Chapter 13: Sundays

October

Nothing really changed over the course of the next two months. Sure, Bella's sleeping pattern was off, but it had been of for over a year now. Sure she didn't really have much of an appetite at all, but again, it had been like that for almost a year. Paul still hated her, but he had never really liked her in the first place and vice versa.

The most important things were as followed: she hadn't grown, her eyes still looked the same and she hadn't lost her patience or anger at all. She felt content but also bored out of her mind. She enjoyed her job at the library and met up with Angela most weekdays after they were both done with work. They would walk, talk, go out for a coffee or hang out at one of their places so they wouldn't spend all their savings on coffee or books. Saturdays were spend with Charlie or by herself, she preferred not to be alone too much because her mind would wander to him.

Her birthday had been a difficult one this year, she had broke down after realising they had been gone longer than she had known them. In the middle of her breakdown Charlie had ran into her room and sat on the floor, pulling her head into his lap and calming her down without saying much. He hadn't known that she had spent the next 30 odd minutes staring at Edward's cloudy, sad form in the open doorway. His eyes dark and cast towards the floor, sitting down too once Charlie had barged in after hearing his daughter's desperate sobs from the living room.

Sundays were for them. The werewolves. She'd hated spending time with them at first but saw it as a necessary evil. She knew how dangerous vampires could be and even though it had taken awhile, she realised that the changes happening to her, as small as they might be from time to time, could potentially be dangerous to the people she loved most. So she spent time with them once a week, usually somewhere deep in the forest around a cosy campfire in a clearing they had found whilst patrolling for abnormalities. Most of the pack would be on edge whenever she would arrive but would quickly relax once they realised it was just her.

"Why does everyone look so tired?" She asked Leah somewhere around the end of October, the air around them crisp and sharp with coldness but also dense because of the fire in front of them. It was oddly cold for October, but they were currently enjoying the first Sunday without bouts of rain throughout the day. They had spent the last three Sundays at Sam and Emily's house because of the rain and wind. And even though she had hated spending time with them at first, some of them were growing on her. Leah, Emily, Seth, Quill and Embry had been nice from the get go. It had taken Jacob a few meetings before he returned to his old self, sitting next to her with an apologetic look on his face. She was even surprised by Sam's friendliness after about a month.

The first few Sundays were spend trying to find out whatever had changed or was changing about her already. Sam always dutifully brought a crimson red, leather-bound notebook which she found ironic but didn't say anything when seeing his arched eyebrow after she accidentally snorted the first time he brought it with him. They found out her eyes were indeed much darker than they had been over a year ago, but they specifically darkened when she was angry or upset. They wanted to try out different, more positive emotions too but she had been unsuccessful in channelling them so far. She didn't have much of an appetite and therefore didn't eat all that much in a day, but her body was fine. She got about five hours of sleep most nights but felt more energised then ever. She seemed stronger than most humans but nowhere near as strong as actual vampires, yet. Paul would always add darkly.

She hadn't told them about the pain and pressure in her chest, feeling like a dark black cloud swarming around her heart and sneaking through her ribs to constrict painfully whenever it felt like it. Either feeling burning hot or freezing cold, the extremes of both feeling oddly similar a lot of the time. She wanted to keep something for herself, they didn't need to know her heart and insides were still hurting and aching for him. She didn't need their pitying looks, or in Paul's case mocking gaze.

"Most of them have been patrolling all night and day these days." Leah replied, rubbing her eyes.

"Why?"

She sighed and looked at her pale friend's face, "We think there's-"

"Don't tell her!" Paul snapped a few feet away from them, making Leah roll her eyes and Sam move closer just in case.

"She's not one of us, she's not authorised to know."

Bella snorted, "Authorised, what is this a secret book club?"

Leah laughed too, making Bella notice the dark circles under her eyes. "Well, whatever it is, maybe you should divide into groups so some of you can get some sleep every once in a while."

"Don't tell us what to do." Paul said through clenched teeth.

"Stop snapping at the girl." Sam said, sitting down next to Paul, sighing as he rubbed a tired hand over his face. He looked at Bella, wearing jeans and a thick sweater and frowned, "Aren't you cold?"

She shook her head and looked around, her coat was on the ground somewhere. She located it fairly quickly, next to her old, orange backpack. She quickly made her way over to grab it, pulling out a Tupperware box which Charlie probably had since before she was born. She liked to fill her free time with cooking and baking, so Charlie wouldn't suspect her eating less and less and to occupy her mind so she wouldn't think about him all the time. Opening the lid, a faint smell of chocolate and coffee filled everyone's sensitive noses, making most of them groan as they rushed over to get one of her cookies.

"Fucking hell Swan," Quill groaned, "your cookies are magical."

"What did you bake this time?" Seth asked enthusiastically.

"Coffee and chocolate swirl cookies." She said, thinking back of how Angela had reacted biting into one at the coffee shop they like to go to. Deciding instantly she was going to attempt to recreate them, even though the flavours didn't do much for her anymore. There were two smaller boxes left in Charlie's kitchen, one for Charlie and one for Angela.

