Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
A/N: I do not reread what I write because I'm insanely lazy. So there are probably lots of errors, please excuse and ignore them.
We stayed wrapped up with each other for about an hour. Even after I had stopped crying, Dora and Didyme continued to hold me and Sulpicia continued to gently pet my head. The moment I relaxed my clutch on Dora's shirt, Sulpicia gently grabbed my injured hand. I didn't want her to see it, even though already had, I just didn't want to deal with what I was sure was going to happen. There was no way the queens would let me getting hurt go unpunished. I also wouldn't hide anything from them, so they would know Jake kissed me.
They were not going to be happy.
I kept my face buried in Dora's chest while Sulpicia inspected my hand. I felt her turn in it in every direction she could make it go. I felt her very gently trace the entire area on my hand that I was sure was bruised. I could feel when she placed a few kisses that traced the growing bruise on my hand. Just having her cold hands and lips trace and gently hold my injured hand helped me to practically forget I was even hurt.
"What happened mia bella?" Sulpicia asked in a very caring voice.
I knew she wanted to know, I knew she was going to be really mad when I told them. I knew they were all going to be mad. I couldn't imagine not telling them though. I didn't want them to hurt Jake. Well, okay, I sort of wanted them to hurt Jake because of him kissing me, but I knew that the queens would take 'hurting Jake' to 'killing Jake' and I didn't want that.
"Do you promise not to leave me?" I asked and in retrospect, I probably could have phrased that a different way.
Dora immediately gripped me tighter to her and Didyme pressed herself further into me. I felt Sulpicia move in closer, to the point where I knew she had definitely invaded Didyme's personal space. Sulpicia kept my injured hand in hers but she bent over so that her head was right next to mine. She moved in what I'm sure was an uncomfortable position, but since she was a vampire I doubted she cared, and started nuzzling my neck.
"We would never leave you." Sulpicia said in a very serious tone. "Never think that."
"We belong to you Bella." Didyme said. "How could we even think of leaving you?"
"You belong to us Bella." Didyme proclaimed. "We will always be with you."
Even though I was really touched by what they said, I couldn't help but giggle a little. What they said made me really happy. I knew I didn't have to worry about them ever leaving me. I may not fully understand how the mating bond works because I'm not a vampire, but I at least understood the basics. I wasn't worried they would even think about leaving me and I knew that they were always confident I would never leave them. They hadn't actually vocalized it, and either had I for that matter, but I somehow knew they weren't afraid of me leaving. I was sure from the beginning they knew I couldn't leave them.
"That's not what I meant." I said in between giggles. I finally moved my head back so that I could see Dora and she looked completely confused; a look I was sure was mirrored on the other two. "I didn't mean that, I meant that after I tell you what happened, I wanted you to stay here."
Dora narrowed her eyes at me and I could practically see her thinking of all the things that could have happened. I bet she was also thinking of what she could do to get back at whoever had hurt me; she was definitely my warrior. Sulpicia, I bet she was plotting ways to hurt my attacker. She could definitely be as violent as Dora if provoked, but Dora had a habit of heading in right away whereas Sulpicia planned. Didyme though, I bet she was simply waiting to hear me out. Didyme had a lot more patience than the other two and tended to see the full picture a lot faster than the other two. Sulpicia may like to plan things, but her gift didn't always give her all the facts because the people she read may not have had all the facts. Didyme waits until she gets all the facts.
I decided that I would have to tell them in a precise order so that I could try and avoid them from getting too mad at me.
"I punched someone." I told them. "Twice. And apparently I'm not as strong as I thought I was."
I giant grin took over Dora's face; she looked insanely proud of me. At least, she did until Sulpicia spoke up.
"Why would you hit someone dear; that doesn't seem like you?" Sulpicia asked.
"This is the part I wanted to make sure you guys wouldn't leave." I said in a smaller voice than usual.
Didyme seemed to understand her make a soft sound like she just 'got' something.
"We won't Bella; I promise." Didyme softly said.
I closed my eyes and took a few deep breathes as I tried to gather my thoughts. I trusted Didyme when she told me they wouldn't leave; I just wasn't sure how long they would stay.
