DECISIONS
Friday morning I left La's house just before sunrise and took a run north to Cape Flattery. I made it to the coast right as the sun crested the horizon and splashed vivid rays of light over the water. They lingered for an instant before the clouds swallowed them up again, and left the jagged coastline in watery dimness. There was one spot along a popular hiking trail that was barely hidden from the path where a rocky shelf jutted out over the angry water crashing against the shore, offering a view of a lighthouse in the distance. Alice had shared this spot with me the first week after we moved here. It was a place she visited for space to think when the visions got to be too much.
Visions didn't plague me, but the serenity gave me the perspective I often needed. This early it was quiet and still. Wildlife was only just waking; little footsteps skittered through the underbrush, while soft chirrups of birdsong hesitantly rang out in the stillness overhead. La had been having a rare night of peaceful rest. When I climbed out of her window that morning she hadn't even twitched in more than an hour. I hoped her dreams were as tranquil as they seemed.
A cold wind barrelled along the coastline bringing the scents of salt and seaweed from the ocean along with the smells of sweating humans out for an early morning hike. It was time to go. As I sprinted back toward Forks I came across a lone mountain lion deep in the woods far from any trail. I wasn't particularly thirsty, but in keeping with the idea that it was better to be safe, I took him down. The lion surprised me with a feisty kick to the chest as I tackled him. His claws tore my shirt along my right shoulder, then got stuck in the fabric. One long nail broke off in his struggle and bled freely down my front.
"Fuck," I muttered and snapped his neck to finish my meal in peace. I'd have to go home to change before hanging with La for the day. What a bummer. How did Edward eat these things without getting a single piece of clothing out of place?
The whole house was dark and quiet on my arrival. Edward was nowhere in sight when I arrived at the house, but he had thoughtfully set his GTI key out where I would find it. I listened to the stillness, but the house seemed to be entirely empty; the family must have left early for their hunting trip. There was probably a note somewhere, but I didn't bother looking for it. I mounted the darkened staircase and rushed up to my room to change. There was already a fresh set of clothes laid out on my couch. Alice must have foreseen the need. The expected note was sitting on top of a neatly folded shirt.
"Leave the lions to Edward," it read. "We'll be back tomorrow afternoon."
I scrawled a thanks on the note and pulled my torn shirt off with one hand while I texted La with the other. This was my first opportunity to use it, though I had programmed the number in the day before.
I tapped out a quick message and marveled at the incredible stupidity it must have taken for me not to have done this earlier. If I'd gotten La's number the first day I had taken her home I could have called her when she was lost in Port Angeles instead of speeding through town like a maniac. Then again, we wouldn't have had that fantastic conversation, and then maybe we wouldn't be where we were now.
La's final response came as I was pulling my boots back on: "Always."
She met me at the door upon my arrival dressed for a day of doing house chores, in sneakers, jeans, and an old band t-shirt.
"Welcome," she said and stepped aside to allow me entry.
Even from the foyer, I could see not a single thing was out of place; coats were hung neatly from pegs, a set of rain boots had a small tray by the door, and a little shelf contained a small bowl in the shape of a candy skull. There was one set of keys in it, and nothing else. She had implied the day before that she had days worth of cleaning work to get through before she could have guests over, but there didn't seem to be anything to tidy. I wasn't about to argue the opportunity to hang out with her, so I followed her into the living room and jumped into my list of questions.
"What's your favorite color today?" I had two missions for the day; one, be as helpful as possible, and two, learn as much about La as I could without straying into her taboo topics.
She considered me, not shying away from my direct gaze. "Seafoam green."
With my hunt so recent, my eyes would probably be very near that color, but I moved on instead of mentioning it.
"What did you dream about last night?" I asked with a broad smile.
"It was a weird one," she breathed a slight laugh. "Chewbacca was put in charge of a message that could save the universe, but he had no way of hiding it safely, so he cross-stitched it into a massive tapestry." She began to walk around dusting shelves and straightening pillows as she went.
