Chapter 6 - Convenient

Bella strolled into work- fashionably late as Leah would call it- the day following her wild dream starring Jacob Black.

"Please tell me that's coffee." She smiled at seeing her boss Matt rounding the corner of the hallway that led from his office door. "I can forgive any tardiness so long as there's coffee." Approaching her with a wry grin on his face, Matt dropped a light kiss on her cheek before greedily relieving the tray from her hands. His green eyes lit up like christmas trees when he spotted the bakery bag in her other hand. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply, inhaling the delicious aroma of coffee and spiced sugar. "Cinnamon rolls to boot? When are you gonna quit toying with my emotions and say you'll marry me Bella?"

Bella grinned and rolled her eyes. It was a running joke between the two. Matthew Whitaker was a devastatingly handsome man. Dark hair, emerald eyes and a killer smile with a matching body to boot. Women flocked to him wherever he went. Too bad that they were unaware of one crucial factor in their pursuit.

Matt wasn't searching for the perfect woman. He was searching for the perfect man.

To the casual observer, Matt appeared to be anything but gay. He didn't fit any of the stupid stereotypes that intelligent people associated with homosexuality. Not only did he hit the gym five days a week, sport some wicked tattoos on his biceps and avoid every gay club in Seattle, but Matt was also an open flirt. Bella often chided him on that account. It wasn't fair to let some poor girl pin all of her hopes on a date with him only to figure out it was no more than a coffee clutch with a new friend. Especially when they'd follow his eyes to the delicious ass of another gorgeous and unattainable man strolling by. Matt was the ultimate gal pal... nothing more.

"Matt, darling, you know how I feel about that subject." Bella patted his hand while giving him her most patronizing look and spoke with a simpering, sweet voice. "Think of all the hearts it would break. There's an entire population of men out there that would hate me for getting you to switch teams. You don't want any harm to come to lil ole me, right?"

Matt looked at her skeptically. "You're batting those thick lashes at me, not to mention that you brought frosted cinnamon rolls to this party. Where's the catch?"

Bella slipped behind the desk, checking the appointment list for the day, refusing to meet his eyes. "No catch. I was late, the least I could do was bring in breakfast."

"No way, little girl." Matt's tenor voice has gone from teasing to irritated. He knew Bella Swan well enough to know when she was up to something or trying to wheedle into his good graces before lowering the boom. He wasn't about to let her get away with it. "What's going on? Is this about the new shop?"

Bella sat back in her chair, giving him a winsome smile. "No. As a matter of fact, I decided to accept the offer."

"Uh huh. I knew you would but I'm still waiting for the catch."

Stirring her coffee, Bella tried to think of the best way to approach the subject. Finally she decided to take the bull by the horns and spit it out. "I'll be the liaison for the local tribes, but Leah handles the Quileutes."

Matt sighed heavily, eyes trained on the finely tooled leather cuff Bella wore on her wrist. It was what had first drawn his attention to her the day she waltzed into his gallery two years ago. Little did he know then how it would change things. How she would change things.

Holding up her hand in protest, she continued on, determined to do battle if needs must be. "Look, I know what you're going to say, but Leah can do it. She is Quileute. It's her tribe, her people. It should be her working with them, not me."

"Ok, how about this? Both of you pitch the tribal council," he countered. "Leah's got her hands full with design work and scheduling shows."

Bella continued to glare at him obstinately, but there was no way he would budge. "Look, I like Leah. She's an incredible asset around here, but even she'll agree that the delicacy needed to deal with some of the tribes is better left to you. Leah's got the chops to deal with the buyers who have deep pockets. I need her to concentrate on them. They keep us afloat so that we can showcase these tribes and help bring them some of the financial support they need. So, both of you go, but when push comes to shove, this is your ball game. That's my final offer. Take it or leave it."

Bella openly glared at her boss. She knew exactly what he was up to and it had nothing to do with work. Delicate my Irish ass.

Matt strode back to his office, steaming cup of coffee in hand, not looking back at the pretty young girl who was flipping him the bird from behind the desk. "Gotta face your demons sometime babygirl."

She'd take it. No doubt about it. Getting Bella back to La Push was key. She just didn't know it. Bella Swan needed protection. More than that, Matt had grown to love her. Blood certainly did not make family. Not in his world. From the instant she walked through his door, he knew her soul. Finding out she was an anthropology major with a minor in art history was just another plus. It was the legitimate reason he needed in order for her to come work for him.

