A/N: I do not own these characters.
Chapter 15: Directed in the Right Direction
EPOV
Carlisle drove. He wasn't opposed to some speed, but he never embraced velocity like the rest of us. I tapped my foot on the floor board half wondering if I could have run faster than he could drive.
"Edward, please don't put a hole in the floor board. We can still have some respect for human laws."
I chuckled. "You really think a speeding ticket matters much at this point?"
"Of course not, but I also think you might need some time to think about what you're heading into."
"I've done little else today, Carlisle. I'm done thinking. Hell, thinking is about all I ever do, and look where that got me."
"Edward, I know you want to move fast, but don't forget, we don't know if she's there, and they might not tell us if she is."
"I know that." We would cross that bridge when it came. Everyone else was staying in Port Angeles while we headed to Forks. In the end, we had to vote. Rosalie, Felix, and Demetri argued that our home in the woods was a good base of operations, and while I didn't disagree, Carlisle pointed out how overwhelming it would be to the wolves if nine vampires suddenly returned, especially when two were unknown entities. Given the circumstances, they might not be thinking of the treaty in the same way anymore. We didn't need to wage war with the Volturi and the wolves at the same time. We were still hopeful that there might be some peaceful compromise which would allow us to make use of the house again. It was large and well situated for privacy in planning.
Rosalie was already giving me the cold shoulder, but losing the vote pissed her off. She was skulking. Even Emmett was having a hard time being around her. To his credit, he never openly disagreed with her, but he knew she was being unreasonable. I loved Rosalie, but I had no idea how he dealt with her as a mate.
"When was the last time you tried calling Jacob Black?" Carlisle asked.
"Just before we left the hotel."
"You called his cell?"
"Yes."
"We should try information for Billy Black's phone number. Perhaps we'll have better luck with his father. If she's with them, it's possible they're patrolling the treaty line, and we can gain access that way, but crossing the line is an absolute last resort."
"If it comes to that, I go in. They can punish me."
"Let's just not let it get that far." He was quiet for a moment, and I didn't feel the need to respond. "Edward, I assume you've thought about what you will do if she is there?"
He tried to hide is thoughts, but I caught the flashing images of my turning Bella.
"Carlisle, of course I've considered every option, and it has certainly crossed my mind that one way to protect her at this point is to change her, but it's not exactly simple is it? First of all, it's a clear break of treaty which would mean we lose the house, and who knows what other ramifications there are with the wolves. Second, taking a newborn into this situation would only add more stress."
"But that's not the real reason is it?"
"How could I do it?"
"You have the control," he said.
"I don't mean that. I mean. How could I do that to her? Think of the regret you felt, even though each of us were dying when you changed us. Now, try to imagine living with it when it's not a last second decision?"
"My regret has never been for saving your life; it has been for causing you so much pain. I have been grateful for all the years of knowing you. I wouldn't trade them for anything."
"But you wonder what it all means too."
"That I do. Maybe . . . maybe it's something Bella will have to decide for herself."
I huffed. "If she's there, and if she's willing to talk to me." She had already indicated in her blog that she was not interested in becoming one of us. Plus, there was no guarantee she would have anything to do with me. It was stupid to imagine forever with her, when I didn't even know if I'd get five minutes.
I called information and got the Black residence phone number while we passed through town. Cell service was sketchy at the house. Carlisle called and left a simple message, and our only option was to wait.
Being in the house was odd. In the grand scheme of things, only a handful of years had passed since I'd been here, but in many ways they had been the longest years of my life. The furniture was covered, and a layer of dust coated all the surfaces. It felt infinitely larger and less welcoming without Esme humming in the garden or Emmett swearing at a video game. Thankfully, the wait was short because Carlisle and I found it increasingly difficult to talk without disagreement. It would never become a fight, but the tension was thick.
I was able to hear the conversation as it played out.
"Thank you for returning my call. As I said, we are concerned for the safety of the Swan girl, and we are wondering if she is with you."
"Are you planning to stick around?" Billy Black asked gruffly, ignoring Carlisle's greeting.
"We aren't entirely certain what the future holds. That's something we would like the opportunity to discuss with you. It would be best if we could meet face to face." In part, that was for my benefit. I could certainly gain more information through their thoughts, which would make lying impossible.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. Things around here have just been calming down. I think we'd all prefer it if you'd just pack your bags and stay away."
"I don't know if we can do that right now, Billy. Our world is experiencing some potentially dramatic changes. Again, we would like to keep you abreast of what's happening as it could impact you as well. Bella Swan is somewhat central to all of this, and it behooves us all to find her as quickly as possible in order to minimize the potential impact on everyone."
