Chapter 5: vague Explanations
A/N: hello all! In order to pace myself and balance my hobby and my adult responsibilities I will be posting chapters on Saturday and Sundays!
Also, about the story timeline:
Rebecca phased first, then Rachel, Paul, Jared, Quil, Sam, Embry, Jacob, Leah, and Seth.
Jacob was the seventh to phase and normally wouldn't have a high rank but because he is of the black bloodline, he is the third person in charge. Rebecca, Rachel, Paul, and Jared phased after the nomads came to play baseball. The rest of the pack phased in a week before Bella's birthday. So not only did her birthday go wrong but Jacob phased too.
…
The Cullen's stood in shock as they looked at Bella and then looked at the stranger purring into her neck.
"Excuse me, but I believe the leech is leaking venom all over the kitchen floor." Bella's supposed husband said as he waved a hand toward jasper. The latter was still on the floor in shock.
Meanwhile, Bella walked over to the grease fire on the stove and put it out.
"So, as you all can see, there is no threat here. Why don't you all go back home while Paul and I clean up. Well, meet you over there in twenty minutes."
A growl shook the walls.
The Cullen's looked up at their foreign visitor and the women gasped.
"Oh... oh my!" Alice gasped and if she could blush, she would have.
Bella turned from the stove to see Paul with a very BIG problem showing through his towel.
"Well, then…. make that an hour or two..." Bella said flirtatiously as she crooked a finger and motioned for Paul to follow her.
The Cullen's walked out except for Edward. A look of bewilderment on his face.
"Come on Edward." Rosalie hissed as she dragged him out of the room. Emmett did he best to not laugh as he carried jasper and grabbed his arms.
….
Jasper sat in stunned silence as Edward paced the floor and Alice nervously searched for the future.
"Married! How could she be married!" Edward shouted. "And to that, that monster! Did you all see him? He's obviously blackmailing her! And when did she have time to get married! None of this makes any sense!"
Alice let out a whimper.
"I can't see Bella's future with this man around. Who is he! Jazz? Did you and Emmett notice anything strange when you found him? How did he get past you guys?" she asked.
"Yes, that is what I would like to know!" Edward hissed as he stared at his brothers accusingly.
Emmet stood up and walked towards him.
"don't start with me Edward, Jasper and I did our job! And maybe you could be by Bella's side if you weren't breathing down her neck all the time! And don't think the family doesn't know about you spying on her when she's at her house. Maybe it's a good thing she married that guy, he's obviously doing something that you can't which is why he's rolling In the sheets with her right now!"
Edward let out an angered roar as he tried to launch himself at Emmett, but Carlisle was in between them before it could go any further.
"Enough. We will wait for Bella and her…guest. They will come to us and explain everything. fighting amongst ourselves will do nothing. And Edward, no more watching Bella or going to her house. When it's time to guard her, you will guard far away and not near her. Someone else will stick to the house but with our guest here, I doubt we will have to stay too close. Everyone needs to relax. Jasper, a little help here?"
Carlisle turned to Jasper for help but was caught off guard by the look on his face.
"Jasper? What's wrong?"
Jasper looked at his hands and blinked.
"We thought he was an intruder. First, we heard something in the forest. So, we went to check it out. It wasn't anything important, just some animals. When we went back everything was quiet. We watched the house until the sun rose and just as we were about to leave, we saw him. He was in Bella's kitchen, wearing a towel. I sent Emmett to get Bella while I handled the intruder. But…the weird thing was, I couldn't sense him. It was like he didn't exist. When I walked into Bella's kitchen, he was gone. I couldn't find him, but it was crazy because he was just in front of me before I walked in there. And then before I could turn around, I felt him. I felt his emotions. It was the most rage and anger I had ever felt from anyone. I was…drowning in it. His emotions were so intense I couldn't move. MY ARMS WERE BROKEN before I could do anything, and he had beaten me to the ground. He was going to do more but Bella appeared and calmed him down. He did a complete 360! I was almost afraid for her, but his touch with her was gentle."
Edward interjected as Jasper paused to think about his words.
"You know… now that you mention it…I couldn't hear his thoughts. And when I tried to look into his mind, all I saw was darkness. "
"This guest may be more trouble than we thought Carlisle," Esme said in concern.
"Are you all hearing yourselves!" Rosalie exclaimed in outrage. "Listen, I may not like the chick, I really don't, BUT here she FINALLY gets her head on her shoulders and you all are complaining? So, what if you can't hear his thoughts or feel his emotions? Maybe this guy can help her have a shred of peace while she's held prisoner."
