Don't own twilight. This is one I come back and add some too ever so often. So it's a work in progress. When I get further into it, it'll probably be published as its own story. Somewhat inspired by Heroin aint got nothing on you.

Ticking Time Bomb

"Victoria will be so disappointed." Laurent said, managing to make his voice sound morose.

"Why would she be disappointed?" I growled, clenching my fists against my thighs.

"For me killing you. She so-." I turned around and started walking the way I came from. "Hey! Wait!"

"Nope! Go fuck yourself, and you can tell Victoria I said the same for her." I kept walking, and I heard him following.

"You can't say no. You have no defense against me?" He sounded confused, and I had to fight to keep my face stoic.

I gestured to the forest around us, mind whirling when I saw a flash of fur dive behind a tree. "Look, I get it, Victoria is upset about James, but I certainly didn't kill him. He bit me, broke several bones, and cut me up. James was an idiot for going against the Cullens. They killed him. Jasper, Emmett, and Alice killed him."

Laurent stopped, stunned. "Wait, he bit you? How are you not dead? Or a vampire? You must be lying."

I turned and yanked my sleeve up, showing him the double crescent scar on my wrist. "He bit me. I felt the flames of the venom burning in my veins. Like molten lava. Having it drawn out hurt more than it did going in."

Laurent's jaw dropped a little as he looked up from the scar. "They attempted to remove the venom?"

"Yes, and I came close to dying from blood loss because of it. James wasn't gentle as he tortured me, and as I said, he cut me up pretty bad."

"Those imbeciles." He suddenly looked very concerned. "Have you experienced hallucinations, migraines, or had difficulty sleeping?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. For months afterwards I had nightmares of James, and now it switches off between him and the Cullens leaving. The migraines are somewhat manageable. The hallucinations are… distracting to say the least."

He ran a hand down his face. "Just like you cannot suck venom from a snakebite, you cannot suck venom from a vampire bite. There would be miniscule amounts left of James, and whoever tried to remove its, venom, and you have probably been going through a very extended change. Have you experienced pain in random parts of your body? Any physical changes? Dietary?"

I don't know what he saw in my eyes when I met his gaze, but he took a step backwards. "I have been in pain for months." Then I thought about the rest of what he asked. "I've grown slightly less clumsy, in so much as I no longer trip over flat surfaces. I prefer my steak a little more on the rare side."

He nodded as if this all made sense, and then he held out a pocket knife. "Slice your palm, I need to see how fast it heals."

I took the knife but raised a brow. "You're not asking this of me to try and get a bite are you?"

"No. Right now, I'm trying to discover if the Cullens left a ticking time bomb with nobody to guide them."

"Ticking time bomb?"

"Like I said, you could be going through an extended change due to the miniscule amount of venom that would have been left in the bite after the attempted removal. Carlisle spent time with the Volturi, he should know this." I was still confused, and it must have shown on my face because he gently reached an arm out to touch my shoulder. "I'm not saying this to scare you, but do you want to risk your fathers life?"

I could feel my eyes widen. "What? What does he have to do with this?" I asked, barely keeping my voice steady.

"Isa-."

"It's just Bella. The only people who call me Isabella ar-."

"Bella then." He paused. "If I'm right about a prolonged change, one morning you will wake up from the last time you'll ever sleep, and if your father is in the house, you might not be able to control yourself. Bloodlust is a very-."

"I wouldn't hurt Charlie!" I yelled suddenly.

"You don't know that." He seemed to be warring with himself for a moment, before he sat on a downed log and patted the spot beside him. I moved to take the seat, but watched him warily. "While having prior knowledge may protect him, you can't guarantee that. I was very close to my mother before I was changed. She was the only family that I had after my father left when I was a young child. I was attacked and left for dead, and when I awoke three days later I went home. Her scent.. I couldn't stop. I burned my house down when I realized what I'd done."

I sniffled as I reached out a hand to his shoulder, in a gesture similar to what he'd done for me. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

"For nearly three hundred years, I have had to live with the fact that I killed my mother. Many times I wish that I had just decided to not go home. Once I learned more about what I was, and what my sires responsibilities were, I was mad at him as well. He should have finished me off, or hung around to teach me."

