Moonlight in Forks

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

Unravelling

Rachel and Paul's raised voices faded into the background as Billy became lost in the past. He remembered the day he had got the call from Carlisle Cullen to inform him that the coven was once again considering residing in Forks.

It had been an ordinary day. The twins were out with friends, so it had just been him and Jacob in the house. Billy had been teaching his son to whittle a sea lion out of madrona wood when the phone rang. He'd wheeled himself to the kitchen, leaving Jacob so focused on his work that he barely noticed his father leaving the room.

Billy had assumed it was either Harry, or maybe Charlie. He'd answered with a cheerful. "Hello!"

"Hello. Am I speaking to Billy Black?" The refined voice had asked.

Billy's suspicions had been aroused immediately. There was something about the unfamiliar voice that had his sixth sense going haywire.

"Yes, this is Billy. Who's asking?"

"My name is Carlisle Cullen." The cultivated voice told Billy.

As soon as he heard that name Billy felt like his whole world had come to an end. This couldn't be true. He was having a bad dream, a nightmare, and he would wake up soon. For him to have to deal with this on top of losing his beloved wife and raising three children alone as a single father, it was much too much for him to cope with.

"Does my name mean anything to you?" The voice had asked, completely oblivious to Billy's silent agony.

"Yes."

The caller emitted a faint sigh. "That's good. It makes it easier for us to fulfill our duty."

Billy had clutched the phone cord tightly, his teeth clenching together as he realized what Carlisle Cullen meant when he said duty. He was speaking of the treaty. Billy struggled to remember the secret accords he had so carefully memorized. If Carlisle said he had a duty to discharge, that could mean only one thing.

"You're coming back." He had choked.

All the blood had drained out of his face and the walls seemed to close in around him. He was horrorstruck, the thought of what this meant for his tribe, even more so for his family, made him feel sick. His eyes wandered toward his son of their own accord. Jacob was still in the front room, riveted to his task, putting to good use the lessons Billy had taught him about his craft.

"Yes, we are." Carlisle had confirmed in the same cultured tones. "I know this must be…unpleasant for you to hear. But I assure you that your tribe is in no danger, nor are any of the people in Forks. We have not changed our ways."

Not in danger! Billy was silently raging inside. Of course, their return brought danger with them-danger to his son and to everyone connected to him. If Jacob was in close proximity to these monsters for any length of time, that could only mean one thing!

Billy bowed his head, trying to get his emotions under control. He cursed his ancestors for making the treaty in the first place. He'd been locked into the damn thing since before his birth. He wanted to object… to threaten…but treaty or no treaty, there was nothing he could do.

But looking back all these years later, Billy realized that it was just an excuse. He should have stood up to the coven leader then, and warned him to stay away, he was the tribal chief. Perhaps if he had injected some authority into his voice, Carlisle Cullen might have taken his protestations seriously…

The sound of a slamming door shook Billy out of his dark memories.

"I should never have come back here!" Rachel yelled as Paul stormed his way out of the house.

Billy felt the heat rush to his face as he frantically wheeled his chair into the front room to find his daughter sobbing hysterically on the old couch. He stopped a few feet away from her, hesitating whether to reach out and comfort her or not. Ever since Rachel had come back home, he had been walking on eggshells around her, anxious that she might take off again if he said or did the wrong thing.

Now he wished he had said something. Jacob had been driven out of the house because of her and Paul's selfish behavior. In the beginning their imprint had been smooth sailing, a novelty he guessed for both of them. They had become attached so quickly, without either of them really spending time to get to know one another's quirks. Now, after being around each other day after day, they were finding out how little they did have in common.

"I can't do this, Dad." Rachel said in defeat.

"Do what?" Billy felt his heart quail at the sound of despair in her voice.

"This." Rachel raised her tearstained face and gestured around the room. "I made a mistake coming back here. I can't handle it. There are too many sad memories of mom. And this thing with Paul…this imprint…it's not working."

"You just need time to get to know each other – "

"Dad, you're not listening!" Rachel argued, her voice rising in pitch. "We don't get along. He's lazy, and incompetent. I don't even really like him!"

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm going to pack." Rachel dragged herself to her feet, furiously wiping away her tears with the back of her hands. She was too cowardly to even meet his eyes, knowing the devastation she would read in them.