"Carlisle, I've always respected you, even if I don't like your kind. I can't promise you a meeting. No one here will be happy to hear you're back."
Carlisle had expected it, but he had a flash of disappointment. He had worked so hard to build a reputation in that community, and a part of him hoped that our model citizenry had some affect even on the tribe.
"I wouldn't ask if it weren't important," he urged.
"I believe you," Billy responded.
I was getting anxious. I wanted him to get to the most important question. He was so methodical in his approach.
"Is she there?" he finally questioned.
Billy paused longer than people usually did. It was the kind of pause that let you know he was having trouble deciding how much to reveal. If we had been in the same room, I think the internal monologue would have been almost painful for me to listen to. Finally, with a sigh, he answered. "No . . . not now."
"She was then?"
"Yes."
"How recently?"
"Not long."
It was as if my heart had started working again.
"Billy, is she okay?"
There was another pause. "I think so. I hope so. She's with Jake."
I wanted to pull the phone from Carlisle's hand to begin lobbing questions, but he must have sensed my impatience because he gave me a strong warning glance.
"You don't know where they are?"
"Not at the moment. Things got . . . crazy when he brought her here. Lots of ill will toward that girl and her blog. She didn't paint Jake in the best light either, and folks were pretty upset with both of them. He took a pretty hard stand with them—said she was a human, and it was their job to protect her, but Sam and most of the others figured she'd made a different kind of bed than most humans, and she didn't really deserve their protection anymore. There was a significant amount of infighting, and Jake decided to get her away from here."
"I wasn't aware he could do that." Carlisle was so damn calm. I was on fire. Bella was here. Recently, and now she wasn't. I was faced with both an overwhelming sense of relief and a complete inability to believe that I had missed her. What if I'd thought to come here first? How would the outcome have been different? I didn't have time to let myself fantasize about the what ifs.
From years past, Carlisle knew the wolves functioned as a true pack, and the alpha male had some power over the rest.
"Neither was anyone else. "
"So he and Bella left together?"
"Along with Seth and Leah Clearwater. You probably didn't know them, and they didn't begin shifting until after you moved. Anyway, Seth agreed with Jake, and Leah, well I have some ideas why she left, but no one knows for sure."
I didn't care about the details of why or how. I just wanted the specifics of their current location.
"Where are they?" Carlisle seemed to get to my questions immediately after I thought them, as if he were reading my mind instead of the other way around.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Once they broke from the pack, they could no longer share thoughts, and Jake has yet to check in with me."
"I'm sorry, Billy. That must be very difficult." Carlisle's reaction was genuine; he looked to me, and I knew he was considering the times I'd been out of touch.
"I'm sure they're okay. Jake can take care of himself." But could he take care of Bella too?
"Do you have any hunches?" Carlisle asked.
"Look, even if I had ideas, I've already told you more than the others would want. If Jake calls, I can tell him you're looking for him, but that's about it."
"I can respect that. We would still very much appreciate the opportunity to discuss recent happenings in our world with your pack and to explain our current plans. I know you said it would be difficult to arrange. If nothing else, perhaps, you and Sam could me with my son and me."
"Which son?"
"Edward is here with me."
"Uh, I don't know about that."
"We recognize that his relationship with Bella was probably not welcome, but I assure you he comes only with good intentions."
Billy took a deep breath, and I could hear him scratch his head on the line. . "I'll talk to Sam. How can I reach you?"
Carlisle gave him both our cell numbers, and we were left to wait . . . again.
"Do you think you should try again?" Carlisle asked me after he'd hung up. He was thinking about Jacob Black. I was wondering the same thing, but I didn't see how it mattered. "Perhaps you might approach your request differently now."
He gave me a wink. I didn't want to laugh, but I couldn't help it. He was right. I'd demanded; I'd yelled; I given ultimatums. I hadn't actually asked. Carlisle though Jacob might be slightly overwhelmed. He might not have expected to be out on his own with a broken pack. As much as I didn't have warm fuzzy feelings for the boy, Carlisle's perspective seemed worth a try.
I gave a single nod, and made my way to my room. I wouldn't really have privacy, but it was a refuge. A place where I felt comfortable, at home.
It was incredibly difficult to construct a conciliatory message in which I apologized for my earlier messages, briefly explained what we knew, and asked if he would consider calling me back. "And your dad is worried about you," I added.
And once more, I hung up the phone to wait.