"What was the message?" I imagined Chewbacca's giant paws creating something that required such precise movement and laughed.
"I have no idea, my sister and I were counting stitches to decode it when I woke up."
"Your own dreams left you with a cliffhanger, ouch."
"I know," she shook her head, fluffed a pillow, and tossed it onto the couch.
My next question was a little more cerebral. "What's made you laugh harder than any other moment in your life?"
Her head tilted sideways so quickly the ponytail on top of her head whipped around her shoulder.
"I have no idea," she turned to wipe down the windows as she mused. "It must have been one of those inexplicable things where it doesn't make sense, but you can't stop laughing."
"Who were you with?"
"Gosh," she tossed me a rag so I could get the panes higher up. "Probably my sister. She's a walking cartoon - one of those people that is constantly in outrageous situations. She once got in an argument with a gondola operator in Venice and fell out of the boat into the water."
"Why was she arguing with a gondola operator?" I chuckled.
"I guess she wanted to know where he got his hat, but she ended up saying something pretty offensive about his dog. I jumped in after her because it didn't seem fair she was the only one soaking wet."
"Never leave a man behind, huh?"
"Never." She grinned, devilishly.
We went on like this through a vacuuming session that didn't seem necessary and a laundry swap full of cleaning rags before I noticed there wasn't any music playing. That couldn't be right. What kind of a person cleaned in silence?
"Why isn't there any music on?" I looked around for an amp or speakers and caught sight of a setup on the entertainment stand. Without responding, she pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped at the screen. Music instantly blared from the speakers. Apparently, she had been rocking out last time she'd been listening. Better yet, it was a band I was familiar with. The lead singer was an old friend of mine, and I mean old friend of mine. We met in San Francisco in the 50s, and Marge hadn't changed much over the years.
I went on to ask about her childhood; where had she grown up? Why did they leave? She answered me in pieces but without any detail. Instead, she spoke with passion about living in a desert, running on hot pavement, and the feeling of being carried away by the wind during a monsoon. It was all rather romantic and made me hungry for more, but I was careful, keeping in mind Carlisle's advice.
"How about most recently?" I asked. We were in the kitchen now. La was stirring a pot full of highly aromatic ingredients; ginger, garlic, and a plethora of spices that all blended together so perfectly they were difficult to pick apart, even for me. My question made her pause mid-stir, but she tried to cover it. I could have kicked myself for not thinking about it, but here it was, the elephant in the room - the reason for her road trip.
"What do you mean?"
"You're from Atlanta," I scrambled for a way to make the question less invasive. "I haven't been there in fifty years, at least. What's it like these days?"
She didn't relax, but covered the pot, and motioned for me to move down the counter. In my place, she pulled out a large silicone mat and a rolling pin, then pointed behind my head where I found a jar of flour. I pulled it down for her.
"I love Atlanta," she admitted and went to the fridge where she pulled out a disc of dough. "It's diverse, and welcoming, and lively, and angry, but always true to itself."
With an answer like that I couldn't help myself. "Why did you leave?" I asked gently.
She unwrapped the dough and motioned at the flour. I stuck my hand in the jar and sprinkled the sticky mass on the counter with fresh flour. She smiled in thanks and attacked the dough with her roller in easy, practiced movements.
"I had a really good friend," she began but kept her eyes on her work. When the dough got sticky she motioned for me to sprinkle more flour on. "We did everything together, and actually- that question you asked me this morning about laughing?"
Inexplicable moments. I nodded.
"That was definitely us. Our friendship was full of those moments since we lived together. It was a constant slumber party at first."
"What happened?"
"We broke up," she turned the dough, and rolled, then turned it again, and rolled in another direction. "It turned out she was a bit of a fair-weather friend."
Using the back of her wrist she rubbed at her nose, and somehow managed to get flour all over her face. With her other hand, she pointed behind my head again where I found a red and white pie plate covered in strawberries. I passed it to her and waited for her to keep talking, but she concentrated on forming the dough instead.