I felt my brow furrow as my nose crinkled. "Wait, does that mean James is going to be my sire? That ass hole who tortured me, broke my bones, and bit me is going to be my sire?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he seemed to steel his nerves. "I suppose, if you heal from a sliced palm abnormally fast for a human, I could inject you with my venom, since I plan to take over the sire responsibilities either way."

I held the knife back out to him and held out my hand, so that I could pinch my nose. "You do it."

He was looking at me like I was weird. "What are you doing?"

"The smell of blood makes me nauseous. It always has. I can handle pain, but I don't want to barf in an open wound."

He snorted as he gently took my hand. "Yet you shared bread with vampires."

I rolled my eyes, and didn't relinquish my hold on my nose as he slid the blade across my palm. Blood welled, but I could see the edges of the wound coming together already. "Fuck."

Laurent wiped the blade on his pants and returned it to his pocket. "I'm glad I came when I did. You'd be lucky if you had another month before the change is complete."

I was silent for several minutes, turning this idea over in my head. "I'll have to leave." I met his gaze. "I remember the Cullens saying that Irina is your mate, but I don't want to be somewhere that they can easily find me. Not after what they did.. how they left."

"The Cullens use the term mate too freely. Irina had the potential to be a great companion, but she is not my mate." He sighed. "When a vampire finds their mate, it is as if the world stops. They become the gravity that holds you to the earth, the center of your universe. Irina is lovely, but she isn't my forever."

"Edward claimed I was his mate." I said idly as I wiped my palm on my jacket. "He was very controlling. I know he lied, because he kept trying to change me. There was never any compromise. I was hardly left alone. When he wasn't 'watching over me', he'd have Alice doing it."

"Irina and her sisters are like that."

"So," I started, standing up. "What's the game plan?"

"Your father is a police officer yes?" He asked, and I just nodded in response. "With Victoria seeking vengeance, it'd probably be best for us to leave the continent until you're in control of your instincts. I can arrange for travel papers, and have a place to stay ready for us when we arrive."

"How long will that take?" I asked nervously. "If I truly have less than a month, I don't want to risk Charlie."

He patted my shoulder. "I'll put a rush order on your documents, it will take two days max. Then I'll be back for you. You know you cannot tell him anything about this right?"

"Carlisle spent time with the Volturi. I know their laws. I know that the Cullens broke them by leaving me unchanged and alive. I've known the sentence hanging over my head for over a year now, and I wouldn't put my father through that."

"I assume you parked nearby?" He asked.

"Yeah, my truck is at the trail head."

"Do you want a ride back to your truck?"

"If you don't carry me like a back pack. That's how Edward always ran with me, and it made me dizzy."

He picked me up bridal style and glanced down at me quickly. "It might help if you close your eyes." I nodded, and as soon as they were closed I felt the air rushing past me. Twenty minutes later, as I pulled into my driveway, I decided that I wanted to spend as much time as possible with Charlie before I had to leave him. "Hey Dad," I called as I entered the house, and he looked up from where he was cleaning his hunting rifle at the kitchen table.

"Hey Bells, did you have a nice time with Jessica?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice not to lie. "It actually got me feeling nostalgic for my summers up here as a kid, and I was actually wondering.." I drifted off, knowing that he probably wouldn't believe what I was about to request.

"What were you wondering?"

"Can we go fishing? Just you and me? Seeing Jess with her dad made me think of how much time we lost when I was living with mom. Then all the chaos when the Cullens were in town, and how terribly I reacted to their leaving. I want to spend time just you and me, surrounded by nature, like how it used to be."

His hand stopped its motions with the rag as he looked at me with shocked eyes. "Yeah, if that's what you want. I'll call up Harry and tell him I can't go out today."

I grinned, before looking down at my clothes. "Let me just go change into something more comfortable for the boat, and I'll be back down. 20 minutes sound good?"

He offered me a cheerful smile as he set the gun down. "Yeah. I'll finish this up and throw the gear in the truck."

