*Disclaimer I own nothing recognizable, all those rights go to Stephenie Meyer. As all Song Rights go to the listed artist. I only own any original characters.
A/N: First as always I want to thank all of you who have reviewed, added this story to their favorites and to their following list. All of your support means so much to me, Thank You!
Chapter Notes-
Well, here it is. Bella finally makes it to La Push. In the chapter there isn't much detail given on her journey other then how many hours it took her to reach her destination. There is a Time and place for everything, and while in the last chapter I gave out her plans on how she would make her gas stops, etc. I figured I'd only briefly cover them again when she shares her tale with the others.
Complicated situations are the makings of all that's wrong
And I've been standing in the river of deliverance way too long
There's gotta be a better way for me to say
What's on my heart without leaving scars
So can you hear me when I call your name?
So can you hear me when I call your name?
Song -Call Your Name
By: Daughtry
A calloused finger ran down the crinkled, torn, faded paper. It was falling apart at the seams, pages ready to fall from the weakened staples. Yet no matter its worn distressed state, Sam couldn't let it go; this was his last key, his last tie to the sister he mourned for, cried for, and wished upon a star for.
When the caseworker asked if there was anything he wanted or needed from the place he once called home, he requested nothing but this. To them it seemed like an odd request but they just didn't understand the importance of it, how a packet of papers could mean so much. 'One day I'll give this back to you,' he whispered to himself with a small surge of determination. Yet as grateful as he was to have this memento, it didn't come close to filling the void that still ran through his heart - deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon.
The chiming clock told him it was time, time to make his way to the beach and to Sue and Harry Clearwater's bonfire, celebrating their thirteenth wedding anniversary. Sluggishly Sam stood and made his way to the door but not before pausing to place the program in his desk drawer. As the drawer clicked closed Sam darted down the steps and out the front the door. The night's cool air made his hair stand on end, but what was the point of any long sleeves as he'd remove it as soon as he was by the raging fire. It took only moments of walking the worn path before he heard the music and chatter of the party goers. He slowly emerged from the trees and could see the party while not in full swing had started.
A shriek had Sam's eyes dart like all the party goers to find its owner to be Leah with water droplets falling from her hair and surprised face as Seth darted away with a devilish smirk plastered across his lips; however, it didn't stay in place long as Leah quickly recovered from her stupor and charged after her baby brother and quickly took him to the sand, as the two started to wrestle in a fit of giggles. While others laughed and egged on the duo, Sam ignored the spectacle and took a seat close by the fire; his eyes locking onto the dancing flames as he found himself lost in memories.
Sam's heart broke and he couldn't help but feel jealous towards Leah and Seth for not only having one another but for the bond that they shared. He remembered that sibling bond; a sibling bond he remembered breaking without a backwards glance not once but twice, a sibling bond that was lost to him now. Now being the key word to him because no matter how many people told him that he needed to face facts and be realistic, he couldn't give in, he still believed in that hope they would be reunited again. He didn't care how it appeared to others, he needed this and he needed to believe that somehow someway not only was she okay but he would see her again. Even though the hope had faded into a sliver, he wouldn't let it go because it was all he had to hold onto in the pain that surrounded him. While he had friends and an extended family, nothing and nobody else could fully heal that void in his heart that was filled with guilt, worry and torment for everything he had done in this debacle. While a pawn himself, he still felt the full weight of guilt because he should have known better; known it was too soon to trust. But he let his guard down and in doing so lost all that mattered most.
"You're not alone, Sam," Leah's whispered as her hand ran through his chin length hair to push it away from his face.
Sam just nodded mutely, his eyes never wavering from the inferno before him. He knew he wasn't alone in the physical sense but all the friends and extended family in the world couldn't make up for how alone he felt on the inside.
Bella shifted from her slumped position over the old worn steering wheel to sit back and again stare at the large brown wooden carved sign that sat before her truck. Over twenty hours on the road had brought her to this spot where ironically the old '53 had taken its last breath and died. She had scoffed when she saw where her truck had let her sit now for the past three hours, right in front of the Welcome to LA PUSH sign. She had to wonder if it was Manny reaching out from the other side making sure she didn't have the option to turn around at the last minute and make a run for it.