"I went to talk with Jake, my best friend, and I tried to tell him what happened and why I left." I started. I took a few seconds to continue to gather my thoughts and put them order. I was very thankful that they understood to not say anything while I did so. "He was mad at first and I'm sure he probably still is, but I didn't want to lose him." I could feel the tears start to fall again because I knew I was going to lose my best friend and there was nothing I could do. I couldn't go back to being friends with him; I would be too afraid that he would literally, physically hurt me again. I refused to put myself in that position again.
"Take your time." Didyme soothingly said as I felt what was probably Dora rubbing my back in smooth circles; apparently not bothered at all by Didyme's front being pressed into my back.
"I told him that I had to save Edward because I couldn't let him die for nothing. He was given half information and I couldn't just let him die; I couldn't let the Cullen's get hurt like that." I heard Dora growl slightly under her breath. I knew they were all mad about how they had just left me so willingly and hurt me so much. Dora just so happened to be a lot more vocal than the other two when it came to showing her anger. I buried my face once again into her chest as a way to not only help calm me but to also help calm her.
"You are very kind that way." Didyme said, her voice helping to somewhat anchor me to the 'now' instead of my mind forcing me to replay something that I really didn't want to.
"I told him that once I got to Italy that I met my mates there and I instantly knew that there was no way I could leave." I could feel Dora and Didyme purring, just slightly, and I was sure that if I was closer to Sulpicia, I could feel or hear her purring as well. All three of them, no matter how much of a 'tough girl' front they put up, were such softies when it came to me and I loved it. I hoped it would never change. "He knows all about vampires and he doesn't like them. I guess because he's a shifter, his tribal leaders on the reservation basically had them all grow up with stories about how evil vampires are. All Jacob see's is the stories that were passed down in his tribe, he doesn't care that not all vampires are evil." I said, getting both angrier and sadder as I spoke.
"A shifter? So he changes whenever he wants into a wolf?" Dora asked in a cautious tone.
"Yes, or whenever they get really mad. As a shifter, I guess, they have really bad tempers." I continued to talk as I felt Dora relax from the temporary stiff posture she had had. Unfortunately, they had both, Didyme and Dora had stopped purring. "Jake had stopped listening to what I was saying; which I guess he never really did. But he didn't something that he can never take back; I don't even think he wants to take it back." I admitted. I think that hurt more than him actually kissing me. The fact that he doesn't regret how much he hurt me, only that he regrets how much he hurt his chances with me, hurt me a lot more than him actually hurting me.
"What did he do?" Dora asked after she took a few deep breathes that I was needed so that she wouldn't just barge out of here. I was worried that Dora or Sulpicia would run out to hurt Jake, I doubted Didyme would. I didn't doubt she could fight, there's no way she would have been alive for so long and be one of the leaders of the vampire race if she couldn't. I just knew Didyme thought through all her actions a lot more than Sulpicia and Dora did; those two prefer action more than thoughts.
I gripped harder on Dora's shirt and, even though it was very painful, I gripped Sulpicia's hand that she still held so that I could try my best to keep them with me. I was confident that as long as I held on to them, they wouldn't leave me. Or, at least, they would give me an opportunity to try and talk them out of going to hurt Jacob.
"He kissed me." I said quickly, like pulling off a band aide. "Then after I punched him for the first time, he tried again and so I punched him again." I hooked my leg over Dora's when I felt her move. It seemed like she was making a motion to get up and leave, but I was hoping with my leg over hers, it would stop her. Sulpicia didn't move and I was sure she wouldn't until I let go of her; she would be too afraid to hurt me by moving my hand herself, so she wouldn't even try.
"I'll kill him." Sulpicia growled.
"After I torture him; that stupid shifter pup." Dora growled.
"Told you they get jealous easily." Didyme whispered into my ear, though I could still hear the anger in her voice.
"Oh don't you even start; you're just as mad as we are." Sulpicia said in a way I had never heard her talk to either of her co-leaders before. There was absolutely no hint of teasing in her voice.
"Of course I am, I'm a vampire aren't I? I would love to see and to help for that matter, torture and kill that Jake pup for even thinking about touching Bella. For even thinking he had any claim what so ever on our Bella, I wouldn't mind hurting him and teaching him a thing or two." Didyme growled out and before I could even try to talk and change their minds, she continued talking. "But I'm smart enough to realize that Bella clearly still cares about him; or at least cares enough to not want him hurt or killed. So, I won't. I would never hurt Bella by hurting that foolish pup to calm my jealousy." I felt all three of them tense. They had to have heard or smelled something I couldn't because I couldn't see any other reason for them to tense up. "Or, if he starts anything here, I will have no problems defending Bella or myself if he attacks. I will not kill him unless he leaves no other choice."
