Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to SM. No infringement intended. Anything original is mine, though. Rated M for future chapters.
This is an AU/AH story. My first fanfic in the Twilight world.
CHAPTER ONE
"Oh my GAWD, Bella! Can you believe this day is finally here?"
Bella rolled her eyes heavenward at the whispered squeal coming from her right. The girl sounded like a stuck pig and her voice had the same effect as nails on a chalkboard to Bella, but if she learned anything in the years growing up with Jessica Stanley, it was that ignoring the girl would only make her talk more.
"No, Jess. I really can't."
Bella kept her eyes forward, watching her classmates walk up to the stage row by row to get their diplomas. Honestly, could these people walk any slower? As much as they had talked about graduation and moving away from this dreary, boring place, they could at least pick up the pace and hurry the process along.
Knees to chest, people. Knees to chest.
Beside her, Jessica sighed and clasped her hands to her chest as Mike Newton walked across the stage. "Doesn't Mike look so handsome in his cap and gown?"
"He looks like everybody else here," Bella muttered, stretching her legs out before crossing them at the ankles. She could have really done without all the pomp and circumstance. Seriously, couldn't they just mail her the diploma?
Jessica huffed at Bella's lack of enthusiasm in her boyfriend's appearance, but took the hint and kept her mouth shut.
Finally, it was time for Bella's row to stand. She got to her feet, following Jessica down the row and up the aisle to the front, her trip across the stage to shake the hand of Superintendent "What's his Face" and snatch up her diploma from the principal only noticeable by the loud cheer from a section of the bleachers. She couldn't help but grin as she looked up to see Jacob, Sam, and some of the other Rez kids in the stands on their feet and cheering for her. The heat in her cheeks warned her of her telltale blush and she shook her head in amusement as she walked down the steps and made her way back to her seat.
Her amusement melted away, though, when she thought of the two people who should be there next to her friends but weren't. She could imagine her mother's tears and her father's proud grin in her mind and she swallowed back the grief, taking a deep breath and concentrating on her classmates walking across the stage. She managed a halfhearted cheer when her only true friend from school, Angela Weber, walked across the platform and collected her own diploma. She felt a little bit of envy for her sweet friend. Angela's life was planned out to her specifications. She would be leaving for U-Dub in August to study for her Elementary Education degree while her boyfriend, Ben Cheney, would be working towards his business degree. They would graduate, move back to Forks and get married. She would teach kindergarten during the week and Sunday school at her father's church on Sunday's. She would have babies and make them cookies and go to her parent's house for Sunday dinners.
Once upon a time, that had been Bella's dream, to an extent. But things happen and dreams change and now, Bella's only priority was to get the hell out of Washington. She didn't even have college to look forward to. Billy had forbidden her from applying to any college, saying that a woman's place was in the home. And her place was in his home, married to his son and popping out babies while cooking his dinner and bringing him his beer.
Bella looked up towards her friends in the stands. Jacob was sitting next to Sam and they were whispering to each other. To anyone else, it looked like two friends shooting the shit, but Bella could see the subtle twinkle in Jacob's eyes and the grin on Sam's face. For this small amount of time, her friend was free and lighthearted, away from the dark glare of his father, who thankfully stayed at home in front of the TV with his beer and baseball game instead of coming to her graduation.
To Jacob's right were the Clearwater's. Sue and Harry had been friends of her parent's, while Leah and Seth were friends of Jacob's. Leah hated her, believing her to be the reason that Jacob didn't return her creepy stalker feelings. Seth was a few years younger than the rest of them, and only wanted to be "cool" like the older boys, only paying attention to her when she had baked cookies or made dinner.
Bella met Sue's gaze and the older woman smiled at her, but even at this distance, she could see something strange in Sue's eyes. Whether it was sadness or concern, Bella couldn't tell. She watched as Harry caught their gaze and reached over, wrapping an arm around his wife. He winked at Bella and she couldn't help but grin back at him. It was something her father would have done and it comforted her slightly.
Finally, the ceremony ended, the group shouting and flinging their caps in the air while the crowd in the stands cheered. Bella stood up, tossed her cap in the air and walked away from the group, making her way to her friends in the bleachers.
Jacob made it to her first, wrapping her in his arms and lifting her off the ground in a bear hug. She couldn't help but laugh as she held on for dear life.
"You did it, Bells! You made it through high school hell and survived to tell the tale!"
Bella snorted and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. He sat her back on her feet and kissed her forehead. She looked up and met his dark eyed stare, his playful demeanor momentarily covered by seriousness. "Honestly, I am so proud of you. I know you struggled the past couple years."