The lake he'd taken us to was calm, the water still, as we relaxed back in our seats, watching the lines. I glanced around us. "I forgot how much I missed this." I murmured, not wanting to break the peaceful feeling surrounding us.

"I know it was hard on you, the back and forth, I never blamed you, or was angry at you when you stopped coming up here, and I want you to know that."

"It was harder on Renee." I replied quietly, "the back and forth." I looked out over the water again. "You know how forgetful and ditzy she could be. Sometimes I'd come home from the summer, and the water or the electricity would be off because she'd forgotten to pay it in my absence. I'd learned to balance her checkbook by the time I was eight, and Grandma Marie taught me how to cook before she died, so I was in charge of that as well. I learned how to use the phone to pay the bills, and made sure she got up for work." I didn't look at Charlie, I know what look I would see on his face. "She always jokingly told me I was born middle aged, but in reality, she put too much responsibility on my shoulders. That's one of the reasons that I was so happy when she found Phil, and I used the opportunity of her wanting to travel with him, to come home. Because despite living more time in Phoenix, Forks has always been my home." I nudged his shoulder with mine, still not looking at him. "I think that's why I was so easily sucked in by the Cullens. I had no responsibilities, no expectations from them. I had no choices to make, because they were all made for me." I closed my eyes. "I see now, how unhealthy that was, but after seventeen years of making so many choices to keep a roof over Renees head, it felt freeing."

"Bells," I heard the thick emotion in his voice. "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. You didn't know." I finally looked at him. "I hated being away, because you and I have always been so alike. But she needed me more."

He looked out at the water as I had been doing a few moments ago. "A part of me has always loved your mother. Even after she left and took you with her. I can't believe that she would treat you like that."

I leaned against him and put my head on his shoulder. "I love you dad."

"I love you too Bells." We sat in silence for a while. "So, are you feeling better?"

"Somedays." I replied. "Other days, I just want to get in my truck and drive. It's not you, it's not even Forks… it's just.. there are days when I walk into the cafeteria at school and I still expect to see them sitting there. Or I expect Alice to barge into my room to force me to go shopping with her."

There was a tense silence. "Bells, if you need to get away for a while, especially with Jakes disappearing act, all I ask is that you're safe, and that you keep me updated." I'm sure my face must have looked incredibly shocked, because he just offered a soft chuckle, though I could sense other emotions behind it. "Bells, you're 18. I, legally, can't force you to stay. Besides, I've tried keeping a woman going stir crazy in Forks before, and she ran off with my little girl."

"I'm glad to have your support." I replied.

"Do you have any plans yet? When you're leaving?"

"It's spring break next week." I let my thoughts wander for a minute.

"Are you going to be back at the end of it?" He asked.

"I don't know. I'll definitely call if I won't be, that way you can talk to the school." I watched my bobber for a minute. "Maybe I could finish via correspondence or something." Charlie and I didn't talk much the rest of the day, just relaxed together on the boat. We did catch a few fish, which he fileted, and I cooked when we got home. He was sitting at the TV watching a game when I started to head upstairs. "Night dad."

"Night Bells, love you." He called back. I smiled softly and went into my room. I grabbed my shower stuff and a pair of pajamas and made my way into the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, I went back into the bedroom, and pulled my suitcase out of the back of the closet. I folded up all but a pair of my jeans, and then started packing some shirts as well. Not knowing where exactly we were going, and what the weather would be like, I packed an assortment. Tank tops, t-shirts, and sweaters. I didn't pack anything blue. Underwear was next, followed by socks and a couple of spare pairs of converse. I sat the suitcase by the door, and grabbed the satchel I'd taken to using for school. I emptied it out on my bed. I slid a couple of my favorite books in, and then added my passport, emergency cash, and wallet.

Laurent said that he was going to get me new documentation, but I was going to pack this just in case he wasn't able to. I'd swap it out after. Just before I got into bed, I pulled a mirror out of my desk drawer and propped it up on my dresser. It wasn't very big, but I'd be able to check my eyes before I left my room in the morning. I then wedged my chair under the doorknob, and locked it for good measure. For the first time in what felt like years, I slept peacefully. I woke up and stretched as I walked over to my dresser. Eyes were still brown, but I noticed my complexion looked a bit clearer. I moved the chair and unlocked the door, walking downstairs in my pajamas to make breakfast. Peeking out the window, I saw the cruiser was gone. I had just sat down at the table with my bowl of cereal when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Bella?" Billy's gruff voice questioned. "Is it safe for me to come over and talk to you?"

