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 22

Healer

We stayed there, just holding each other for about two hours. No words were needed then. While I was holding her, she had placed her cheek against my chest and I could feel her breathing and hear her heart beating steadily in her chest.

I noticed that she was drowsing off, and I pressed a kiss against her head, smiling when I felt her tightening her arms around me.

"You're better at this than you give yourself credit for," She noted.

"Bella…"

"Mmmh?"

"I need you to know how I was changed."

She looked up at me and straightened, but did not break our embrace. "Are you sure?" She asked me, worry evident in her eyes.

I nodded "Mmmhj. I think it would help you understand why this… not forcing you into this, is important to me"

"Rose, you're not forcing me." She said placing her right hand on my cheek "I love you, and if I'm here, is because I want to, not because I have to." She said leaning in and placing a soft kiss on my lips "And believe it or not, it means a lot to me the fact that you don't want to force me to be physical" she said with a sad tone on her voice. "In fact, I do believe you should know about my First death too. That is, of course, only if you want to"

"I told you I want to know everything about you Bella" I reassured her pressing our foreheads together. "But I don't want you to be sad, and I know that thinking about it makes you sad, I can only imagine how you'd feel if you'd talked about it"

She smiled at me. "It does make me sad Rose, but it's part of who I am. In fact, it's the reason of who I am"

"All right then" I said putting a little distance between us, but still holding her hands in mine. "Would you mind, though, if I told you my story first? I don't know when I'll find the courage to do so, if not now" I confessed.

"Rose, before you do, let me ask you again. Are you sure you want me to know?" she said worried "I don't want to see you hurting either" she continued "And this clearly upsets you"

I smiled at that, not losing the irony of the situation "What a pair we make uh? We both want to tell each other how we became what we are, knowing it is something painful for us. And neither of us, wants the other to dwell into sad matters"

She laughed heartedly at that. "We are crazy"

"Indeed" I agreed placing a soft kiss on Bella's knuckles. "I was engaged, when I was human" I started, looking into her eyes. "It was an arranged marriage, but I was really eager to marry him, I came to care deeply for him. His name was Royce, Royce King II and he was wealthy, which is why my parents had arranged our union." I paused for a moment and Bella scooted closer to me again, not breaking once our eye contact "Then one night I was walking alone through the streets and bumped into him and his friends. They were drunk, I knew, and he started to brag to them how I was his and he was to marry me. In a moment they dragged me into a dark alley" I noticed that Bella's body tensed upon hearing this, apparently knowing where my story was headed, because she tightened her hold on my hands in what was meant to be a comforting gesture, to which I smiled. "They forced themselves upon me, Royce of course was the first" Bella gasped then and she was quietly sobbing, I freed one of my hands to wipe out the tears from her face. "After they were through with me, they left me there bleeding out, they left me to die"

"I didn't know Rose" she said sobbing "I would have been more sensible about all this. I'm so sorry" she said latching herself into me, holding me close and tight to her.

"Shhh. It's okay now." I tried to soothe her, placing my hands on her back "It's not your fault what happened, and how were you supposed to know?" I asked her "This is actually the first time I speak about it."

"You mean your family doesn't know?" she asked surprised, still sobbing into my clothes.

"They know, but not because I told them" She straightened a little, but still had her arms around me. "Carlisle was nearby and he was drawn to my blood" I continued when she looked at me clearly not understanding how they knew then. "He took pity on me. Carlisle, as a rule, does not turn anyone unless they are dying, which I was. He bit me and the transformation began" I sighed. "The process takes around three days, and the only thing you can feel is pain, excruciating pain. It's the only thing you can feel, and the only thing you can think about." Bella's sobbing had stopped, but she still was crying. "When I woke up as I am now, I went to find Royce and his friends. I killed them all. I had hoped it would make me feel better, but it didn't." I sighed, "I'm not proud of that, I didn't ask for that, for the pain, or for Carlisle to turn me…I hated it, until I met you"

She looked into my eyes, her tear streaked face was heartbreaking and I couldn't bear to think that she wouldn't want to be with me now, now that she knew that I was a murderer.

"Are you sure they are dead?" she asked me. I nodded and she sighed. "In the off chance that they're not, that they're like me… if we ever come across them, please let me know."

I sighed relieved. She wasn't about to leave me. "I will"

"I'm sorry Rose. I will never bring this matter up again and I promise never to force you, or pressure you into something you don't want. Unless it's related to The Game, in which case I won't have a choice." She said solemnly "I am in love with you Rosalie" she said cupping my face in her hands. "We'll take everything in our relationship as fast or as slow as you need" she said placing a soft kiss on each of my eyes.

"I don't want you to be upset about it Bella" I told her. "It was a long time ago." I smiled "In a way, I have to thank Royce"

"Why?" she asked confused

"What he did, caused Carlisle to make the choice to turn me, which resulted in me forming part of his Coven and coming here, where we were able to meet" I told her smiling.

"Oh, so you're half full glass kinda girl now?" She asked amused

"Only when you're around" I said cheekily, making her laugh.

