh. Cut it out, Kate," I grumbled, shaking myself off.
The feeling stopped and Kate frowned at me.
"What?" Kate asked.
"It was annoying," I told her.
"Hmmm. Was it like that yesterday?" Kate asked.
"No. Yesterday, I didn't feel anything," I answered.
"What do you think, Carlisle?" Kate questioned, turning to the vampire.
"It could be that her abilities are expanding to the point of where she can tell a violent threat from a non-violent threat. Bella, why don't you block someone else and see what it feels like when Edward tries to read their mind," Carlisle suggested.
I shrugged in agreement and dropped my shield from around Edward. Emmett came bounding up to me, grinning like a madman.
"I want to try it!" Emmett cried eagerly.
I laughed and projected my shield around him. We all looked at Edward as he tried to get a read on Emmett. I felt something similar to the brush of fingertips and started giggling.
"Stop! Stop!" I laughed.
Instantly, it faded.
"That tickled," I gasped, grinning.
"Interesting," Carlisle hummed.
I still had my shield around Emmett. Before I could drop it, he ran and tackled Edward to the ground. The two started wrestling, Emmett clearly having the upper hand. I tried to watch, but their movements were too fast for my eyes. I caught a few flashes, but that was it. I could, however, hear them. I was extremely glad there weren't any young ears around to pick up on the language of these two.
Emmett came out victorious, sitting on Edward's back and shoving his face into the ground.
"Ha! Finally, I beat you!" Emmett cheered.
Edward shouted something into the dirt.
"What was that, bro? I can't hear you with your face in the dirt," Emmett laughed.
"Emmett, get off him," I chided, moving towards them.
"Aw, come on, Bella. It's the first time I've ever been able to take him out. Every other time, he just reads my mind," Emmett pouted.
I paused in mid-stride.
"That's why you volunteered?" I asked incredulously.
"Of course. Why else?" Emmett shrugged.
I glared at him and shook my head, resuming my walk towards them.
"Up, Emmett. I need my dummy," I insisted.
Emmett threw back his head and laughed causing a flock of birds to take flight in the distance. He stood up, still laughing and pulled me into a hug.
"Damn, you're funny, Bella," Emmett chortled.
"Yeah, yeah. Hilarious human. I know," I waved him off.
Edward was already on his feet, brushing off his clothes. He was glaring at Emmett's retreating back. His lips pulled back in a silent growl and I quickly stepped between the two.
"Don't even think about it. We still have work to do," I reminded him.
Edward's eyes landed on me and he relaxed his pose. I smiled at him a little and turned to Kate.
"What's next?" I asked.
"If I may? I'd like to try something," Zafrina requested.
"Of course," Kate agreed, motioning towards me.
"I'd like to see how many people Bella can affect. No body panic. Once you can see again, raise your hand," Zafrina called.
In the next instant, everyone except Zafrina and myself wore blank expressions. I frowned at her, confused as to what I was supposed to do.
"Protect them with your shield. Right now, they can't see anything. It's entirely black," Zafrina explained.
"Oh," I mouthed.
I projected my shield to those around me. The feeling was a little odd. It was in-between a tickle and an annoyance. It was a little uncomfortable, but easy to work around.
Gradually, everyone gained sight of their surroundings again. Just to be certain, I threw the shield over the house. I wasn't sure, but I thought Alistair was in the attic.
Zafrina smiled at me.
"Well done, Bella. You were able to protect everyone here," Zafrina praised.
"Even Alistair?" I asked.
Zafrina nodded, smiling wider. I giggled excitedly, clapping my hands as I did a little happy dance around the back yard. I heard others laughing at me, but couldn't find it in myself to care at the moment. I had just projected a shield large enough to cover the Cullen's back yard and house!
"Alright, Bella. It's time to run through some physical challenges," Carlisle insisted.
I stopped my happy dance to look at him expectantly.
"First, I want to see how much stronger you are," Carlisle started.
I nodded in agreement and waited for him to continue.
"There is a weight system set up for you in my office, as well as a treadmill. I want to test your endurance. We'll start there and come back out after," Carlisle stated.
