Bella McLeod
Healer
This is my first Twilight fic, and it is a femlash, featuring Bella and Rosalie as a couple. So, if you don't like, please head somewhere else.
As an introduction, you may want to read "Snape McLeod" since the Bella that trained Tobias there is the same one here, only a decade later. It's not a requirement for you to read it, especially since I will try and untangle things as the story progresses. I altered the timeline to fit my needs, so… she met Snape in 1997, they parted ways in 2000 and it is now 2011, when she moves to Forks with Charlie.
Bare in mind that I do not own Twilight, nor its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY'RE NOT MINE. I only own the idea of making Bella Swan part of Clan McLeod.
I also not own the Highlander series, characters and concepts.
Remember to leave your reviews…
Bella McLeod
Chapter 15
Healer
It was sunny again in the morning. I awakened with renewed hope that I grimly tried to suppress. I had planned my arrival at school so that I barely had time to make it to class. With a sinking heart, I circled the full lot looking for a space, while also searching for any of the Cullen's flashy cars, particularly the Volvo that I knew belonged to Rose's sibling Edward, which was clearly not there. I parked in the last row and hurried to English, arriving breathless, but subdued, before the final bell. It was the same as yesterday, I just couldn't keep little sprouts of hope from budding in my mind, only to have them squashed painfully as I searched the lunchroom in vain.
"I thought I told you that the Cullen's go hiking whenever there is good weather" said Angela from my side.
I nodded. "I was just really hoping to see her today" I said turning my attention to her.
"You want a ride home today?"
I shook my head "No, thank you though. Dr Cullen brought my truck back last night."
"That's odd" said Jessica catching up to our conversation. "They usually go all together. Whenever they don't come to school, Dr. Cullen does not appear to the hospital"
"Maybe it is a sibling bonding hiking" I said. They glanced strangely at me "I spoke with Mrs Cullen last night too."
"Anyway, what's the deal between the Ice Queen and you?" asked Jessica
"Hey, she's not an Ice Queen" I said heatedly
"Actually she kinda is" said Angela calmly "She's warming up at you, but still"
I sighed. "I don't know exactly. At times it seems as we get along fine, and at times it seems that she can't stand me" I sighed again and remembered what she said on the salad buffet on Sunday, which made me smile.
"What's with the smile?" asked Jessica in a whisper. I was grateful that at least both Jessica and Angela were trying to keep this conversation as private as it could be at the cafeteria with Mike, Eric and the others sitting at our table.
"Sunday was perfect. She came to my house on the morning, we spent the day together" I sighed "We almost kissed by the end of our evening" with that I frowned. Maybe she had kissed me, I didn't know, I had died right before our lips touched.
"What stopped you?" Asked Jessica
"Uhm, I passed out on my couch" I said blushing.
Both Angela and Jessica giggled at this. Then the Port Angeles scheme was back on again for tonight and was made all the more attractive by the fact that Lauren had other obligations.
I was anxious to get out of town so I could stop glancing over my shoulder, hoping to see her appearing out of the blue the way she always did. I vowed to myself that I would be in a good mood tonight and not ruin Angela's or Jessica's enjoyment in the dress hunting. Maybe aside from looking for the still unknown guy who tried to kill me, I could do a little clothes shopping as well.
After school, Jessica followed me home in her old white Mercury so that I could ditch my books and truck. I left a note for Charlie on the table, explaining where to find dinner, I then switched my scruffy wallet from my school bag to a purse, made sure that my coat concealed my sword and ran out to join Jessica. We went to Angela's house next, and she was waiting for us.
Jess drove faster than Charlie and her car ran better than my truck, so we made it to Port Angels by four. It had been a while since I'd had a girls' night out; last time, well, my previous Watcher passed away and I was 'sent' by Duncan to live here.
We listened to whiny rock songs while Jessica jabbered on about the boys we hung out with. Jessica's dinner with Mike had gone very well, and she was hoping that by Saturday night they would have progressed to the first-kiss stage. I smiled to myself, pleased. Angela was passively happy to be going to the dance, but not really interested in Eric. Jess tried to get her to confess who her type was, but I interrupted with a question about dresses after a bit, to spare her. Angela threw a grateful glance my way.
Jess drove straight to the one big department store in town, which was a few streets in from the bay area's visitor-friendly face. The dance was billed as semiformal, and we weren't exactly sure what that meant. Both Jessica and Angela seemed surprised and almost disbelieving when I told them I'd never been to a dance.
"Didn't you ever go with a boyfriend, or a girlfriend or something?" Jess asked dubiously as we walked through the front doors of the store.
"Really," I tried to convince her. "I've never had anyone I wanted to go to a dance with. I did use to go out though, quite a lot, specially with my friend Clara but never to a school dance."
"Why not?" Jessica demanded.
