Chapter Twenty

Carlisle

I knew I had to go back to Forks in the next day or two but I was hoping that Eleazer's new visitors might keep Edward here longer. I watched as he sat with Josie teaching her a new tune on the piano smiling at her in encouragement. There was chemistry there but would it be enough to help him forget Bella Swan? Eleazer called me in to his study and closed the door,

"Carlisle, Carmen spoke to Edward earlier about staying on here until the end of term and he is seriously considering it. I think Josie is one reason for that change of heart."

"I'm just glad something is distracting him. I'm very worried about the outcome if he goes back to Forks and tries to take Bella."

"Yes, if you're right and she is the girl Jasper saved years back then the chances are that he will protect her again and this time it wont be a bear that loses its life. Edwards not a fighter, at least not a good enough one to beat Jasper if it came to that."

"I know, I have to go back but will you watch out and warn me if he changes his mind and decides to come home."

"Of course. I assume Alice is watching his decisions too?"

"Yes but she can't be watching all the time, she isn't infallible. If he stays we'll join him at the end of term and decide where to go from there."

"It will be good to see you all again Carlisle."

Edward told me of his decision to stay when he came to see me off but I doubted he'd forgotten about Bella Swan, she had just been pushed aside at least temporarily by Josie. When Esme met me at the airport she looked relieved,

"We are safe for a while but I'm afraid it means leaving Forks if he does want to come back to us."

She nodded looking sad,

"I know and that's a shame because I like it here, everyone is settled, even Rose is beginning to relax a little. Why can't he just forget about her Carlisle after all he didn't attack her when they met. Surely that means something?"

"Well if it does I don't know what Esme. Perhaps he's stronger than we thought but he still thinks about her and I'm not convinced he could resist the urge to kill her if they were in the same environment for long. Eleazer had promised to ring me if Edward decides to come home so we will have some warning, whether its enough to act I don't know. Anyway, what's been happening while I've been gone?"

"Alice and Bella have become friends, they spent most of last weekend together along with Jasper and Emmett."

"Emmett? How did he get away with that?"

"Rose and I went shopping so she didn't know until she smelled Bella on him when we got back. The fur flew then but you know Emmett, it goes in one ear and out the other."

Esme dropped me at the clinic, I needed to check the rota and some of my patients that Dr Anderson had been looking after, including Chief Swan. He was just about to leave as I arrived but hung back for a chat.

"I had a call from Charlie Swan by the way."

"Oh, a problem?"

"No, not as such but he did ask me some rather strange questions."

"Really? Charlie is usually very grounded."

"Well he wanted to know what attacked him, if it could have been a wolf rather than a bear or even a human."

"A human? I hope you put him right on that score."

"I did, I told him whatever it was it had fur and huge teeth. I just thought you ought to know. Very odd."

When he'd gone I sat in my office thinking about the conversation, why should Charlie ask if it could have been a human or a wolf? Something had triggered that train of thought and I could think of only one subject that could generate such a question. Were the Quileute guardians somehow involved in Charlie's attack? Had he heard something while he was on the Res? He must know the legends of the wolf guardians but I was pretty sure he dismissed them as fantasy, at least until now. I read the note Dr Anderson had left for me regarding the conversation with Charlie and it concerned me enough to ring the Reservation, I wanted to clear this up with the elders.

Harry

When Sue told me who was on the phone I almost ignored it but he must have a serious reason for ringing me so I took the phone into my workshop before speaking,

"Dr Cullen?"

"Harry I'm ringing you because Quil Ateara isn't available. Charlie is asking questions about his attack and from the tenor of them I am suspicious that the Quileutes were involved."

"Charlie Swan is my best friend and you dare accuse us of harming him?"

"I'm telling you that he doesn't believe the bear attack story and if he suspects a human or a wolf then what do you expect? If the wolf pack was responsible then you have broken the treaty yourselves and I will not stand by and watch humans harmed by the pack so I suggest you speak to the other elders and find out exactly what did happen. I shall expect to hear back from you soon."

As he put the phone down I cursed, what had made Charlie suspicious of the bear story? If he was asking questions then something had put the ideas into his mind, but what? I walked over to Old Quil's place to see him getting out of Sam's truck so I asked Sam to stay too as I explained what Carlisle had said.

"Charlie is suspicious? Why?"

"I don't know Quil but Carlisle is right that we broke the treaty ourselves. Paul has put us in a very dangerous position especially as Charlie is questioning the bear attack story."

Sam

I thought we should take this conversation inside away from other ears so we all went in to Old Quil's while I phased momentarily to ask Paul to join us knowing he'd be in wolf form watching our perimeter while the Cullens were around, he hated them with a vengeance. When I went in I found that Quil had also asked Billy to join us so all the elders were here when I started to speak but Quil lifted a hand to silence me, this was so serious that as the eldest member if the tribe he was going to deal with this himself.

"Paul you have brought disgrace and danger to your tribe and your pack and now Charlie is questioning his attack. Dr Cullen had contacted us through Harry to ask if we broke the treaty by attacking a human. What do you suggest I tell him in response to that question Paul?"

"If Charlie is questioning the story of a bear attack then someone told him it was a lie, probably the Cullens themselves."

"And how did they know Paul? Everyone accepted the bear attack, especially when we supplied the bear itself. No, I'm afraid I cannot place the responsibility for this at the feet of the Cullens. Since the treaty was agreed there has not been a single death in our area caused by a Cold One and now we ourselves, the guardians of the tribe and by association its close friends from them has caused the injury of one of our friends."

"Are you sure Charlie never saw you Paul?"

He whirled on Billy,

"No, he had his back to me."

"Yes and that's something else. You attacked a defenceless man from behind, for no reason."

"I was angry. Jared had been baiting me and I went to take my aggression out on the trees or the wildlife."

"But instead you attacked the Forks Chief of Police."

"It was an accident, he was in the wrong place."

I closed my eyes in dismay, even now Paul was blaming anyone rather than himself.

Billy

I knew I had to tell Quil what Jake had told me,

"Charlie had been asking Jake about the conflict between us and the Cullens."

"What did Jake say?"

"What could he say? He doesn't know anything but he has been asking Jared too. I think in fact that might have started this, Jake told me he had confronted Jared the night of the barbecue, when Charlie was on the Res. I think the conversation might have taken place behind Harry's cabin, where Charlie was sleeping."

"Great now we've just made things so much worse! So what do we do?"

Quil shook his head,

"I don't know Sam but we have to do something before this gets totally out of control. In the meantime Paul I want you to remain human at all times. No phasing."

"What? With the Cullens close by?"

"Paul that's can order. Sam you tell him."

Sam gave an Alpha order and Paul had no choice, he couldn't defy Sam's orders even if he wanted to but he would be extremely volatile and would need watching closely.