"Thank you Jake." She reached up and cupped his cheek. "I couldn't have made it without you. Something I think you deserve to hear."
Jacob blinked, his eyes misting slightly before he cleared his throat and nodded. No further words were needed.
She accepted hugs of congratulations from Sam and Harry, a bored nod from Seth, and a petulant sneer from Leah. Bella just rolled her eyes and turned to Sue.
Sue Clearwater had been the closest thing to a mother figure that Bella had since her own mother's death. She had been a shoulder to cry on during her grief and someone to turn to for things that only a woman could understand. For as much as Bella loved Sue, though, there were things she couldn't tell her about her life in the Black household. Sue was a friend of her parents, but first and foremost, she was a Quileute, and heritage and tradition meant that she had to follow along with her tribe no matter what. Bella couldn't bear to threaten the relationship she held so dear, so she never spoke of Billy and his controlling and violent behavior. With that in mind, Bella put on a happy face and planned to pretend that all was well in her world.
The look in Sue's eyes that she noticed before was still there, and from close up, it appeared to be a mixture of sadness and anxiety.
"Why so blue, Sue," Bella cracked, forcing a smile. Sue shook her head and glanced behind her before taking her hand tightly.
"I'm just so proud of you, sweet girl," she murmured, pulling her away from the group. Louder, she replied, "I know Charlie and Renee are looking down on you now and are both so proud of you."
Bella's eyes narrowed slightly, looking behind her at whatever Sue was looking at. She met Jacob's gaze and he gave her a single, slight nod before turning back to the conversation with Harry and Sam. She felt Sue's arm wrap around her shoulder, leading her away from the crowd and out the gym doors.
"What's going on, Sue?"
"I wanted to talk to you in private," Sue said quietly, staring straight ahead. "I didn't want our conversation to become gossip at the next council meeting."
Bella was quiet as Sue led her out in the parking lot, stopping only when they reached the big red truck her father had given her on her 16th birthday. The truck had been a labor of love from Jacob and Charlie Swan- Jacob had proudly fixed it up and Charlie bought it from him "for a steal". It had been Bella's pride and joy from first sight.
"What's going on, Sue?" Bella repeated, turning to face the older woman. "Are you spilling tribal secrets to me now?"
Sue sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over tired eyes. "I'm not blind, Bella. I know how hard life has been for you and Jacob living in that house."
Bella stiffened. "I highly doubt you know much of anything that goes on in that house."
Sue chuckled darkly, looking back towards the school. "I know Billy is forcing you and Jacob into this sham of a wedding next week." At Bella's questioning look, she continued. "Bells, I know about Jacob and Sam. And as much as you and Jacob love each other, I can see it's more of a sibling kind of love and nothing more."
Bella swallowed hard, looking away from Sue's piercing stare. As much as she hated Billy, as much as she wanted to get the hell out of La Push and Forks, she wasn't going to out her friend's secret. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I'm not going to tell Billy about Jacob and Sam," Sue continued. "I have no problem with the boys, but I know how Billy is and I would never do anything to put Jacob in harm's way. With that being said, I refuse to let that man's plan continue. I have an idea why he is pushing this and I will not allow that to happen."
"Why he's pushing this?" Bella snorted. "You think you can stop Billy Black from being a controlling asshole?"
"Oh Bella," Sue's eyes filled with tears and she pulled the younger girl into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry I failed you. I should have said something sooner, but until you graduated, you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it."
Anxiety filled Bella as she clung to Sue. For as long as she remembered, Sue Clearwater was a rock; the only time she broke down was after the accident and the week of the funeral.
"I don't know how long it will be before everybody comes out here," Bella said, pulling away from Sue. "If you want to tell me Billy's big dark secret, you'd better spit it out."
Sue took a deep breath. "Charlie left a trust fund in your name, available to you when you graduated from high school. Billy is pushing this wedding so he can get his hands on the money himself."
Bella froze. Trust fund? She had never heard about a trust fund. As far as she knew, there had only been the life insurance policies, and those had gone towards her parent's debt and funerals. She'd had a little bit left over from the sale of the house, but according to Billy; most of that money had gone towards past taxes and bills. The look in Sue's eyes was sincere, though. Bella took a step away, her back hitting the driver's side door of her truck.
Wait a minute…
According to Billy…
Rage filled Bella's heart and her eyes narrowed. That filthy, drunk piece of shit…
"Billy spent the money from the sale of my parent's house, didn't he?" she spit out. "There were no back taxes and debt to cover. He kept it for himself?"
