The White Feather
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Chapter Five
Bella was hiding behind the sofa with her hands pressed over her ears. But this time she didn't have Jacob for company. Charlie and Renee had been rowing for the last thirty minutes. As soon as she had arrived to see her daughter, Renee went on the attack. She was angry at Charlie for keeping Bella from her and preventing her from leaving Forks.
"I hate it here." She raged. "You are keeping Bella here deliberately to force me to stay, too. This has nothing to do with you wanting custody. This is about control."
"You are talking trash, Ren." Charlie retorted impatiently. "I don't give a damn where you go. You can leave any time you want to. This is about giving Bells a stable home instead of being shunted from place to place because you can't settle anywhere."
"I was granted custody." Renee snapped as she jabbed Charlie in the chest with her forefinger. "You have no legal right to keep Bella here."
"That is where you are wrong." Charlie pushed Renee's hand away from him before she had a chance to slap him. "Instead of shouting at me, why don't you start by spending time with our little girl and acting like a proper mother?"
"Please stop. Please stop." Bella whispered as she closed her eyes tight and began to rock back and forth. Tears slid from under her closed lids. She was feeling very distressed. The loud voices were scaring her. She curled in on herself, mouth wobbling. This was horrible. She loved her daddy and she loved her mommy. She didn't want them to fight. Bella knew it was her fault that they were arguing. It must be because she was a very bad girl. "I'll be good." She mumbled. "I promise I'll be good. Just please make them stop."
Billy caught his son climbing out of the window. He had just left him for a moment to go and get some water. In that time Jacob had used the opportunity to push the window open and try to escape. Billy caught the back of Jacob's jeans and yanked him back into the room. "I said no going outside, Jacob." He said sharply.
As soon as Jacob's feet hit the floor he scampered away. He was acting as if Billy hadn't even spoken. He sped through his bedroom door before his father could stop him. Billy gave chase. He raced after his son, calling for Jacob to stop. But he wouldn't. Jacob kept charging forward. He dodged his father's grabbing arms and bolted for the front door. His hand was reaching for the latch when Billy caught him and trapped him between the front door and his body.
"Don't even think about it, son." Billy warned him. "I've told you already. You can't keep wandering off on your own like this. It's dangerous out there…" He paused when he noticed the tears streaking down Jacob's cheeks. His son was taking huge gulping breaths as he tried to draw in air. He was very upset about something. Billy felt shame wash over him at the harsh way he had addressed his little boy. Because of Jacob's size it was hard to remember how young he really was. "I'm sorry." Billy apologised softly as he hunkered down in front of Jacob. "What's the matter?"
"Bella Angel sad." Jacob choked out. He stifled a sob. "I go make Bella Angel better."
Billy put his hand on Jacob's shoulder. His son was trembling violently and his skin was burning to the touch. He began to panic that the little boy's phasing could be imminent if he continued to suffer these high levels of stress. Billy tried to keep his tone even as he spoke to Jacob. "I am sure Bella is fine, Jake. We only saw her a couple of hours ago, remember."
"Bella Angel cry." Jacob insisted. He sucked in his lower lip as he tried to breathe properly. His rising panic bubbled to the surface as the pull to comfort his sweet angel overrode everything. "I go. Stop loud voices. Make Bella Angel smile."
Billy didn't understand where all this was coming from. What had sparked all this off? Jacob seemed convinced that Bella was in some kind of distress. But how could he possibly know. He had been in his room since the Swan's had left to go and meet up with Renee. There was something big going on here that Billy didn't understand and couldn't explain. Old Quil had alluded to a connection between Jacob and Bella, but Billy had refused to acknowledge it. But here was positive proof that Jacob was somehow channelling Bella's emotions and reacting to them even though they were separated. He wished he could talk to the elder about the latest turn of events but Old Quil was spending precious time with his family. He had been neglecting them of late as he helped Billy keep tabs on Jacob. Billy didn't want to disturb him.