She didn't have to explicitly say it for me to understand that she meant Jake was here and that they could either smell or hear him walking up. I didn't hear the door open or anything else to indicate he was here, so I was sure I had just a little time to spare.
I understand Didyme's little unsaid warning. If Jake attacked them and didn't back down, they would kill him. If he tried to do anything to me again, they would attack him. I wouldn't stop them. It hurt if they had to kill Jake, but how could I fault them for killing him if he was trying to do the same thing and wouldn't stop even after they show what I knew to be their clearly better superior fighting skills. I would be depressed if he was killed, but I couldn't blame them. Self-defense, though a good thing, can always turn into being something bad.
"Please try not to hurt him." I practically begged of them.
Instantly I was sitting on Dora's lap as she sat on the edge of my bed. Didyme was next to the door and Sulpicia was next to the window glaring at something that I was sure Jake traveling in his wolf form here.
"We'll try, I swear it, but if he pushes his luck." She didn't need to finish the threat because I already knew it was there.
"Bella! Are you okay?" Jake yelled as I heard my front door being slammed opened. I was instantly happy that Charlie wouldn't be here until late, there was no way I could explain the three woman being in my room with me and Jake charging into the house asking that question. He got me mad at him again though because this wasn't his house; he really needed to stop treating it that way, did he not learn from last time? Not even Billy who was over here every other weekend, more often than not without Jake, didn't treat this house like it was his; because it wasn't.
I bolted right off Dora's lap and out of my room. I could vaguely hear the three following me at a more leisurely pace as I raced down the stairs, being as careful as possible to not trip.
"Jake! Why are you in my house?" I questioned instead of answering his, I would hope that he would be able to tell that I was fine.
I was momentarily thankful that Jacob had come in from the back door, unlike what I had originally thought. That meant that if something happened, it was easy for us all to leave out the back door and into the backyard that of course had no fence since it was forest back there, instead of going out the front door where someone might possibly see a giant wolf if he shifts and some very angry vampires attacking said wolf. If, and of course I was hoping against it, this didn't go well, which I didn't think it would.
"Bella, we have to go, there are vampires around here that don't smell like the Cullen's." Jake said urgently and I had to resist rolling my eyes. If he could smell them being in the area, how could he not smell or even hear for that matter, that they were right behind me coming down the stairs. Perhaps though, he was thinking about one of the guards that I was sure was out in the forest still.
"Of course there are Jake, I invited them here." I lied, I definitely didn't technically invite them in; they more or less invited themselves because I simply couldn't really talk at the time. But Jane invited them and I walked in with Jane, so that kind of counted right? Plus, I wanted them here and they knew that, so that had to count as a silent invitation.
Jake gave me a look that said I had to crazy to have invited vampires into my home. Little did he know, just yet at least, that I invited human drinkers into my home. There was nothing he could do or say about it that would change my mind or get them to leave.
"You invited them here?" Jake yelled at me, his temper was very visibly growing. "Do you realize how stupid that is? I'm getting you out of here."
Jake started to reach for my hand as I started to walk backwards. I walked backwards right into Didyme who put her arms protectively around me. Dora appeared next to me and had her arms crossed over chest and a glare on her face. Sulpicia was also next to me but had reached out for Jakes' hand to stop it from grabbing me.
"When a lady walks away from you like that, it means she doesn't want to be touched." Didyme growled as she rested her chin on my shoulder and I relaxed into her hold.
"It doesn't mean to continue advancing on her and forcing her to do what you want." Dora growled.
"Even though your intentions were good, you need to learn to portray them properly." Sulpicia said with a growl as she released Jakes' hand by throwing it at him like it was the most disgusting thing she had ever touched. Sulpicia touched him. That meant she knew every thought he had ever had; that also means she knows all the thoughts the pack had when Jake was in his wolf form. I hope Jake hadn't thought anything to piss Sulpicia off any more than she already was.
"Bella, they have red eyes; they aren't safe." Jake said as he started to vibrate with so much anger.
"If you don't calm yourself down right now, you'll explode and ruin Charlie's house." Didyme said in a calm voice. "How do you expect to explain that to him?"