"We'll work it out" she finally said.

"Thank you" I murmured into her lips. Then I remembered something "I've been meaning to ask you Bella… would you consider letting my family know about what you are?"

"I'm not sure it might be a good idea Rose" she said in a serious tone

"Edward knows, and he's been pestering me to tell the others or he will." I confessed "He believes that what you are, can put our family in danger"

"I don't think so. I mean, if anything, it's a danger for my kind that your kind knows" then she stopped as if pondering it "I don't like it" she said scoffing

"What?"

"This. Labeling us, your kind, my kind… it's usually that distinction what starts wars"

I smiled softly, knowing that she was right in that matter. We were in odd terms with the wolves at La Push because of that.

"Couldn't you at least tell Carlisle?" I asked hopeful

"Don't you think he'll tell the others?"

"He won't if you ask him not to, and with him knowing, Edward would surely back off. Besides, it could be good for you and your family too"

"How so?" She asked amused

"Well, Carlisle is a Doctor, so you should have someone in the Medical Service as an ally in case you can't avoid being taken to a hospital." I told her trying to reason with her "Like with the Tyler's van incident" I said growling with the memory "He might be able to help with paperwork and avoid exams or tests and you being admitted for a night and so"

"That does make sense, and seems like a good idea, usually we depend on Watcher's contacts in case something like that happens." She said after a moment "Tell you what, I'll talk about this with Charlie and Duncan, see what they think."

I could see the light was fading, the shadows of the forest beginning to touch us, and I sighed. "We have to get going."

"I don't want to." She said pouting "Are you sure you don't want to kidnap me?"

"Oh, as I said before, I want to keep you only to myself" I said smirking "But we have to go back. I'm still grounded, remember?"

"Fine… It's getting darker anyway." I could hear a smile in her voice.

I stood up and offered my hand to her, in order to help her up too. "Can I show you something?" I asked in excitement once we both were standing.

"Show me what?"

"I'll show you how we travel in the forest." The expression on her face turned from curiosity to amusement and excitement. "We'll get to your truck much faster."

"Then, I don't want that" She said crossing her arms

"Why?" I asked confused

"The sooner we reach the truck, the sooner we'll be back, and in turn, the sooner we're back, the sooner we'll have to part ways"

I laughed at that "You're right" then after a moment and idea hit me "We could take the scenic route back once we're back at your truck" I could see her thinking about it, trying to decide if it was worth it. "Come on, it'll be fun" And with that, her mouth twitched up into that crooked smile that I loved.

"So how does it work? You turn into a giant bat?" she asked amused.

"Didn't we cover already myths and reality?" I asked amused myself.

"Right, I'm sure you get that all the time."

"Come on, climb on my back." I waited until she sling onto my back, with very little effort on my part, when in place, I urged her legs to clamp around my waist.

"I'm a bit heavier than your average backpack," She joked.

"Hah! As if that was going to deter me" I snorted. I could almost hear her eyes rolling.

I was about to start running when my cell phone vibrated on my pocket. I reached for it, noticing Bella was repositioning herself in order to be more comfortable while still holding onto my back, with her arms around my neck and her legs, tighter around my waist. I smiled noticing thanks to the caller ID that it was Alice.

"We're on our way back" I told my impatient sister, thinking that was the reason she was calling, and to make sure that everything went perfect.

"Don't go to Bella's truck. Head directly home. NOW!" urged me Alice, worry evident in her voice.

"What? Why?"

"Head home!" She repeated

"Alice, we are on our way home. I was just going to get Bella back to the trail where we left the truck" Bella chuckled against my ear upon hearing my responses to Alice on the phone.

"I told you not to go to the truck!" angrily said my sister

"Alice?" I asked now worried

"I had a vision. If you get to her truck someone will attack Bella." Alice started in vampire speech, which is speaking a lot faster than any human would be able to understand "I don´t know who it was, but I could clearly see that Bella was fumbling with her keys, looking desperately between the attacker, and longingly into the cabin of the truck" I gasped "Then, before you could reach her, the attacker beheaded her"

I was at a loss of words. I didn't know how we would face this. And why would Bella look longingly to the cabin instead of defending herself. Then it hit me.

"Bella, where's your raincoat?" I asked for confirmation

"I left it in the truck" she said simply

"We'll be right there" I told Alice ending the call

"What is it?" Asked Bella concerned noticing my change in mood and my stiffened position.

"We can't go back for your truck at the moment" I told her and with that I started to run towards my family. My hands tightly on her legs around me.

Revised A/N (October 2022): Ok, I didn't immediately let their date be interrupted, but something is obviously going on and Bella is evidently at the center of that somehow and she is going to be forced to come clean to the Cullens... how will Duncan react to that?

A/N: Sorry for the shortness and lateness of this chapter... I've been kept busy between work and some family stuff, and I have to confess that now I'm working on another (and new) fic. I hope to post at least the first chapter of that one within the next month. Then, turn back to NPL for an update (as I've been trying), then back here and then to the newest addition to the family… Alternating updates between them. So once again, patience is what I ask from you.

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