A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine. If I post a little late, it's because I'm working on my hiatus story, Ghostly Double. I'm taking my time on it because it was my first supernatural story. FYI: I'm trying to make sure each chapter is 3,000 words or more.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

ENJOY!

03/17/2024


Rear-view Town

Chapter 15


"I never did ask Alice if they would go to Clallam Bay where they found Bella's car," Paul said as he looked down at the ground in front of him. He was feeling useless. He hadn't been able to talk to Bella for a couple of days. He was so worried that he couldn't sleep, and he was afraid Edward had done something to his Angel to keep her from even thinking.

"Dude," Jake said. "What if he put them on a boat?"

Paul closed his eyes and tilted his face skyward. They have been everywhere they could possibly think of. They've went as far as walking through neighborhoods at night, as their wolf, to see if they could hear anything. "God, I hope not."

"Something's gotta give. It's been..." Jake was trying to keep Paul going, but it wasn't something he was too good at.

"I know how long it's been. I don't need a reminder of how long my wife has been away from our babies and me." Paul took a deep breath. "I don't know what else to do."

"I'm sorry, man. I was just..." He stopped what he was about to say and thought for a minute. "Everyone is doing everything we can. I'm pretty sure that every abandoned cabin and others have been checked for this sick fuck. Alice has only had one more vision. Considering Bella can't see where they are, there's nothing else to go by."

Paul was scrambling through his mind trying to think of any kind of clue Bella may have tried to give him. He knew Edward was letting her use the restroom that was in her room. "I feel better when I can talk to her." Paul leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "He's only let Bella and Charlie see each other once. Bella said both of Charlie's legs are broken."

Bella had honestly been trying to keep Paul up to date. Edward had remembered that they could talk to each other in their minds. That was something that pissed him off more and more every time he thought about it. He had walked into the room and caught her mumbling to herself. She tended to forget about keeping her mouth shut and her words silent.

Edward had asked her. "Do you honestly think I'm stupid?"

Bella simply replied. "Yes. You're an idiot."

Edward knew that by keeping Alice blocked was the only way he couldn't be found. He had even figured out how to get around using an untraceable IP address. Especially when he realized that they knew about the cameras. Paul made sure to voice his promise firmly. "You're dead, motherfucker."

There was a split second that Edward was scared, but as far as he was concerned, they would never be found if he could help it. That's what his thoughts had been for the most part.

"Can you please let me see my dad? Just let him stay with me." Bella was trying everything she possibly could. Edward had been keeping her asleep, not giving her a minute to open her mind to Paul.

Edward shook his head. "You know he would be dead now if I just left him alone. I needed him to suffer."

"You're so sick." Bella closed her eyes and felt tears begin to pool. "I miss my family; I miss my babies."

Edward gave her a fake smile. "I'm sure the family pet can explain to your children why you're no longer with them."

"And exactly why is that, Edward? You haven't even explained it to me." Bella tried to give him the evilest look she could muster.

He knew he needed to tell her the whole story. He had told Charlie and that's why he was keeping them separated. He wanted to be the one to tell her in his own words. "The first time I met you, you were five." He started counting in his head because he knew she was about to explode.

"What the hell, Edward?!" She released a growl/scream and kicked her legs like a four-year-old throwing a fit. "You're so fucking demented."

"Do you want me to tell you or not?" He pulled a chair over and sat down. "Like I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I met you by accident when you were a little girl."

Edward's explanation went on and on for the next 30 minutes. Bella was beside herself and couldn't believe what she was hearing. His story had finally solidified her dislike for him. He was officially a psychopath.

"This has got to be the worst fairy-tale that I'm living in, right now." Bella just wanted to go home. "Please, Edward. You need to shit or get off the pot. Is this really all you're going to do with me? I'm getting fucking bed sores from laying here all the time."

"You have nothing to say about what I just told you?" Edward stood up and walked over to the bathroom to turn on the light. He entered and started pulling stuff from the cabinet below the sink before walking back out holding a pack of wipes and a towel.

"What the heck is that for?" Bella watched as Edward laid the two items at the foot of the bed before he tried to pull her socks off. "What the fuck?! STOP!"

Edward stopped what he was doing and crossed his arms over his chest. "I was going to wash you up because it's not your day to bathe."