What Isabella Swan knew about the supernatural world was just the tip of the iceberg. Vampires and werewolves only scratched the surface of all the things that were out there. Just like people, some were good, some were bad. Her own encounters with it encompassed both.

Bella was his kin- although she wasn't aware of that fact- and with that carried a strong responsibility in his world. Further, she was clan. That meant the same blood flowed through both of their veins. Protecting her wasn't just something he was asked to do. It was a promise he'd made to family. A duty that he bore with pride. Matt would gladly give his life in exchange for hers if the situation arose. The fact that he loved her like a sister only intensified the need to safeguard her fragile humanity. Bella's blood was too diluted to provide protection, but just enough to make her attractive to vampires.

Deliciously attractive.

Matt closed the door to his office then took a seat in the oversized leather chair behind his desk and began to drink his coffee, turning over everything that weighed on his mind. The gallery in Port Angeles wasn't just an excuse. This was the world he lived in. For now at least. The day would come when he would go back to his people, live among them once more before returning to the human realm where he would take on a new persona again. Human lifetimes were short. Until then, he had to make a living. This was what he chose to do. Much more than that, it was a passion.

In two-hundred years he had seen much of the world. Mingling with the human race was easy. People turned a blind eye to the things they did not want to really see. Perhaps that was why he admired the Native American tribes. They did not just believe, but understood on a spiritual level that there was magic in the world. One in which their own beliefs were founded. There was a strong sense of respect along with a healthy fear of the unknown among them. The shamans of tribes were revered and offered spiritual guidance and healing to their people. Their gifts were mighty, blessed by another being who channeled their own power through them to sustain their ways of life.

In the years that Matt had walked with the tribes, he had gone by many names. Wainânîka, Amayeta, Sik'is. Each of them different, but with similar meaning. He was the wanderer, the orphan, the spirit they took in and provided shelter to. In return he became a warrior, a friend, helpmate or advisor. He became what was needed.

It was the tribes of the Northwest that drew him back here. Their storied histories steeped in multi-layered tradition and cloaked with secrecy. The violent power of nature reflected in the art they created.

They were a proud people who had lost much to the greed of mankind, their way of life all but obliterated. Their culture must not pay the price to a world of progress. This was his contribution. It was conservative, but lucrative all the same. The tribes would never be made wealthy from it, but a buyer from New York could easily drop six figures for a one of a kind piece to decorate a mere coffee table. That money meant healthcare, fixing leaky roofs on houses and college educations. This business was just a catalyst. A way to jumpstart the poor economies that undeniably came with reservation life.

Bella was far more important to the Quileute tribe than she knew. It was with difficulty that Matt refrained from telling her so. He himself did not know all of the details. Only what had been entrusted to him by their grandmother. Return her to the safety of La Push. Guard her carefully until the day comes.

His cousin was a stubborn woman and the task was not easy. She was constantly guarded by Leah Clearwater. That itself was a blessing and a curse. Leah was suspicious by nature. The hallmark of a warrior. She too had a strong role within her tribe whether she knew it or not. Of that Matt was sure, although he had no concrete proof of it. Long nights of eavesdropping told him that she was the first female wolf in the history of her tribe. Within other shapeshifting tribes, that role was a high honor blessed to one woman who possessed an immense power to not just protect, but connect on a higher spiritual plane than the others.

Leah Clearwater would one day be a shaman if nurtured properly.

That intuitiveness led her to believe there was something different about Matt, but she couldn't prove it, hard as she tried. For months the woman had snuck around, sniffing and trying to catch him doing something, anything that would tell her what secrets he kept. Over the years, he had learned how to be elusive without being guarded. There was nothing that pointed to his heritage. Fake documents of quality were easy to come by and he had purchased the best that money could buy. A paper trail would not be his undoing.

A knock on the office door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in."

Bella strode in and seated herself on the sofa, looking stormy but Matt saw the defeat in her eyes.

"I'll agree to your terms. I have another condition though."

"What would that be?"

Bella smiled. "A special fund. I want a raise, but I don't want the money. Pad the numbers, whatever you have to do, but I want that money to go into a fund for specific families of the tribe. I'll give you a list of names."

"Just how in the hell am I supposed to explain that?" he asked incredulously.

"I don't care how you do it. Pay their bills on the side, stuff it in their mailboxes, however you want to work it. That's the only way you get me to do this."

"You're a sneaky devil." Matt wagged an accusatory finger at her, but Bella shook her head resolutely. Her voice was wistful when she spoke, echoing some sort of deep regret for the past.