"Let her go." Jake demanded but seemed to at least realize the truth in what Didyme had said, even if he choose to ignore it was said.
"I don't want her to Jacob." I said, deciding to try and take control of the conversation and get Jake to leave and leave me alone. "These three are my mates, I never want them to let go." I said the last part with a soft smile that probably looked a little cheesy, but I really didn't care.
"They can't be your mate Bella." I picked on the fact that he said 'mate' instead of 'mates; singular instead of plural. He didn't want to believe me.
"Of course we are, you stupid pup." Dora said with barely withheld hate in her voice.
"Dora." I softly chided, I didn't want her to start a fight and name calling was a sure fire way to evoke Jake's anger.
"Bella would never choose a stupid female over a male." Over me, was what I was sure he meant to say but didn't dare say it out loud.
"Of course I choose them and I will choose them." I confidently said. Funny how being in the arms of a millenniums old vampire, gives me so much courage to face an angry shifter, that looks to be about to shift.
"They're bloodsuckers Bella, the ones that kill humans." Jake said, trying to reason with me, which he couldn't. "They aren't good, they never could be." His words made me a lot angrier than I had ever been when he tried this argument with me on the Cullens.
"They are simply playing the hand they were dealt in life Jake. They didn't beg to become vampires so that they could eat off of human blood for eternity." I angrily said. If it wasn't for Didyme's arms around me I would have walked up and started poking him in the chest to emphasize my words. "It would be like expecting you to continue to eat the serving size people would normally eat at your age, which would kill you."
Jake only laughed at me and gave a look that said I was crazy for defending them.
"Don't even try to compare us Bella. They kill people, it's not the same."
"They have no choice, that's what they were made to do." I practically shouted at him.
"Just like I was made to kill them." Jake said in a serious voice and before I could act, I was being pulled away, towards the corner counters as Jake literally tackled Dora out of the backdoor. Didyme kept her hand in mine as we both ran outside to watch everything unfold.
Jake had managed to shift as soon as he left the doorway so I was able to see Dora get to her feet. Jake was in an offensive position and was growling threateningly towards her. Dora, which I was shocked to see, was actually laughing as she got to her feet. Sulpicia was in front of Didyme and I but behind Dora, she was probably an extra 'line' of defense in between the fight that I was sure was about to break out.
"This will be fun." Dora said when stopped laughing. "I can already tell that you have never actually fought against a vampire and I hate to break it to you pup; I happen to be one of the oldest and most experienced vampires alive. You don't stand a chance." Dora said in a serious tone.
All three of them still had red eyes and if Jake was paying attention to that, he would have realized that if these were the Cullens he was about to fight, they would have all had black eyes right now. If he was paying attention, he would have realized just how in control all three of them still were, when he clearly wasn't. He should have been able to realize that the actual threat to me was him because he can't control himself.
Jake growled loudly from Dora's words and then charged at her. Dora stood her ground and when Jake was within reach, she punched him in the jaw. The punch was so hard that it made Jake's head swing to the side and he seemed about to fall down. He caught himself at the last second though and quickly attempted to claw Dora. I could see what Dora was talking about now, about Jake having no experience.
Dora jumped onto his back and placed her arms around his throat and even though I couldn't see her arms that well because of Jake's fur, I knew she was squeezing. Jake struggled to get her to loosen her grip but anything he tried didn't work. I was actually starting to get afraid that Dora wouldn't let go until he couldn't breathe anymore.
"Don't worry." Didyme said as she picked up on my fear from my heart as it beat faster. "Dora won't kill him; she's only teaching him a lesson. The whole pack will now know not to mess with us in the future, for however long their memory lasts." That brought in a whole new set of worries though.
I hadn't thought about the pack. Jake was in his wolf form now, which meant that the pack, any that were also in their wolf form, could hear his thoughts. They would know right away that he was fighting a red eyed vampires. They would come to help him. I didn't want to start a war, this had to stop.
This would also ruin any chance the Cullens had of living here peacefully. They would have to find a new place to call home; I didn't want to displace them. I knew that they had to have other places to go since once they left Forks, they couldn't come back until several generations had died to make sure they were well forgotten. I didn't want Jake attacking Dora because of things I said to ruin what the Cullens had worked hard to keep.
