Impasse
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Fight to the Death
The X-ray proved that Bella's hand was broken, but there wasn't any serious damage, just a tiny fissure in one knuckle. She didn't want a cast, and Carlisle said she would be fine in a brace if she promised to keep it on.
Jacob could tell that Bella was tiring as Carlisle worked to fit the brace carefully to her hand. He checked with her a few times whether she was in pain, but she assured him she was fine.
Bella thanked Carlisle politely when he was done and he gave her a small smile in response. "I'm sorry about Edward." He apologized. "He just worries."
Bella made no comment about that. She was having trouble keeping her eyes open now and just wanted to go home and sleep. Jacob supported her as he led the way out of the hospital, his anxious gaze trained on her the whole time.
"Jake, please don't worry about me." She said, yawning slightly. "It's just been a long day."
"I feel responsible." Jacob admitted. "If I hadn't sent Paul to look out for you then none of this would have happened."
"Will you stop with the blame game." Bella chided him gently as he opened the passenger door of the truck and eased her along the bench seat. "You're getting as bad as me, taking responsibility for things that aren't your fault. Or maybe I'm having a bad affect on you."
"No." Jacob refuted as he closed the door carefully. "You're good for me, Bells."
"That's good to know." Bella yawned again. There were days the tiredness comes in both forms, physical and mental. Today was definitely one of those. "I'm so sorry, Jacob. I feel so out of it."
Jacob laughed quietly as he turned the key in the ignition and the ancient Chevy's engine rumbled to life. "That's usually my line." He joked.
Bella smiled wearily. "Yeah." She agreed. "I know it's been one hell of a day but at least we've got your school dance thingy to look forward to."
Jacob feigned a look of complete surprise. "Are you feeling alright, Bells?"
Bella stared at him in confusion. "Yeah – why?"
"Well, you just admitted you're looking forward to attending a social function, one that might involve a little dancing. That's not like you. Are you sure it's only your hand you hurt?"
"Ha ha!" Bella said drolly. "Very funny, Jacob Black."
Jacob threw her a smug grin as he swung out of the parking lot and headed back to Forks.
"I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!" Bella cried to Leah in aggravation the next morning.
Every item of clothing she owned was strewn across her bed; her drawers and closets were bare. She stared into the empty recesses, willing something suitable to appear.
Her khaki skirt – the only skirt she owned – lay over the back of the rocking chair, waiting for her to discover something that went with it just exactly right. Something that would make her look beautiful and grown up. Something that said special occasion. She was coming up empty. She so wanted to impress Jacob.
It was almost time to go to school, and she was still wearing her favorite old sweats. She had called Leah absurdly early, just after the break of dawn, begging and pleading for her help to find something ravishing to wear for the res' school dance. She was struggling to find anything on her own. Her wardrobe was so limited.
Unless she could find something better here- and the odds weren't looking good at this point – she was going to end up attending the dance in the old sweats she was wearing.
"Well?" Bella demanded, scowling at the pile of clothes on her bed.
Leah glared at her irritably. She was in a very foul mood, not appreciating being woken up at what she still considered the middle of the night, to help Bella with her pathetic wardrobe emergency.
"Say something, Lee!" Bella wailed again. "Don't just stand there glowering! What do you think?"
Leah folded her arms crossly against her chest as she regarded Bella like she was an annoying fly she would like to swat. "I'm thinking you're screwed, girl. There's nothing here but a pile of old rags."
"Well thank you very much!" Bella retorted, feeling a little hurt. She had never been a fashionista, but her clothes weren't that bad. She gestured toward her khaki skirt. "If I could just find something to pair with the skirt – "
Leah snorted derisively. "You really want to go to this shindig looking like you're wearing battle fatigues?" She questioned dubiously. "You'd be better off going in those hideous old sweats that are permanently glued to your bottom half."
"Gah!" Bella made a grab for the offending skirt with her good hand and threw it at Leah's head. "Why did I ever think you'd be of any help! I'm sick of your insults!"
"I am not insulting you. I am giving you my honest opinion." Leah countered as she caught the skirt nimbly and dangled it on the end of her right forefinger. "Why are you making such a big deal about this anyway? Its just a lousy school dance."
Bella fidgeted and fumbled as she tried to come up with a reasonable excuse about why she was treating the outing with such importance. "It means a lot to Jacob that's all. I don't want to let him down."
"Oh, really?" Leah said disbelievingly. "I thought you guys were just friends?" She emphasized the word friends with a sneer.
"We are." Bella insisted, though the dusky rose hue on her cheeks said otherwise.
"Why?" Leah rolled her eyes at Bella's blinkered denial. "The dude is ripped – although not a patch on my Sam. Are you worried about being seen as a cougar or something? I wouldn't worry. No one will guess. Jacob looks way older than either of us."
"Oh, shut up, Leah!" Bella muttered.
Leah burst out into peals of laughter. "Oh, jeez, that's it. I'm right. You've got a crush on old Jakey boy."
"I said shut up!" Bella felt her face growing hotter. She reached for the nearest piece of ammo -which happened to be one of her pillows – and threw it at Leah.
Leah caught it easily, just like she had the skirt. She flicked it back expertly at Bella, smacking her square on the forehead. Bella let out a surprised shriek, her usual clumsiness working against her as she fell back on the bed.
"Hey, watch it!" She fumed.
"You started it." Leah pointed out.
Bella's scowl darkened as she rolled over and reached for the pillow with her good hand. She climbed unsteadily back onto her feet and shook it at Leah furiously.
"You are so damn annoying. Its not like you know anything about fashion anyway. You live in cut off denim shorts and tank tops whatever the weather."
"I'd rather be me than a totally unstylish wench like you." Leah fired back.