"Sounds good. Let's go do it," I smiled.
Carlisle held out his arm, indicating for me to go first. I walked into the house, Jake moving to walk beside me. I took his hand as we climbed the stairs to Carlisle's office. There was a weight machine that could be found in any gym around the country. Carlisle walked over to it and began working the weights.
"Bella, if you'll come over and lie down," Carlisle requested.
I did as he asked, Jake right behind me. I noticed his face was creased with worry. I reached out and squeezed his hand.
"It's going to be fine, whatever we find out," I assured him.
Jake nodded tersely and took a deep breath. Charlie moved to stand beside him, frowning at Carlisle as he instructed me on how to work the machine.
I grabbed the bar and pulled it to my chest easily. Carlisle had me pause and added more weights. Again, the bar came down easily. We tried again and again until I was pulling all of the weights.
"Impressive. Now, were you calling on the pack strength at all?" Carlisle asked, taking notes.
"No. I was trying to keep it to my own strength. I didn't even really think about calling on them," I answered.
Carlisle nodded and scribbled on his note pad.
"You can get up now, Bella," Carlisle informed me.
I sat up and moved to face Jake, still sitting. He had his arms resting on his knees, leaning towards me. I slipped my legs in-between his two and took hold of his hands. He gave me a weak smile.
"You alright?" I asked softly.
"Yeah. You?" Jake murmured.
"Perfect," I grinned.
Jake smiled wider and stood up, reaching out a hand to assist me. I took it and held on as we walked over to the treadmill. Carlisle instructed me to step on and we started off at an even pace. Gradually, he increased the speeds until I was full on running. I was amazed at how easy it was. I wasn't even breaking a sweat.
"Slow it down, Bella," Carlisle called over the sound of the machine.
I slowed to a walk and looked at him.
"I think you're good to get off," Carlisle smiled.
I hopped off and faced him head on.
"What's the verdict so far?" I asked.
Jake stood beside me, one arm around my waist. Charlie was on the other side, trying to look intimidating. It was pretty hard to do since he was trying to intimidate a vampire.
"Your strength has far surpassed a normal human your size. I would think you are as strong as the wolves now. As for your ability to run, you seem to have adapted to their way as well. It seems as if you have all the abilities of the wolf without phasing," Carlisle remarked.
"Billy already told us I wouldn't phase, that my job was best served as a human," I informed him.
"That may be. I won't know any more details until your blood work comes back," Carlisle nodded.
"How's that going?" Jake asked, tightening his grip.
"Should be done soon. Probably before you leave tonight," Carlisle answered.
"When did you take blood?" Charlie asked, speaking for the first time.
He sounded kind of pissed.
"Yesterday. It was necessary to understand the changes going on inside of her, Charlie. I assure you, we took the least amount possible," Carlisle stated.
"I was here, Chief. Only me and Carlisle were in the room. No way I would've let him hurt her," Jake promised, growling slightly at the thought.
Charlie nodded once, satisfied with Jake's answer.
"Now, I'd like to go back outside. There's one last test I'd like to run," Carlisle claimed.
We followed him back outside where everyone else was waiting. They had been listening in to the conversation above, if I was going by the looks on their faces. They all looked impressed as I walked out. I blushed and shrunk into Jake's side.
"Bella, stand by the river. The rest of you, against the house," Carlisle instructed.
The wolves growled softly, not wanting me so far away from them.
"I'll be fine," I murmured, pushing Jake gently in the direction of the house.
His gaze was intense as it held mine, but I was persistent and urged him to follow Carlisle's instructions. I knew no one here would hurt me.
Charlie followed, being pulled along by Alice. Surprisingly, he still had a soft spot for her, even after finding out what she was. I knew she was thrilled.
As I walked to the river, I wondered what Carlisle wanted to do as his final test. I stopped a few feet away from the water and turned to face the house. Carlisle was halfway between me and the others. He was watching me intently.
"I have been over this with my entire family. No one is going to hurt you," Carlisle assured me.
I frowned, but nodded. I already knew no one was going to hurt me.
"Stay as relaxed as possible," Carlisle told me.
I nodded again, wondering what was going on.
