Chapter 20

"What?" More than one person asked.

"I'm starting to get why that annoys people." Alice grumbled.

"Jacob thinks Alice should scan the minds of the people that went missing."

"That's not exactly what I thought." Jake mumbled then admitted. "And it was a little more sarcastic than that."

Edward waved him off. "If Alice can pick up any information gleaned from one of the missing, it might give us an idea of what Victoria is doing. Charlie…" Charlie gave him a glare that would send a human boy running. Clearing his throat he corrected himself. "Chief Swan, can you get us a list of the people who went missing in and around Seattle over the past year?"

"I could do that." He told them.

"Good until we get that list there is really nothing more we can do." Edward told them.

"Now wait a minute." Charlie said "We need to establish a base of operations. This running around in the woods bullshit has to stop."

"You are all welcome to gather at our home." Carlisle offered.

Jake looked over at Sam. He held up his hands. "This is your show. As long as they're not on La Push lands, I don't give a shit." To all the wolves he said. "You are all still on patrol, the schedule will not change. If you are late or miss patrol for any reason there will be consequences." He then turned and ran into the woods to make his way home.

Jake looked around at the rest of the wolves that were there. They all had sour expressions on their faces. He didn't blame them. Being in that house already he knew how bad the vampire smell was. Looking at the Cullen clan he could see the only vamps happy with that suggestion were the doc and his wife. "We have food. I will be happy to cook for all of you." Mama vamp offered a hopeful look on her face.

There were some grumbles about not trusting food cooked by them and even if the food was good the stink would keep them from eating.

Mama vamp tried not to show it but it was obvious her feelings were hurt. "Not all of us have to go in the house." Jacob suggested. "And you don't have to eat." He never thought he would want to make a vamp feel better, but he found himself smiling at the mom. "As for me. I'm starving, and would love something to eat." Her eyes brightened and a huge smile graced her face. Her and the doc ran off to their home.

"Alright," Charlie announced. "Let's go Bells, we have to run by the station to get that list." Charlie started to walk away. Bella hesitated. "Bells?"

"I'm going to the Cullen's." She told him.

"No!" he said, stopping in his tracks.

"Dad, before you knew everything, I was at their house constantly and nothing happened."

"Are you trying to lie to me, or are you lying to yourself?"

"I'm not!" She screeched.

"Bella, in their care, you have been exposed to human drinkers, threatened, chased down, torchered and almost killed. You have been attacked by one of their own, cut up, bruised, battered and stalked. Not to mention dazzled, what from my understanding is some sort of charming manipulation."

"Jasper didn't attack me!"

"From what I heard, he sure as hell tried to!"

"I'm not going with you! I am staying with them!" Bella stomped her foot.

"Real mature Bells." Charlie said.

"Charlie," Jake whispered to him. "If you keep fighting this, she will only push back harder. Why don't you go back with Quil and Embry, and I will go with them."

"Fine, I will be there soon." Charlie gave in, then grumbled under his breath as he walked away. "I wish you being there made me feel better, instead I'm more afraid." Jacob was glad he didn't see Charlie wince.

"His opinion really hurts you." Jasper pointed out too low for Charlie to hear.

"He doesn't know I could hear him. It's not his fault."

Edward and Bella stood on one side of Jake and Jasper and Alice stood on the other. All the vamps looking at him. "What?" Jake and Bella asked at the same time.

"Woah, stereo sound." Emmett commented from behind them.

"You are a curious one, Jacob Black." Jasper said.

"It was very kind of you." Edward told him. "What you did for Esme."

Jacob shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just hungry." Even Bella knew that wasn't true. He might have been hungry, but he was going to eat their food to make Esme happy.

Jacob, Bella, and the rest of the vampires walked out of the clearing at human speed. Paul and Jared stood there watching this all unfold.

Paul scratched his head. "I feel like we just walked into the twilight zone."

Jared huffed a laugh. "Brother, we have been in the twilight zone since we burst out of our skin and turned into giant wolves."