"No. Those people did a lot for me at a time in my life when I needed them the most. I was an ungrateful kid back then, but I'm not anymore. They won't accept it if I try to give it to them, so this is how I get around it."

Bella's words were so earnest that he couldn't help but aid her in this conspiracy. This was something she needed to do. It wasn't often that Bella stood her ground, but when it happened, it was important. "Deal." Matt's eyes strayed once again to the leather cuff she wore. "I haven't seen that in a while."

Bella traced the intricately embossed designs lovingly. Little wolves darting in and out of the trees. A tapestry of images that reminded her of home.

Of Jacob.

"I've been thinking about the person who made it lately. The bindings are getting pretty worn on it. I don't want to wear it so much that it falls apart."

This time it was Matt who smiled devilishly with a sneaky gleam in his eyes. "When you get there, see if he'd be interested in making more like that and selling them. I want some in the shop."

"What makes you so sure it's a he?"

"Because I know you. From everything you've told me about Jacob Black, he's the only one who would have done that for you."

Bella shook her head slowly, thoughtfully. "We haven't spoken in years. I've sent him a few postcards since I moved to Seattle, but haven't heard back from him. I'll have Leah ask." Over time she had given Matt an abbreviated version of her history in Forks. Omitting the supernatural factor of course. One thing he did know about was Jacob and everything about him that she ever knew. The times she abused his friendship, the regrets she harbored and the love she had in her heart for him.

"Whatever, babe. You and I both know that sooner or later you're going to have to see him."

Breathing deeply and closing her eyes, Bella's voice was soft, full of wavering emotion and traces of regret. "I know. It's just not so simple."

"Nothing in life ever is. But, Bella, even if you were just kids, a love like that doesn't just go away in time. Sure, you've changed, but he probably has too. It's what we do. It's how we grow. Most of us get better as we get older. Find a way to talk to him. Get to know him again. Even if you're only ever his friend, it's better than wondering 'what if' for the rest of your life."

"You've been talking to Leah too much."

"Hey, she's a smart woman. Besides, I happen to agree with her. So when you get home tonight, put on some music, slip that cute little fannie of yours into those pink yoga pants you love so much and start packing your bags."

"When do I need to be there?"

"End of the month. Leah's going ahead of you to sign some paperwork and..."

The sudden ringing coming from Bella's cell phone cut him off. She frowned when she saw the name on the screen. Her dad would never call her in the middle of the day and certainly never from the police station. He always called from his personal cell. Something wasn't right. "Hold that thought, I have to take this."

Matt watched the look on Bella's face change from confusion to utter panic while she listened to the caller on the other end. The pallor of her skin turned white as a sheet and she clutched at her heart in fear. Bella Swan looked as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Yes, yes, you're sure. He's out of surgery? No complications? Yes, I understand. Thank you."

When the call ended a flood of tears burst forth from her eyes. The unexpected outburst caused Matt to jump up from his seat to wrap his arms around her in comfort. Whatever was going on, it was bad. Since he'd known Bella, she had only cried once in front of him. At the time she was drunk and rambling about Jacob Black.

"Ssshhh... what happened, babygirl?" he asked. "How can I help?"

"Charlie. He got shot today." Bella took in large gulps of air, trying to steel herself. To throw up the walls of empowerment she'd worked so hard to achieve. "It's fine. He's fine. They said he'll be alright, but..."

Matt nodded in understanding, stroking her hair as he offered the gentle comfort of friendship. "But he's your dad and that's a scary thing. Did they say how it happened?"

Bella wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, trembling with grief. "Some kid strung out on Meth, passing through town. Drifter."

"Well, that would explain it."

"I know. Forks is like Mayberry. Nothing like that ever happens there."

Matt gave her a tight squeeze. Business could wait. If there was one thing he had learned, life- human life- was short. Some things were more important than work or money. Family was one of them. "Ok, let's close up. We'll go back to your place, get you packed up and you can be home by sunset, alright?"

Bella looked up with big, soft eyes filled with shimmering tears and miles of gratitude. "I owe you one."

"Just get it over with and marry me. Then we'll call it even, toots." The small smile on her lips was worth it.

That afternoon as he watched the girls drive away, Matt thought about the situation. The timing of the incident was convenient. A little too convenient. It left him to wonder... was the shooting random or was there something else that wanted her back in Forks? What ends would whoever it was go to in order to achieve it?

Matt hoped and prayed it was only a coincidence.

Thoughts? What do you think of Matt? What about Charlie? Bella finally has to go back to Forks. Speculation anyone?

Your reviews are always appreciated.