Being There

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-Thanks once again for all the kind reviews. I really do appreciate it; as always it keeps me motivated. Hugs,

Nikki :)

Part Fifteen

Monday rolled around quicker than Bella expected. She opened her eyes as her alarm went off and sighed when she saw that Jacob had already gone. She rolled over to his side and felt the warmth that he had left behind. He couldn't have been gone that long. Bella pulled the covers that had been abandoned at the end of the bed and snuggled under them. She decided to have another ten minutes. She woke to Charlie knocking on her door. She cursed in her head, she had drifted off to sleep again without even realising it.

"Breakfast is on the table, Bells. I'll see you downstairs," Bella heard her dad walking down the stairs in his heavy work boots.

Today was the day that she had to put her plan into action. She couldn't go into school because of the Victoria situation, she needed to fake being ill so that she could avoid going in for the short term. Bella looked in the wardrobe mirror and stared at her reflection. Her pale skin was slightly flushed and her hair a messy tangle. She pinched her cheeks to make them appear even redder and practised her sad face. She groaned in annoyance; she wasn't sure she could pull this off. Her only hope was that her dad wasn't in cop mode otherwise he would see right through her.

"Kiddo, time is getting on," Charlie called up the stairs.

"Coming," Bella called back. She gave her reflection one last dissatisfied glance and then left the room.

XXXXXX

"You alright, kiddo? Something wrong with your breakfast?" Charlie put his paper down and looked at his daughter in concern. She was just staring at her bowl of porridge ad stirring it with her spoon.

Bella glanced up at him sadly. "I don't feel very well, dad. I think I've got a temperature."

Charlie examined her more closely. "You do look a bit flushed." He conceded.

"Do you mind if I take the day off?" Bella gave him the full force of her big brown eyes but Charlie wasn't that easily swayed.

"I'll take your temperature," he rose from his seat and rummaged through one of the kitchen draws.

Bella stared at him in alarm. "You've got a thermometer? I didn't know that."

Charlie found what he was looking for and held it up. "There you go. Come here, kiddo." He walked over and shoved the end of the thermometer in her ear and waited. After a tense few seconds he pulled it out and looked at the reading. "Well your temp's normal. That's good isn't it."

Bella nodded weakly. Now what was she supposed to do? She composed her face into what she hoped was a sickly expression and gazed at up her father. "I still feel a bit off colour though. I think I should stay at home today." She suggested.

Charlie rolled his eyes at her. "Do you really think I'm going to fall for that, Bells? I know why you want to stay at home and I won't have it."

"Huh?" Bella felt confused.

"You want to stay here so that Jake can come over while I'm safely at work. Sorry kiddo been there and done that old excuse when I was a lot younger then you. Go and get ready so I can drive you to school." He eyed her candidly, waiting for her to move.

"But dad, really I'm sick..." Bella protested.

"Move now or I might have to ground you," Charlie threatened.

Bella shoved her chair back and glared at him. "If I puke all over the teacher you're the one who will have to explain why." She yelled at him as she stomped from the room.

Charlie just shook his head in amusement. For once his daughter was acting like a teenager and he liked it.

XXXXXX

Bella picked up her cell and dialled Jacob's home number. It seemed an age before anyone answered. "Hello," Billy's tired voice echoed down the line. The phone reception was bad in Forks.

"Billy, it's Bella, is Jake there?" She whispered.

"No. He had to go and meet up with Sam and the others." Billy sighed. "Harry called he's worried as Seth is showing signs of phasing."

Bella gasped at this surprising piece of news. "But he's only fourteen."

"I know. It's a shock to all of us." Billy replied sadly. "What did you need him for?"

Bella bit her lip in trepidation. It seemed the pack had enough to deal with; she didn't want to burden them with her current problem. She would just have to go into school and make sure that she was always surrounded by a group of people. "Nothing really, just wanted a quick chat. I'll speak to him later."

"Okay Bella. Take care," Billy was just about to put the phone down when Bella remembered that she didn't know who was currently watching the house.

"Oh before you go. Do you know who is on shift at my house today? I can't remember if Jacob said Embry or Jared." Bella asked quickly.

"Neither, they were the ones who came to get Jake. I think it's Paul. Are you sure everything's alright, Bella?" Billy checked again.

"Yeah, it's fine. Bye."

"Bye Bella." Billy ended the call.

Bella slumped back on her bed and sighed. Why did it have to be Paul who was the one watching the house for the day? She contemplated what to do, her dad was insistent that he was going to drive her to school, there was no way she could get out of it. She was trapped!

"Bells, get a move on," Charlie called up the stairs again.

"Alright," Bella yelled back at him resentfully; tears welling in her eyes. She had let Jacob and the others down all because she was a bad liar. Frustration welled up in her as she quickly tied her hair back in a messy ponytail and collected her books. Resigned to the fact that there was nothing more she could do she went to join her father.

XXXXXX

They cornered Seth against a rocky outcrop, he was shivering uncontrollably and his thoughts were chaotic. His wolf form was a lot smaller and rangier than his brothers and his sandy coloured fur was standing on end as he pressed his haunches against the cold rock behind him.

"What's happening to me," he cried out through the pack mind link.

A sleek grey wolf appeared in front of him. He was not immediately aware that it was his sister Leah. She was followed by a large russet toned wolf and a black wolf. Seth could see others hanging in the background but his eyes were riveted on the grey wolf.