"Rachel." Billy pleaded. "Don't leave like this."

"I have to." Rachel insisted. "You don't need to worry about me. Becks offered me a bed at her place. I haven't been to Hawaii. It sounds like fun. Please don't try and stop me, Dad. I need to do this."

Billy found his own skin wet with moisture as he reached out to her, trying to pull her back to him, to try and persuade her to stay. But words failed him. Instead, he was forced to watch helplessly as his daughter practically ran from the room to go and pack her bags.


Bella was still outside with Sam when she saw Rachel running out of the house, dragging a suitcase on wheels behind her. She exchanged a surprised look with Sam. They had heard the raised voices between her and Paul and witnessed Paul stalking out of the house in a huff. Both of them were used to Paul's quick temper, so really thought nothing of it. They assumed that he and Rachel would make up once he had cooled down.

"Hey, Rachel!" Bella called out. "Wait a minute!"

"Don't try and stop me, Bella." Rachel yelled as she heaved her suitcase into the back of her old minivan.

"Where are you going?" Bella demanded, running over to the older girl. "You can't just leave."

"Watch me!" Rachel walked around to the driver's door and yanked it open. "You should be pleased. Jacob can move back in now."

Billy rolled his chair out onto the front porch, calling out to his daughter. Rachel paused for a few seconds, her eyes strained, bottom lip quivering. She hated hurting her father, but she couldn't stay, she just couldn't. He would never know how hard she had tried for his sake to make things work. But if she hung around any longer it would drive her mad. She mouthed 'I'm sorry' to her him, before climbing into the minivan and shutting the door.

Bella watched helplessly as Rachel turned on the engine, reversing quickly, before switching gears and taking off down the dirt track leading away from the property. "This can't be happening." She thought as she dug her fingers into her hair.

"I think Billy needs you." Sam said quietly from beside her. "I'll go find Jake."

"Thanks, Sam." Bella felt worn out with all the drama. First Leah, then Sam, then Paul, and now Rachel and Billy. One by one the imprinted couples seemed to be unravelling. "Oh, this is yours." She said, remembering the letter that he had given her from Emily.

"You keep hold of it." Sam's eyes crinkled at the corners as if he was in pain. "I don't think I can read it again."

"Okay." Bella didn't particularly want to take charge of it, but she could hardly protest. Right now, Billy was the priority. "Please hurry and find Jake, Sam."

Sam laid a calming hand on Bella's shoulder. "You've had a tough day. I'm sorry I haven't made it any easier." He apologized.

"We've all had it tough." Bella tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace.

Sam seemed to understand. He patted her shoulder comfortingly before taking off at a fast run toward the trees. Bella sighed as she watched him go. She hoped he would find Jacob quickly. She wasn't sure she could find the right words to comfort Billy now that his daughter had taken off. She cursed Rachel in her head for being so selfish, once again leaving others to deal with mess she left behind.

"This is all my fault." Billy admitted sadly as Bella climbed wearily up the porch steps to join him. "Jacob was right all along. I should have put my foot down at the start and none of this would have happened."

"You don't know that." Bella knelt down in front of him, gazing at his weathered face in concern. His hands were shaking in his lap as if he had a chill, so she took them, warming them with her own.

"I own my mistakes, Bella." Billy said wretchedly. "It was the same with the Cullens. I should have been stronger, warned them not to come back here, treaty or no treaty. But I was weak. So weak." He shook his head in despair.

"Oh, Billy, you can't blame yourself for that. They would have come anyway." Bella rubbed his hands to inject some life into them. His complexion had turned ashen. She was worried he could pass out at any moment. "I'm going to check your blood sugar levels. When was the last time you took your meds?"

Billy's brow furrowed as he tried to think. He was so used to Jacob dealing with that side of things. He knew he had been lax, forgetting to take his insulin on schedule. That's probably why he had been feeling so frail lately.

"I honestly can't remember, Bella."

Bella was alarmed to see the moisture filling Billy eyes. He really was in a bad way. "Come on. Let's get you inside." She said, rising to her feet and gripping the handles of his wheelchair. As she pushed him through the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder anxiously, hoping that Sam found Jacob quickly before anything else untoward happened.

A/N-thanks for reading!