The White Feather

Disclaimer; all the characters and copyright belong to SM.

Chapter Ten

Torrential rain attacked La Push in sheets. It muddied the ground and created little rivulets. The air was damp, the wind wild as it sent the tall trees surrounding the little redwood house thrashing violently. Leaves scattered. The wildlife hid as they sought shelter in any nook and crevice that they could find. It was noon but it may as well have been night. The occupants of the house were trapped and helpless, imprisoned by the ferocity of the storm raging outside. Billy had been home from the hospital for two days, but he was still on bedrest. He had a small army of visitors coming and going to check on him and the children. Charlie was still staying at the house but was forced to go into work as he dealt with the emergency fallout of people who had ignored the storm warnings to stay inside and had been foolish enough to venture outside. So today Billy was home alone with Jacob and Bella. No one could risk coming to check on them until the storm abated.

He was sitting by the fire to warm himself when Bella approached him. Her large brown eyes, framed with the thickest lashes he had ever seen on a child, gazed up at him as she held out a glass of sparkling water in her hands. In the other she held the small plastic box containing his medical kit. Billy's throat tightened as he watched this tiny, fragile girl trying to care for him. It should be the other way around. Guilt set in as he thanked her quietly for bringing him his meds. She must have been watching the clock as she was right on time.

"Where's Jake?" He asked thickly.

Bella didn't respond verbally. She still refused to talk to anyone, although Billy suspected that she did to his son. Instead she pointed toward the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

"Is he is in his room?"

Bella nodded her head vigorously, causing her long fringe to flop into her eyes. She blew on it impatiently before swiping it away. Billy smiled at her sadly. It needed cutting badly. He reached out and touched her luxuriant hair. The silky strands glowed red in the light from the fire.

"After I've finished taking my meds I'll braid your hair. Would you like that?" He offered. Bella nodded her head enthusiastically. Billy smiled again, patting her on the shoulder. "Maybe you could get Jake to come out of his room and join us?" He added hopefully.

Bella's expression turned pensive. She glanced down the hallway, her brow furrowing. She shrugged uncertainly before scampering off toward Jacob's room. Billy watched her go sorrowfully. He was deeply concerned for his son. Jacob was changing hour by hour. His body was maturing faster than his emotional capability to cope with the changes happening to him. Billy had no idea how to help Jacob through this process. He had tried talking to him, but it was so difficult to explain to an overly emotional little boy what all this meant when he didn't really understand himself. This had never happened before, it was completely unheard of. Old Quil had been doing his best to prepare Jacob by sharing stories about the last wolf pack, which included Jacob's own great grandfather. By holding up Ephraim as some kind of example he had hoped to ease Jacob's transition, but it wasn't to be. Jacob was a child. Ephraim had been a teenager when he transformed. Billy rubbed his forehead to try and ease the ache in his head. He wished Charlie was back from work. He needed his friend's steadying presence. Billy's fingers clenched around the glass of water Bella had given him as he tried to compose himself. He couldn't afford to fall apart, not when Jacob needed him the most.


Bella found Jacob sprawled on his bed staring up at the ceiling. His long legs hung off the end. He was getting too big for his child's bed. He turned his head to look at her as she pushed his bedroom door shut too loudly. "It hurts." He mumbled as he watched her climb up onto the bed beside him. Her touch was cool on his fevered skin as she stroked his forehead. "It hurts so bad, Bella Angel."

Taking her hand away Bella slipped off the bed again and disappeared out of the room. Jacob didn't move. He knew she would be back. A few minutes later he heard her light tread on the floorboards as she returned. She had another sparkling glass of water in her hand. She motioned for him to sit up. Jacob did so reluctantly. She shoved the glass into his unwilling hand and frowned at him until he drank it dry. Satisfied she took the empty glass and left again. Jacob crossed his legs in front of him and waited for her to come back. She was gone longer this time but when she returned she was carrying a plate of toast in her hands, with a bunch of bananas balanced precariously on the edge. Jacob's stomach growled as soon as he saw the eclectic mix of food. He clambered off the bed and quickly took the plate from Bella and dumped it on the floor. Bella blew her long fringe out of her eyes as she watched him devour the toast. He had unpeeled a banana and was taking great chunks out of that while simultaneously eating a slice of toast. He was like a ravenous wolf.

Bella watched him for a while before she left again. Billy should have finished taking his medication. She hastened down the hallway again, her internal body clock urging her on. When she reached Billy he was in the process of packing everything back into the medical kit. He smiled at her wanly as she took the kit from him and raced to the kitchen to put it away. She knew he needed feeding too. Pushing the crate she used to stand on so she could reach the kitchen counters and the stove, Bella clumsily used a can opener to lever open a can of vegetable soup and pour it into a pan. With her tongue poking out slightly as she frowned in concentration, she flicked on the burners and began to stir the soup in the pan. There wasn't much food in the house. Charlie had promised to stock up on his way back to La Push. But there was no telling how long he would be gone. It was chaos outside. The phone lines were down and only intermittent cell phone signals. Bella had made do with what she could find. Tasting the soup gingerly to check it was warm enough; she turned off the burners and used both hands to pour it into a bowl.

