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 16

Healer

"Now," I said, "it's your turn."

"So now you eat while I talk?" she asked amused

"I already fed," I said shaking my head "but I do expect you to talk now"

She frowned and glanced back to the rearview mirror and then back again at me, finally settling on putting on her seat belt and looking forward before answering me.

"Fine, but I have three main questions I want you to answer and a favor to ask"

"What kind of deal is that? You agreed to switch rolls" I said mockingly

"You know you did not tell me the whole truth yet." She said firmly looking at the rear view mirror again. "and it's important you do this favor for me" I looked at the rear view mirror myself then and noticed that there was a car a few miles behind us.

"Okay then, ask away" I said now paying attention to the car behind us. Which seemed to keep up with my speed and turning whenever I did.

"Try to lose the car behind us. If you can't by the intersection in which we turn either to Forks or to Seattle, please head to Seattle."

"What? Why?" I asked now confirming that we were being followed and speeding away. But the driver behind us seemed adamant to catch up.

"Are you calm enough now?" she asked looking pointedly at me. I growled understanding that the one behind us was the same guy that tried to kill my mate. "Hey, we are fine okay? I won't let him harm us" she said.

"How did he survive?" I asked in low growl.

"The same way I did" She said simply. "I'll get to that, promise. Just lose him. If we reach Seattle and he is still on our tail, we'll have to go to a church or a chapel" then she seemed to think about it. "Er, can you enter those? You're not in danger if you approach that kind of places?" she asked worriedly.

I couldn't help but smile despite the situation. "So you have managed to solve the puzzle" I said "Don't worry, most of whatever you know about us is just a myth." I told her "I'd like to know however, how you reached this conclusion" I said looking at her. I was now heading for Seattle, going over a hundred miles an hour.

"Rose, please keep your eyes on the road!" said Bella urgently

"Relax, Bella." I rolled my eyes still looking at her.

"Are you trying to test my endurance?" she demanded.

"We're not going to crash." I tried to modulate my voice, and couldn't help the smirk on my lips

"Keep your eyes on the road!" She demanded again.

"I've never been in an accident, Bella… I've never even gotten a ticket." I grinned and tapped my forehead

"Well, I have, more times than I'd like to even count and invariably each time I have to move to another town!" she fumed. "Besides, if you turn us into a pretzel around a tree trunk, you can probably just walk away."

"Probably," I agreed with a short, hard laugh. "But you can't?"

She sighed "Depends on the magnitude, but probably it would take me at least a full day to recover"

I decided then to humor her and keep my eyes front and at the rear view mirror. Apparently we had lost our tracker, for which I was grateful. "Happy?" I asked

"Almost. Let's make it to Seattle and then head back to Port Angels through another route, just in case"

"I'm still waiting for your explanation; you are still being vague Bella." She bit her lip. "I won't laugh or judge," I promised.

"I'm more afraid that you'll be angry with me."

"Is it that bad?"

"Pretty much, yeah." I waited. I was looking on to the road but I kept glancing back at her, so I couldn see her expression.

"Go ahead."

"I don't know how to start," she admitted.

"Why don't you finish with your questioning, then we can focus on you"

"It's only three questions, if you answer them truthfully"

"I will, I promise"

She smiled "How can you come out during daytime?"

I chuckled a little and she frowned. "Told you. Myth. Churches, crucifixes, holy water, sunlight, even stakes and coffins" I said smirking.

"Then, why don't you or your family make appearances on sunny days?" she asked "And this does not count as my second question" she added seriously

"Well, the sun can't hurt us, but we can't go out in the sunlight, at least, not where anyone can see."

"Why?"

"I'll show you sometime," I promised.

She thought about it for a moment. "So, just to make sure I understand. You don't burst into flames, right?"

