All credit from Twilight Universe goes to Missus Meyer, Soul Wanders are mine, and the rest is all Tracy St. John's Clans of Kalquor Series.

Chapter 14

Naerdiel/Lana Brown

As I come through the portal I land on my knees. I rollover and my heart fills with joy; my apartment! I was at my apartment; my plants, my living room, exactly how I left them, only, the plants were more grown. I suddenly hear the main door open and John comes in.

"Lana!" he comes to me and helps me get up. "Sweetie, what happened?" I look at myself; that's right, I didn't even change my clothes ever since the crash, they have some stains and tears on it. I didn't even care what Saucin Israla thought; I shrug to myself, she must understand that when a Wander yearns for her mate, it isn't easy on her...

"Accident. No time to explain." I take a deep breath. "I have to get to Paul."

"Honey... Paul... is not in his best shape right now."

"I know. I'm not in the best shape either. I have to go to his house."

"No, Lana, you don't have to..."

"What do you mean, I don't have to!", I raise my voice. "Of course I have to, I..."

"He means you don't have to because I'm here." I turn at his voice. I barely notice John's leaving. He looks horribly pale and thinner, his eyes rimmed with red.

"Paul..." my eyes fill with unshed tears.

"I'm so sorry." we laugh weakly, having spoken at the same time.

"I should never have left, my little wolf.", Goddess, I'm so nervous, shaking like a leaf.

"I never should have taken so long to come see you. I should have talked to you right after that day in the woods, at Jacob's house." A lonely tear slides down my right cheek, I sigh, relieved.

"Forgive me?", we laugh again.

"We're developing a bad habit.", I smile shyly and take his hand, pulling him over to the couch.

"There is so much I want to tell you!" I hug him. I'm not usually this touchy-feely, but I need to feel him close to me. "You won't believe it, but... Do you have time?"

"Yes. Sam's not expecting me."

"Don't you have patrols or something like that?"

"No.", his face is slightly grim.

"What is it?"

"I wasn't feeling like myself."

"You missed me; I missed you too. I was starting to feel really miserable without you, little wolf." he holds me tight against him. "Listen... there are things that we have to discuss with your pack, and Arwen, and Billy Black. We're going to have guests. Some of them might be... permanent."

"What sort of guests?"

"Female. One is a Soul Wander, the other is a human child, a traumatized one. Paul... they are from the future."

Isabella Swan

I've fallen in the habit of biting my nails. God, they look such a mess. But I worry. What if Victoria gets her hands on Charlie?

Fortunately he's on duty tonight. Jacob's driving the van towards our house, his arm around me. We're finally home; I nuzzle his neck and he smiles at me. I lightly kiss him on his lips and invite him in. He gives me the smile, and my toes curl at the sight of it.

When we leave the truck, Jacob stops in his tracks, and I beside him.

What's the matter Jake?, I speak in his mind. Ever since we joined, I can do it. Unfortunately, it doesn't work the other way around.

"Vampire close by. Get in the car."

No.

"Arwen..."

It's my house. And if it is Victoria, there will be nowhere to go to. We'll finish her, end this mess.

"Okay." he knows how stubborn I am. I check all my mental shields, just in case, and I take a deep breath. We get into the house, silent as a tomb. We try to act natural and, as I go into the living room and turn on the lights, I freeze.

Jacob, it's in the living room. Who's that? He joins me and grimaces; speaking aloud.

"Well, if it isn't Alice Cullen.", he whispers.

"Bella!" she smiles radiantly at me and pauses, her youthful face suddenly frowning. "What's that God-awful wet dog smell?", yep, I'm in for it.

"Hey leech, long time no see. Should have been longer yet."

Jacob, be nice. She hasn't done anything wrong. Yet.

"Bella!" she frowns. "Honestly. What have you been doing lately? Trying to get yourself killed?" I smile innocently.

"Oh, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean!" Jacob snorts. "Trouble has been chasing me around rather frequently, but..."

"Ha! That's rich..." she smiles, "Oh, but I am so happy to see you! Everybody misses you. Carlisle, Esme, Jasper..."

"How are they?"

"Well... life's the same."

"More like death...", mumbles Jacob.

You're terrible. He smirks and winks at me; Alice notices.

"Bella..."

"Sorry about Jacob."

"Can we have a little bit more privacy, Jacob?" he shrugs at Alice and gets up, going into the backyard. We speak a bit about the rest of the Cullens, yada yada, and then...

"What's wrong with you?" I stare at Alice and then I close my eyes, inhaling and exhaling a couple of times.