"No one asked me out, and there wasn't anybody I'd like to ask out" I answered honestly. She looked skeptical.
"People ask you out here," she reminded me, "and you tell them no."
"That's because they're all boys" I said "And I don't go out with guys"
"Well, except for Tyler," Angela amended quietly.
"Excuse me?" I gasped. "What did you say?"
"Tyler told everyone he's taking you to prom," Jessica informed me with suspicious eyes.
"He said what?" I sounded like I was choking.
"I told you it wasn't true," Angela murmured to Jessica. I was silent, still lost in shock that was quickly turning to irritation. But we had found the dress racks, and now we had work to do.
"That's why Lauren doesn't like you," Jessica explained while we pawed through the clothes. I ground my teeth.
"Do you think that if I run him over with my truck he would stop feeling guilty about the accident? That he might give up on making amends and call it even?"
"Maybe," Jess snickered. '"If that's why he's doing this." The dress selection wasn't large, but both of them found a few things to try on.
I sat on a low chair just inside the dressing room, by the three-way mirror, trying to control my fuming.
Jess was torn between two; one a long, strapless, basic black number; the other a knee-length electric blue with spaghetti straps. I encouraged her to go with the blue; why not play up the eyes? Angela chose a pale pink dress that draped around her tall frame nicely and brought out honey tints in her light brown hair. I complimented them both generously and helped by returning the rejects to their racks.
That was when I felt the Buzz. I told the girls I'd be back shortly and walked out of the store looking around, waiting for whoever it was to appear.
It shocked me that it was not the male from Sunday, but another woman, one that had a remarkable resemblance to Karen.
She approached smiling at me, holding both hands up in order to let me know that she was not here to challenge me. I relaxed the grip I had on my coat.
"Are you Isabella McLeod?" I nodded "My name is Karla Anthropus. I understand you defeated my sister"
"She issued the challenge and I complied with it" I told her. "However the guy who was with her, tried to take me out before I could even recover from the Quickening"
She nodded "I just came looking for you to warn you. Next time we see each other, you better be prepared, because we will duel then." I nodded, thankful that at least she was no trying to get revenge "However you must know that Raoul is pissed off with who he called your pet"
I looked curiously at her. I knew she, or him for that matter, might be talking about Rosalie "Because she appeared in the alley and that made me stand up" I said incredously. "He was going to finish me off without issuing a challenge himself!" I said angrily now.
Karla shook her head "He does not abide to the rules. The only one he does respect is the one regarding Holy Ground, so you better watch your back" I nodded but looked intently at her knowing that there was more to it. "He came to me hoping I would fight you right away. I know he must have pushed my sister to fight you, she loved him you know, anyway he said that once you were out of the picture, he would make sure that your 'pet' would suffer a lot before finishing her too"
That made me angry "What!? I know she interrupted his plan to kill me but that is just ridiculous. Besides, he won't take me out, I will not let him harm her."
"Oh, he is mad at her because she appeared at his hotel room and broke his neck" she said smirking
"She did what?"
"Personally I say 'good for her'" she continued as if I had not asked anything "Too bad that is not enough to stop us"
"Hold on. What do you mean she broke his neck?" I asked anxious and concerned
"She probably thought she was killing him. Raoul said that she kept saying that he had killed you"
"Crap!" I said taking out my phone and dialing Rosalie's number. After several ringtones I was sent to voice mail. "Hey it's me, please call me. I need to speak to you. It's urgent and really important" I tried again but I was sent to voicemail after one ring, which made me think that she had refused to accept my call.
I looked up and Karla was smirking.
"As I said, just came to warn you. Remember next time we see each other, we'll duel" she said before heading out of the mall.
I kept trying to contact Rose to no avail. Each time I was sent to voicemail. I berated myself for not saving on my phone any of Rose's siblings phone numbers when I had the chance to do it. I left another message on her voicemail. "Rose, please don't ignore me. I know what you tried to do. And that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. But you should know that he is fine, just as I am. Okay? We need to talk, call me please"
After that, I headed back to the store where Angela and Jess were still roaming through.
"Angela?" I began, hesitant, while she was trying on a pair of pink strappy heels, she was overjoyed to have a date tall enough that she could wear high heels at all. Jessica had drifted to the jewelry counter and we were alone.
"Yes?" She held her leg out, twisting her ankle to get a better view of the shoe. I chickened out.
"I like those." I drifted from my original question
"I think I'll get them, though they'll never match anything but the one dress," she mused.
"Oh, go ahead, they're on sale after all," I encouraged. She smiled, putting the lid back on a box that contained more practical-looking off-white shoes. I tried again. "Um, Angela…" She looked up curiously. "Do you really think we'll work out? Rosalie and me?" I kept my eyes on the shoes "if you agree with Jess and everyone else at school for that matter, that she is, well, not the most sociable person, why encourage me?" I failed miserably in my attempt to sound nonchalant.