"Listen, Jake, instead of running off to find Bella why don't we call her instead, huh?" Billy suggested as a distraction. "It will be quicker that way. You can talk to her straight away. I'm sure that she's alright really."
Jacob sniffed as he looked at Billy trustingly with his dark brown eyes. "Okay." He said in a small voice.
Billy breathed a sigh of relief that Jacob had agreed so easily. He stood up and took his son's hand in his and led him toward the phone. He just prayed in his head that Charlie picked up when he called.
The shrill ringing of the telephone brought the argument to an abrupt halt. Renee's lips thinned as she crossed her arms defensively across her chest. "Let me guess its work, right?" She sneered. "And you tell me you are the best person to take care of Bella."
"Shut up, Ren." Charlie snarled. He stormed off to answer the phone. Its incessant ringing was getting on his last nerve. If it was work he was going to chew his deputy's ear off for interrupting after he warned him he didn't want to be disturbed as he was spending time with his family. He grabbed the receiver and pressed it to his ear. "Mac, I told you not to call me unless it was an emergency." He barked down the phone before the caller had a chance to speak.
"I'm sorry, Chief. I take it this is a bad time." Billy apologised. He could hear the strain in his friend's voice. It seemed the meeting with Renee wasn't going well. "I just wanted to check in that's all."
Charlie took a deep breath to calm himself down. He hadn't meant to be so rude. It was good of Billy to think of him, considering what he was going through with young Jake. "I'm sorry, Billy. Ignore me. Things are just a bit tense here."
"Uh huh." Billy paused as he looked at his son. Jacob was practically vibrating in front of him. He was so eager to talk to Bella. "Um… I know this sounds strange, but would it be possible for Jake to speak to Bella?" He laughed nervously. "You know how attached to her he's become. It would only be for a minute."
"God, Bells." Charlie rubbed a hand over his face as guilt set in. What must the poor child be thinking hearing him and Renee tearing strips off each other? How could he let himself get so worked up like that? Renee always managed to get under his skin and make him act out. Damn the woman! He swallowed thickly, grateful that Billy had called and interrupted their slanging match. "Of course Jake can speak to Bells." He said gruffly. "I'll just go and get her."
"Thanks, Chief." Billy gave the thumbs up to Jacob, signalling that everything was fine. A smile began to form on his son's face at the good news before it was promptly wiped off again. To his alarm Jacob began to shake violently. Beads of sweat broke out on his hot skin. "Jake…Jake…calm down. Jake." He cried. But it was too late, Jacob bolted and ran for the door.
It was too quiet. Way too quiet. As Charlie placed the receiver next to the phone he turned, a feeling of disquiet falling upon him. He couldn't hear Renee. When he glanced into the kitchen she was gone. A cold shiver ran down his spine when he noticed the back door was wide open, swinging on its hinges in the light breeze. "No…no…no." Charlie darted into the front room. No one was there. Not Renee. Not his baby girl. "BELLA!" He bellowed. "BELLA!"
There was no answer.
Charlie's heart constricted in his chest. He ran to the front door and yanked it open. Renee's hire car was still parked in the driveway, but it wasn't empty. Sitting inside was his ex-wife. A frightened Bella was strapped into the passenger seat. Renee glared at him through the windscreen, a smirk playing about her lips. She raised her hand and gave him the finger, before switching on the engine and reversing at high speed into the main road.
"STOP!" Charlie roared as he sprinted down the porch steps and tried to stop the car. Renee had been forced to stop as she changed gear and straightened the vehicle. Charlie reached the car and banged on the window. "Don't be an idiot, Ren. Get out of the car."
Renee's expression turned ugly as she changed gear again and floored the accelerator. The engine roared dangerously, the tires skidding on the asphalt. The last thing Charlie saw was his daughter's wide frightened eyes as the hire car raced down the road at high speed, forcing Charlie to fling himself out of the way.