Sue looked back towards the school before turning back to Bella. "Your father's lawyer had a majority of that money put towards your trust, along with Charlie's pension. Billy has been receiving monthly checks to pay for your care, but he's waiting for your trust fund." Tears spilled out from her dark eyes as she reached into her purse. "You can get out of here, sweet girl. Charlie and Renee made sure you would never need for anything again. Although I doubt that either one of them knew how Billy would become with all of this. They trusted him with their little girl and he broke that trust and for that, I am so sorry."
Bella was speechless. So many thoughts were running through her head. She could escape Billy. She could go anywhere, do anything. She could get Jacob and Sam away from the reservation. A terrifying thought gripped her.
"Did Jacob know about the trust fund?" She couldn't believe that he would keep something that big from her.
Sue shook her head, glancing back when she heard Jacob and Sam's loud voices coming out of the gym doors. The Clearwater's were following behind, all heading towards them. Sue shoved a piece of paper in Bella's hand.
"Jacob has no idea. He came to me the other day and told me everything that has been going on. Don't let anybody know about this, Bella. Go to the address on this paper and don't look back. Get away before Billy traps you here."
With that, Sue pulled Bella into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, Bella Swan. Go live your life, go find some happy. That's all Charlie and Renee ever wanted for you."
*.*.*
Harry Clearwater took Billy on a spur of the moment fishing trip the following morning. They would be gone until the following afternoon. Bella wondered if Harry knew as much about what was going on as Sue had.
Jacob had taken advantage of the day without Billy to spend time with Sam. They had decided to go camping and had left not long after Billy did. Bella was happy that her friends were able to get some time alone. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for them, being in love and having to hide it. She had never been in love before, had no idea what it was like, but she would never wish any kind of pain and heartbreak on Jacob and Sam.
The paper Sue had given her had a Port Angeles address and phone number, with the name "J. Jenks" written on the top. Bella wasted no time, and by 8am, she was on the road. She was still in shock at Sue's revelation the day before, at the bittersweet idea of freedom that was just within her grasp. Her parents had made sure she was taken care of even after their deaths, but put their trust in a man who never deserved their friendship in the first place.
Bella's first thought at Billy's betrayal was to push him up the trail to the cliff and shove him over the side. Death was too easy, though. If everything went as she hoped, she would be gone, Jacob and Sam would be gone, and Billy would be alone in his little house drinking himself into his grave. She had never been one to dwell on anger and revenge, but if the last two years had taught her anything, it was that some people didn't deserve a second chance.
She reached Port Angeles with twenty minutes to kill before the lawyer's office opened. She grabbed an iced mocha and a bagel at a coffee shop and sat in her truck outside the office, waiting for any sign of life. She tried to imagine what would happen during the meeting. Would she have enough to go to college? Would she have enough to help Jacob and Sam start a new life for themselves? Where would she go? The furthest away she had been was Seattle, when her parents took her there for vacation as a child. She had no family, no friends to go to. Bella supposed she could go wherever Jacob and Sam went, but they deserved a fresh start in life, with no reminders of their rough beginnings.
A BMW pulling into the parking lot dragged Bella out of her thoughts. She watched as an older, stocky man in a dark suit climbed out and made his way into the building, briefcase and coffee in hand.
"Here goes nothing," she muttered, grabbing her purse.
The office was small and cozy, something that Bella was not expecting. She figured from watching TV that all lawyer's offices were fancy and stuffy. She expected that she had a lot to learn about life that couldn't be found on the television.
The man from the parking lot was standing by the receptionist's desk, talking to a grandmotherly woman behind a computer. They both looked up when Bella walked in. The man's eyes lit up when he saw her.
"Isabella Swan, as I live and breathe," his smile was genuine as he stepped towards her, reaching out his hands to grasp both of hers. "I figured I would be seeing you soon. You just graduated yesterday, correct?"
Bella was stunned by his familiarity; as far as she knew, she'd never met the man. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"
The man chuckled to himself, giving her hands a squeeze before releasing them. "I'm sorry, dear girl. You were just a little thing when we met. I would recognize those Swan eyes anywhere, though." He stepped back, turning to the woman behind the desk. "Hold my calls for the next hour or so, would you, Jeanie?"
Jeanie smiled, "you're the boss."
The man held his arm out towards an open door, indicating that Bella lead the way into the office. With a pounding heart, she followed his lead.