"Well, I do think so. She speaks to you, most of the time anyway. She saved you from being crashed by Tyler's van, and you told me she said she wanted more than friendship, and for what we all know, she doesn't mean it to be just temporarily" she told me quietly, examining her shoes, too. She didn't ask one question, let alone the hundreds that Jessica would have unleashed. I really liked Angela. She was like a younger version of Renee. Calm and collected and respectful.
"Oh." I smiled seeing her logic and decided to let the subject drop as Jessica returned to show us the rhinestone jewelry she'd found to match her silver shoes.
We planned to go to dinner at a little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk, but the dress shopping hadn't taken as long as originally expected. Jess and Angela were going to take their clothes back to the car and then walk down to the bay. I told them I would meet them at the restaurant in an hour since I wanted to look for a bookstore. They were both willing to come with me, but I encouraged them to go have fun, they didn't need to know how preoccupied I was to contact Rosalie and not bumping into Raoul; it was something I preferred to do alone.
They walked off to the car chattering happily, and I headed in the direction Jess pointed out for me to find the bookstore, which was no hard at all. The windows were full of crystals, dream-catchers, and books about spiritual healing. I didn't even go inside. Maybe Tobias would like this particular store.
I meandered through the streets, which were filling up with end-of-the-workday traffic, and hoped I was headed toward downtown. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should to where I was going because every other minute I would dial Rose's phone to no avail, desperately hoping that she was not ignoring me again; I was wrestling with despair.
I stomped along in a southerly direction, toward some glass-fronted shops. But when I got to them, they were just a repair shop and a vacant space. I still had too much time to go looking for Jess and Angela yet, and I definitely needed to get my mood in hand before I met back up with them. I ran my fingers through my hair a couple of times and took some deep breaths before I continued around the corner, never stopping in my attempts to contact her.
I started to realize, as I crossed another road, that I was getting farther from the general population area. The little foot traffic I had seen was going north, and it looked like the buildings here were mostly warehouses. I decided to turn east at the next corner, and then loop around after a few blocks and try my luck on a different street on my way back to the boardwalk.
A group of four men turned around the corner I was heading for, dressed too casually to be heading home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists. As they approached me, I realized they weren't too many years older than I looked. They were joking loudly among themselves, laughing raucously and punching each other's arms. I scooted as far to the inside of the sidewalk as I could to give them room, walking swiftly, looking past them to the corner.
"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed, and he had to be talking to me since no one else was around. I glanced up automatically. Two of them had paused, the other two were slowing. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He was wearing a flannel shirt open over a dirty t-shirt, cut-ff jeans, and sandals. He took half a step toward me.
"Good day," I said, and quickly looked away and walked faster toward the corner. I could hear them laughing at full volume behind me.
"Hey, wait!" one of them called after me again, but I kept my head down and rounded the corner, I could take them out if necessary, I just hoped it did not come to that. I could still hear them chortling behind me.
As I kept trying to reach Rose, I found myself on a sidewalk leading past the backs of several somber-colored warehouses, each with large bay doors for unloading trucks, padlocked for the night. The south side of the street had no sidewalk, only a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire protecting some kind of engine parts storage yard. It was getting dark, I realized, the clouds finally returning, piling up on the western horizon, creating an early sunset. The eastern sky was still clear, but graying, shot through with streaks of pink and orange. A sudden shiver made me put on my coat and cross my arms tightly across my chest. A single van passed me, and then the road was empty.
The sky suddenly darkened further, and, as I looked over my shoulder to glare at the offending cloud, I realized that two men were walking quietly twenty feet behind me. They were from the same group I'd passed at the corner, though neither was the dark one who'd spoken to me. I turned my head forward at once, quickening my pace. My purse was on a shoulder strap and I had it slung across my body, the way you were supposed to wear it so it wouldn't get snatched and my sword secured within my coat. I didn't have much money with me, barely 50 bucks, and I thought about "accidentally" dropping my bag and walking away. But something in my mind warned me that they might be something worse than thieves. I listened intently to their quiet footsteps, which were much too quiet when compared to the boisterous noise they'd been making earlier, and it didn't sound like they were speeding up, or getting any closer to me. I had stopped by now trying to reach Rosalie, I just wanted to get away and avoid getting into a fight. I continued to walk as quickly as I could without actually running, focusing on the right-hand turn that was only a few yards away from me now. I could hear them, staying as far back as they'd been before. A blue car turned onto the street from the south and drove quickly past me. I reached the corner, but a swift glance revealed that it was only a blind drive to the back of another building. I was half-turned in anticipation; I had to hurriedly correct and dash across the narrow drive, back to the sidewalk. The street ended at the next corner, where there was a stop sign. I concentrated on the faint footsteps behind me, deciding whether or not to run. They sounded farther back, though.