Billy couldn't catch Jacob. The boy was too fast. He could see his son's form blurring as he sped toward the trees. He was going to phase any second. Billy tried to hurry but he was too slow. His breath came in ragged gasps as his heavy boots pounded on the ground. He had to get to Jacob. He couldn't let his son be alone when it happened. Jacob had already suffered enough in his short life. Tears streamed down Billy's face as he staggered toward the trees.
"Please wait for me, son. Please." Billy rasped. He raised his eyes to heaven as he gazed despairingly at the skies above. "Please show us some mercy. Please." He begged whatever spirits were listening.
"Mommy." Bella was sobbing hysterically.
Renee was driving too fast, her eyes fixated on the road ahead, her jaw set tight.
"Mommy, please." Bella wept. She tugged on the seat belt and tried to unbuckle it.
"Stay in your seat." Renee snapped at her harshly. "I am trying to concentrate."
Bella fluttered her thick lashes as she tried to hold back her tears. She was so frightened. "I want daddy." She begged.
Renee gripped the steering wheel tightly as a mad glint lit up her hazel eyes. "Your precious daddy has been trying to turn you against me, baby. It's just you and me. I should never have brought you here."
"I wan' Jake." Bella cried as she struggled with her seat belt again. "I wan' my daddy. I wan' my Jake."
"Will you stop whining?" Renee threatened as the hire car swerved alarmingly. She straightened up the vehicle and glared daggers at her daughter. "Now just shut up." She said through gritted teeth.
It was too late. All it took was a second - one tiny second of taking her eyes off the road as she yelled at her daughter. Renee's head snapped around as she heard a car horn beeping frantically. Her mouth opened in a perfect O as she realised her mistake. She had veered into the other lane and was heading straight for a haulage truck. Renee twisted the wheel as she tried to avoid a collision, but she was going way too fast. She lost control and the hire car skidded all over the road. One of the back tires burst and the car did a complete one eighty right into the path of another car. The other car struck Renee's hire car in the driver's side, sending it spiralling. It rolled over and over, coming to rest on its roof on the other side of the road.
Bella couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. When she opened her eyes everything was hazy with smoke. She coughed violently. She tasted blood in her mouth and it dripped into her eyes from a deep welt on her forehead. Her world had been turned upside down. Her neck ached as she twisted it. Her hair hung in sweaty tendrils around her face, making it hard to see anything. There was the sharp smell of gas. Bella wrinkled her nose and coughed again.
"Mommy." She whispered.
There was no response. Tears dribbled out of her eyes, blurring her vision further. She could hear raised voices now. They reminded her of her parents fighting. She choked back a sob. The seat belt was tight on her chest. It was restricting her ability to breathe. She was hanging upside down in the hire car.
"Help. Mommy, help me." Bella's voice was faint. The smoke was getting thicker. It was black and burned her lungs. She began to panic and wrestled with her seat belt. "Mommy. Mommy." She sobbed.
The heat was burning her eyes as well her skin. Bella was trapped. She struggled in vain to free herself, pushing on the button to release the seat belt. The smoke got thicker. She tried to hold her breath but it burned her nostrils, sending her into another violent coughing fit. "Help me. Please help me." She begged. "Please."
It was so dark now, the enveloping smoke covered everything. Bella's eyes slowly began to close as she stopped fighting. From far away she heard someone calling for Bella Angel. Jacob's name formed on her lips as she tried to answer but she was beyond speaking now. In her delirium she was aware of something tugging at her seatbelt. Then suddenly she was free from her restraints. She fell against something soft. There was a small groan of pain, and then she was moving again. Someone was pulling her through the opened passenger window of the hire car. It had smashed when the car had rolled on its roof. Bella tried to open her eyes. Her vison was blurred with tears. But through all the haze she was sure that she saw Jacob's anxious face peering down at her as he pulled her across the ground toward the trees lining the verge of the road.
Seconds later the hire car burst into flames.
A/N-thanks for reading!