"Not unless someone does set me, literally, on fire" I said smirking

"Good. It wouldn't do to have my girlfriend turn into ashes in the middle of a stroll on a sunny day, or whenever walking into Holy Ground" she said seriously

I'm sure if I was human I would have choked after hearing that. I had to make a conscious effort to keep driving around Seattle in order to head back.

"Girlfriend?" I asked wanting to make sure of what I heard

"Well, yeah. After I came to terms with what you said on Sunday, and what I really think and feel, it only seemed the natural thing" she said looking intently at me "Am I wrong?" she asked smiling.

I shook my head. "Just took me by surprise" I confessed "I like it though" I added quickly. She smiled and we kept in silence for a few minutes. "So, next question" I prompted her.

"Right. Er, what is the deal with your eyes?" She asked

"What do you mean Bella?"

"Your eyes change color. And you seem to be crankier whenever they are dark"

"I think you should rephrase your question," I sighed "the easiest way to explain it is to tell you that usually they change according to how long it's been that I fed. The darker they are, the hungrier I am" I said simply.

"So does it mean that you were, what? Hunting this past two days?" she asked trying to make sense.

"Yes… I didn't want to leave, but it was necessary."

"Because of the Sun?"

I shook my head no. "It's easier to be around you and everyone else for that matter, when we are not thirsty."

"Why didn't you want to leave then?"

"It makes me… anxious… to be away from you." her eyes were gentle but intense when I told her that.

"Then why didn't you pick up the phone when I called you? Or why didn't you call me?" She sounded frustrated, almost angry.

"I didn't know how to face you after I killed a man." I said softly

"I told you Raoul is not dead"

"I know that know, though not sure how" I said softly "I did break his neck, along with several bones of his. I wanted him to be in as much pain as possible, for taking you away from me" I said. She kept silent for a moment.

"I didn't like it. Not seeing you or hearing from you. It makes me anxious, too." She softly confessed. I glanced up, apprehensive, and saw that her expression was somewhat pained.

"I'm sorry" I mumbled, not knowing what else to say

"I know" She sighed "Why else do your eyes change color?" she asked then intently looking at me. I stayed silent for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell her, I decided to do it, since she had already stated we were a couple, so she had to be warned about this.

"They can also get dark when I am angry or aroused. Once again, the darker they are the stronger I feel whatever it is I'm feeling at the moment" I said trying to assess her reaction.

"Ok, that does make sense" She simply said

"That the end of your questioning?" I asked a second later, hoping to get answers about herself now.

"Just one more. How did you know I was lying?" She asked "I mean, you said you always knew, but how?"

"That's it? That's your last question?" I asked truly confused.

"I want to know" she said

"You won't ask me what I eat or how old I am, or how dangerous I am when I need to feed?"

She shook her head "Obviously you feed from blood. I really don't care about your age, I already told you, I've dated older and younger people in my life. As for the danger, I think I made myself clear about that before, I don't think you represent a danger for myself"

"You certainly are something else" I said shaking my head. "Just to make sure you know though, my family and I don't feed on people, we only feed from animals. That is why our eyes are golden. Vampires who feed from humans, have red eyes"

"Thanks for clarifying to me that you are not dangerous." She said somewhat mockingly "Will you tell me now how you know when I, or someone else, lie?"

I smiled. "I am dangerous. The fact that we are good at controlling our thirst, does not mean we can always manage."

"Rose…if you are trying to scare me, it won't work" she warned me

"Some of us have special gifts. I can always tell if someone is telling the truth or if they think they are telling the truth. If someone lies to me and knows it's a lie, I feel a kind of tingling or something… not sure how to explain it, but my body tingles when I hear a lie"

"Kinda like the Buzz I think" she muttered.

"Buzz? Yes, I think it's some kind of buzz" I agreed to her statement. "So, you said you didn't come up with this on your own." I said, starting my questioning. I did want to get to the fact that both her and that stupid human who hurt her were alive, but I also wanted to know how she discovered the truth about myself.

"Yeah, I had help."

"What got you started… a book? A movie?" I probed.