I wondered if this friend was the reason she left, or if the breakup was caused by something else. Whatever the reason, it was safer to move to a different line of questions.
"What did you like best about living in Atlanta?"
"My apartment," she grinned. "It was a dream place, really. A loft - perfect for a couple of dumb college kids."
"What about family?" I sniffed a piece of the dough that had been cut away as she shaped. It smelled of whiskey and butter.
"Small, but wonderful!" She warmed to this subject straight away. She talked about her mother, who she had told me about already, an older sister with two young children that seemed like little reflections of herself from the way she described them, and of course, her uncle Kevin, who lived nearby and would be on his way to visit that very instant.
La described her perfect day; oscillating between teaching the kids how to play video games and decorate cupcakes in equal parts. I wondered if children were a part of a future she envisioned for herself, or if she was content being the aunt.
"I miss them," she said. I didn't know what to say to that. If I got what I wanted she may never see them again.
"Your dad?" I asked. La poured the filling she'd been prepping into the pie dough and put the whole thing in the oven. When she stood, she blew a hair out her face and set to cleaning up.
"He died when I was pretty little," she supplied. "It's part of the reason we moved around so much - my mom was switching jobs quite a bit in the early days. That's how we ended up here, actually. My uncle got a good position in Port Angeles and wanted us to come with him and my aunt. Mom wasn't super happy about moving back to her hometown, but since they got this place off the rez she was happy."
I opened my mouth to ask her if she specifically meant the Quiluete reservation but was interrupted by the sound of large tires turning onto the street. It might be anyone, but the clock told me it was about the right time for the appearance of her uncle.
"That's my cue," I said and slid off the counter. "I think I hear his car coming."
Outside, a truck rolled to a stop behind Edward's Volkswagen. Inside were two men, one of which smelled distinctly like a dog. The scent was so powerful I could sense it across the yard through their closed windows.
So much for there not being any wolves on the rez, anymore. Either the kid in the car had already transitioned, or he would be doing so at any moment. His arrival did not make me inclined to leave. Young wolves had zero control over their transitions. It wasn't safe to leave her there on her own, but I couldn't exactly tell her that.
"What?" La wanted to know, noticing my pause.
"Just a complication," I threw over my shoulder as I left. "Be ready for a hike!" I added, referring to our date tomorrow. There was a cul-de-sac type neighborhood close by. I could park my car there and run back before that dog had a chance to enter La's home.
Just before I swung into the driver's seat, I made the mistake of glancing up toward the truck. Billy Black was sitting in the passenger seat, staring at me in horror.
Right, this went both ways - he knew what I was just as well as I knew what his son was.
The driver's door opened and Billy glanced away from me to watch the driver get out. This must be the Jacob La had told me about. I used the break in Billy's concentration to make my escape, and was in the cul-de-sac within a couple of minutes.
Billy Black and his son were just making their way over the threshold when I arrived in the trees behind La's cottage. Kevin must have arrived as I pulled away because he was already in the foyer removing his jacket. La was in the kitchen setting out tableware, making drinks, and speaking merrily to her guests. She didn't seem fazed by the addition of two unexpected visitors.
It felt weirder than normal to be standing out in the woods, looking in on someone else's life. The additional people in the room made me feel more like a voyeur or peeping tom than a concerned immortal neighbor. I stayed long enough to be sure Jacob would not transition, but he seemed happy enough; digging into La's meal, joking along with his father and Kevin. When I was pretty sure La was safe as she could be in the presence of a wolf, I moved far enough away that I couldn't overhear them. Occasionally I checked in to make sure all was well, but after my fourth check, there really didn't seem to be any reason for me to stay.
The family were expecting me when I arrived, though I hadn't been expecting them. Even Edward was there, gently tapping out a quiet tune on the piano. He gave me a giant wink when I walked past him.
Really? You all had to be present for this?
He chuckled but kept playing.