With a hard sigh Bella's eyes shifted to the nearly visible sun; she had been fighting with herself from the moment the truck had jerked to a stop on what to do next. The obvious choice was to follow the map on foot. Yet no matter how many times her hand hovered over the door handle, she couldn't find the mental strength to pull it open. A war had raged for hours on had she made the right choice, and did Sam really want to see her?
Throwing her head back onto the brim of the headrest she took a deep breath as anger filled her as memories of Sam walking away, and all his lies flashed before her eyes. All of sudden she felt as if the walls were closing in on her, causing her breath to become labored. Quickly without thought she yanked the door open allowing the fresh, cool, salty, pine filled air rush over her. She had to admit it felt good, but how couldn't it compared to the stale air that resided in the truck.
The first step was now taken yet she wasn't ready to face what laid down the beaten path ahead but she could no longer stay here anymore; and in her anger she darted from the truck and for the first time in ten years her bare feet touched Quileute soil. It only took a moment for her to see the worn out path that led into the thick trees to her left. She had no idea where it would lead her but she needed away from here; she needed to clear the haze that had her suffocating before she could walk down the road before her and face the demons at the other end.
With a slam of the old steel door, Bella made her way to the wooden path. She bit down on her lip suppressing the scream of pain that ran through her due to her shoulder wound, the pain momentarily making her stumble. The wound had now been weeping for three days and she could feel her body becoming weaker; she knew she didn't have much longer before her heighten healing wouldn't be able to keep up, as there were to many wounds which were unable to heal from the lodged debris. Also add in her lack of meals and restricted water, she knew she was really pushing out this strange gift of hers to its max. Allowing everything to fall away, she continued on the darkening trail.
The thick vegetation and that salty pine air really did feel as if it was a part of her. 'So this is where I was born,' trickled through her thoughts as she took it all in. Soon the trees started to thin and slowly revealed the choppy sea and the sand it beat upon. 'No wonder Sam never looked back,' echoed in her mind as she took in the true beauty of this land; it was sort of paradise. Shaking her stupor, Bella stepped forward wondering if the sand here felt the same as the sand from her home. As her bare feet pushed into the sandy grains, she couldn't help but notice how much more thick and heavy the grains were, making her quickly miss the fine warm sand she had grown accustom too. Slowly she made her way to the tides edge and lowered herself into the thick sand, before leaning back onto to a worn out medium sized log as she dug her feet deep into the sand. Again she let her mind go blank as she watched the sun fall behind the horizon, only allowing the sounds of the crashing waves to wash through her mind.
As if on autopilot the silence in her mind broke as she wondered what Manny and her Uncles would have thought of this place, it was so unlike their beaches. She wasn't sure yet if she meant that in a good or bad way. 'Had Manny ever come here when he planned all this out? If so, had he sat on this beach and stared out at this exact sky?' The thought was random as it popped into her mind, only to quickly overwhelm her and cause her to feel a bit of anger boil as she remembered the secrets he had kept. Not just her true heritage, but that he was doing something truly so horrible that managed to get them shot, and all but one killed. Yet as mad as she wanted to be at him she was more angry with herself at how she left it with him; how her temper and bratty attitude got the best of her causing her to lash out and allow, 'I HATE YOU,' be the last real words she spoke to the man who in her heart was her father.
The hot burning sensation behind her eyes told her that tears were about to spill quickly, causing her to raise her hand to wipe away the evidence. As she pulled her hand away she could see the filth that covered her skin. A snort filtered from her, she hadn't seen her brother in years and now she was to show up on his doorstep looking like this? Even if he did want to see her, would he turn her away just by one glance at her now? And how would she explain all that happened, not just that led to her current state but her whereabouts over the years. 'Does he really have the right to know?' the little voice inside asked and what would he say if she did tell him? Would he turn her over to the police for all she had seen and done to survive?
Pain filled her chest at the memories of all the haunting things that she had seen and that Sam had left her too. She felt so much despair and anger at him in that moment. Here he lived this quiet peaceful life while she fought for hers. Quickly her mind shifted; no longer so much worried about did Sam want to see her but did she want to see Sam? Because what was there to honestly say? Because one thing for sure is she was angry at them all - Sam, her grandmother, Manny, her Uncles and these people who made this place their home, who left her to rot in foster care then the streets.