When all but one of the cookies were gone, she reached the box out towards Paul. Almost like an olive branch he didn't deserve.

"I'm not eating anything you touched."

She chuckled drily and took the last one, taking a big bite of it. "Like I give a shit."

"Good to see you can still eat human food."

Before she could retort with annoyance and anger, Sam smacked the back of his head. Making Bella cough loudly as a chunk of the cookie went down the wrong pipe, tears filling her eyes as Leah smacked her back in an attempt to help her. She was wheezing slightly when she honed in to listen to Sam reprimanding Paul.

"You need to stop goading her. Everything's been fine, nothing about her has changed in over two months. You need to let this go."

It took a few seconds for her heart to slow down and her vision to clear up before she saw Emily standing in front of her with a bottle of water and a gentle, comforting smile.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She said sitting down next to Bella so she was flanked by the only two women present in the clearing.

"We've got your back Swan," Leah said quietly, "No matter what happens in the future."

She smiled tiredly, curling one arm around Emily's and resting her head against Leah's shoulder. Watching Seth wink at her from the other side of the fire.

Everything started going to shit for Bella soon after, it started the week after. Had she known in hindsight that the period of peace in her life would've been so short, she would've tried to enjoy it more. But the chain of events that had started on the last Sunday of October, would change her life forever. Whilst the week before had been oddly cold, the weather was now back to its normal October chill.

Bella wore her coat for show, not for comfort since she didn't really feel that cold these days but didn't want to worry the people around her. She was supposed to meet up with everyone at Sam and Emily's house but upon arriving, no one was in sight. She sat down on one of the steps and waited, her chin perched in her hand, leaning on her knee.

"Swan!" a voice called from afar.

Standing up she looked around, but she guessed the person trying to get her attention was still too far out to be seen. When Paul finally jogged out from between the dense trees, she frowned and took a step back, her hand on the railing of the steps towards the house behind her.

"Why are you soaking wet? It hasn't even rained yet?"

She assumed he was smiling in an attempt to make her feel more at ease, instead his smile freaked her out.

"We were cliff diving."

"In this weather?"

"Like you said, it's not raining."

"I'm sure the water is freezing."

"I thought the cold didn't bother you that much anymore."

She bit her lip in response and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Why didn't anyone tell me you guys were cliff diving? I could've come up to cliffs instead of waiting here like an idiot."

This time he frowned at her, "Jacob said he texted you."

Pulling her backpack from her back she fished around in her backpack until she could pull out her cell phone. "It was still on silent." She said lamely, blushing slightly.

"Tell me where to go, I'll go get my car."

Paul looked at her with a deliberate face, "You want to go cliff diving?"

Bella shrugged, "I've always wanted to try it."

When he didn't answer, she cleared her throat. "Should I get my car?"

Paul looked like he was about to say one thing but changed his mind, "Why don't you follow me? It's walkable from here."

"You want me to follow you into the woods again?"

"You did it before Swan."

"I don't trust you like I did two months ago."

Paul put a hand over his heart, "Nice to know you actually trusted me once upon a time."

She smirked at his joke and mentioned for him to go, when he started running she groaned but tried to follow him. Running had never been one of her strong suits but here she was, almost keeping up with Paul's pace, not even stumbling once. Knowing when to jump over something, knowing when to duck for a low-hanging branch without even having to think about it.

"Another one for the vampire book huh." Paul teased, a bitter tone in his voice once they reached their destination. Bella placed her hands on her knees and tried to get as much air into her lungs as possible.

"Doesn't this show you that I'm human?" She panted.

"Humans can't run like that," he stated sourly before mumbling, "leech-girl."

"Stop calling me leech-girl."

"Humans aren't supposed to hear things like that too." He added.

"Fine," she started with an agitated tone, "Some things about me are human and some things aren't. I thought that was the whole point of me being here every single Sunday?"

"Don't act like I enjoy you company, Swan."

"You think I enjoy yours!" She hissed, "I would rather be anywhere else right now."

Paul raised his eyebrow and took a few more steps towards the edge of the cliff behind him. "Anywhere else?"

The sudden quiet around her made her look around, the only sound she could hear was her own breathing, the wind around them tangling her hair around her face and the sound of the waves somewhere below them.

"Where is everyone else?"

"I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"You said you were all cliff diving."

"We are," He started, "this one is usually our last stop. Don't you want to have a look?"

"I'm not stepping to the edge of a cliff with someone who would rather see me dead standing so close to the edge."

He rolled his eyes and moved his hands over his head, stepping back until he was standing against the treeline behind her. "Happy now?"

"I'll never be happy when you're in the vicinity." She mumbled as she took deliberate steps to check out the water below.

"I heard that!" He shouted.

"I don't care!" She added sarcastically.

"Holy sh-" she said, taking a quick step back when she saw just how deep down the water below her was.