Carlisle used my phone to call Esme, so he could keep his line open in case Billy called. Apparently, everyone was getting along as well as could be expected. Emotions were all over the place. I could only imagine the discussions. Felix, Demetri, and Jasper were strategists. They wouldn't go into a situation lightly. Emmett and Rosalie were more impetuous, and I imagined they were on opposite sides of the issue here with Emmett wanting to go gangbusters and Rosalie wanting to run and hide. Esme was likely playing the mediator, while Alice desperately tried to force visions that would help with decision making.
Esme talked with Tanya. They needed to do their own thinking before deciding how much they wanted to be involved, and they wanted to know what the specific plan was. I had a feeling that was going to be the case quite often.
I still believed we needed to speak with Eleazar. I couldn't exactly put my finger on it, but something about his being able to leave struck me as important. Demetri and Felix agreed. Eleazar and Carmen were out at the time, so they were waiting for a call back.
More waiting. It was the last thing we needed.
Though I'm sure it was excruciating for him, Carlisle read a book. He must have realized in the big house, one man's every thought would echo. He attempted to engage in conversation a few times, but he eventually conceded that small talk was worthless. He sent me out hunting since it had been a few days, and we figured it would be best to be prepared. I stayed close to the house, and took little enjoyment in the experience. It was sustenance, not a gourmet meal.
The call that eventually came wasn't from Billy. It was Sam Uley, who Carlisle knew as the alpha male of the pack.
"Billy said you want to meet."
"We do."
"Do you remember where we met last time? Meet us there in a half an hour."
"Thank you."
Four of them showed up. It only took a minute to realize the rest were hovering well off in the distance. I left before any of them began shifting, so I didn't recognize them, but Carlisle was able to name them all.
"We appreciate you meeting with us, Sam," Carlisle began.
"You're looking for Bella, and she's not here, so what more do you want with us? Why can't you just stay away?" Sam replied.
"We are, but we also have a request." Carlisle remained calm.
"What could you possibly ask of us?"
"Billy may have mentioned some potential unrest in the vampire world. We have some significant planning to do, and we would like the opportunity to do so from our home here."
"You must have another house somewhere," Sam suggested.
"Several, of course, but this one is well located and equipped for our needs."
I assessed thoughts. Most were singular in focus. Hatred toward us. Disgust with the situation. Sam continued to keep them at bay. They wanted to attack, but we'd given them no reason.
"You don't really need our permission to move back into your house," Sam admitted.
"Well this is where it gets complicated. We would be working with others of our kind who do not share our lifestyle."
"No fucking way," one of the pack called out.
"Enough Paul," Sam warned. "You think we would agree to vampires hunting humans here?"
Carlisle was shocked by the suggestion. "Certainly not, we would have to create a reasonable boundary."
"You're asking too much, Dr. Cullen."
"I understand. I think though that you may find we have something to offer each other, and perhaps, our working here would allow you more access to important information. "
"What do you mean?"
"We know how important it is for you to protect humans, and you may want to know what is happening as we approach this endeavor."
"I don't really see why you can't just give us a call sometimes."
"Ultimately, no one has broken the treaty, and it is still our home. Technically, we can have friends over whenever we like, as we have in the past so long as no one breaks the treaty."
"Technically."
"We were only asking as a courtesy, and because we believe it is more beneficial to work together rather than apart."
"I guess you'll do whatever you want then."
"I suppose we will, but Sam, we have nothing but respect for you, and we do not want animosity between us."
"If you really meant that, you wouldn't have come back, and you'd keep your kind away from here. You've caused enough trouble."
"I'm sorry for the stress all of this has created for you."
"We don't need your sympathy."
"No, of course you don't."
"So," Sam said, looking at me. "What do you plan to do when you find Bella?"
I shook my head. "What makes you think . . ."
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist."
"There's no guarantee I will."
"Do you intend to turn her into one of you?"
I was taken aback by the question. While people had been dancing around the idea for a long time, no one had point blank asked me in light of all the changes.
"I . . . don't . . . think so. I don't know what the future holds."
"Just so you know, it would count as a bite, and it would break the treaty."
My mouth hung open, but I said nothing. I looked to Carlisle for assistance. He was pensive. "Just for clarification, and this is all hypothetical since we don't know where she is or what her intentions are, but even if she were to request it, you would not allow it?"
"That is correct. Our job is to protect, even against herself."
Carlisle nodded. "Well then, we'll remember that."
"Anything else?"
"It seems not."
"When can we expect the influx?"
"The family will be returning tonight."