Carlisle started backing away slowly, keeping his eyes trained on me the entire time. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up and knew what was going on a millisecond before the word left his mouth.
"Now."
Instantly, Jasper was running right for me, his intentions clear. I took a defensive position and leapt out of the way right as he came close to me. I turned, prepared to take him on as he advanced towards me. He growled and moved to attack again.
This time, I stood my ground and deflected his attack. We became wrapped in a complex dance of lunge and retreat, neither of us gaining the upper hand. Jasper would move to grab me and I would escape just before he could make contact. I sprung to attack him and he would dodge accordingly.
I was surprised at how calm I was fighting Jasper. He was the toughest strategist I knew. He had fought in the Civil War and become the youngest Major in the Confederate army. It was astonishing that I was still standing against him.
Jasper started speeding up his movements, coming at me quicker and quicker. I followed his movements easily, having little to no trouble escaping him. I could tell he was starting to get frustrated and knew he might lose it if we didn't finish this soon.
Figuring it would be easier for him to take me down than for me to take him down, I intentionally allowed him to catch me as he made his next move. I was on my back before I knew what had happened, blinking up at the dark grey sky.
The air rippled as the wolves all phased at once, unable to stand the sight of their Omega being pinned down by a vampire. I expected them to all come barreling towards Jasper, but none of them came.
Jasper's head appeared in my vision and he was frowning at me.
"You let me take you down," Jasper stated.
"Yeah. I figured I'd end it before it got out of hand," I shrugged.
Jasper frowned deeper and offered me a hand. I took it gladly and allowed him to pull me up. I turned to the house to see the entire pack surrounded by vampires. They were all growling at each other, seconds away from an all out attack.
My hackles were raised watching my pack surrounded and I moved to put a stop to the conflict.
"Stop! Stop it, right now! Everyone, back away from my pack!" I ordered, running up the hill.
Jasper was right behind me, intent on getting to Alice. I reached out a hand to hold him back. I didn't want the wolves to attack if they thought Jasper was making the first move. He tensed under my hand, but didn't move further.
"I mean it! Back away!" I shouted, losing patience.
Slowly, the vampires backed away from the snarling and growling wolves. My eyes locked on Sam and I connected with him instantly.
Stand down, Sam. We don't need a fight right now. I'm fine, I insisted.
Sam nodded once, his eyes still on the vampires, and ordered the pack to stand down. They all immediately stopped growling and got out of their defensive positions. The vampires relaxed and I was able to run between two of them to my wolves. Jake grabbed my shirt between his teeth and pulled me behind the rest of our pack so I was standing with Charlie in the middle of a semi-circle against the house. Jake sniffed me over, looking for any sign that I was hurt.
I'm fine, Jake, I assured him, running my fingers through his fur.
He didn't answer. All his thoughts were revolving around ripping Jasper apart and watching him burn. His anger and fear were mixing in a dangerous tumult of emotions. I was worried he wouldn't be able to hold onto his control much longer.
Breath with me, honey, I instructed.
We took a deep breath together and I could feel him gradually calming down.
Thanks, Jake murmured.
Any time, I grinned, kissing his muzzle.
I turned to face the others. Jake moved to stand in front of me, his side pressed against my front. I threaded my fingers through the fur at his shoulders.
"Alright, first things first. Everybody just needs to take a deep breath," I soothed.
I smiled when they all listened and did as I suggested. I almost laughed out loud when I felt Charlie breath beside me.
"Good. Now, everything is fine. No body is hurt. I let Jasper take me down. He understood. He wasn't going to hurt me," I emphasized.
The atmosphere relaxed another notch and the wolves were able to stop growling completely. Jake was still pressed against my front, watching the line just incase. I was running my fingers through his fur, calming us both down.
"I apologize, Bella. I hadn't realized how difficult it would be for your wolves," Carlisle admitted.
A few of the wolves snorted, obviously not believing him. Sam bared his teeth in warning. I rolled my eyes at them.
"It's alright, Carlisle. It's not your fault. They need to learn that I can handle myself," I said pointedly.
All eight pairs of wolf eyes shifted to me, each one with the exact same look.