The footfalls were definitely farther back. I risked a quick glance over my shoulder, and they were maybe forty feet back now, I saw with relief. But they were both staring at me. It seemed to take forever for me to get to the corner. I kept my pace steady, the men behind me falling ever so slightly farther behind with every step. I saw two cars going north pass the intersection I was heading for, and I exhaled in relief. There would be more people around once I got off this deserted street. I skipped around the corner with a grateful sigh. And skidded to a stop. The street was lined on both sides by blank, doorless, windowless walls. I could see in the distance, two intersections down, streetlamps, cars, and more pedestrians, but they were all too far away. Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the other two men from the group, both watching with excited smiles as I froze dead on the sidewalk.
I realized then that I wasn't being followed. I was being herded. Duncan would surely lecture me if he learnt about this, what if they were hunters? I paused for only a second, but it felt like a very long time. I turned then and darted to the other side of the road. I had a sinking feeling that it was a wasted attempt, but I tried anyway, hoping I did not have to fight this people off. The footsteps behind me were louder now.
"There you are!" The booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man shattered the intense quiet. In the gathering darkness, it seemed like he was looking past me.
"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind me as I tried to hurry down the street.
"We just took a little detour." My steps had to slow now. I was closing the distance between myself and the lounging pair too quickly.
With a quick movement I slipped my purse over my head, freeing my hands and getting ready to fight as need demanded. The tallest man shrugged away from the wall as I warily came to a stop, and walked slowly into the street.
"Stay away from me," I warned as I took a fighting stance.
"Don't be like that, sugar," he called, and the raucous laughter started again behind me.
I braced myself, ready to get rid of these kids. Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing them to jump back toward the sidewalk. I dove into the road, this car was going to stop, or have to hit me. But the red car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from me.
"Get in," a furious voice commanded. It was amazing how suddenly a feeling of security washed over me, even before I was off the street, as soon as I heard her voice.
I jumped into the seat, slamming the door shut behind me. It was dark in the car, no light had come on with the opening of the door, and I could barely see her face in the glow from the dashboard. The tires squealed as she spun around to face north, accelerating too quickly, swerving toward the stunned men on the street. I caught a glimpse of them diving for the sidewalk as we straightened out and sped toward the harbor.
"Put on your seat belt," she commanded, and I realized I was clutching the seat with both hands.
I quickly obeyed; the snap as the belt connected was loud in the darkness. She took a sharp left, racing forward, blowing through several stop signs without a pause. But I felt utterly safe and, for the moment, totally unconcerned about where we were going.
I stared at her face in profound relief, relief that went beyond anything I could explain. I studied her flawless features in the limited light, waiting for my breath to return to normal, until I realized that her expression was murderously angry.
"Are you okay?" I asked, surprised at how hoarse my voice sounded.
"No," she said curtly, and her tone was livid. I sat in silence, watching her face while her blazing eyes stared straight ahead, until the car came to a sudden stop.
I glanced around, but it was too dark to see anything beside the vague outline of dark trees crowding the roadside. We weren't in town anymore.
"Bella?" she asked, her voice tight and forced out.
"Yes?" My voice sounded rough. I tried to clear my throat quietly.
"Are you all right?" She still didn't look at me, but the fury was plain on her face.
"Yes," I croaked softly.
"Distract me, please," she ordered.
"I'm sorry, what?" She exhaled sharply.
"Just prattle about something unimportant until I calm down," she clarified, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.
"Um." I wracked my brain for something trivial. "I think I'm going to run over Tyler Crowley tomorrow before school?" She was still squeezing her eyes closed, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
"Why?"
"He's telling everyone that he's taking me to prom… either he's insane or he's still trying to make up for almost killing me last… well, you remember it, and he thinks prom is somehow the correct way to do this. So I figure if I endanger his life, then we're even, and he can't keep trying to make amends. I don't need a highschool nemesis so maybe Lauren would back off if he left me alone. I might have to total his Sentra, though. If he doesn't have a ride he can't take anyone to prom…" I babbled on.
"I heard about that." She sounded a bit more composed.
"You did?" I asked in disbelief. "If he's paralyzed from the neck down, he can't go to the prom, either," I muttered, refining my plan. "Besides, I can't go with him, I have someone else in mind to be my date" She sighed, and finally opened her eyes. "Better?"
"Not really." I waited, but she didn't speak again. She leaned her head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling of the car. Her face was rigid.
"What's wrong Rose?" My voice came out in a whisper.
