Seattle Nights

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series, all I own is the plot and a few original characters.

Chapter Eight (written by PuzzlingApprentice – original author.)

I was grinning like a mad woman and I knew it. If someone saw me from their car window, they would likely think I had recently broken out of the loony bin. But, hey, I was beginning to feel that way. With three vampires suddenly walking back in to my life and realizing that a bunch of newborns were chasing my tail, I couldn't imagine who wouldn't feel that way. Not to mention the strange feeling in my stomach; I was beginning to wonder if I had eaten something bad or if maybe I was getting the flu. Todd had been out of work for a week and a half not too long ago due to that sickness. However, the feeling had begun to travel up into my chest and that had me a little worried.

I wasn't dwelling on it though, far too excited to be seeing Charlie after so many months. Finally I would be getting back to something normal. I couldn't help but wonder briefly if I should be worried that my definition of normal included seeing all my wolf friends. It didn't really matter, I supposed, I was happy just to do it whether it was usual or not.

Welcome to Forks, Washington.

I couldn't help but to grin even wider at the sign. I was a mere twenty minutes away from home.

Finally, I gave in and picked up my cell phone. If I didn't want to deal with a fight between Jasper, Peter, and Charlotte and the wolves, I needed to let them know that I had company.

"Hey Bella," Paul sounded a little out of breath as he answered on the fifth ring, right before I was about to give up and try Embry.

"Everything okay Paul?" I asked a little worried.

"Yeah, yeah; everything's fine, Bells— just a few stray bloodsuckers here and there."

Fuck, I really couldn't get away from it, could I?

"That's actually why I'm calling." I sighed, "I'm on my way in to town, and—"

"How close are you?" I was abruptly cut off.

"Like twenty minutes, why?" I was surprised by his tone, he sounded worried. I didn't like hearing that with everything else that had been going on.

"I'm running a wide perimeter now, pull over and I'll meet you."

At least that explained the fact that he was a little out of breath, he had probably had to phase just to answer his phone. I looked around quickly; I had just pulled off the highway and saw a deserted, almost completely hidden park. Who would want a park in Forks? It was always down pouring. I rolled my eyes because no one would ever go to a place like this to have a picnic.

"I just got to a little park, meet me there." I finally agreed, but soon realized that I had yet to mention the three vampires that were also on their way and very much not puppy chow. "Wait, I needed to tell you that—"

"See you in a few, Bells!" Paul shouted in my ear.

The prick cut me off again.

I hadn't been able to give him any kind of warning.

Shit.

"Wait!" I yelled, just as the line went dead. I glared at my phone for a moment and then quickly hit redial as I turned in to the park's parking lot. Five rings, six rings, and finally the answering machine clicked on and I cursed as I slammed my thumb down on the end button; that obnoxious prick.

A knock sounded against my window and I jumped slightly as my head swung around and I locked eyes with a vampire. I motioned with my hand for Peter to back up before pushing the door open and jumping out, smiling softly as the mud squished noisily beneath my feet. I had not expected to miss something so trivial.

"Why'd ya stop, Sweet Pea? Somethin' wrong?" Peter questioned, concern laced his words.

"Shouldn't you know?" I asked curiously, "I thought you're gift would have told you."

"I ain't sure what you're talkin' about, Bella. I don't have no gift." He looked at me as if I had grown another head. I returned the stare with one that clearly stated what I estimated his IQ to be.

"What do you mean? What about your 'knower'?" I asked, surprised.

"Nah, that ain't a gift, Sweet Pea! I just know shit." He chuckled like that was the most obvious answer in the world, and I had a feeling that Peter thought he was being very clear— which he most certainly was not.

"Whatever," I muttered, deciding not to push it. Besides, there were more pressing issues such as the impending werewolf attack. I couldn't help but to chuckle at myself because it sounded quite ridiculous to me. "Paul's on his way," I finally offered as an answer to the question about why I had pulled over. Somewhere in my mind I noticed with relief that the tugging sensation in my chest was slowly dwindling.

Charlotte appeared from the nearby forest and walked out; they were sharing the same confused expressions that clearly asked who the fuck I was talking about.

"Paul is a—"

What the fuck is it with him and interrupting me today? Damn it, he was going to get a piece of my mind. What did I have to do? Start squirting him with a water bottle? Perhaps I could swat him with a rolled up newspaper? He was the most untrained dog that had ever existed.

His roar cut through the empty swatch of land I had decided to hold this little shindig in. I wasn't surprised that he had decided to stay in wolf form, seeing as how I was standing with two red eyed vampires. Both of whom had taken up defensive crouches in front of me, shielding me from an attack they apparently didn't realized was aimed at them as opposed to at the lowly human girl they planned on defending.

Before I could really comprehend it, Paul had pounced forward, rushing Charlotte as though she were the weak link out of the duo. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to believe that— actually, they both seemed equally as lethal. Char caught him mid leap, her hands catching him in the chest and she tossed him back at the tree line. I knew what would be coming next; the mind link in the wolves would alert all the others and soon enough we would be surrounded by the whole pack.