"Rosalie, she is not being held prisoner." Esme scolded.
Rosalie scowled.
"Esme! Open your eyes! This family is so delusional! Bella is trapped here because of our decisions! We are the supernatural creatures here! We are the stronger ones! We should have left her alone; the moment Edward saved her from the van! I told you guys! I told you! and here we are! As much as I don't like her, she deserves some shred of peace! So, all of you, leave her alone!"
A hand clap resounded through the house. Everyone turned to see Bella and her husband standing at the top of the stairs.
"Wow Rosalie, I didn't realize you cared," Bella said softly as she and her husband descended the stairs.
Rosalie looked at Bella with a scrutinizing look and asked, "Is he really your husband?"
"Yes."
"Are you happy?"
"Yes."
Rosalie looked at Paul and arched an eyebrow at him. He wore a white tight T-shirt and grey joggers. She noticed he wore shades indoors. They covered his eyes completely.
"Are you human?"
"Barely," Paul told her, as he helped Bella with the last step.
"Do you love her?"
"wouldn't be with her if I didn't." was Paul's short reply.
Bella led him to one of the empty love seats where Paul sat first, stretching his long legs as he sat like a king on his throne—lazily relaxing. Bella then sat in his lap.
"Can I get you both anything?" Esme asked a shred of fear in her voice.
The palpable tension was enough to break glass.
"No thank you, Esme," Bella told her.
"Well, I guess we should all sit down." Carlisle motioned to the rest of his family that remained standing.
Emmet, Rosalie, and Esme sat down but Edward remained standing. He was staring at Bella and her husband.
Carlisle unnecessarily cleared his throat as he addressed Bella.
"So, Bella you can imagine our surprise when you said you had a guest that could help us. you continued to surprise us when you informed us that he was your husband."
Bella leaned back against her husband, a sense of peace coming over her.
"Yeah. We've been married for about two years. He actually proposed to me the night you guys left."
"What!" Alice and Edward exclaimed.
"Let me tell you how it happened," Bella told them.
Flashback:
"You don't want me?"
She was standing in the rain, in the middle of the woods with Edward.
Was he really breaking up with her right now? She expected it but not like this.
"No, and you can't come with me. you don't belong in my world."
Bella swallowed.
"You know I can take a lot of things. I can even handle this breakup but what in the world made you think it was ok to take me to the woods to break up with me! and why was I stupid enough to follow you? If you want to leave fine by me. but next time you want to break up do it maturely. "
Bella turned her back to walk away and it was then she realized she was alone and lost in the woods. As she looked around, she also realized that Edward had left her.
"So much for a Victorian gentleman!" she shouted into the woods. Knowing full well he heard her.
Luckily, Bella pulled out her cell phone and dialed the one person she knew she could count on.
"Hey, it's me. im lost in the woods. Can you find me? Thanks."
She hung up the call and waited.
Ten minutes later, a tall man with long black hair appeared before her.
"Izzy?"
"Hey, Paul. Thanks for coming."
"What happened?" he asked as he slung a muscled arm around her shoulders. They began to walk at a leisurely pace. There was no rush when she was with Paul.
"Edward broke up with me. He said he didn't want me. His brother tried to attack me a week ago. Then Edward and his family stopped talking to me. They didn't show up at school and none of them answered my calls. To my surprise, Edward showed up here today and asked me to go for a walk. Of course, I said yes. dumb of me, right?"
"Not dumb, just unwise. Continue." Paul told her.
That was the thing Bella loved about Paul ever since they were kids, he was honest. Brutally honest. He never tried to hide things from her or make her feel as if she was made of glass.
"So, he shows up and says let's go for a walk. I follow him and he breaks up with me. It wasn't that he broke up with me that is frustrating. but it's the way it happened! He took me out into the woods and just proceeded to tell me what was going to happen. My opinion didn't matter, how I felt didn't matter, and then when I dismissed him, he just left. No escort, no goodbye just dumped in the middle of the woods. I mean how could he just leave!"
By now, they had made their way through the woods and towards La Push. She could hear the waves in the distance.
"You're not just talking about Edward, are you?" Paul inquired.
Bella wrapped her arms around herself. The past two weeks had been rough.