"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bella, especially where you are concerned." She was whispering, too, and as she stared out the window, her eyes narrowed into slits. "But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those…" She didn't finish her sentence, looking away, struggling for a moment to control her anger again. "At least," she continued, "that's what I'm trying to convince myself. I did it before and it ended up badly"
"Oh." The word seemed inadequate, so I decided to continue "If you mean by what happened on Sunday, that guy, Raoul, he is fine. We really need to speak about a lot of things. Are you okay now?"
"I don't think I'm calm enough for that yet" she said
We sat in silence again. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was past six-thirty. "Jessica and Angela will be worried," I murmured. "I was supposed to meet them."
She started the engine without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town. We were under the streetlights in no time at all, still going too fast, weaving with ease through the cars slowly cruising the boardwalk. When she parked the car I looked out the window to see the lights of La Bella Italia, and Jess and Angela just leaving, pacing anxiously away from us.
"How did you know where… ?" I began, but then I just shook my head. I heard the door open and turned to see her getting out. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm taking you to dinner." She smiled slightly, but her eyes were hard. She stepped out of the car and slammed the door. I fumbled with my seat belt, and then hurried to get out of the car as well. She was waiting for me on the sidewalk. I then noticed that I had just rode a red and convertible BMW. I wondered if this was actually hers, because it suited her.
"Go stop Jessica and Angela before I have to track them down too. I don't think I could restrain myself if I ran into any of your other friends again." I shivered at the threat in her voice.
"Jess! Angela!" I yelled after them, waving when they turned. They rushed back to me, the pronounced relief on both their faces simultaneously changing to surprise as they saw who I was standing next to. They hesitated a few feet from us.
"Where have you been?" Jessica's voice was suspicious.
"I got lost," I admitted sheepishly. "And then I ran into Rosalie." I gestured toward her.
"Would it be all right if I joined you?" she asked in her silken, irresistible voice. I could see from their staggered expressions that she had never unleashed her talents on them before.
"Er… sure," Jessica breathed.
"Um, actually, Bella, we already ate while we were waiting, sorry," Angela said.
"That's fine, I'm not hungry." I shrugged.
"I think you should eat something." Rosalie's voice was low, but full of authority. She looked up at Jessica and spoke slightly louder. "Do you mind if I drive Bella home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats."
"Uh, no problem, I guess…" Jess bit her lip, trying to figure out from my expression whether that was what I wanted. I winked at her. I wanted nothing more than to be alone with my perpetual savior. There were so many questions that I couldn't bombard her with till we were by ourselves.
"Okay." Angela was quicker than Jessica. "See you tomorrow, Bella… Rosalie." She grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her toward the car, which I could see a little ways away, parked across First Street.
As they got in, Jess turned and waved, her face eager with curiosity. I waved back, waiting for them to drive away before I turned to face Rose.
"Honestly, I'm not hungry," I insisted, looking up to scrutinize her face. Her expression was unreadable.
"Humor me."
She walked to the door of the restaurant and held it open with an obstinate expression. Obviously, there would be no further discussion. I walked past him into the restaurant with a resigned sigh.
"But if I tell you we have to leave, you will comply with my request, deal?" She nodded vehemently.
The restaurant wasn't crowded. The host was female, and I understood the look in her eyes as she assessed Rose. She welcomed her a little more warmly than necessary. I was surprised by how much that bothered me. She was several inches taller than I was, and unnaturally blond. I tried to get comfort from the fact that just last Sunday Rosalie had proclaimed her love to me.
"A table for two?" Rosalie's voice was alluring, whether she was aiming for that or not. I saw the hostess' eyes flicker to me and then away, satisfied by my obvious ordinariness, and by the cautious, no-contact space Rosalie kept between us. She led us to a table big enough for four in the center of the most crowded area of the dining floor. I was about to sit, but Rosalie shook her head at me. "Perhaps something more private?" she insisted quietly to the hostess as she smoothly handed her a tip.
"Sure." The hostess sounded as surprised as I was. She turned and led us around a partition to a small ring of booths, all of them empty. "How's this?"
"Perfect." Rosalie flashed her gleaming smile, dazing her momentarily.
"Um" She shook her head, blinking "your server will be right out." She walked away unsteadily.
"You really shouldn't do that to people," I criticized. "It's hardly fair."
"Do what?"
"Dazzle them like that, she's probably hyperventilating in the kitchen right now." She seemed confused. "Oh, come on," I said dubiously. "You have to know the effect you have on people." She tilted her head to one side, and her eyes were curious.
"I dazzle people?"
"You haven't noticed? Do you think everybody gets their way so easily?" She ignored my questions.
"Do I dazzle you?"
"Frequently," I admitted. And then our server arrived, his face expectant. The hostess had definitely dashed behind the scenes, and this new kid didn't look disappointed. He flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear and smiled with unnecessary warmth. If he wasn't so desperately trying to get Rosalie's attention I wouldn't mind him. To be honest, I couldn't blame them, I was like that since the moment I set eyes on Rose, but this was starting to annoy me.
