The First Spring
1. Unthaw
Bella Swan twirled her spaghetti noodles around her fork absentmindedly, only half paying attention to Sam and Leah Uley's discussion about the latest council meetings in La Push.
She had met them at the only diner in Forks for a late dinner like they planned every Thursday, Leah desperately needing the steady adult conversation as a break from being a full time mom, and Bella needing the company after most nights spent alone.
It had been seven long months since Jacob Black left for his apprenticeship in Seattle at Hale Inc., Vintage & Classic Restorer. Bella had gone up last Thanksgiving for three days and Jacob was able to come home for a week for Christmas. Although they had originally promised to keep things on a friendship level, some things just couldn't be helped and they had broken their rule during both visits.
While the mixture of lust and love outweighed the guilt while she was with him, when he left after New Years Day she had felt the realization of loneliness sink in and silently promised to spend less time thinking about Jacob and devote herself completely to her work as a distraction.
She had been offered a dispatch and secretarial position at Forks Police Department by Waylon Forge, the newly appointed chief that took over after her father passed away unexpectedly last year. Bella had been both surprised and overwhelmed at his offer and initially tried to decline while the older man stood on her doorstep, but he had assured her she was more than capable, and after a few minutes of deliberation and hesitance she finally agreed.
It had been a fairly easy job; answering phone calls and dispatching codes to officers on patrol, speaking to concerned community members when they came in to the station and keeping files and evidence organized properly. She had taken the job very seriously and felt a small tinge of hope that her father would be proud of her.
The last few months she had been picking up extra hours so she'd be spending less time at home and more time at the station. While doing so, she had seen a lot more of Detective Edward Cullen, who had taken her to lunch enough times to know her order and started personally delivering it to her desk. Jacob had not been happy about that, but he kept his jealously quiet and masked it with sarcastic comments about Edward's hair and skin tone.
Bella smiled to herself as she thought about it. She had known Jacob for as long as she could remember and no matter how good he was at masking his expressions, he could never succeed with jealousy.
She looked around the restaurant - suddenly aware of her surroundings - and noticed almost every patron looking intensely at the small television that was mounted on the corner of the wall over the window. The news was on and a slender man with black hair was sitting behind a desk with a nervous expression. At the bottom of the screen a red banner was flashing, signifying something important was about to be released.
"Hey, Cora, turn that up will ya?" A diner regular called from his seat at the front counter.
The waitress fished through a small woven basket on the counter until she retrieved a remote and turned the volume up until everyone in the diner could hear the television.
"-as we go live now." The news anchor finished.
Bella glanced at Sam and Leah, who both had furrowed brows as they stopped talking and eating and stared at the television. She turned her attention back just in time to see the screen change to a woman with glasses standing outside the police station. It was raining and she held an umbrella over her head, which she adjusted in her hand before she spoke.
"Thanks, Eric. This is Angela Weber from Chanel Six News, reporting live from Forks Police Department where we've received reports that a body has been found in the forest off Highway one-ten. We're standing by for a direct statement from Detective Edward Cullen."
Bella felt her spaghetti instantly come up her throat and pressed her hand over her mouth to hold it down. Her face paled and sweat trickled at the top of her forehead as the words Angela spoke jumbled together in slow motion.
"What the fuck." Leah breathed, not looking away from the television.
"Detective Cullen," Angela spoke into her microphone as the handsome detective came out of the station and sauntered up to her gracefully. "Can you confirm the reports of a body found tonight?"
Edward cleared his throat before he slightly leaned down to speak into the microphone. "Tonight at eight o'clock we found the remains of a body in a cleared area in the forest off Highway one-ten. The body was taken to the hospital for an autopsy and we have yet to confirm the identity. The area has been completely blocked off by police personal and we ask citizens to stay clear of the forest pending investigation."
"Can you tell us if it was a murder or a suicide?" Angela pressed, holding the microphone up for him.
Edward licked his lips before speaking again, his voice somewhat strained. "I have no more details to release at this time."
"Shit..." Sam said, turning back around to look at Leah and Bella. "I'm going to have to call an emergency council meeting."
"Why?" Leah asked as he pulled a cell phone from his pocket.
"We have to make sure everyone in La Push is accounted for." He said. "We don't know of anybody who's missing right now, do we?"
Bella stood up suddenly. "I have to use the bathroom, I'll be right back."
Leah nodded and Bella was grateful she was too occupied by Sam's question to pay enough attention to Bella bee-lining for the washroom. She barely made it in the stall before she was on her knees emptying her stomach into the toilet.
When she finished, she went to the sink and turned on the faucet until the water was as cold as it could be, and splashed it over her face. She stared into the mirror at her reflection for a moment before turning around to lean against the counter. Pulling out her cell phone she dialed the familiar number and waited three rings before the line picked up.
"Hey, Bells." Jacob's gruff voice greeted her. He must have been sleeping.
She exhaled. "Jake, turn on the news."
"What?"
"Turn on the news! Now!"
She listened to the sounds of him groaning as he sat up in bed. "Forks news doesn't really get broadcasted in big cities like Seattle." He noted with a yawn.
"This story will. We haven't had anything like this happen in twenty years."
A few seconds went by and she heard the television turn up in the background and the voice of a local reporter from Seattle discussing the remains that had been found in the small town of Forks and the rumors that it was a murder.
"They found him, Jake." She breathed into the phone.
It was quiet for a moment before the sound of drawers being ripped open roughly echoed through the receiver.
"Jacob?" She asked, when she heard the faint sounds of a suitcase zipper closing.
"Bella, I'm on my way home." He said.