"Jacob was one of my good friends one day and then in the span of two weeks, he ignored me. We made plans for my birthday to watch movies. I want you and him and a couple more of my friends to come over to my dad's and we could all just be together… but … he never responded to my invitation. I called him Paul; I went to his house, but he slammed it in my face. and then I went to you, and you told me the truth. You guys are wolves. Shapeshifters and newly phased wolves can be very angry. I get all of that, I understand…but why the…brutality. Why the meanness? …why do the people I love most abandon me? First my mom, then Jake, and now Edward? It makes me so mad."
By now, they had approached Paul's back porch.
She was trying so hard not to cry. So hard. She hated crying. Her mother used to smack her for crying and her father didn't do well with tears.
A hot hand cupped her face. Bella tilted her head up to look at Paul, he had taken his shades off so that their eyes were meeting. Bella never failed to get lost in his violet eyes.
"Do you really think that no one wants you? or that no one cares for you?" he asked softly.
Bella swallowed as she gave him her answer.
"no. I know that there are people that want me. I have Dad and Mrs. clearwater. Plus, their Mrs. Ateara. But most of all I have you. outside my dad, you're the most important person in my life."
Paul let go of her chin.
"Im glad you feel that way, cause I feel that way too. You're the most important person in my life."
And then to her shock, Paul got down on one knee. Pulling a ring out of his pocket.
"Isabella Marie swan, you're the only person I trust that can put up with me and my crap. I won't ever leave you alone and you won't ever have to wonder if you are wanted. Ill show you every day of my life. Will you marry me?"
Bella's mouth opened and closed like a fish before a strange warmth filled her body.
"Yes. but you have to tell Dad."
Paul cracked a lazy smile as he slipped the ring on her finger.
"I already asked him. Turn around."
Bella turned around, to see her father holding two glasses of sparkling grape juice.
"Dad! You…what is going on?"
"I got to make a phone call. ill be back." Paul told her as he ran back into the rain.
"Dad?" Bella questioned softly.
Her father pulled her into a gentle hug.
"Bells, Paul asked me for your hand in marriage the day you turned sixteen. I told him only if you said yes and only if he could provide for you. From that day forward, he worked every day to build a life for you two. Taking online college courses. Fixing up this house. It's crazy cause I always thought he was joking. But then…he asked me again a few weeks ago."
"I was with Edward's dad!" Bella accused her father jokingly.
"You were indeed, and Paul quietly respected that. not once did he try to persuade you otherwise. But baby girl, you were not happy with Edward. You were miserable. And yet here Paul is by your side. He just wanted to see you happy. And one thing I can say for sure is that you make him happy. Honey, I've never seen that kid smile since the day I arrested his parents and handed him over to Billy. You light up his world. You do whatever it is that makes you happy."
The patio door slid open, and Paul stepped in with a small smile on his face.
Bella smiled back at him and allowed her tears to fall. This time they were happy tears. She then flung herself in Paul's arms.
"when's the wedding?"
End flashback
"We got married in Paul's backyard a month later. Of course, our first year was blissfully happy and then the second year came, and well you all know what happened from there."
"So, Charlie let you get married at 17?" Esme asked sounding disappointed.
"Yes, he did. He trusted Paul. Watched him grow up. He knew I was in great hands."
"So…when we went to the Volturi, why were you not with Paul?" Alice asked.
"I was spending the night at dad's because Paul was out of town for work. I didn't want to let Jacob go, so I was coming back from his house, after another rejection. When lo and behold Alice was at the door."
"But Bella, if you would explain to Aro that you are mated to a shapeshifter, they could possibly set you free!" Rosalie told her.
Bella shook her head.
"I told the kings already. Their answer was still no. The punishment is more for you guys than it is for me. You guys have to deal with the guilt of involving me. and as you can see it's having its desired effect."
"So…uh…Paul? What's your roll in all this? Why stay away from your wife when she needed you? so much for a protector." Edward hissed accusingly.
Bella opened her mouth to yell at Edward, but Paul stopped her. With cat-like movements, Paul sat up and looked at Edward.
"Not for one second has my wife remained unprotected. I made one mistake of leaving her and I will never do it again. She is always being watched. I however am not the kind of man that takes his wife's choices away nor do I keep her locked up like a damsel in distress. Besides, what we do and why are none of your business."
The room was charged with unforeseen electricity.
"But why not come live with her, as soon as you found out about her prison sentence?" Jasper asked, still shaken from his ordeal.
Paul quirked an eyebrow at him and said "Unforeseen circumstances, have kept me away from her. but like I said before, my wife is always being watched even when im not around. Now…I believe we have a nomad to talk about."