"Oh, my God. Are you seriously out of your freakin mind?" Bella's brows were raised to her hairline. "You're fucking loony!"

Edward hated hearing Bella talk like gutter trash, but he was getting used to it since he's had her. "You want to stink, so be it" He took the stuff back to the bathroom.

"Since when do I have certain days to bathe?" Bella pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Edward had removed her IV tubes when she convinced him that he had enough of her blood to last him a lifetime. He still hadn't tasted it and wasn't sure if he ever would.

He released a deep breath. "I don't know, Bella." He was surprised he could barely think straight any longer. He was losing faith in himself. "I'll bring your dad in here."

That made Bella sit up straighter as Edward left her room for a few minutes before returning with Charlie in a wheelchair. "Dad!"

Bella jumped off the bed and ran to her father to wrap him in her arms. "Hey kid."

"I've decided to keep you both in the same room so I can keep a better eye on you." Edward pushed Charlie further into the room. "I'll bring a bed in here for you and a few changes of clothes."

As soon as Edward left the room, Bella wrapped her arms around her dad's neck, again. "Are you okay?"

"Gettin' better." Charlie returned her hug. "How are you? Have you talked to Paul?"

"Not yet. As soon he brings your stuff in here, I'll open up." She pulled away from him and returned to sit on her bed. "We need to think of a way to subdue him."

"You know him better than all of us." Charlie rolled his chair closer. "What are their weaknesses?"

Bella shook her head. She really couldn't think of anything except fire, and wolves. "Nothing. The wolves are the only thing that can take a vampire out other than fire or other vampires with abilities."

"He's just one vampire," Charlie said, dumbfounded at what they could possibly do to get away from Edward.

"I know," Bella said. "I'm sorry about all this. I feel like it's all my fault."

"It's not your fault, sweetheart. He's been planning this shit for years." Charlie rolled his head from side to side. He was starting to get a headache.

Bella gave him a weird look. "You know about that?"

"He told me. I think from now on, nothing will ever surprise me again." Charlie stretched his legs out loosening up his knees from sitting for so long. "I'm just appreciative that he didn't let me die. He was going to, but apparently my daughter begged him to not kill me."

"What else would you expect me to do? You're my dad, and I'll try to protect you any way I can."

Charlie felt defeat as he looked down at his legs. "I'm supposed to be the one protecting you. You're my daughter. You're the mother of my grandchildren. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me other than your mother." He shook his head as tears formed. "I miss her so damn much." Bella hopped up, again, and went to her father. "I wish she was here. I wish there was something I could do to get you home with your babies. I don't want them to grow up without you like you had to do."

"I know, daddy. I miss my babies, too. And my husband more than anything." Bella sat on the floor in front of her dad. "I miss the way Paul would tickle my foot every morning when he got up. I love him so much, daddy. And the babies are just an added bonus because they're a part of him." It was Bella's turn to start crying. "I can literally feel his love for me, ya know. It's a feeling I can't describe."

Unbeknownst to Charlie and Bella, Edward was listening to their conversation. He didn't know what he was doing anymore. What was he trying to accomplish other than tearing a family apart. Would he feel better about himself if he killed Charlie and took Bella far away from her life in LaPush? Would it make him a real man if he kept her, unwillingly, for the rest of her life unless he changed her. She didn't want to be changed, and Edward knew that if he did change her, she would only hate him more than what she does now. Could he handle that? "You can't, Edward," he told himself. "You need to screw your head on a little tighter and figure out what you're doing." It was in that moment that he realized what he needed to do.


"Paul." Bella finally took the opportunity to talk to her husband. "Baby, are you there?"

"Angel!?" Paul's heart rate began to increase. "Oh my God, Angel. Where have you been?"

"He's kept me asleep so I can't talk to you." Bella looked over to her dad. "He brought my dad in to visit and decided to let him stay in the same room with me."

Paul smiled then looked over to Jake. He pointed to his head to let him know that he was communicating with his wife. "That's good. I miss you so much."

"I miss you more." She sobbed. "I just wanna come home."

"No one, except the babies, wants you home more than me. We've run out of all options as to where to look for you. All the vamps are working relentlessly, as well." Paul stood up and walked off wanting a little privacy to talk to Bella. "Angel, is there any way that you could open your mind to Alice?"