"Don't give me that look. I can!" I scolded.
The huff that went around the circle clearly stated their lack of faith in me. Charlie chuckled beside me as I stuck my tongue out at them.
"Bells, I think it's time you and I headed on home," Charlie suggested.
"Sure thing, Dad. The wolves need to go get some clothes anyway," I sighed.
"I will be sure to call you, Bella, if your blood test shows anything detrimental," Carlisle promised.
"Thanks, Carlisle. Hey, Alice?" I called, turning to find her.
She pocked her head around Jasper and gave me a questioning smile.
"My friend Angela is going to come with us on Saturday. She needs a dress, too. What time should I tell her?" I asked.
"How does ten o'clock sound?" Alice questioned.
"Fine with me. Leah?" I turned to look at the wolf girl.
She nodded her head with a little chuff. I smiled and nodded to Alice.
"Great! I'll pick everyone up at Bella's, then," Alice grinned, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Sounds good, Alice. See you guys tomorrow," I called, walking with Charlie to the front of the house.
The wolves followed slowly, some of them continuing to glance over their shoulders to the vampires. I shook my head at them, smiling at their protective natures. Charlie glanced over at me and grinned.
"You did good, Bells. I'm proud of you," Charlie told me quietly.
I smiled up at him and felt the beginnings of tears prickle my eyes. He winked at me and I threw my arms around him in a hug.
"Thanks, Dad. It really means a lot to hear you say that," I mumbled into his shirt.
He patted my back awkwardly and kissed the top of my head. I chuckled and dropped my arms. His face was red and his eyes looked a little wet. He cleared his throat gruffly and walked to his cruiser.
Jake bumped the side of my leg.
"What?" I asked, looking at him.
He motioned towards the truck with his head. I sighed and shook my head at him. He shoved his muzzle into my back and pushed me along. I giggled as I stumbled over my feet, trying to stop my forward movement. Jake mock growled at me and shoved me a little harder.
"Jake!" I laughed, tripping forward.
I caught myself before I started going down. I turned and stuck my tongue out at him, walking to my truck.
"It's not nice to man-handle your girlfriend, Jake. Didn't your daddy ever teach you that?" I scolded playfully.
Jake snorted and rolled his eyes. I smiled at him, still laughing slightly.
"Come on, boy! In the truck! Come on! Hop up!" I encouraged, patting my leg.
Jake glared at me, but walked over and hopped into the truck. I laughed and climbed in after him. He took up most of the cab, being such a large werewolf. His bottom half was on the floor while his top half was stretched out over the passenger and middle seat, his head on my lap.
I ran my fingers over his ears and along his muzzle. He sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying my touch.
Charlie's cruiser chirped, telling me to get a move on. I started up the truck, loving the loud roar as she came to life again. The entire truck started shaking and Jake lifted his head, tilting it as he looked at the dashboard. I pushed down the accelerator and the shaking stopped. He looked up at me, obviously frowning.
"Hush. I was going to tell you about it," I glared at him playfully.
Jake rolled his eyes again and settled back on my lap. I honked the horn twice and waved towards the house as I followed Charlie back towards our house.
Jake and I were lying in my bed, each just watching the other breathe, when the call came in. We had only been home for a few hours, but when Charlie called up the stairs for us, we left again.
Jake kept hold of my hand as we drove back to the Cullen's house. Charlie kept glancing in our direction before he would refocus on the road. None of us spoke the entire ride there.
When Charlie parked the cruiser in front of the house, Jake tensed and gripped my hand tighter.
"Dad, could you give us a minute?" I asked softly.
"Sure thing, Bells," Charlie agreed.
He slid out of the car and shut the door before walking towards the house. He glanced over his shoulder once and disappeared through the door.
I turned my attention to Jake and noticed that he was trembling slightly. I rubbed my hand up and down his arm.
"What's wrong, Jake?" I asked, kissing his exposed shoulder.
He took a deep breath in through his nose, closing his eyes. He looked down at me and my heart clenched at the raw pain there.
"Jake," I gasped, moving closer to him.