The two girls were immediately in fight mode. The argument that had started with harsh words would end up being settled with a fight. Not just any fight – one involving deadly weapons.
Bella brandished her pillow in Leah's face menacingly. "Come on, sister. Show me what you've got. Or are you scared?" She jeered.
Leah's jaw pulsed as she made a grab for one of the spare pillows on Bella's bed and whacked her hard in the solar plexus with it. Bella doubled over in shock, not expecting that sudden move. She wasn't winded, just taken aback. She glanced up breathlessly to see Leah wearing a mocking smile.
"Is the fight over already, Swan?" She scoffed.
"No way." Bella straightened, shaking out her hair, and squaring her shoulders. "I'm just getting started."
"Doesn't look like it." Leah taunted. "Are you sure you can cope one-handed?"
"I'm the queen of pillow fights." Bella boasted, narrowing her eyes. "Though maybe we should put some rules in place…. just for your safety of course."
"Of course." Leah replied disdainfully.
"Rule number one." Bella stated. "If I'm going into this battle one-handed, then its only fair that you reciprocate."
Leah smiled snidely as she slid one hand behind her back.
"Rule number two." Bella continued stoutly. "You cannot physically hit your opponent with any part of your body, only with a pillow."
"Goes without saying."
"Rule number three- overhead strikes are not allowed, and you cannot grab or steal the other person's pillow."
"Jeez, anything else?" Leah complained.
"No, that's it." Bella said as she steadied herself, preparing for the conflict. "Ready?"
"Oh, hell yeah." Leah emitted a loud battle cry, startling Bella, and allowing the taller girl to get in the first strike.
Grimacing, Bella stumbled back onto her bed, climbing up in a defensive maneuver as she held her pillow up in front of her. Leah's dark eyes gleamed with triumph as she leapt nimbly after Bella, with a grace that she could only envy, landing lightly on the bed and swinging her pillow high above her head like an Amazon queen.
Bella ducked one blow, more by luck than judgement, and swatted Leah in the chest. Leah retaliated by hitting her left shoulder. Bella wobbled a little but managed to keep her footing. The mattress dipped alarmingly under their combined weight as they swung their weapons back and forth, their breathing becoming more ragged with each blow.
Charlie, who was downstairs in the kitchen spooning his breakfast cereal into his opened mouth, nearly choked when he heard alarming creaking and groaning coming from one of the upstairs bedrooms. This shocking sound was followed by loud cries and heavy breathing.
"What on earth is going on?" He wondered aloud as he abandoned his breakfast and made his way cautiously up the stairs.
Inside the bedroom Leah had Bella backed against the wall.
"Admit it, Swan. You've got the hots for Jacob Black."
Bella's mouth drew into a thin line as she used her pillow to batter Leah's. Her last-minute offensive was too late, the battle was already lost and she knew it.
"I'm not telling you anything!"
"You don't need to." Leah crowed gleefully. "Your pissed off reaction says it all. Aww, girlie has a crush on the Alpha wolf. Wait until I tell Sam. He'll piss himself laughing."
"Don't you dare!" Bella yelled angrily. She battered Leah's pillow extra hard in her frustration, causing both to burst in cloud of white duck feathers.
Charlie chose that exact moment to enter the room. He pushed open the door warily, only to find his only child and her best frenemy covered in a sea of white.
Outside it was raining. The percussion of the water droplets hit the windshield of the silver Volvo parked across the road from the house. Edward Cullen fumed silently behind the wheel as the light shower turned into a deluge. The rain drummed on the roof of the car, darkening his mood further. He had been there since dawn broke, watching the house, listening in to the conversation of the occupants inside – meaning he had overheard the entire conversation between Bella and Leah.
"Aww, girlie has a crush on the Alpha wolf."
Leah's mocking tone was jarring, infuriating Edward further. He couldn't understand why Bella would surround herself with such a reprehensible individual.
He had tried delving into Leah's mind, but for some odd reason, her inner monologue came up like static on a radio, fading in and out, making it hard for him to read. This only added to his frustration. As he couldn't read Bella's mind, he needed conformation that the vile girl really believed what she was saying or was just trying to get a rise out of Bella.
It was upsetting enough that his love had agreed to accompany the dog to a school dance, no doubt he probably thought of it as some kind of date, even if Bella didn't really feel that way. At least he hoped not.
Edward's long pianist fingers drummed on the steering wheel along with the rain on the roof of the car as he contemplated what to do. There was no way he could allow Bella to attend this tawdry social gathering. The whole thing was beneath someone of her caliber.
Ever since Bella had been hurt under Black's watch, Edward had decided to go against Carlisle's wishes and act. His patience had finally run out. The wolf pack were not only a danger to themselves but to Bella as well. He couldn't let the association continue any longer. He needed to separate her from them…. or rather him.
Edward couldn't bear to think Jacob's name. His rampant jealousy was eating him up inside, even if he would never admit it out loud. Secretly he was frightened that what Leah intimated might actually be the truth, that maybe, somehow, in some way, Bella had caught feelings for the wolf boy.
He couldn't allow them to go on the date together, just in case something happened that would scupper his chances of winning the love of his life back.
There was still an open window of time between now and the school dance. He would intercept Bella at school (he refused to think of it as kidnapping) and take her somewhere which had romantic meaning for both. He was thinking of the meadow, where they had declared their love properly for the first time.
Yes, that's what he'd do.
Edward's anger simmered down now he had a set plan in mind. All he had to do was wait for the opportune moment. Not too long now and he would be able to whisk Bella away and back into his arms for good. If she still had difficulty in recalling the depth of the love that had once existed between them, then he would force her to remember. It was for her own good after all.
With this thought in mind, Edward finally gave up his lonely vigil over the house, and sped off to Forks High to wait for Bella's imminent arrival there.
A/N-thanks for reading!