"I could try, but I honestly don't think it will work. If I could do that with her, then I could do it with anyone." Bella glanced up to see her dad trying to get on the bed that Edward had brought in for him. "Let me help you," she said as she got up from her bed. "I'm finally talking to Paul."

"Angel, where did you go?" Paul got scared for a second.

"Sorry, I needed to help my dad get on his bed." She handed her dad the remote to the TV. Edward had been nice enough to bring one into the room because he knew Charlie liked watching sports. "Edward actually brought us a TV."

Paul hated to think of Edward doing anything nice for his Angel. He was starting to hate himself for not protecting her better. He thought it was redundant to prepare for something just for it to slap you in the face and laugh. "That was nice of him."

"It would be even nicer if he would just let us go. He's not doing anything. He keeps us locked up. We're not allowed outside or to even see anything else other than the room we're in." Bella took a deep breath and thought for a second. "Can you talk to Alice and them to see if there's any way that we could incapacitate him?"

"Anything for you. I love you, Angel. Please be careful around him. I know how you are with your smart mouth." As every husband should, Paul was worried about his wife. He knew she could be really snarky. The little bit of time that they've been together they've learned so much about one another. Probably more than a couple that's been married for 30 years. "I'll go talk with the vampires."

Bella smiled to herself. "I'll try to watch my mouth. I love you and promise we'll talk soon."

Paul wished he could talk to Bella until he could pinpoint where she was and run to her. The longer she was gone, the more he got sick to his stomach.


Edward was scrambling. His head was a whirlwind of words and sounds. If he didn't know any better, he was about to have a panic attack. He couldn't think of a reason to keep Bella and her dad other than he loved her. Or does he? He was so confused and fought to appear normal when he was around Bella. "You have to do this Edward. It's the only way you can live with yourself."

The sun was just setting as Edward paced back and forth over the porch of the house he had bought years before. He wanted him and Bella to have a life together there. He would change her, and they could live forever together. That's why he took her, right? He wanted his life with her and only her. So why did he take Charlie, too? Charlie had been a thorn in his side since the beginning of his relationship with Bella. Even when Bella turned 18, Edward felt like Charlie was constantly barking orders at her.

"You have to do this. She's been away from her family for far too long. You'll be okay. You have to be a man." He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled to feel pain that would never happen. The only pain he was feeling was his dead heart being shattered all over again. He needed to man- up as Emmett would say. Stop being a douche canoe.

Edward had wondered around aimlessly until he noticed the sun starting to rise. He had made his decision and he needed to do it before he changed his mind. He was back to the house in a matter of seconds and rushed into Bella and Charlie's room. He noticed Charlie wasn't in his bed and Bella was sitting up drinking from a bottle of water he had left with her the night before. He heard a thump from the bathroom and turned to go see if Charlie needed help. "He's fine," Bella tells him. "He'll let me know if he needs help."

Bella watched Edward as he bent down to get something from under her bed and came up with her shoes. "Put these on."

"Are we going somewhere?" She turned to place her feet on the floor.

"You'll find out." He heard another thump from the bathroom but continued to gather a few of Bella's belongings he had bought for her.

Edward couldn't remember what it felt like to sleep and fall into a dream state. Everything would start out black and change into color. It was like he had closed his eyes to experience blissful slumber. Little did Edward know in that moment, that would be the last time he would ever see Charlie Swan as he held the lid to the toilet above him and brought it down on Edward's head.


It had been more than 24 hours since Paul had spoken to Bella. He needed to get her home. He felt like he was at his wits end the longer they were apart from each other. He kept trying to talk to her, but it was nothing but silence. He had been pacing the floor with Malia because she wasn't feeling well. Carlisle had checked her only to find out that she had an ear infection. "I know, baby girl. Daddy misses her, too."

He walked into the bathroom and got three towels from the pantry so he could start a bath for the babies. It was close to their bedtime, and they always slept better if they were clean. Most people do and Paul was one of them. Cora was already downstairs making bottles so they could eat after they got their baths.

Paul was coming down the stairs just as his doorbell started ringing like it had a short in the wires. Cora came around the corner to open the door. "What's the emergency?"

"He's dead!" Alice said in a rush as soon as she stepped foot into the foyer. "Someone killed him."

"Who?" Paul asked with extreme concern.

"Edward."


Thank you!

RTB