He swallowed and grabbed my waist, pulling me so I was sitting in his lap. His face buried in my neck as he struggled to control his breathing. I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to calm him down.
"Shh, honey. It's going to be okay. I won't leave you," I promised.
"God, Bells. I can't lose you," Jake choked.
"You won't. No matter what Carlisle tells us, nothing is going to take me away from you," I vowed.
"I love you," Jake said, lifting his head to look into my eyes.
"I love you, too," I whispered.
One of his hands came up to cup my cheek, pulling me closer to him. Our lips connected forcefully. I opened my mouth as Jake's tongue brushed against my lower lip. My hands moved to the back of his neck and pulled myself closer to him. Jake moaned in my mouth as his hand moved from my cheek to trail down to my hip. He squeezed tightly and moved me so I was straddling his lap.
I gasped as I felt his erection pressing against my center. His lips trailed down to my neck, sucking and nipping at the sensitive spot at my collarbone. I moaned and pressed myself closer to him.
"Bella," Jake groaned.
I bit my lip as his hands moved to grasp my hips and move me against him. The friction was exactly what I needed and I moved with him. He growled softly and attacked my lips again. I whimpered as he sucked my tongue into his mouth, imitating the motions of our hips. A flood of moisture pooled between my legs and I moved against him a little more frantically. The tension in my stomach was coiling deliciously.
Jake growled again and I knew he could smell my desire for him. One of his hands moved to cup me through my jeans, causing my head to fall back against the front seat of the cruiser. Jake moved to fasten his lips on my neck, licking my pulse point as I moved against his hand.
A sudden rapping on the window broke us apart. I looked up, wide eyed to see Quil standing there, grinning like a fool. Jake snarled at him and placed me on the seat so he could block me from view. I could feel the heat in my cheeks from getting caught doing that with Jake in my dad's cruiser. My hands flew up to cover my face in embarrassment.
"Hey, man, don't get mad at me. Sam sent me out here to get you guys. Everyone's freaking out in there," Quil claimed, holding up his hands in surrender.
I dropped my hands and looked out the window. Quil looked a little uncomfortable now and I figured it was because of all the tension in the house behind him. Jake ignored Quil's comments and continued to glare at his friend.
"Come on, Jake. Quil's right. We need to go inside and see what Carlisle found out," I murmured, placing my hand on his bicep.
He breathed out a sigh and reached back to take my hand. I gave his a squeeze as he opened the door and stepped outside, pulling me along with him. Quil smirked at the two of us.
"Hi, Bella," Quil greeted.
"Hey, Quil. What's up?" I asked, blushing slightly.
"Nothing much. Just, you know, hanging with the leeches," Quil shrugged.
"Yeah," I nodded pensively.
Jake rolled his eyes at us.
"Come on. I want to get this over with," Jake grumbled.
"It'll be fine, Jake," I assured him.
"Right," Jake frowned.
"Seriously, dude, chill out. It's going to be cool. What could Doc have found wrong? Bella's healthy. He's not going to tell us anything we don't already know," Quil told him, clapping a hand on Jake's shoulder.
Jake just nodded once in response as we moved towards the house. He paused for a few seconds before opening the door. Only the Cullens were sitting around with the wolves. I frowned as we walked in.
"Where's everyone else?" I asked.
"I sent them out to hunt. I figured it would make this easier," Carlisle sighed.
Jake tensed beside me and I hushed him gently, pressing myself closer to him. He dropped my hand to put his arm around my shoulders.
"Why don't you sit down? This might take a little while," Carlisle suggested, motioning to the only available seat; a white love seat.
I led Jake over to the small couch and sat down beside him. I smiled slightly as I realized the pack was sitting in their usual spots for pack meetings.
"What did the test say?" Jake asked, getting straight to the point.
"As you know, I ran multiple tests. I wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything. The first thing you should all know is that Bella is extremely healthy. I could find nothing wrong with her physically," Carlisle started.
Jake relaxed a fraction beside me and I leaned my head against his arm. He bent down to kiss the top of my head and nuzzle my hair.