"No… it was Saturday, at the beach." I risked another glance up at her face. "Tobias is staying at the Reservation for some studies he is making, he is obsessed about wolves" she continued. "He was told by one of the older Quileute kids there, about the legends." I watched her carefully. "Tobias and I went for a walk and he ended up telling those stories to me. He told me one…" she hesitated.

"Go on," I said.

"One about vampires." she was whispering now.

"And you immediately thought of me?" I asked still calm.

"No. Your family was mentioned." She said frowning, staring at the road. I was worried suddenly, worried about her being scared of me.

"Why?"

"Lauren said something about you… she was trying to provoke me. And the older boy from the tribe that told him about the legends, said your family didn't come to the reservation, only it sounded like he meant something different. So I got Tobias to tell me what he had learned," she admitted, hanging her head and sighing.

"What did you do then?" I asked after a minute.

She blushed "I spent the night training and learning some stuff from Tobias," she started "it almost felt like the time we lived together" she added in a whisper "and I thought about you all the while… At one spare time he gave me on his… er, lessons, I searched on the internet about related legends."

"And did that convince you?" I asked through greeted teeth, trying to get away from my mind the fact that she said she had lived with him.

"No. Nothing fit and everything seemed contradictory, even with Tobias' knowledge of magical creatures, as he calls them. But…" she stopped.

"What?" I snarled

"I decided it really didn't matter," she whispered.

"It didn't matter?" I asked now confused.

"No," She said softly. "It doesn't matter to me what you are."

"You don't care if I'm a monster? If I'm not human?"

"You're not a monster" she said firmly. "And no, I don't' care if you're not human." I stayed silent, still not understanding her.

"Are you human Bella?" I asked suddenly hit by a strange idea.

"As far as I know" she said chuckling "Does it matter?" she finally asked me

"Not really." I paused. "But I am curious."

"What are you curious about?"

"How is it possible that you are alive? I watched you die. You lost a lot of blood, far more than any human could afford to lose and not have permanent damage. Your heart stopped beating, and you were not breathing." I said with a frown on my face.

"It's a little tricky to explain. Can you promise me not to discuss this with anyone? Not even with your family?" she asked me

"I won't" I said, but I remembered my nosy brother "however, Edward has the ability to hear people's thoughts, so I don't think I can keep it from him" I said frowning even more.

"If he can hear people's thoughts, he might already know then" she said somberly crossing her arms over her chest

I shook my head "We don't know why, but his gift doesn't work with you. At all"

"Is that so?" she asked smirking

"Mhm-mh" I muttered while nodding. "But if you wish, I can ask him to keep my thoughts about this to himself, until you decide to share with my family"

She smiled at me "Let's just hope he agrees" she said. I smiled back and waited patiently for her to start her explanation. "I am an Immortal" she finally said.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked not sure I had heard right.

"I am an Immortal. The only way to actually kill me, or my kind, is to behead us."

"Behead?" I asked remembering the scene in the alley. "You killed that woman" I said terrified by the fact that someone might try to cut off Bella's head.

"Yes" she said sharply "We are bound to a Game and we should follow the rules" she stated "You heard Raoul right? On Sunday? Regarding the challenge that was issued" she explained and I nodded. "We Immortals are to fight each other for the ultimate Prize, once a challenge is issued no outside interference is permitted"

"Prize?"

"It is said that it is ultimate knowledge and power. When only a few of us are left, we will feel an irresistible pull towards a far away land to fight for the Prize, because at the end, there can only be one of us."

"How do you know that someone else is an immortal like you?"

"You've already seen it" she simply said "We can feel when another Immortal is close. We don't have a way to know who it is until we reveal ourselves to the other"

"At the hospital with your friend Clara and at the parking lot with Tobias, and on Sunday at the buffette" I said softly just for confirmation

She nodded "We actually call it the Buzz. It is a defense mechanism. From what you said, I think the feeling is similar to you knowing when someone lies"

"Is it a family trait?"