"Hello. My name is Armand, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" I didn't miss that he was speaking only to Rose. She looked at me.
"I'll have a Coke." It sounded like a question.
"Two Cokes," she said.
"I'll be right back with that," the kid assured her with another unnecessary smile. But Rose didn't see it. She was watching me.
"What?" I asked when he left. Her eyes stayed fixed on my face.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," I replied, surprised by her intensity.
"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold…?"
"Should I?" She chuckled at my puzzled tone.
"Well, I'm actually waiting for you to go into shock. Since I can't myself. How's your wound?" her face twisted up into that perfect crooked smile.
"I don't think that will happen," I said referring to the first part. "I've always been very good at repressing unpleasant things. And I told you, I'm fine. Not even a scar. This encounter with those young men, does not even make it to top 20 on the list of unpleasant. So stop it."
"Just the same, I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you. And how you mean no scar? I saw you-"
"I know" I said interrupting her and reaching for her hand, which she took and clasped in mine. "I did. But I am fine. I promise"
Right on cue, the waiter appeared with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks. He stood with his back to me as he placed them on the table, forcing us to let go.
"Are you ready to order?" he asked Rosalie.
"Bella?" she asked. He turned unwillingly toward me. I picked the first thing I saw on the menu.
"Um… I'll have the mushroom ravioli."
"And you?" He turned back to her with a smile.
"Nothing for me," she said. Of course not, I thought to myself.
"Let me know if you change your mind."
The coy smile was still in place, but she wasn't looking at him, and he left dissatisfied.
"Drink," she ordered. I sipped at my soda obediently, and then drank more deeply, surprised by how thirsty I was. I realized I had finished the whole thing when she pushed her glass toward me.
"Thanks," I muttered, still thirsty. The cold from the icy soda was radiating through my chest, and I shivered.
"Are you cold?"
"It's just the Coke," I explained, shivering again.
"Don't you have a jacket?" her voice was disapproving.
"Not here." I looked longingly at my coat on the chair. "and that is just too much trouble to wear around right now,"
Rosalie was shrugging out of her jacket. I suddenly realized that I had never once noticed what she was wearing, not just tonight, but ever. I just couldn't seem to look away from her face. I made myself look now, focusing. She was removing a light beige leather jacket now; underneath she wore an ivory turtleneck sweater.
It fit her snugly, emphasizing how gorgeous her body was. She handed me the jacket, interrupting my ogling.
"Thanks," I said, sliding my arms into her jacket. It was cold, the way my jacket felt when I first picked it up in the morning.
It smelled amazing. I inhaled, trying to identify the delicious scent. It didn't smell like perfume. The sleeves were a little long; I shoved them back so I could free my hands.
"That color looks lovely with your skin," she said, watching me. I was surprised; I looked down, flushing, of course. She pushed the bread basket toward me.
"Really, I'm not going into shock," I protested.
"You should be, a normal person would be. And you should be, especially if you do know what I did."
She seemed unsettled. She stared into my eyes, and I saw how light her eyes were, lighter than I'd ever seen them, golden butterscotch.
"Well, neither you nor me are normal and I don't know if you've heard any of the voicemails I left you today, but what you did is probably one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. Granted, not normal, but we already covered we ain't. Normal I mean. And just so you know, I feel very safe with you," I confessed, mesmerized into telling the truth again. That displeased her; her blonde brow furrowed. She shook her head, frowning.
"This is more complicated than I'd planned," she murmured to herself. I picked up a breadstick and began nibbling on the end, measuring her expression. I wondered when it would be okay to start questioning each other. I had given her plenty opportunities to start firing her questions.
"Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light," I commented, trying to distract her from whatever thought had left her frowning and somber. She stared at me, stunned.
"What?"
"You're always crabbier when your eyes are dark, I expect it then," I went on. "I have a theory about that." Her eyes narrowed.
"More theories?"
"Mm-hm." I chewed on a small bite of the bread, trying to look indifferent.
"I hope you were more creative this time… or are you still stealing from comic books?"
Her faint smile was mocking; her eyes were still tight.
"Well, no, I didn't get it from a comic book, but I didn't come up with it on my own, either," I confessed.
"And?" she prompted. But then the waiter strode around the partition with my food.
I realized we'd been unconsciously leaning toward each other across the table, because we both straightened up as he approached. He set the dish in front of me, and I must say it looked pretty good, he then turned quickly to Rosalie.
"Did you change your mind?" he asked. "Isn't there anything I can get you?" I may have been imagining the double meaning in his words.
"No, thank you, but some more soda would be nice." She gestured with a long white hand to the empty cups in front of me.
"Sure." He removed the empty glasses and walked away.
"You were saying?" she asked.