I wouldn't be able to deal with the thought of losing either of the two vampires who were standing in front of me; somehow they had managed to rather quickly carve out a place in my heart. They were just so loveable. The idea of losing any more of the wolves made my heart sink and I began to feel a little woozy. I had to end this now before it got really serious.

I was just about to step forward when two more wolves appeared on either side of Paul's hulking form. He had been pacing back and forth at the edge of the forest, obviously looking for any sign of weakness that he could use to his advantage. I kept trying to catch his eyes to communicate to him that there was no danger since I seemed unable to find my voice and just shout it.

Seth and Leah took his flanks immediately and again Paul took the initiative and stalked forward. Their eyes were twitching between the two in front of me and I knew that if they pounced, when they pounced, not everyone would make it out in one piece.

"No," I finally spoke, but the word was a mere whisper on the wind. It was as if my vocal cords had dried up and nothing was working as it should have been.

It all happened very quickly. All three pounced, Seth was headed for Peter and Leah obviously planned on taking on Charlotte. Paul, on the other hand, was headed directly for me. I was sure it would be attempted as a rescue mission, but I wasn't so confident that it would work out as one.

Mid air, there was a loud crashing noise as suddenly something appeared behind Paul. The figure grabbed the gigantic dog by the scruff of his neck and pulled him to the ground, effectively saving me from possibly being trampled. Simultaneously, the other two wolves fell to the ground at Peter and Char's feet. I heard weak cries from them and I couldn't help but to gasp in shock.

Finally, I managed to concentrate and look past the scene before me and to the cause of it all. Standing above Paul, his hand still holding the loose skin between the pup's shoulder blades, was Jasper.

I was shocked beyond belief, he had moved so quickly my eyes had been unable to follow the movement to the point that he had flat out disappeared. I had once seen Edward move at his fastest, but even he had appeared simply as a blur. Edward was supposed to be the fastest, but how would that be possible when I had just seen what had played out right before my eyes?

I snapped out of it at a slightly louder pained whine that came from the sandy colored wolf, Seth.

"Whatever you are doing to them, stop." I whispered and right away the cries ceased, though they did not rise. They just lay there, trembling slightly.

I looked towards Jasper, hoping to catch his gaze, but he was still glowering down at the wolf in his grasp. I walked up to them quickly, Peter reached out as if he were about to try and stop me but he retracted his arm at my glare; smart of him, because I was pissed.

"Put him down," I muttered when I reached Jasper, finally catching his attention. I could see the reluctance in his red eyes but eventually he gave in.

Paul sagged to the ground in a heap, but only for a second. As soon as he gained his bearings he popped up to his feet and again looked as if he were about to make a go for Jasper. I swear some dogs never learn their lesson. Just as Jasper was about to intervene and before he could grab me and pull me away from the beast, I reached up and smacked Paul on the nose.

That seemed to stun more than just Paul, as Jasper also stopped is his tracks and a small smirk seemed to be twitching the corners of his full lips.

"You prick!" I shouted at Paul, I was furious. "When I call you, you listen to what I have to say and you do not interrupt me every chance you get!" I noticed that his eyes had drifted and he had returned to glowering at Jasper. I did the obvious thing in once again smacking him, making him wince. "Eyes right here, mister!" I hissed.

"She's scolding the wolf!" I heard Peter giggling maniacally behind my back, sounding a wee bit like a first grader.

"If you would have just let me fucking talk none of this shit would have happened! I would have been able to tell you that I had a few vampires with me and we could have gone on our merry way." I was fuming. "Go change," I hissed and pointed towards the tree line.

With a final growl in the vampires' direction, Paul turned and ran off with his tail between his legs. Slowly, almost groggily, the other two rose and wobbled their way off behind him. Maybe once they were back in human form we could have an actual conversation about what was going on.

Maybe Paul would actually let me talk so there wouldn't be any more misunderstandings.

"Fuck, yeah!" Peter screamed as I turned on my heel and began making my way back to my truck. "Bella's a bad ass!"

I rolled my eyes.

Jasper came up beside me and silently placed his arm around my waist. As opposed to shaking it off as I probably should have and he likely expected, I leaned in to his embrace. I was exhausted. On top of four hours straight of driving, I had just told off a wolf that was more than five times my size. He pulled me in to his side and allowed us both to lean against my truck, though admittedly, I was leaning more on him than anything else. As his citrus and spice scent invaded my senses, I closed my eyes in pure bliss.

The tugging in my stomach and chest had evaporated, replaced with a warm feeling of content.

.

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A/N: Please review. Nothing major changed except words. I did change his scent as well. I never liked the smell of hay, and the thought of hugging someone that smells like leather doesn't sound pleasant to me. Sorry for those of you who do like hay and leather.