Chapter 9

It was midmorning when Jenna cornered her nephew and niece. The teens were having a late breakfast as she was making a mental list of what she'd need to pack and how much room it'd take in the car.

"Guys, can I talk to you?"

With a mouth full of cereal Jeremy nodded and Elena didn't bother to look up as she too nodded but kept tapping away on her phone.

"You guys know your parents made a will, right? It dictates that if something happens to them it's up to me and John to take you in."

Elena groaned. Jeremy snorted.

"My sentiments exactly. I'm doing it instead. I'll be moving in with you two if that's okay."

Jenna decided not to share that John had downright refused any and all possibility that he did his share and had instead left her to deal with the raising of the siblings. This time Elena did look up from her phone with a smile.

"That's great aunt Jenna."

Jeremy nodded stuffing his mouth with another big spoonful of cereal. Absently Jenna pictured him as a pig scarfing down his food, it wouldn't be too different.

"What about your girlfriend?"

Jenna shook her head amused at his insistence. Definitely something pig-like.

"She's not my girlfriend chump. Just my best friend, who doesn't want to stay all by herself in Jacksonville and I convinced her to come stay here in Mystic Falls. She's going to live in the apartment above your dad's practice, if that's okay."
"Sure is."
"She cooks nice, think you can convince her to cook for us?"

Jenna laughed.

"Do you ever think with something other than your stomach Jer?"

The teenage boy was about to reply when he thought better of it and added more cereal to his bowl. His mind went to a girl he lately started liking and who began liking him back when some pot landed in his hands.

"What are you doing today?"

Jenna asked again. Jeremy shrugged muttering something about going to hit some hoops. Elena said that her best friend would come by.

"So you don't mind me being gone? I want to drive back to Jacksonville and close down the apartment there. I'll pick something for dinner on my way back."

If Jenna was perturbed that neither teen seemed to care, she didn't show it. Instead she bid them goodbye, picked the keys to Miranda's silver SUV from their spot in the bowl next to the front door and headed out. Bella was waiting for her at the Grill having left the Gilbert house early to walk Barkley (neither teen seemed to even recognize what a dog was, let alone be trusted to take care of it for the day) and get road snacks. Renee had given them permission to throw everything they couldn't fit in the car in her garage and just forget about it.

- - - Memories of a Past and a Future - - -

It was a little after sunset when they stood in the empty living room of their apartment.

"I thought we'd never finish it."

Bella growled taking sips of her water bottle. Jenna looked ready to pass out.

"Who knew we hoarded that much crap? Like your angel statues."
"Be nice. I've collected some of those since before I can remember."
"Like I said, loads of crap."

Bella stuck her tongue out

"Wanna grab a bite before we head to mom's place?"
"I already sent Mason there with the furniture."

Jenna studiously ignored Bella's amused smile.

"Nice of him to give up his day just to lend some muscle today."
"Mhm, yeah"
"And he came by on his own too."
"He is nice, I told you.

Bella walked around the dog to her friend and took her hands.

"Jen, I love you, you know that but you do know that 'just friends' don't do all this stuff on a moment's notice, right?"
"Bella..."
"Hey, it's okay. I won't push it."

Mason chose that moment to come back. When he leaned against the open door, it took Bella everything she had not to smirk at Jenna's unabashed ogling. It was definitely a great view but she wasn't interested in wolves. Just imagine all the fleas! She bit back a shot of laughter as she decided to get him a flea collar for his birthday.

"All done? Thanks Mason."

The tall werewolf just nodded, looking right through her and straight at Jenna. Bella followed his eyes and bit back a smile realizing that she was third wheel.

"I'll be heading to mom's place myself. I want to pack the rest of Bark's stuff and his bed. See you tomorrow?"
"Tomorr-? Yeah, sure whatevs. Just check on the kids and I'll take the bus tomorrow."

Jenna smiled at her, with just enough of a warning in her voice to keep her opinion of 'Jenna and Mason humping on a tree' to herself, and Mason tossed her the keys back. Bella took the leash and the four legged mop named Barkley yawned and followed her to the cool night outside.

"Just friends, my exceptional ass."

- - - Memories of a Past and a Future - - -

After making one last stop at her mother's house, to pack a few things and return a few calls and a long email exchange with Renee, Bella set out to return to her new home.

Munching on a small package of double roasted chips, pizza flavor, her favorite, she drove the SUV back away from civilization and towards Mystic Falls, a Barry White tape that was already in the car playing and Barkley the Barky had made himself useful in the passenger's seat staring out the window and occasionally barking or howling along with the music. Or when he saw a bird. Or when a butterfly batted its wings in a some other state.

When she reached the bridge the car's owners had met their untimely end, Bella slowed to take the view in fully. Despite it being night, the falls that gave the small town its name were discreetly lit and magnificent.

She nearly missed the figure in black lying directly on the path of her headlights. Barky was shouting at the top of his tiny lugs when she threw the wheel sideways away from the figure and hoped she hadn't swerved too badly and ended in the riverlake. The figure was still there when she cut the engine and gingerly stepped out of the car.

"Barkley, shut up!"

She flung the door closed effectively muting the little dog. Then she approached the figure. It was face down and looked male, slowly her gut twisting in each and every way in warn.

"He's dead, just get the hell out of here"

"What if he's not? I can't run away if he's alive"

"Yeah, maybe he's under the evil eye!"

"Shut up"

Bella ordered herself realizing that even her gut was mocking her. God she needed some serious help in the future! Arguing with herself had kept her calm when she neared the body and now she knelt by it, intending to just check for a pulse quickly. As soon as her fingers met flesh and she began pressing around, the figure moved way too fast and pinned her to the ground. One hand wrapped around her rendering her hands immobile, the other fisting in her hair, her head pulled backwards, the face at her exposed throat.

'Oh crap'

She was pretty sure she could feel the prickling of teeth, no... were those fangs?, when her assailant's nostrils expanded, a tongue flicked at her own pulse point where drops of her blood lay, he drew back just enough for her to see his shocked face before he was gone in the blink of an eye. Bella drew her legs to herself, wrapped her arms around them and cried with little Barkley pawing the window above her barking as loud as he could and the scent of rust, salt and copper of her blood tricking down her neck.