'Why was Sam good enough? Why wasn't I?' she seethed. 'And why didn't Manny tell me the truth and give me the option to confront my brother on why he did what he did? Oh, that's right because he couldn't risk losing me.' Anger bubbled along with a sob in her throat at how all the people she loved had hurt her, how they had all made choices not for what was best for her but what was best for them. As the sob escaped, she pulled her legs up tightly against her body, wrapped her arms around her bent legs and rested her chin on her knees as she continued to stare out at the vast nothing before her as warm tears tracked down her face. Even through all that pain she couldn't deny she ached to see Manny again just as she ached with the same desire regarding the brother she lost. Yet, even with that ache, Bella wasn't sure if she could or wanted to ever forgive.
Jogging down the beach. He knew he was late and in return would get a lecture from his father about the importance of being punctual, most of all since he had to set an example for others as he was the future leader of his tribe after all. Jacob rolled his eyes at what he knew was to come. 'Some things never change,' he sighed to himself. While his father hadn't recovered any memories, he still maintained the need to lecture - especially when it came down to tribal matters.
Even with knowing he'd receive a look of annoyance and a future lecture from his father, he could care less. That extra hour to himself was worth all the grief to come. When the inevitable would come, he knew just how to handle it, with a smile and nod here and there to all he was tuning out. Jacob had his father's lectures down to the tee so when his daydreaming shined through and he was brought back to reality with a slap to the back of his head, he had no issue reciting his father's words, word for word. Jacob paused for a moment with a smile on his face, as he glanced out at the moon that danced over the waves. Ever since that day on the cliffs and his talk with Sam, he had opened up and allowed himself to vent, and receive help in taking care of his father, which in return allowed him to have time to be a kid again. While things were still difficult and new with his father's constant ups and downs in his health due to his diabetes and Jacob's pain from the loss of his mother, he knew he could face these trials as long as he had his support group.
The sound of a whimpering sob drifted over the crashing waves and into his ears, causing his attention to shift and for him to blink in surprise at how he hadn't noticed until now the balled up figure only yards away from him. As if pulled by gravity, slowly he made his way to the distraught figure, who sat directly in one of the moon's stray rays almost as if they were put in nature's spotlight. As he got closer, he could tell by the frame the person before him was a girl and with each step he hoped she would turn around but she only continued to cry as she stared out into the night. He was now only mere steps away, when he sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her right shoulder; the once white tee shirt was now a solid deep red from blood that was obviously coming from the mock bandage wrapped around her small shoulder. Jacob didn't even remember doing it, but he now found himself standing right next to the oblivious girl and before he could stop the word vomit he spoke, "Do you need help?" his voice cut through the girls oblivious state, causing her to jump a bit before mutely nodding a negative response.
"Like I believe that," Jacob huffed as he now hunched down in front of the girl who quickly pushed herself away from him and further back into the log. As she turned her face away from him, he could see he was right by the tear tracks that cut through the grime down the left side of her face, not only was she was crying but she was hurt more then he thought. He examined what he could see of her face in the light provided by the moon. He couldn't see her eyes as she had them held tightly shut as the remnants of tears still dripped from her wet lashes. He knew he had never seen this girl before, because even under the grim and disheveled black locks that fell to her shoulders, he would have remembered her as he could see the true beauty that lied underneath.
'Whoa, where did that come from? Pull it together, Black,' he chastised himself. Shaking his head to clear it and to put himself back on track he lowered himself into the wet sand at her feet. He knew something was wrong. Her legs and arms were bruised, her left cheek was full of cuts that looked agitated and angry but nothing concerned him more than the weeping wound on her shoulder. It didn't take a genius to know something traumatic happened; her reaction to his presence alone was enough to know even without the visual signs that covered her body. He wasn't sure exactly what to do. He could leave her here and attempt to get Sue since she was a nurse; but that would mean leaving her alone and that caused his heart rate to increase at the thought, because it felt as if some sort of tether was trying to bind itself to her side. But what caused him even more discomfort was even if he did manage to tear himself away long enough, by the time he got back she could be long gone and that thought alone made his chest ache, and for him to almost break out in a cold sweat from the pain and fear it caused. 'What is wrong with me? I don't even know her name,' he again chastised himself for his strange thinking. Sighing to himself he knew it was a useless battle, he wasn't leaving here without her. But how does he get her to talk, let alone come with him? 'Just Talk to her,' his inner voice said in an almost duh tone.
