Lost and Found
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!
Part Eighty-Ephraim and Billy
Ephraim hunkered down and took Old Quil's hands in his own. The elder's skin was paper thin and his eyes showed his exhaustion. Ephraim knew from personal experience that the old man wasn't long for this world. "Your grandson will be here shortly to come and take you somewhere so you can rest."
"I never thought I would live to see this day." Old Quil's voice quavered as he spoke. He gazed in wonder at Ephraim, still unable to believe that he was really here. He clutched Ephraim's hands as tightly as he could. "It eases my heart now that you are here. I have worried so often over the years that the young pack never had sufficient guidance. I tried my best but I feel that I failed them." He lamented sadly.
"You had a heavy burden to carry that shouldn't have been yours alone." Ephraim's dark eyes glinted with repressed anger as his gaze drifted over to Harry and Billy, who were sitting side by side, looking very uncomfortable indeed.
Old Quil sighed as he let go of Ephraim's hands and sagged back in his seat. "I tried to guide them to the best of my knowledge. I worry especially for young Jacob and Samuel. You have been around them; you understand what I am referring to." The elder looked pleadingly at his ancestor, begging him to relieve his worries.
"Yes, I have seen the wedge between them. Do not concern yourself about it anymore. Trust that it will be dealt with. Now go and rest." Ephraim put a comforting hand on the old man's shoulder before gesturing for young Quil to come and take his grandfather away. Quil entered the room silently, for once remaining quiet as he felt the gravity of the situation. He smiled fondly at his grandfather before carefully lifting the fragile old man in his arms and carrying him out of the room.
As soon as the door closed Ephraim's whole demeanour changed. He began to pace, his body was like a coiled spring, and his eyes were like steel as he glared at Harry and Billy in disgust. "You left a fragile old man to deal with the heavy burden of trying to guide a pack of frightened children alone." He yelled accusingly. His voice was so loud it made the two men jump.
"It wasn't quite like that." Harry blustered as he glanced sideways at Billy. "We were unprepared for the children phasing at such a young age. It had never been heard of before. We did our best…."
"Your best is so very poor, Harry Clearwater." Ephraim roared, making Harry flinch and hang his head in shame. Ephraim turned his full attention onto Billy. Jacob's father began to fidget as he glanced toward the door as if assessing whether he could escape. It was only now, looking at the supposed chief of the tribe, that Ephraim fully realised that Rebecca's assessment of her father's shortcomings was in no way exaggerated. The man was a weak fool. "Do you have nothing to say, Billy Black?"
"It seems you have already made up your mind to be judge, jury and executioner." Billy muttered. "You have no idea of what our lives have been like, and how difficult it has been to try and just survive. We had jobs to hold down, families to raise, and little time to deal with the extra pressure of guiding a young pack of wolves…."
"Two of them are your sons." Ephraim interrupted him.
"Exactly my point. I had two of them to worry about and care for. I have two daughters too. It was hard splitting my time between…."
"What your lover and your wife." Ephraim sneered.
"I did the best I could for all of my family. You can't come here and judge me like this when you have no true idea of what my life has been like. It was different in your time. Life was easier, simpler…."
"Shut up!" Ephraim ordered Billy. The man's whining was getting on his last nerve. His whole story was a litany of poor me. Not once had he taken any responsibility for his own actions. It was now clear to Ephraim why Jacob and the others had phased so young. They had no choice. Their parents were weak, selfish and utterly self-absorbed. Ephraim hunkered down, grabbed Billy's long ponytail and jerked his head back so he was forced to gaze into Ephraim's eyes. His pallor turned grey as he saw the uncontrolled anger on his ancestor's face. "I am ashamed of you." Ephraim snarled. "You are not fit to bear the Black name."
Billy opened and closed his mouth, but no words would come out. He glanced to the side, hoping that Harry would intervene. But his friend kept his head down and his eyes fixed on his trembling hands. There was to be no rescue from that quarter. "I tried to help Jacob and the others, but he kept pushing me away."
"Stop making pitiful excuses." Ephraim jerked Billy's head back a bit more. "You are the reason your son was forced to change at such a young age. His gene was activated because the spirits knew how weak and insignificant you were. You would never have been able to deal with or bear the burdens that your sons have to carry now." Ephraim let go of Billy's ponytail and turned to look at Harry. "Yours too! I cannot believe that Jacob and Seth are even remotely related to you."
"I wasn't always like this." Harry cried out. "When Leah left I became depressed. Food was my comfort and I…"
"More excuses." Ephraim said in disgust.
"I'm sorry." Harry replied in despair. His anguish was palpable. Ephraim sighed as he returned his attention to Billy. At least Leah's father was showing remorse, but Billy was still stubbornly holding onto his insane notion that he was in the right.
"I will not take the blame for Jacob and Embry's phasing so young. That does not explain any of the others." Billy protested as he rubbed the back of his head, checking that his hair hadn't been torn from his head when Ephraim had forcefully yanked on his ponytail.