"The second test I ran showed that she has twenty-four chromosomes. It seems as though her genetic make-up is identical to that of the pack. I would assume that means she has accelerated healing abilities along with the other abilities we've already tested. I would like to check that, if you are agreeable," Carlisle continued, looking to Sam.
Jake growled and shot out of his seat.
"No. You are not going to hurt her just to test some theory," Jake snarled.
I grabbed his arm as he started shaking and pulled myself up to stand beside him. He was still growling as I wrapped my arms around him.
"Bella, you shouldn't be near him. He's about to phase," Edward warned, his voice a little frantic.
Jake snarled at him, but I ignored them both.
"Shh, Jake. No one's going to hurt me," I murmured against his skin.
Gradually, his shaking calmed and he was able to sit back down with me in his arms. He buried his face in my hair, breathing deeply.
"No testing," Jake grumbled.
"We wouldn't have to hurt her, Jacob. We could numb the area and simply prick her with a needle. It would be painless for her and we would get our answer," Carlisle attempted to convince him.
Jake growled louder and glared at Carlisle.
"You expect me to let you cut her and draw blood in a house full of vampires?" Jake asked in a deadly voice.
"Jake," I started softly.
"No, Bella. I refuse to let you go through with this one. I will not put your life in danger just so Doc, here, can relieve his curiosity," Jake rumbled.
"I know. Just, calm down. No one's going to hurt me," I whispered, kissing the underside of his jaw.
Jake breathed and relaxed his shoulders, but didn't release his grip on me.
"I can answer you question already, Carlisle. I do heal faster than normal. One of the first things I noticed as I went through the change was that I healed extremely fast. I cut my feet as I walked through the woods one night and by the next day, they were healed," I informed him.
Carlisle looked surprised, but nodded.
"Very well. Are there any other abilities you know you have?" Carlisle asked.
I glanced at Sam to make sure it was okay to share the information they were asking for. Sam nodded once.
"I can heal the body and soul," I answered.
Every single Cullen looked at me in surprise. I smiled slightly and lifted one shoulder in a shrug.
"You… you can heal the… soul?" Edward stuttered.
"Yeah," I smiled, glancing over at Leah.
She smiled and gave me a wink.
"How?" Edward asked, leaning forward.
"I don't know. I just do it. It takes a lot of energy, though. Last time, I was out for a few days," I told them.
Jake scoffed.
"Last time, she almost died," Jake corrected.
I slapped his arm and glared at him.
"He's exaggerating. It wasn't that bad," I assured the Cullens.
"Oh, really? You were asleep for three days and the doctors didn't think you'd wake up. Plus, your heart stopped at the beach after you'd helped Leah," Jake growled.
"Hush! That was just because I stopped calling on the pack strength," I admonished.
Jake groaned and fell against the couch.
"Stubborn woman," Jake grumbled.
I mock growled at him. He just shook his head and smiled fondly at me.
"How can you tell if a soul is broken?" Edward pressed, getting us back on topic.
"I just know," I shrugged.
"Can you… I mean… Is my…" Edward trailed off.
I smiled and stood up. Everyone watched as I walked over to stand in front of him. His eyes were wide as I reached out and laid my hand over his heart. I closed my eyes and relaxed my body, bringing forth my healing abilities.
I felt Edward breathing as I searched for his soul. Everyone else in the room was waiting with bated breath. I could feel my abilities becoming stronger as I searched. Tears started prickling my eyes as I pulled my hand away.
"Oh, Edward," I whimpered, letting a few tears fall.
Edward was devastated. His entire face fell into a painful grimace. I threw my arms around his neck and sobbed.
"You have a beautiful soul. I've never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life," I cried into his neck.
Edward gasped and stiffened beneath me. I pulled back to look into his eyes. He was watching me with awe and amazement.
"I told you. Do you believe me now?" I asked, sniffling.
He nodded once and hugged me tightly to his chest as his body shook with tearless sobs. I cried with him and for him as he allowed himself to finally let go of the darkest weight on his heart.
"Thank you, Bella," Edward rasped.
"You're welcome," I whispered.
I smiled at him as I moved to sit back beside Jake. He took hold of my hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.
"I love you," Jake murmured.
"I love you, too," I replied, kissing him briefly.