"I'll tell you about it later, if…" I paused.
"There are conditions?" She raised one eyebrow, her voice ominous.
"I do have a few questions, as I'm sure you do, of course."
"Of course." The waiter was back with two more Cokes. He sat them down without a word this time, and left again. I took a sip. "Well, go ahead," she pushed, her voice still hard.
I started with the most undemanding. Or so I thought.
"Why are you in Port Angeles?"
She looked down, folding her large hands together slowly on the table. Her eyes flickered up at me from under her lashes, the hint of a smirk on her face.
"Next."
"But that's the easiest one," I objected.
"Next," she repeated.
I looked down, frustrated. I unrolled my silverware, picked up my fork, and carefully speared a ravioli. I put it in my mouth slowly, still looking down, chewing while I thought. The mushrooms were good. I swallowed and took another sip of Coke before I looked up.
"Okay, then." I glared at her, and continued slowly. "Let's go back a little in time" she looked confused at me and I couldn't help but smile. "What you said to me while I was trying to eat on Sunday, was it truth?" She looked more confused than before. "About wanting me to let you in and your feelings toward me." I explained her.
"That is the easiest one" she said pointedly "Yes. I do love you Bella. And I was scared to death when I saw all that blood. How did you survive losing so much?" She asked me
"Next" I said repeating her statement to me, taking ravioli into my mouth just to keep myself from smirking.
She smiled at me. "How about this. One and one. You ask once, you get an answer. I ask once and get an answer" I looked at her and shook my head, still munching my ravioli. "Fine, then tell me the truth that you denied Sunday evening. I know you were lying" She said a little angry
I smiled, but took my time swallowing. "I already told you, you were right. But then of course, it appears you're too stubborn to listen." I continued eating and we both kept silent for a while, however I could see her smiling softly at me now. After a few minutes I decided to keep going then, I needed her to understand that it did not matter to me what she was. "Let's say, hypothetically of course, that… someone… had special abilities, like super strength, super speed" I paused briefly "enhanced hearing?"
"That too" she admitted, "hypothetically." She hastily added
"All right, enhanced hearing, then." I was thrilled that she was playing along, but I tried to seem casual. "How does that work? What are the limitations? Aside from the treaty with the Quiloutes? And how would… that someone… find someone else at exactly the right time? How would she know this other someone was in trouble?" I wondered if my convoluted questions even made sense.
"Hypothetically?" she asked.
"Sure."
"Well, if… that someone…"
"Let's call her Rita,'" I suggested.
She smiled wryly. "Rita, then. If Rita had been paying attention, the timing wouldn't have needed to be quite so exact." She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Only you could get into trouble in a town this small. You would have devastated their crime rate statistics for a decade, you know."
"We were speaking of a hypothetical case," I reminded her smirking. She laughed at me, her eyes warm.
"Yes, we were," she agreed. "Shall we call me 'Fanny'?" making me smile
"Will you answer honestly now?" I asked, unable to curb my intensity. I realized I was leaning toward her again. She seemed to be wavering, torn by some internal dilemma. Her eyes locked with mine, and I guessed she was making the decision right then whether or not to simply tell me the truth. "I don't care about the whats, or the hows, just about the who, and that who is you" I murmured. I reached forward, "You can trust me, you know" without thinking, to touch her folded hands.
"I don't know if I have a choice anymore." Her voice was almost a whisper. "I was wrong, you're much more observant than I gave you credit for."
"And still I managed to be ambushed by a bunch of kids today."
She shook her head again. "I was wrong about you on one other thing, as well. You're not a magnet for accidents, that's not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for trouble. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you."
"And you put yourself into that category?" I guessed. Her face turned cold, expressionless.
"Unequivocally."
I softly caressed the hands between mine. Her skin was cold and hard, like a stone, as always.
"Thank you." My voice was fervent with gratitude. "That's the third now." Her face softened.
"Let's not tempt fate with a fourth, agreed?" I scowled, but nodded.
"I'll try, but that's all I can promise, my effort in avoiding danger. Except you, I do not consider you to be a danger to me."
She moved her hand out from under mine, placing both of hers under the table. But she leaned toward me. "I followed you to Port Angels," she admitted, speaking in a rush. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's much more troublesome than I would have believed. But that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes." She paused. I wondered if it should bother me that she was following me and still not answering my phone calls; instead I felt a strange surge of pleasure. She stared, maybe wondering why my lips were curving into an involuntary smile.
"Were you watching over me yesterday while I napped outside Charlie's house?" I asked recalling the feeling of being watched.
"I wanted to make sure you were truly ok. And safe" she whispered shyly
"Thank you for caring. Though you shouldn't have ignored me all this time" I admonished swatting lightly at her arm with my fork. "Did you ever think that maybe my number was up the first time, with the van, and that you've been interfering with fate? Like with the Final Destination movies" I speculated, distracting myself from the intensity of her gaze at that moment.