"Oh, are you talking to me again? You aren't worried about Jacobs 'mono' spreading?" I couldn't keep the slight irritation out of my voice.

"Yes, I would like to speak to you. May I come over?" His tone was calm.

"I guess, but have someone other than your son drive you."

"Bell-."

"Billy, the Cullens made me a lot of promises that they obviously never had any intention of keeping. They nearly succeeded in breaking me. Your son promised to never hurt me like they did, and I haven't been able to get ahold of him in the three weeks since. I have no desire to see him at the moment."

He sounded hesitant when he spoke again. "Okay, I'll have someone bring me over in about an hour. Is there going to be anyone besides you there?"

My eyes narrowed. "Do I need there to be?"

"No, but I have the feeling that we will be discussing things that neither of us want your father to hear."

"Charlie is at work Billy."

"There will be no one else there?"

"Just me and a twelve gauge if you keep making it sound like you're coming to murder me."

He snorted. "It'll make sense when I get there Bella."

"See you in a bit then." I responded before hanging up. I finished my breakfast and moved upstairs to shower and get ready. I was back downstairs starting a pot of coffee when I heard a car drive up. The first few drops slid into the carafe when there was a light knock on the door. I opened it and raised my brows when I saw Sam Uley standing behind Billy. Ignoring Billy for a moment I held my hand out for Sam to shake. He looked confused, but shook it anyways. "I never got the chance to thank you for finding me in the forest."

"No thanks were necessary." He replied, and I stepped aside and motioned them in.

"I started coffee, if either of you want some when it's done." Thankfully, we had a fairly fast coffee pot, so less than five minutes later the three of us were sitting around the table holding a cup of coffee each. "I assume there is a reason you wanted to speak with me Billy?"

"What do you remember of the Quileute legends Bella? I know you heard them as a child, and Jacob mentioned that he'd told you a couple of them last year."

I snorted and held up a finger to pause the conversation before I ran upstairs and grabbed the book I'd bought after that conversation with Jake. Maybe it didn't hold all of the legends, it certainly doesn't mention the treaty with the Cullens, but it did hold quite a few. I sat back down in my chair and placed the book on the table as I took a quick sip of my coffee. "I have all of the ones in that book memorized. I remember all of the ones Aunt Sarah used to tell Rach, Becs, and I as bedtime stories when I would sleep over. I remember the ones Jacob told me on the beach last year. Why don't you just say what you're here to say, and save us both some time."

He flipped through the table of contents of the book and nodded. "Obviously, you and I both know the truth about the Cullens."

I snorted. "Honestly, I'm surprised more people don't figure it out. They never eat. They don't interact with anybody. The only one of the 'children'," I used air quotes, "that is actually school aged is Doucheward."

"So, you remember Jacob mentioning that the Quileute are descended from wolves?" Billy asked, stopping my rant.

"Yes," my eyes flashed to Sam before turning back to Billy. "Plus I've seen them."

Billy and Sam both frowned at me. "When?" Billy asked.

"Well, the first time was the night Sam found me in the woods. I was fairly out of it, but I clearly saw a large black wolf approach, and then step behind the tree that Sam stepped out from behind moments later." Billy looked at Sam who had a slightly sheepish expression on his face. "There have been a few instances where I've seen flashes of fur in the forest as I drove to and from La Push. Then, I saw their shadows in the forest yesterday when I was hiking to the meadow." Billy met my eyes. "I knew the Cullen part was definitely true, it wasn't too much of a stretch to assume that the wolves were as well."

"We were tracking dreadlocks scent yesterday when we came across the two of you in the meadow. We were hanging back to watch, to make sure that he wasn't going to attack you. We listened to the conversation the two of you had."