I turned to look at my family and smiled. Seth had moved to sit with Edward, both of them laughing easily. Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were goofing off with Quil, Embry, Jared, and Paul. Sam was talking to Carlisle about getting together this weekend for another training session. Esme was talking to Charlie about graduation plans. Alice was chattering away to Leah about shopping this weekend. Everything was finally settling down for my wolves.
Jake squeezed my hand and I looked up at him.
"What are you thinking about?" Jake asked softly.
"This feels right, doesn't it? Having everyone here together, getting along," I sighed happily.
Jake looked around the room and smiled. His eyes landed back on me.
"It's all thanks to you, honey. None of this would've happened without you," Jake said.
I bit my lip and looked at my family again.
"Do you think we'll win?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I know we will," Jake answered arrogantly.
"What makes you so sure?" I asked, my eyes tearing up.
His hand cupped my chin and brought my face around to look at him.
"It's like Alice said. We have something worth fighting for. There's nothing more important to me in the entire world than you. I love you and I'll be damned if I lose you to a bunch of leeches," Jake vowed.
"I love you," I breathed.
Jake grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. I scrunched it up and giggled softly.
"Everything will be fine, honey. The only thing you're allowed to worry about for now is prom dress shopping with Alice," Jake grinned.
"Ugh! Don't remind me," I groaned, burying my face into his chest.
"Oh, come on. I'm looking forward to see you in a dress," Jake chuckled.
"Who said I was wearing a dress or even going to prom?" I asked.
"Isabella Swan! You are wearing a dress, you are going to prom, and you will have a good time!" Alice shouted from across the room.
"But, Alice, I don't wanna," I whined.
"I don't care. You're going," Alice harrumphed.
"Edward, tell her I don't want to go," I pleaded.
"Alice, she doesn't want to go," Edward repeated to his sister.
"Too bad," Alice waved off.
Edward looked at me and shrugged.
"Gee, thanks for putting forth so much effort, Edward," I scowled.
"I tried," Edward smirked.
"Alice, please don't make me go. I can't dance," I begged.
"You danced fine last year," Alice pointed out.
"That's only because I was standing on Edward's feet!" I cried.
"So you can stand on Jacob's this year," Alice argued.
"She hasn't asked me yet, Alice," Jake brought up.
Alice looked from Jake to me, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"I don't want to go. Why would I subject him to this torture?" I asked.
"Bella, you are going, with or without Jacob. Now, I suggest you ask your boyfriend, since it will make the night more enjoyable for you, but you don't have to," Alice stated.
I groaned and looked at Jake pleadingly. He was trying to hold back laughter as his dancing eyes met mine.
"Jake, will you please go through this hellish thing called prom with me?" I asked forlornly.
"Well, gosh, when you ask like that, how can I say no?" Jake grinned, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"I really don't want to go," I repeated for the umpteenth time.
"I know, but it'll be fine. I'll make sure we have fun," Jake promised.
"Fine. It's not like I have much of a choice anyway," I sighed.
"This is going to be so much fun! Leah, you'll have to come, too. I'm sure we can find someone to bring you as their date. Maybe Tyler. I heard he was quite taken with you at the movies and I know for a fact that he doesn't have a date yet. I refuse to consider Mike Newton. He is simply repulsive…"
As Alice continued talking about which guy she would get to take Leah, I snuggled back against Jake's chest, nestled in his arms, and allowed the peace of the moment to surround me. Jake pressed a kiss to my temple, settled back against the couch, and started up a conversation with Emmett about who was going to get drafted to what football team for the next season.
I was finally convinced that everything would be fine.
I know it's been forever and I am seriously sorry! I didn't think it was going to take this long to write this chapter, but life kept getting in the way. School will be finished for the year on April 30th and I will have lots more time to write!!
I won't make any promises about when the next chapter will be up. I'll write when I can and post when I can. Again, I'm really sorry this is going so much slower than in the beginning. I feel really bad for doing this to you guys!
The next chapter will skip ahead to the shopping weekend and you might get a little surprise. I'll give you one little hint: Billy and Charlie are going fishing. I'll see you guys next chapter!!