"Quil's father died when he was young, his gene was activated. Sam Uley's father was even worse than you so I hear, so his gene was activated. Paul Lahote's father was no better than Sam's, his gene was activated." Ephraim reeled off each name angrily like a school roll call. "Do you see the domino effect here?"
"But I loved my son." Harry said forlornly.
"But you are weak, just like Jared Thail's father. All of you, all the men that these boys were supposed to look up to and respect turned out to be nothing but a bunch of weak willed fools. Is it no wonder the pack skipped a generation?" Ephraim finished bitterly.
Ephraim was interrupted from his tirade when Carlisle slipped into the room. His face was grave which put Ephraim on alert immediately. Something had obviously happened. "I need to speak with you, old friend." Carlisle said quietly.
Ephraim nodded. "Of course, we are about done here anyway." He turned to look at Billy and Harry one last time. "The gathering will begin soon. I suggest you go outside and find your families. You have much to apologise for." He watched as Harry and Billy left the room. Billy leaned on Harry. He was feeling ill and extremely sorry for himself. Ephraim shook his head in disbelief, still not able to believe that he shared any blood with Billy at all.
"That can't have been easy for you." Carlisle said sympathetically.
"No, and in Billy Black's case I doubt my words made any impact at all." Ephraim replied sadly. "What did you want to tell me?"
Carlisle's face fell and he was forced to sit down on one of the vacated chairs as his own anguish consumed him. Ephraim was alarmed; he had never seen Carlisle lose control like this. "What is it?"
"It's Edward, he has betrayed me. He has betrayed us all." Carlisle confessed as he hid his face in his hands. Slowly he began to tell Ephraim what had happened. Ephraim was not surprised by Edward's actions. He had never trusted him anyway but he knew how much he meant to Carlisle. He put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder as he witnessed Carlisle's silent despair.
Bella watched Sam and Charlie's reunion from a distance. The sheer relief and happiness on her father's face as soon as he saw Sam touched her heart. In his eyes Sam was his son. He may not have sired him, but he loved him like his own. She saw Sam sag in Charlie's embrace. He appeared tired and worn out, but the tension inside him seemed to have eased now he was back with Charlie. Bella was glad to see it.
"Hey, beautiful." Jacob's voice startled her as he embraced her from behind and pulled her back against his taut body.
"You didn't kill each other then." Bella said mildly as she glanced up at him.
"Not today." Jacob propped his chin on her shoulder as he watched Charlie and Sam talking together quietly. "What am I supposed to do with him, Bells?" He asked wearily.
Bella pulled his arms tighter around her. He sounded so tired and his eyes were alight with worry. "Nothing. Sam has to find his own path."
"He won't though. Not until he learns to let you go." Jacob replied as Bella spun around in his arms. He cupped her beautiful face in his warm hands and gazed deeply into her eyes. "I can't blame him though. I'd never be able to stop loving you."
"Are you worried that I'm gonna go or something." Bella had never heard him sound so melancholy.
"Everything is just getting on top of me." Jacob confessed. "There's so much happening, and so much could go wrong."
"You're not alone, Jake. I may not be a kick ass wolf but I am a good listener. I want to hear your doubts and fears. Don't be afraid to tell me when it gets too much. You can't be strong all the time." Bella stood on her tiptoes so she could reach his lips. The kiss started out gentle, teasing almost, until the passion that was always simmering beneath the surface got the better of them. Bella flung her arms around Jacob's neck and he hauled her against his hardened body as he intensified the kiss.
"Get a room." Paul called out to them, making everyone turn their way.
Jacob growled angrily as he reluctantly released a blushing Bella and glared at his pack brother. Paul just laughed at his discomfiture. "Ass." Jacob muttered as he took Bella's hand instead and led her over to the marquee. Ephraim and Carlisle had finally appeared and it looked as if the meeting was about to start.
Jacob found some spare seats next to his mother and Esme. He pulled Bella onto his lap. He wanted to hold her, just having her close soothed his tension and lessened his anxieties. He reached across and took his mother's hand as she smiled at him affectionately. Rebecca and Jared sat on Sarah's other side, while the other pack members pulled their chairs toward Jacob so they were practically surrounding their Alpha and his loved ones in a protective circle. Seth sat on the outside with his sister, Leah, and his father. Harry appeared subdued. He kept darting guilty looks at his son and daughter, as if he was plucking up the courage to apologise to them. Jacob noticed Billy sitting all alone near the edge of the marquee. He was wearing a sullen expression and kept glaring at Ephraim. Jacob wondered what had been said between them. It was obvious that his ancestor had given Billy a dressing down. He just hoped some of his words had sunk in his father's thick head.
Carlisle had another quiet word with Ephraim before he retreated from the podium and sat down next to Rosalie. Esme left Sarah now that Jacob was with her and went to join her mate. Carlisle smiled at her gratefully as he pulled her chair closer to his. Ephraim surveyed the sea of faces looking his way and sighed. He hated speaking publicly. His eyes wandered across the crowd until he found Leah. She smiled at him encouragingly and he found himself relaxing. Ephraim then called for silence as the meeting finally began.
A/N-thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think, thanks.