Bella couldn't believe she had let her guard down enough to let someone get this close to her. She would have ran but she didn't know the area so where was she to run to. It was dark and finding that trail to the truck again would be almost impossible, and even if she did make it back what was she going to do, hop in and speed away? What bothered her the most is this boy. While she didn't get that much of a look at him before she closed her eyes and turned away from him, it was enough to know he was no man but a boy, most likely her age, had seen her at her weakest point in tears.
"I don't think I've seen you around here before. Uh… I guess that's probably because I haven't, huh?" his soft sweet voice cut through her fog with a small chuckle of nervousness.
'Sweet? What the hell?' she mentally chastised herself for her thought, causing her to feel her fight or flight instinct kick in. Yet as much as she wanted to take the chance and run, something deeper than the dark and getting lost was keeping her rooted in place. It was as if some sort of invisible force was trying to latch on to her and hold her down. She almost expected the mystery voice that haunted her in times of distress to enter her mind and tell her what to do, but it stayed silent. Maybe it was because for some reason he gave her the same feeling Manny did. This boy felt like home; he felt safe and she didn't need to be told as she recognized these feelings. Again the fear of having those feeling caused her to want to run, but she couldn't. It felt too good here, causing her fear to spike, because every time she believed she was safe she ended up getting hurt. Yet there was something about this boy that called to something deeper in her; something that went deeper than the comfort she found in Sam, or her Papi and her Uncles.
"Can you tell me your name?" cut through her fog. She knew he had been talking non-stop since his first attempt to start a conversation, but she was to lost in herself to listen until now. "I only ask first because I was always told ladies first, but if you prefer to do things backwards that's fine," his insistent chatter had her almost crack a smirk but she held her mask in place. "So I guess I'll go first then, I'm Jacob."
Before she could even catch herself, it was on her tongue, "Mi," she paused, catching her mistake. She was no longer that person, that person had died. "Bella."
Jacob strained to hear her, he wondered what she mumbled first but paid it no mind after the bombshell of the whispered name filtered through his mind and registered. 'It couldn't be? But who else could it be?' raced through his mind. "Bella Uley, Sam's sister?" his voice full of shock, but that shock was nothing to the next shock wave that hit him. As she turned her head at his words and opened her eyes, the eyes that met his caused him to gasp and for his heart to pound against his chest. Because before him were the eyes his mother had talked about insistently, the set of eyes and color he never thought existed but before him there they were. Quickly she turned away again, shutting her eyes. Jacob felt like an ass for his reaction, he stared at her as if she was part of a freak show; but the shock of his mother's words coming true sent him into a stupor.
"Hey, don't look away. I'm sorry - it wasn't you honestly. Please, please look at me."
It felt like it was a lifetime before she turned her head again and opened her exotic eyes again to meet his. The intense beauty of them almost left him speechless, he wanted to get lost in them but knew she would turn away again if he just stared with a gaping expression. He quickly grasped at something anything to say when he remembered she never answered his question. "Your Sam's sister, aren't you?"
She only nodded, a barely visible nod, but it was more than enough because his face lit up with a million watt smile, before darting to his feet and holding his hand out to her.
"Then I think we are both headed in the same direction."
Bella didn't know how to answer; she felt so conflicted. Granted she felt safe and a homey feeling with this boy, this Jacob, but because of her past it scared her to let him have another inch. 'Trust,' whispered into her ear and circled through her mind. Finally her voice of sanity or insanity, she wasn't sure how to label it, put in its two cents, and for the first time in her life she wanted to fight it's advice. It might have never truly led her wrong and it was right about so much, especially Manny. And even though he hurt her it was by his doing, not by the guiding voice, because ultimately she found safety, a home and a father in listening to it. Yet, no matter how much she loved her lost family, if she never listened to the voice she wouldn't be in this tailspin and painful loss now.