"That wasn't the first time," she said, and her voice was hard to hear. I stared at her in amazement, but she was then looking down. "Your number was up the first time I met you." I felt a spasm of hurt at her words, and the abrupt memory of her violent black glare that first day… but the overwhelming sense of safety I felt in her presence stifled it. "You remember?" she asked, her angel's face grave.
"Yes." I was calm.
"And yet here you sit." There was a trace of disbelief in her voice; she raised one eyebrow.
"Yes, here I sit… because of you." I paused. "Because somehow you knew how to find me today… ?" I prompted. She pressed her lips together, staring at me through narrowed eyes, deciding again. Her eyes flashed down to my still somewhat full plate, and then back to me.
"You eat, I'll talk," she bargained. I quickly scooped up another ravioli and popped it in my mouth. "Then we change rolls" I nodded to acknowledge my agreement "It's harder than it should be, keeping track of you. You somehow manage to lose me. I have your scent memorized by heart and still it's hard to find you" She looked at me anxiously, and I realized I had frozen. I made myself swallow, then stabbed another ravioli and tossed it in. "I was keeping tabs on you, Jessica, and Angela, not carefully… like I said, only you could find trouble in Port Angels; maybe we should avoid coming back here; anyway, I noticed when you took off on your own. But I couldn't be near enough without raising suspicions toward me and my car, I couldn't get out in plain daylight today. And since I knew you would have to turn around soon… I was just waiting for you, randomly getting your scent through the people on the street and trying not to lose it. I had no reason to be worried… but I was strangely anxious…" She was lost in thought, staring past me, seeing things I couldn't imagine. "I started to drive in circles, still… smelling around. The sun was finally setting, and I was about to get out and follow you on foot. And then…" She stopped, clenching her teeth together in sudden fury. She made an effort to calm herself.
"Then what?" I whispered. She continued to stare over my head.
"I heard what they were saying to each other," she growled, her upper lip curling slightly back over her teeth. "And I could tell they were not lying about what they planned to do to whom I correctly assumed was you, sometimes people just brag but they were serious!" She suddenly leaned forward, one elbow appearing on the table, her hand covering her eyes. The movement was so swift it startled me. "It was very… hard, you can't imagine how hard, for me to simply take you away, and leave them… alive." Her voice was muffled by her arm. "I could have let you go with Jessica and Angela, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them. Like I did on Sunday, when I thought you were dead" she admitted in a whisper. I sat quietly, dazed, my thoughts incoherent. My hands were folded in my lap, and I was leaning weakly against the back of the seat. She still had her face in her hand, and she was as still as if she'd been carved from the stone her skin resembled. Finally she looked up, her eyes seeking mine, full of her own questions. "Are you ready to go home?"she asked.
"I'm ready to leave," I qualified, overly grateful that we had the hour long ride home together. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her. The waiter appeared as if he'd been called. Or watching.
"How are we doing?" he asked Rosalie.
"We're ready for the check, thank you." Her voice was quiet, rougher, still reflecting the strain of our conversation. It seemed to muddle him. She looked up, waiting.
"S-sure," he stuttered. "Here you go." He pulled a small leather folder from the front pocket of her black apron and handed it to her. There was a bill in her hand already. She slipped it into the folder and handed it right back to him.
"No change." She smiled. Then she stood up, and I scrambled awkwardly to my feet.
"You have a nice evening." He told us upon looking the bill Rosalie handed. She didn't look away from me as she thanked him, and I had to suppress a smile.
She walked close beside me to the door, still careful not to touch me. I still had questions regarding what she was, so far she had only answered for today's events. I sighed. Rosalie seemed to hear me, and she looked down curiously. I looked at the sidewalk, gathering my thoughts. She opened the passenger door, holding it for me as I stepped in, shutting it softly behind me. I watched her walk around the front of the car, amazed, yet again, by how graceful she was. I probably should have been used to that by now, but I wasn't. I had a feeling Rosalie wasn't the kind of person anyone just got used to. Once inside the car, she started the engine and turned the heater on high. It had gotten very cold, and I guessed the good weather was at an end. I was warm in her jacket, though, breathing in the scent of it when I thought she couldn't see. Rosalie pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway.
"Now," she said significantly, "it's your turn."
Revised A/N (March 2022): So how is everything coming along now? Hope you still enjoying the fic. I know I've taken my time to do this revision chapter by chapter, but I've come to enjoy doing this, like reliving the story and re defining my Bella.
A/N: Heys guys! Hope you enjoyed this.
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Also, thanks for the support and good wishes, it worked out! Yes! I have a job again! I start on Monday, so I offer you this longer chapter as an apology for future delays.
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