"It is a genetic or blood thing, but not always related to your blood relatives. There are very few cases in which siblings or cousins end up having the seed of Immortality and becoming Immortals too. Since we can't have children of our own, it is still a mystery."

"Becoming? Were you turned?" I asked worried now

"No." she chuckled "Tobias did think he was turned when we first met." She mused "He was my First trainee you know? And I was what is known as his First teacher."

I growled at my stupidity now. All this time I had thought it had been something else what they meant by being each others' Firsts. I tried to focus again. "If not turned, then what do you mean by 'becoming' Immortals?"

We had already reached Forks, and I slowed down considerably. I did want to understand about this before we reached her home and we had to part ways.

"Without a Violent First Dead to trigger Immortality, each one of us would age, heal and die as other humans"

"Violent? How violent? What happened to you?"

"I think I'll tell you about that another time" she said somberly. I desperately wanted to know what had happened to her.

"Is that why you are here at Forks?" I asked, concern evident on my voice

She shook her head. "No, I've been in the Game for awhile now" she said smiling sadly

"What about Charlie? And Duncan? Your mother?"

She sighed "Charlie is my Watcher. Each Immortal is assigned a Watcher, whose sole job is to monitor, and record their activities. Most Immortals are unaware of their Watchers though. Duncan? Well, he is the closest thing I have to a father actually. He raised me since the moment I was borned, and when my Immortality was triggered, he officially trained me into the Game, even though I already knew about it, I just was not aware I might be part of it. As for my mother, she died the day I was borned; she made Duncan promise her he would look after me."

"You were right" I said after a moment. "I'm definitely fighting fate trying to keep you alive." I sighed.

"We still have much to cover" she said as I parked in front of her house. I could only nod. "Will I see you tomorrow?" she demanded.

"Yes… I have a paper due, too." She smiled. "I'll save you a seat at lunch."

"Do you promise to be there tomorrow?"

"I promise." she considered that for a moment, then nodded. She pulled my jacket off, taking another whiff.

"You can keep it" I offered her.

"You sure?"

"I don't really need it, and you seem to have found a use for it" I said smiling

"Oh, right." She blushed.

I reached around the car to help Bella out, taking her by her hand, trying to prolong the moment. "Bella?"

"Yes?" she looked up to me too eagerly.

I smiled and leaned in to her. "I really will commit my life to make you happy, and now to make sure you are safe and sound from everything" I whispered approaching slowly to her, giving her time to back away if she decided so. Luckily for me she didn't and finally our lips met in a tender kiss.

She oddly tasted to what I associated with vanilla, cinnamon and maple. That made me smile into the kiss. After a minute she gently pulled away, a smirk broad on our faces.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she sighed.

"Tomorrow, then." I said climbing back into the car.

"Sleep well," she said.

"I don't sleep" I told her smiling.

"Ever?" She asked shocked.

"Not at all" she just stared at me "Sweet dreams Bella" I said and she walked into her home, with a tight hold on her coat. Once I saw she opened her front door, I drove away.

Revised A/N (April 2022): You still here, right? Promise we will catch up soon. Newest chapter is already done, I am actually, as mean as it is, only waiting to catch up before posting, so it still may take a little while for that, however know that I am also working on the next chapter after that, so there's that bonus.

By the way, I know I always say it around this date, because duh, it's coming... but once again, on the 23rd it is my birthday, so how about you gift me with something awesome, say for example... reviews.

Original A/N: Okay guys, one more chapter before starting on my new job. So I apologize in advance for future delays.

OH, and sorry if I messed up with geography.

Hope you enjoyed this, and that the Highlander elements were clarified.

Thank you all for adding this fic your alerts and favorites, and thank you so much for adding ME to your alerts and favorites. I am honored.

Remember to leave your reviews… they nourish my imagination.

And if you have a twitter account and are interested, you can follow me at OriginalHealer