"Nothing's wrong Alice. You're worried because... I haven't asked about Edward, aren't you?" I smile. "All this time... I did as he asked. I lived my life instead of wasting it mopping around, moaning 'Edward, oh Edward, how I miss you'. You only live once, Alice. And then you die. Edward left me so suddenly, it was as if I meant nothing to him. And I most likely don't. Jacob mended my heart, Alice. If Edward had never left, I might never have..." I pause. "Jacob is the one for me. He's caring, dependable… safe."

"Safe? Bella, he's a werewolf! Immature, uncontrolled, uncontrollable... just being with him is dangerous. He could snap at any time and hurt you!"

"He loves me. And he never lost it with me, he never will. Besides..." I chuckle. "s'not as if Edward is any better. He's a vampire, remember?"

"Still... it's just..." I take her hand. "I don't think it's been easy on Edward either, you know. He disappears for months at a time. Off to God knows where."

"Why? Doing what?"

"Hunting." I know that voice. Oh... Goddess, no!

"Edward!" Alice jumps from the couch and hugs him in a death grip. Fortunately the guy's already dead, I smirk. I check my mental shields once more, they are, as always, in place. I keep my mind blank as well as my face. He looks at the carpet and the vicinity of my feet. I snort; he's got some nerve, feeling embarrassed, coming here.

"As you were saying..." I tell him, "hunting... what?" he clears his throat.

"Victoria and Laurent."

"Nice. You shouldn't concern yourself with Laurent, he's dead. Sam Uley's pack got him. Victoria's been showing up now and then, always eluding us."

"Us?", he asks.

"The pack, a close friend of mine and myself, of course." he frowns, already opening his mouth to criticize. I abruptly get up from the couch, squaring my shoulders. "In case you have forgotten, Mr. Cullen, you left me in the middle of the woods, off to who knows where, and you asked me to forget! You, everything! Well, guess what, I did! I moved on with my life, I don't love you, I probably never did, because what I felt for you was more obsession than love! And you have some nerve, abandoning the girl you said you loved, doing her wrong like that, now you just drop in and you expect me to listen to you?!" I take a deep breath.

"Bella... Please forgive me..."

"Shut up. Alice can stay. But you? Sod off!" I turn on my heels and stomp up the stairs to my bedroom, slamming the door shut.

-º-º-º-

Jacob

"Well, that was fun to watch." I smirk, looking at the leeches. My little Isabella sure showed them. "You don't need to worry about Isabella. She's safe with me, she's my imprint, my other half. You had your chance and you ruined it, anyway."

Jacob, what are you doing?

"Yes, Jacob, what are you doing? Whose voice is that, in your mind?", Eddie asks.

Jacob? Why are you taking so long? Would you please come upstairs?

Damn. Edward's eyes narrow, looking suspiciously at me.

"Leave. Now."

"Who speaks in your mind, Jacob Black?"

"None of your business. Stay away from my imprint or I will kill you, bloodsucker."

"We have a treaty that says you can't." I growl at him. Little bastard.

"Isabella doesn't want to see you anymore. Leave. That should be easy for you, since you're so good at it."

"What's going on here?" we turn to face Lana and Paul, hand in hand. "Where's Isa?"

"Upstairs." I answer her.

"So..." she says. "You must be the Cullens, Alice and Edward."

"And you are?", Alice asks.

"Lana Brown. I co-own Old Man's pub..."

"Oh, I know that one!" Alice beams at her, not letting Lana finish the sentence. "I heard of it."

"This is Paul Lahote. My imprint." she caresses his hand with her thumb, never loosing eye contact with the leeches. "I have the feeling you have extended your stay. I'd also appreciate it, Mr. Cullen, if you would stop trying to get past my mental shields; it won't work." I glare at her.

"What, Jake? Might as well say it; besides, I'd love to see him try harder and for Lana to make him land on his ass.", says Paul, smiling.

"What have you done to Bella?", sheesh, but the leech is insistent today!

"What are you still doing here?" my imprint's here again. I didn't even hear her coming down the stairs.

"Bella...", he says.

"Out."

"But..."

"I said... get out."

"Bella, please, let me explain..."

"Explain what?"

"I can't live without you, Bella. I love you." God, I want to strangle him.

"Is that why you hid all the photos under the bedroom's floorboard?"

"Yes... at least a part of me would always be close to you, Bella. Even though..."

"You make me sick.", she snarls at him. That's my girl! Take that, Cullen! "When you love someone you don't walk away! You abandoned me in the middle of the woods. Can you even imagine how utterly lost I felt? I wandered in those woods, all alone, for hours!" she takes a deep breath and turns to face Lana. "I'm going out. Jacob, I need some alone time." she holds my face in her hands and gives me a sweet little peck on the lips, quietly leaving.

I turn to look at the leech, but Cullen is gone already, the door closing behind him, no longer on sight.

.-.-.-.-.