Billy could have cried when he saw this small child coming toward him with a steaming bowl of soup cradled in her hands. She stepped carefully toward him in order not to spill it. He hated his weak body that wasn't even capable of rising out of his chair to help her. This wasn't right or fair. He held back his tears as he thanked Bella for thinking of him. Bella just smiled before scampering away again to check on Jacob again.


The dreams were bad. Jacob tossed and turned violently. It was now mid-afternoon. Outside the storm continued to rage like the demons in his head. Billy was dozing fitfully in his chair. Bella had pulled a blanket around him when she noticed goose pimples break out on his skin. The fire had gone out and she had no idea how to fix it. There was still no word from Charlie. Bella had no idea how long her daddy would be gone. She sat curled up next to Jacob on his bed. His skin was on fire, his black hair slick to his head. The fever was getting worse. Bella's eyes were round with fear as she chewed on a lock of her hair anxiously. Sometimes Jacob's dark eyes would flare open sightlessly. He would utter her name, and then cry for his mother. When this happened Bella would cuddle him, singing quietly under breath until he fell asleep again. But it only soothed him for so long before he began tossing and turning again.

It was close. So close. Bella could see the red wolf pacing impatiently. Jacob was fighting it. He still wasn't ready to accept the beast inside him. Bella didn't know what to do. Jacob was afraid, but he didn't need to be. The wolf was his friend, not his enemy. But Jacob didn't understand. The wind screamed outside like a banshee, startling Bella. The rain beat a tattoo on the roof. The trees bent and moaned in the wild wind. This storm, more wicked than any in living memory, tore at the house like a phantom. Debris flew in the air, smacking against the window pane. Bella emitted a faint cry. She shifted until she was kneeling next to Jacob on his too small bed. It was so dark outside that her eyes couldn't pierce through the gloom. She sucked harder on her lock of hair as she tried to stop trembling.

The wind began to shriek then howl, or was it something more sinister making the sound? Bella held her breath as she scooted closer to the window. Her small fingers clenched the ledge as she steadied herself. She couldn't stop trembling. Something was out there. A feeling of dread stilled her heart and stole her breath. This was the same dread she had endured right before the demons had attacked and taken Sarah hostage, before killing her. Beside her Jacob rolled around in a ball of sweat. His sheets were soaked with it. He was shaking violently. Bella squealed in fright as she kept her gaze trained on the window. Something was out there. Something bad. Then a white face appeared out of the gloom. It pressed against the window like a Halloween mask. It was a man, a man with eyes as red as blood. His lips were pulled back in maniacal laughter. His long, dirty blonde hair whipped in the wind. He ran his nails along the window, making them screech alarmingly. This was one of Sarah's killers. His handsome face, twisted and riven with evil would forever be imprinted on Bella's memory. She opened her mouth to scream but it got lodged in her throat. Then just as suddenly as his face appeared it was gone, lost once again in the storm.

Bella could hardly function. Her lungs drew in air of their own volition. Her head swam with the enormity of what was happening. Trembling she glanced down at Jacob only to find that he was gone. His bed was empty. Bella cried in fright, she had been so fixated on the man's ghastly visage she hadn't heard Jacob leave. Panicked, Bella ran out of the bedroom and down the narrow hallway searching for Jacob. He couldn't have gone outside. He couldn't. It was too dangerous. The bad man was out there. He would kill Jacob. Bella skidded to a halt with her heart hammering as she saw the front door wide open and swinging on its hinges.

"Nooo…."

Outside wolves howled.


An hour passed. Bella huddled by Billy's feet. Jacob's father was still sleeping. His head lolled to the side, his complexion grey. He wasn't well. Bella couldn't rouse him. She shivered as her wet clothes clung to her chilled skin. Her hair was a sodden mess atop her head. Bella had gone outside to try and find Jacob, but the cold and the dark had driven her back inside. On the doorstep she had found another white feather. It hung limp between her fingers as she clutched it tightly. Time ticked by slowly with each breath that she drew into her burning lungs. Jacob was gone and she couldn't reach him and she didn't know what to do.

Despairing Bella crushed the feather in her palm just like Jacob had done. She heard more howling. Bella raised her head and peered into the half dark. Her throat tightened as she rose up on wobbly legs and braced herself for what was coming. The front door banged. She heard the clump of heavy boots. This was it. It was all over. Bella couldn't breathe. She stood defensively in front of Billy, her tears wetting her cheeks. She cried for Jacob, she cried for herself, she cried for everything she had been forced to endure. The heavy boots got closer and closer. A tall shadowy figure appeared in the doorway. Bella's eyes opened wider as the figure stepped further into the light. Water dripped from the large brimmed hat he was wearing. His shirt was saturated and clung to his skin. His jacket was wrapped around a boy cradled over shoulder. It was Jacob. His dark eyes were closed and he was unconscious. The jacket covered his naked body.

Bella's eyes filled with tears of relief as she recognised the man who had carried him home to safety. She ran over to him and flung her arms around her father's legs. Charlie put his hand on her head and stroked her hair soothingly. He glanced outside at the raging storm. In the gloom he could just make out the shapes of five wolves. Their leader stood at their head looking right back at him. Charlie nodded his head in acquiescence before watching the Alpha melt back into the shadows followed by his pack.

A/N-thanks for reading!