As copper hand lowered into her view, it caused a spark of anger to ignite in her chest. While the voice guided her well, did she really want to listen and go down this road again and give someone full control? 'NO' her inner self snarled with authority. While she believed Jacob would lead her to where she needed to be. And that he wasn't out to psychically hurt her, she wasn't about to take hand outs (even in the literal sense) this time around and she would protect herself more. She had already shown him her vulnerable state with her tears, she needed to show strength. With her new found determination, she locked her jaw and swatted away the offer of support and made her way to her feet on her own, only to stumble and fall to her knees in her weakened state. Falling forward to her hands, Bella wasn't sure if she grasped the sand in frustration or rage, she wasn't sure which emotion reined more as her chest heaved from her labored breathing.
"Cootie free for the past two years now," she could hear the amusement in his voice as she again saw the copper hand offered. But Bella found no amusement, only finding more agitation. "It's just a pick me up, Bella," his voice pausing for a moment. She didn't need to look up to know his eyes were on her. "It's something in life we all need from time to time to get back on our feet, and in your case - literally," his voice soft and serious but a hint of amusement was there at the end. His words were so much like something Manny would say, resulting in a slight crack in her armor.
As she was hit with the haunting words from her Papi: 'Mia, while the wall might not be ready to come down, sometimes you need to pull sentry and peer above and beyond it, to assess the Trojan horse trying to break in. While you don't need to allow what is being offered fully inside, at least by looking to see what stands outside your wall, you might find the building block of what it takes to let that something fully inside, even if it starts out as a simple offer of a hand in a small task.'
Bella wasn't sure if she was relieved or angry at still being able to hear his voice. 'Trivial,' she snapped to herself. Because right now it honestly was a trivial thought and all that did matter was those haunting words were right. With resolve set, a slow shaking hand reached out and latched on to the one before her. As her eyes rose she could see Jacob smile even brighter as he helped her to her feet. Finally reaching her full height next to him, she could see she was a bit taller, but that was something she became accustomed to. She knew she was freakishly tall for her age as not many eleven year olds were 5'4". Her growth spurts were like her healing, strange and came on not to long into her hospital stay. Bella felt a tug on her hand, causing her to look up and see Jacob tugging her a bit as if to jump start her into following him. She knew he was going to take her to Sam but was she ready to face him? Honestly. No. But what choice did she have now?
Resigning herself to what she knew was to come and what had to come, she allowed her feet to move and follow hand in hand with this boy, who she didn't know, but felt so pulled to trust, but so determined to keep at bay.
Sam stood next to Leah as they helped themselves to the now freshly cut cake. It had taken him a bit to come out of his mind and function again. While his previous thoughts hadn't left him, he knew he couldn't allow himself to fester in them as well; and if he tried, he knew a good smack was coming his way as Leah was always good for it. She had helped him so much, pulled him together from that night when he found out the truth, and he was torn apart at the seams at what he had learned.
She helped him move forward, she never asked him to forget or thought it silly to hold onto the hope everyone else told him to let go of. While she never asked him to forget, Leah wouldn't allow him to drown in it either. Somehow she knew when to allow him to mourn and when he needed a good kick in the ass; she, unlike anyone else, just knew how to keep him balanced. He knew he could never repay her for all she had done for him but he would surely try.
Sam couldn't help but roll his eyes as the sounds of annoyed huffs met his ears. Their fallen chief was far from pleased with his son's tardiness. 'Might not remember shit but sure as hell didn't lose his control issues in that accident,' Sam grumbled to himself as he turned to place another piece of cake on his plate. He could now see Harry trying to appease the grouch. When all of a sudden they fell silent as their eyes locked onto something. That's when Sam noticed the whole party fell silent and only the sounds of the waves, fire, and music filled the air.
"Sam!"
Leah's shocked whispered tone only stunned him more. Now he really had to wonder what could cause a whole party to die out at the drop of a hat and leave Leah almost speechless. Turning around to see where Harry had his eyes locked, Sam scanned the party goers and saw they too were looking at the same thing. Turning his eyes in that direction, he now saw two figures standing just outside the fire's light, one distinctly of Jacob. Feeling more confused he wondered why would anyone be so surprised to see him. It was then that he remembered there was another person with the young chief; he could see a light copper hand held in Jacob's darker copper one. Slowly he traced the arm up taking note of what looked to be bruising, but couldn't be sure from the distance. Slowly he rose his gaze to the tall figure, wincing a bit at the cuts that appeared on the cheek. Shifting his gaze their eyes met and in that moment his heart started to pound and his hands shook, causing the plate and its treat to fall to the sandy ground. 'This has to be a dream,' he whispered to himself; but the air and the sand between his toes told him this was very real.