"You guys actually jump down from this height?"

"All the time." Paul said with an arrogant look on this face, leaning back against the trunk of a tree. "Are you scared?"

She scoffed, "I'm not scared. I just thought my first cliff dive should be a smaller one."

"I'm here."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"All jokes aside," he started, taking two steps in her direction. "You don't have to jump if you don't want to."

"And here I thought you were going to tease me."

"I get it, you're not one of us. This is probably too much for you."

"Don't start patronising me, I-"

"I mean, it's not even that high. But you do you."

It didn't take her long to realise he was goading her, again. "Go stand back over there again." She mumbled before standing at the edge of the cliff. She couldn't see Paul's smile darkening as she leaned against the tree again. There's no way she'll actually do this. He thought to himself. She doesn't have the guts. Jacob didn't even have the guts for this one. Only Sam and I have ever dared to do this one.

She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of listening to him but either way he was going to be annoying. She was about to decline when a sudden thrill of adrenaline filled her body, like a fresh battery running through her veins. Inhaling deeply and closing her eyes she let her surroundings in, she smell of the sea below her, the feeling of the wind in her hair, whispering around her skin. Her heart pounding with, excitement?

She was about to take the step and jump down just for the hell of it when a colder breeze flicked at her neck, "Don't do it, Bella." The musical voice whispered in her ear, making her turn around with wild abandon. But it wasn't him, it was him. His shadowy, see-through version staring het down with intense, angry eyes.

"You can't tell me what to do anymore, Edward." She mumbled before turning around again to eye the water.

"Edward?" Paul said, the wind carrying his voice away from her as he stepped closer to see what was going on with her. "What are you talking about?"

"It's too high for you, Bella. It's too dangerous."

She chuckled darkly as she felt the energy inside her chest pulse wildly, her hands shaking ever so slightly. "You can't tell me what to do anymore," she murmured, "You left me, I can do what I want."

"Who are you talking to?" Paul said, feeling confused but before he could reach her, she took the remaining three steps necessary to reach the edge and jumped down without hesitation.

"Holy shit!" He shouted, guilt washing over him as he ran towards the edge to see her going down at a rapid speed. The pressure of the fall made her stop breathing halfway down, the wind slicing around her painfully, but she kept her eyes open, moving her head to look upwards to see Edward and Paul standing next to each other. Paul's eyes wide with fear, Edward's mouth open in a scream.

I shouldn't have done this. Was the last thought running through her head before he feet smashed painfully into the water and everything around her turned dark all at once.

Bella hadn't felt the back of her arm slicing against the sharp edge of one of the rocks below her, she had been knocked out as soon as she had hit the water feet-first. Her hair swirling around her, her back and neck arching under the strength of the waves. Small bubbles escaping her lips every few seconds until they stopped. The blood from cut at the back of her arm slowly creating a red haze around her arm and face. If it wouldn't have been so macabre, she would've looked like a deity or a mythical creature from a painting in a museum.

Paul had jumped after her as soon as her form had hit the water, needing to see where she was going to crash into the sea before going after her. They're all going to kill me. Kept echoing through his head as the waves painfully welcomed him, it took him a few seconds to get his bearing and few more before he spotted her in the dark water. Her dark clothes not helping the search for her. The cloud of blood surrounding part of body made him cringe with self-hatred. Human.

It took him longer than expected to reach her, the waves around them wild and powerful but once he did reach her pale form he clasped her arm tightly in his grip and pulled her up with all his might. He gasped loudly and groaned when she didn't.

"Breathe, Swan!" He groaned, the smell of her blood was much sweeter than it was supposed to be.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He heard Jacob's voice somewhere in distance, he paddled around until he could see Sam, Jacob and Leah on the beach and swam towards them as quickly as he could with her in his arms.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Sam roared as he pushed Paul backwards with all his might after he had dropped Bella onto the pebbled beach as gently as he could with shaking arms. Paul's eyes were wide, his chest heaving from the swim back to the shore. His eyes on Bella's scarily grey, white skin and blue parted lips. Her eyes closed.

"I just wanted to see-"

"Were you trying to kill her?"

"No! I don't know what I was thinking."

"We have an obligation to protect all humans. She's part of that category."

"I know, I just-"

"No, I don't think you know!" Sam shouted, "If you can't control yourself around the girl, then get yourself out of the situation from now on. Leave her alone."

"But what if-"

"Look at her!" Sam roared, pointing at her form, her head now in Leah's lap. Her short hair dripping onto Bella's neck. Jacob's fingers checking her pulse after he had taken them off her chest to get the water out. Her gaze heated and dark as she glared at them. "Do you really thinks she's going to wake up tomorrow and be a fully-fledged vampire? You need to stop this behaviour!"

Paul flinched and look down, his shoulders hunched as the sound of Bella's rasping breaths and clattering teeth filled the air before the sound of panicked howling coming from the forest behind them reached their ears.

"Shit." Seth mumbled before shifting and running towards the sound.