Chapter 8: Family Ties Part 2:

Happy Saturday. just to answer a question, Victoria's brother Victor can turn invisible, not invincible

Jasper clasped his hand over his undead heart as he felt the wave of love and concern coming from their guest. Their love and concern for Bella.

"They care for her," he told Edward. "And yet they have this wave of power radiating off of them. Are they shifters too?"

Edward shook his head and said "I have no clue. Their minds are fuzzy. I can't get a coherent thought. It's a jumbled mess."

"Yes, we are shifters if you must know. We are perfectly capable of protecting our petit cygnet. (Little swan) We'll be heading back to her house now." Julian told them with his thick Jamaican accent.

Carlisle nodded in understanding and escorted them to the door.

As soon as the three had pulled out of the driveway, the patriarch turned to his family.

"I believe we have some things to discuss?"

Alice, Edward, and Rosalie looked at each other before Edward spoke.

"We think … we could gain Bella's freedom."

"OK? How?"

"We surrender our service to the Volturi in exchange for Bella's freedom."

Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Emmett looked at the threesome in shock.

"You want us to serve the Volturi?" Emmett said with a tone of disgust.

"Yes at least…I am offering my services. I don't want the family to do something they don't want to. This is my fault, anyway. I should serve the punishment. "

"Well, this was my idea. So im going to serve as well." Rosalie said as she gave her mate a look.

"Aro favors my gift. I think we will get the results we want if I go." Alice interjected

Jasper opened his mouth to say something, but Carlisle beat him to it.

"This is a hard thing to process. Im not saying I wouldn't be willing to make this sacrifice for Bella. But you all must think about the consequences. We would be living with and for Volturi. We would have to kill and drink human blood. Are you all willing to risk that?"

"Are you Carlisle? Because it seems as if you're trying to dissuade us." Rosalie questioned.

Carlisle shook his head and said "im not trying to dissuade. I just want everyone to understand what the consequences will be if we do this. All of our hard work resisting human blood will go down the drain."

"Emmett?" Rosalie questioned.

"I'll go wherever you go babe. If Bella's happy and has a husband, there's no reason for us to stick around."

"Alright then let's vote. Hands up if we go?"

Six hands arose. One stayed down.

….

Bella smiled as her father-in-law set a plate of ackee and saltfish in front of her. Jamaica's signature dish.

As hungry as she was, she couldn't bear to eat. The anxiety made her appetite nonexistent.

"Come now girl you got to eat." He said as he pushed the plate towards her.

Bella gave him a half smile as she pushed the food around her plate.

A warm hand covered her own. Looking up, Bella met the violet eyes of her sister-in-law.

"He will be ok, Izzy. Big Brother has always been good at destroying leeches. Besides he has God on his side."

It was sad in a way as Bella looked at her in-laws. They were so kind and supportive. Paul could have had a very different childhood if Julian had known about Paul earlier. When Julian was eighteen, he met Paul's mom, they had a one-night stand and that was that. Paul's mom hadn't cared enough to find Julian, so she let her boyfriend at the time believe he was the father. His stepfather was a horrible person and the constant abuse had darkened her husband's heart.

Years later when Paul was only 20, Julian found out about him through a friend. Julian, being a supernatural creature, didn't need a DNA test. As soon as Paul opened their front door, he knew that Paul was his blood. And Paul knew it too, but their relationship started rocky. Paul at first didn't want anything to do with Julian. Paul slammed the door in his face as soon as Julian claimed to be his father.

When she asked Paul why, Paul said he didn't need him then and he didn't need him now. But Julian was just as stubborn.

He crashed through the front door, taking his shades off to reveal violet eyes just as bright as Paul's.

Both of them phased right there and fought. Destroying their living room. Bella was so pissed she poured boiling water on them knowing it wouldn't do any damage, but she knew it would at least shock them into phasing back.

Flashback:

"BOTH OF YOU GET YOURSELVES TOGETHER NOW! LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO MY LIVING ROOM!" Bella yelled at the two men on the floor. "Now Paul, I know you are upset, but could you at least listen to what he has to say? Im sure there is a big explanation for all this. Besides he might be able to help you with containing both halves of yourself."

"Both halves?" Julian question.

Paul sat up and looked at him. "The wolf form I was just in wasn't my regular form. I can transform into something else. It's obvious my other half comes from you."

Julian's eyes widened.

"You can transform into a tiger as well?"

"Yes. why? From what I just saw you transformed into a tiger too."

Julian stood and offered his hand to Paul.

Paul accepted and Julian said "In our family, it's mainly girls that transform into tigers. I was one of the rare males. It seems like I have passed that rare gene on. Interesting."

"Why are you here?" Paul asked stoically.

"I'm here for you son. I... didn't know about you. Your mother and I had a one-night stand. I didn't even know her name. We just got drunk and jumped into bed. The next morning, I was alone. It wasn't until a few weeks ago, that a friend of mine who is a detective, said he found your mother's old file in his system. Her record said she had a son. The minute I saw your eyes I knew. I swear son if I had known I would have taken you away from here. You know our family descends from a clan of tigers. I can help you control it. I can't imagine the battle of having two spirit animals living in you."

End of flashback

That day in their living room, Paul had gained what he needed, a father. and right now, that father was trying to comfort her.

"I know. It's just been a long two days."

It was then Bella's house phone rang. She got up to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Baby girl?" a hoarse voice croaked.

"Dad!?"

….

Paul held the phone for his father-in-law as the pack burned the red-haired wench. This was the first time they were seeing him in his tiger form. Normally he stayed in his wolf form and waited for the leech to be cornered. Once cornered, he would go in for the kill and disappear with a limb or two but since his father-in-law was involved, he had to be extra careful. He, of course, buried the redhead's legs in the ground, before he tore the rest of her in pieces.

Unfortunately, their fight wasn't over. The redhead's brother was still out there, and the pack needed to be on alert.

He held his father-in-law's body gently as he assured Bella that he was alright.

"Bells I'll be fine. I think I broke a rib, and maybe my collarbone, but Paul arrived just in time. Tell me this is one of those need-to-know things, right?"

"Yes. Daddy im so sorry. This is my fault."

Paul rolled his eyes. His wife could be such a martyr.

"You stop that right now. We have talked about this years ago. Supernatural creatures exist. That's all I needed to know. Now you put Julian on, and Paul here is going to take me to the hospital."

"Charlie. How you doin' old man?"

Paul felt a sense of peace as he heard his father's voice. Just knowing that he was there with his mate, made his inner beasts calm down.

"As well as I can J. Watch my girl now you hear? I think another one of them creatures is still out there."

"Will do old man, now go to the hospital. Don't need you bleeding all over my kid."

And with that said, his father ended the call. Charlie chuckled as he gave Paul the phone.

"Alright son, take me to the hospital. It's getting hard to breathe."