"Don't worry sweetie, the pack won't come." Didyme said, once again picking up on what I was newly afraid of. "Sulpicia knew all about the treaty when she read the Cullens' thoughts and of course she shared the knowledge with us since we didn't want to risk their home either. The pack cannot attack on the Cullens' land, which is Forks. So, Jacob broke the treaty and if anything, the Cullens are well within their right to attack but the pack isn't. So, they won't come, Jake is on his own."
"The pack won't risk a fight that could hurt and expose them to humans. They also don't have the numbers to beat us, and they know that without knowing about the guards we brought with us." Sulpicia added.
With my fears momentarily put to rest, I focused back on the fight. Dora still had her arms around Jakes thick neck and it seemed in one last ditch effort, Jake very poorly and awkwardly jumped onto his back. I guess he had hoped it would somehow with hurt or stun Dora enough to make her let go. I had no idea why Jake thought that would work. Instead of getting back up to try something else, he laid there and Dora kept her strong grip.
Within seconds of lying still on the ground, Jacob shifted back into his naked form. That was something I had never wanted to see. I brought my hand up immediately to cover my eyes so that I wouldn't have to see that anymore.
"What's wrong Bella? Does seeing him nude make you ill?" Didyme asked with a chuckle. "You're all flushed."
"Shut up." I said through gritted teeth as I fought to get rid of my blush from seeing my former friend in the nude.
"I think it's good that she's covering her eyes." Sulpicia said. "She should only see our bodies' nude, no one else's." I have no idea how she managed to make that sentence said so possessive, but she did and it definitely didn't help my blush.
"Listen to me pup, and listen to me well." Dora said with a growl. I heard Jake whimper and I imagine that was because Dora pressed down harder to make sure he was paying attention. "Bella is ours; she will never belong to anyone else. If you touch her again, I will not hesitate to kill her. If you think that pack of yours can even pretend to stand a chance against the Volturi, then I welcome you to try. I always love a fight, no matter how weak the fight is. We will go back to Italy, with Bella, soon so I hope you can manage to control yourself for that long." I lowered my hands a little so that I could see what was happening, but I made sure that I didn't look at anything inappropriate.
Dora didn't give Jacob a chance to respond; instead she simple flung Jake towards the forest like he weighed nothing at all; which to her, he probably didn't. Jake landed roughly in the distance, luckily that far away I couldn't see anything when stumbled to his feet. I could see that he looked back briefly then ran off into the forest. I was sure that was the last time I was going to see him.
I started crying again, just as hard as earlier today. This time though, not only was it for what he had done earlier, but for attacking those I loved and also because of what had played out in front of me. The boy I had thought I knew was no more, he was someone else now. Even though I knew I wasn't going to be friends anymore with him, seeing it all play out that I couldn't be friends with him because he attacked my girls, it hurt. It hurt a lot more than I thought it should, but it did. We were technically friends since we were little, even if there was a huge gap of not seeing each other, we were still always close.
I didn't realize I was moving until I felt myself being laid down on my side and the queens all took similar positions from last time. I was now clutching onto Didyme in front of me, Sulpicia was holding me tightly from behind and Dora was sitting crossed legged on the head of my head with my head in her lap. I was now actually cuddled with all three of them and it helped so much as I cried for what I knew would be the last time for Jake.
"Just let it all out dear, he was close to you." Sulpicia said softly.
"I know it hurts now, but we're for you." Didyme said. "We're proud that you were able to give him up, he clearly didn't care that much for you as a person, no matter what he claimed."
"I'm sure Heidi would love to be your best friend." Dora said with a small smile. She wasn't good with the whole dealing with emotions thing, but what she said at least made me chuckle a little in between subs. I could definitely see Heidi and I becoming close friends, and now apparently, Heidi, since she was technically just guard and almost seen as just an employee, had the queens blessing to get close to me, to be a good friend.
I spend the rest of the afternoon cuddle up with them. It wasn't until around dinner time, long after I had calmed down but refused to leave their embrace, my stomach growled and the queens made me decide what I wanted to eat so that they could get Heidi to pick up and deliver. They wanted to make sure I was well fed and rested since tomorrow was going to be an early start. They had hoped for an easy day for me tomorrow, but since not even Alice could fully predict how the battle will wage since she still couldn't see Victoria's decisions that she wasn't making herself. The three queens made sure I had a full meal and went to bed early and told me that they would wake me up with time tomorrow to get dressed and then we would meet the Cullen's in an area they had apparently already picked out as the meeting area.