"Bella? Bella!" he choked out before he darted forward. Bella flinched at Sam's movement, causing her to break eye contact in an attempt to look for a place to run; and in that moment she felt Jacob squeeze her hand in what she was sure to be a sign of reassurance, but to her it was as if it was an anchor trapping her in that spot and making her face what was about to happen. The tether of his anchored embrace released her, as two hands embraced around her cheek bones causing her to flinch and look up into a set of brown eyes she thought she would never see again, and wasn't sure if she ever wanted to see again.
"Bella?" his voice a choked whisper.
Bella couldn't find words as her eyes remained locked with his. All she could find herself being able to do was nod in confirmation before looking away as his gaze became to intense for her. In that moment she heard him break into full out sobs and felt a tight embrace around her waist, causing her to jump in shock. Pulling her attention back to her brother, he was now on his knees with his head buried into her stomach as he sobbed out a slew of mostly undecipherable words.
Bella could feel so many eyes on her and raising her gaze from Sam, she could see so many people standing around them with shock written on their faces. She had to wonder if they were shocked she managed to find them after they tried so hard to keep her away, or shocked as in glad she beat the odds and found her way.
As Bella searched the crowed before her, Sue slowly approached Jacob. She didn't want to move to fast because she could tell by the girl's expression that the slightest threatening motion, no matter who it came from, would cause the girl to bolt. She had so many questions; like how she seemed so jumpy yet Jacob managed to get the girl here, hand in hand non-the-less. But what had Sue's main focus was the girl's condition. It didn't go unnoticed that she was covered in blood and dirt and that her body was littered with wounds. Sue wasn't even sure how the girl was standing by the looks of things. "Jacob, what happened to her?"
"I don't know... I mean I asked but she never answered," he said, his eyes never leaving the girl before him.
Sue sighed. It made sense. If she was abused and figuring in her past she wouldn't want to talk about it, and from what Harry had told her not long after he returned from LA they weren't even sure Bella would talk again. Heck, they weren't even sure she'd be able to do anything but live in a wheelchair for the rest of her life but here she stood at the same height as herself, which wasn't normal for a girl of eleven. But that was the least of her concerns; the girl's wounds needed tended. But Sue couldn't help but ask, "How did you know who she was?"
"It was the only thing she did tell me," he said with a daunting smile while his eyes still remained focused on the girl who was held tightly in her sobbing brother's embrace.
Sue had so many questions but none could or would be answered right now as her main focus was on tending to the girl's wounds. While they were threatening and important to get under control, she couldn't help but stand back for a moment and allow Sam this moment, before they dealt with the reality of it all. He deserved this. He deserved to hold onto her for a few moments and lose himself in his emotions, because now was the time to get them all out because Sue knew the road ahead would be rocky and he would need all his emotional strength to battle through what laid ahead, when Bella's tale was told.
"I knew it, I knew... I'd see you again! I never gave up hope," Sam sobbed out. It was the first sensible thing to come from his mouth since he had dropped to his knees and held on for dear life.
His emotions brought not only a tear to Sue's eyes but so many others as they watched a reunion they never believed would happen, yet so grateful that it had. The tribe had so much hurt and turmoil in the past few weeks that this development could do nothing but restore faith for those who were lost in all the turmoil.
"I told you I'd see her again," Sam choked out as his eyes caught Harry's.
"That you did, Son. That you did."
Well, there you have it. I know it wasn't a full reunion as Sam and Bella had limited interaction. But as they say, that is a tale for another day, otherwise this chapter would have been insanely long.
As always leave it to Jake to be Bella's rescuer, and rock.
And speaking of rescuer. In the next chapter we will get to meet the owner of those emerald green eyes. Which will also reveal Bella's other supernatural half.
Till, next time :) please review as they are very much appreciated; however as always flames are not.