"Welcome back," Sam said caustically. The others chuckled. "Don't forget, we're watching."
"We wouldn't dream of it."
"Hey," he motioned toward me again. "If you talk to Jake, tell him to get his ass back here."
With that they turned and stalked back into the woods.
I looked at Carlisle, and he shook his head as if to say 'not here.'
We made our way back to the house. "You really want to bring everyone here," I asked. "Why not one of the houses where the wolves aren't around to spy?"
"Edward, I know you don't trust them, and I admit they can be single minded, but we honestly don't know what we are facing. Many of those we're about to deal with hold an absolutely oppositional philosophy to humans. I can't help but think it would be a benefit to have the pack around. At the very least, we know we have one shared goal with them. They will fight to protect the humans. They may claim to have no interest in our issues, but I believe if push came to shove, they would react rationally."
I couldn't help it. I laughed. In my head, they were the antithesis of anything rational. They were ruled by emotion, so hot tempered and uncontrollable.
"Besides," Carlisle said, ignoring my outburst. "We're all comfortable here. It's one of our more remote and protected homes. The woods serve us well; we know them like the back of our hands, and the human population is less dense. I'm thinking of collateral damage."
"You've put all this together today?"
"I suppose I have."
"You amaze me, Carlisle."
"You would come to the same conclusion, but you're simply focused on finding Bella. You haven't been able to place yourself in any other scenario yet."
"I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sure any of us would feel the same way."
"You must think I'm such a fool."
"On the contrary, Edward. I think you have made some decisions that turned out very badly, but you did them with good intentions. I am proud that you have learned to stand up for someone you love, even though the odds are . . . well . . . what they are." His expression indicated that he had more to say. So I waited for him to continue. "I only wish that I had known sooner the depth of your feelings toward her. I think we might have handled things differently. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and I'm afraid I didn't necessarily believe they could be as strong as they are."
"I love her."
"I know."
"I didn't realize until it was too late."
"It's never too late, son." I didn't believe him. It very well could be too late. For so many things, but it was worth mentioning.
"I'm still sorry."
"You wouldn't be you if you didn't feel remorse. Now, how about we call the others? I think we'd both be more relaxed if had some other voices around here."
I thought about it, and oddly, he was right. I'd had plenty of time listening to the echoes of my own mind. I'd longed for silence, and in the end, I found it wasn't what I wanted at all.
It was a relief when I heard the cars pulling into the driveway. Thoughts hit before voices, and they comforted me despite their tenor. Emmett and Alice were happy to be back in the familiar forest surrounding Forks. Jasper considered Maria's previous strategies and contemplated whether it fit anything in the current situation. Esme looked forward to having everyone under one roof but was consumed with worry. Rosalie surprised me. I expected her to begin lashing out at me as soon as she was within mind shot, but she was listening to music and singing along in her head. Her version of ignoring me.
Felix and Demetri were taking in surroundings, assessing the others. They were either exceptionally good at hiding thoughts, or there was nothing malicious about them. Malicious being a relative term. After all, they had both hunted that afternoon. Thankfully, neither of them dwelled on the details.
We spent the evening in active discussion, some heated, some thoughtful. Over the course of the next several hours, the torture of the wait was interrupted by two very important phone calls. The first was from Eleazar. He was on his way to Forks along with the rest of the Denali coven. Whatever he'd shared with them upon hearing our message convinced them all that they needed to be here.
We waited a different way then. More anticipatory. Excitement about their visit. Still waiting.
Around three a.m., my waiting ending. Nothing else mattered to me in that moment because I saw Jacob Black's phone number on my screen. I practically fumbled the phone answering. I never fumbled. I was a fucking vampire.
"Hello?" I answered tentatively, not entirely believing anything good was about to happen.
"Hey, Edward," Jacob replied. It was thicker than I'd remembered. The youthful confidence had mixed with the heavy ingredient of uncertainty and doubt. "I'm sorry I didn't call you back sooner. I wanted to believe I could do this all on my own. I thought I could be the great big hero and all that."
God did I understand that sentiment.
"Is she still with you? Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's sleeping. They're all sleeping." I heard him take a breath. What he said next came so quickly and quietly it was as if he never said it at all. "I think she needs you."
E/N: And there you have it! Guess who's back next chapter? So will she be happy to see Edward? What's going to happen with the broken wolf pack? And what will Eleazar's story mean for everyone?
I've been swamped so my review replies haven't been as consistent, but I'll be happy to offer up a teaser with this chapter if you take the time to leave a review. I appreciate them so much.