"Your father has been a friend of the tribe since he was a child. His aunt was actually married to one of our elders." Billy started, taking over for Sam. "You have been a friend of the tribe yourself, since birth. While your own choices have led to what is happening to you, I know that it is out of your control."

"What do you know of the Cullens gifts Billy?" I asked, irritated again.

"Gifts?"

"Yes, some vampires have gifts. Doucheward, is a mind reader. He can read everybody's mind but my own. Pixie, is a seer. She has subjective visions based on decisions. Jasper, has the gift of pathokinesis. He can read, and influence others emotions. By the time you had spoken to me, I was already being closely watched by them." This made him pause. "At one point, when their controlling behavior got to be too much, I was going to move back in with Renee, but Alice saw the decision, and suddenly I always had someone watching me. They claimed they were worried about some nomads passing by, and that it was for my own protection. By the time you had Jacob come to talk to me at prom, they had me so entangled in their web, that I didn't even get to decide what I would wear to school, or what I would eat for breakfast. Everything was decided for me." I held up my wrist so he could see the double crescent scar. "This, should have never happened. You can blame me, if that is what you want, but if the Cullens had just destroyed James in the clearing when he first appeared, instead of trying to play pacifists, what is happening to me wouldn't be happening to me."

There was silence for several minutes as the two in front of me seemed to mull that over, before Billy spoke again. "When are you leaving Forks?"

"When Laurent gets back. He's getting id for me in a different name, that way if the Cullens or one of his old coven mates is watching, they won't see my name on an international flight. I talked with Charlie yesterday, and told him I needed to get away for a while, and that I didn't know how long I would be gone. I didn't give specifics, and I will stay away until I know with 100% certainty that I will not harm him, and then I would like to return to visit on occasion."

"Are you intending on following the Cullens diet?" Sam asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. From what I understand, for the first year, I will have very little control over my instincts." I thought back to what Edward had told me about his time as a nomad, his 'rebellious period'. "I'm willing to try, and if I do decide to take a more… natural route, I promise to stick solely to criminals. Rapists, murderers, child molesters."

There was silence for another minute. "I, as Chief, along with the council, and the pack, would like to make a treaty with you. If you find Laurent to be trustworthy during the time you'll be spending with him, I would be willing to extend this treaty to cover him as well."

"Wow." I looked between the two of them. "Are you serious?"

"Bells, I've always considered you one of my own. My Sarah did as well. I'm going to give you some phone numbers, mine and Sams, as well as Old Quil. I would like it if you could call with updates on your progress."

I hesitated. "I don't know if I'll be able to. It will depend on how long it takes to get the strength under control. Also, I would like to believe that Laurent can be trusted. He did back away from the fight with the Cullens last year, and as soon as I mentioned that I'd been bitten by James…. As much as I want to believe that I wouldn't hurt Charlie, I just don't know. He probably saved, at the very least, Charlies life."

"Do you have a back-up plan? If you find he can't be trusted?" Sam asked.

"If I'm still having trouble with bloodlust, and we're somewhere in Europe, I'll probably have to make my way to the Volturi. They're kind of the leadership of the Vampire world."

"If you end up back in the states, we have a cabin at the very edge of Quileute territory to the north. The pack patrols by it daily, and if worse comes to worse, call one of our numbers, and I will meet you somewhere off our land to take you there." Sam told me.

"Would you be willing to keep a journal?" Billy asked. "I know your situation is unique, with the extended change, but I would love to keep it in our archives for future Packs."

I slowly nodded. "Just like with the phone calls though, I can't make any promises. It may take a while before I'm… conscious enough to put pen to paper."

"Is there anything you would like to do before you leave?" He asked.

I thought about this for a minute, before glancing up at Sam. "The first day Jake and I took the motorcycles out, we saw you guys cliff diving. Since this will be my last chance to visit La Push, I'd love to try it."

Sam grinned a little. "That can certainly be arranged."

Memories of my last day in La Push were still swirling in my mind as I wedged my chair under the door knob in my room again that night. I'd made a large lasagna for dinner, and a second one was in the freezer, where I'd written cooking instructions on the plastic cover.