"Sethy, it's me," his sister's soothing voice echoed in his mind.

"Lee Lee?" His ears perked forward as his shaking stopped. "Is that really you?"

"It's me," the grey wolf stepped forward until she was right in front of him. "There is nothing to be afraid of Sethy. Just listen and I'll tell you everything."

Seth butted his wolf's head into the grey wolf's side and a small whimper escaped his strong jaws. He stood patiently as his sister gently explained exactly what he was.

XXXXXX

Charlie dropped Bella off at school in the police cruiser. She got out of the car awkwardly and slammed the door shut. He wound his window down. "No need to be like that, kiddo." He joked trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Why did you have to bring me? Everyone's looking because you brought me in the Cruiser," she complained.

"Look I know you're angry right now, but school is important and..."

"Whatever. I'll see you later, dad." She snapped. She pulled the hood of her jacket over her head as she stalked away.

Charlie sighed as he watched her walk away. Maybe he had been a bit hasty thinking he was glad she was acting like a teenager for once. Right now he wanted his sweet natured little girl back.

XXXXXX

Before she even got near the entrance to the school, an arm shot out and yanked her away from the crowd. Bella let out a surprised yell before she was spun round and faced with an angry looking Paul. "You were supposed to stay at home." He hissed at her.

Bella glanced around, everyone was looking their way. She pushed past Paul and headed toward the bike sheds; they would at least be away from prying eyes there. He followed after her; smirking at the girls as they eyed him up as he passed. When he joined Bella he leaned against the wooden wall of the shed and glared at her. "Well what's your excuse?"

"I didn't have a choice. My dad saw right through my attempt at lying." Bella admitted. "I've always been rubbish at deceiving people."

Paul snorted. "Except for Jake it seems."

"What do you mean by that?" Bella snapped, as always she had only been in Paul's company for five minutes and he was already getting under her skin.

"We all know that if your leech came back you would dump Black's ass. You're just using him except he's too lovesick to see it." Paul sneered.

Bella was taken aback by his vitriol. "No. I love Jake. I would never hurt him. What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?" She asked him.

"Hate? I wouldn't waste that emotion on you." He retorted. "I just can't understand why I have to have my life put on hold to protect a pathetic girl who can't even be bothered to protect herself."

Bella felt deflated. She knew that she had messed up and she felt guilt every time any member of the pack put their lives on the line to protect hers, but Paul seemed like the only one who really resented her for it. "Look I don't know what you expect me to say. I'm sorry you feel that way but I can't change the way things are. Feel free to go, I am not asking you to look out for me okay." She said flatly. She began to walk away from him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Paul caught hold of her arm and yanked her back.

"Into school," Bella pulled her arm back.

"No way," Paul replied irritably. "You're coming back to La Push with me. It's not safe for you in there. The last thing I want is Sam on my case. Let's go."

"How are we going to get there?" Bella asked, in no mood to argue.

Paul looked her up and down. "You've got legs haven't you. We'll walk." He didn't bother to wait for her as he began to stride across the parking lot.

XXXXXX

Jacob and Leah accompanied Seth on his first patrol around the borders of La Push. After his sister explained to him exactly what had made him phase he became quite excited. Whether because of his sunny personality or just his age, Seth seemed to accept what he was unquestioningly, he was eager to test his new body and senses to the limit. He chattered happily through the pack mind link as they travelled, asking endless questions. Jacob tried to answer him but Leah got impatient with her younger brother and snapped at him to be quiet. Seth was used to Leah's temperament so he did what he would have done in his human form, he tried to cheer her up.

He began to chase her, howling playfully and butting her in the side. Leah was not amused at first, she growled at him and ordered him to grow up. Seth continued on with his pranks until she became so riled up that she went after him. Jacob watched as Seth took off like lightening; his sister snapping at his heels until they disappeared into the distance. He didn't bother to catch them up, his mind was on Bella. He was worried about her and wished that he could have been the one watching over her for the day.

Shaking his russet fur Jacob decided to run off his worries. Perhaps he could show Seth how fast a real wolf ran. He stretched his long legs and took after the other two at high speed. He soon bypassed them and heard Seth's excitable babble in his head as he eagerly tried to copy him. Leah was not impressed in the slightest. She let her brother head off after Jacob and followed after them at her own pace.

XXXXXX

"How much further?" Bella whined as she rubbed at her aching calves. She was finding it hard keeping up with Paul.

"Do you always complain this much?" He grouched.

Bella shot him a dark look. "I don't have supernatural strength like you." She snapped.

"No but you certainly have a gift for whining," Paul retorted. He increased his pace deliberately, forcing Bella to jog beside him, her heavy back pack bouncing painfully on her back. Her breaths came in short pants.

They carried on this way as they finally reached the long road that led straight to La Push. Bella had to stop. She collapsed on the road side, her head resting on her knees as she tried to regain her breath. "I just...need to...rest..." she gasped.

Paul didn't answer, he was standing still, his nose sniffing the air. Bella raised her head and stared at him curiously. "What is it?"

"Vampire," he spat. "I can smell them. Shit, get up."

Bella scrambled to her feet, eyes wide with fear. Paul quickly scooped her up in his arms and headed for the trees to get out of sight of the main road.

A/N-Thanks for reading!