"I thought you were camping this weekend?"
"We thought it would be best if we stayed close by to be sure you won't need us tomorrow," Jasper supplied.
"Right! Besides, I can't wait to meet La on Sunday!" Alice sang happily and left her bank of computers to join Esme on the couch. Carlisle smiled indulgently at her and set his newspaper aside.
"Did something change?" I asked stupidly, momentarily distracted.
"No," Alice was speaking to me, but concentrating on helping Esme refold a pleat. "You'll still probably kill her, but if you don't, I get to meet her!"
"Helpful, Alice," I leaned against the piano. Edward hated it when I did that. He harrumphed behind me. I smirked at the sound and dropped my news into the room before he could pull it out of my head. "There are wolves on the reservation."
Edward's hands stumbled on the keys - worth it! The rest of the room went still, everyone stared at me uncomprehendingly. They all turned slowly to Alice.
"What makes you sure?" Carlisle was the only one to gather his wits sufficiently to respond.
"I just met one," I told him, then amended. "Sort of."
Everyone turned back towards Alice who had her eyelids tightly closed over eyes that were roving frantically as she searched through her visions.
"I don't see anything," she pressed her fingers to her temples and rubbed in circles. "No wolves or any indication there might be any. All I see is Emmett crawling through her window tonight."
Jasper climbed onto the back of the couch, straddling her back so he could rub at the tension in her shoulders.
"There is at least one sitting at her dining room table right now," I said. "You can't see him?"
"I can't see anything," she opened her eyes. "If I can't see them… You can't leave her there alone with a wolf! You know how unstable they are!"
"Kevin is with her, and so is the wolf's father," I said to put her at ease, but really I agreed. "She'll be safe for now."
"Were you able to discern whether La falls under their… jurisdiction, as it were?" Carlisle asked.
"Not from her mouth, but the timely arrival of a member of the pack would suggest I was right."
Jasper cut in, "So we're not just at risk of breaking this treaty, we're at risk of breaking the treaty with a tribe member ." He clenched his fists at his sides. The scars along his knuckles became vivid in the lamplight. Alice left her work at Esme's side to put a steadying hand on her husband's arm.
"We've been thinking about that," Carlisle told him, calmly. "At this point, there is very little we can do."
"Whatever Emmett was doing with this woman was already risky enough. This is unacceptable, we have to leave before anything happens." Jasper's anger was only belied by his deadly stillness.
"We don't have all the information yet," Carlisle said and turned to me. "I need to think about this. For now, you both will need to make your own decisions. The wolves will either accept it, or we will leave. Whatever the outcome, I will not allow a war between our families."
That was probably the best solution I could expect; keep our heads down until we couldn't keep them down anymore. In time, the biggest concern would come from the pack attacking us before we were ready, or while La was mid-transition. If her transition was anything like the rest of our's we wouldn't be able to transport her without drawing attention.
"When the time comes," Edward interjected. "We'll take her out of state first. Don't worry about the wolves, we can handle them."
"I think, Emmett," Esme's calm voice slipped into the conversation. "What we're saying is we can make this work regardless of La's heritage. Losing this house is nothing compared to gaining a family member."
I looked from face to face. Everyone gave me a grim nod, including Jasper, though I could see it pained him. They were all behind me no matter the outcome.
"If tomorrow goes well, I'll ask." I paused to think about my next words carefully. "Not now, she needs time to consider the gravity of this choice, the loss she would endure. We can't jump into this, but I'll consider giving her the option."
"We can't wait too long, brother." Jasper cautioned, voice constrained. He held a protective arm around Alice. "Too much time will give the wolves an opportunity to find out about your plans and make moves to end them."
Carlisle shifted his weight from one foot to another. A move to break the tension in the room. "No, we will allow her as much time as advisable to make her decision, but with the possibility of wolves on our heels, it will be safer to move out of Washington quickly."
"And if she has second thoughts?"
"She won't," Alice said firmly. Jasper clenched his jaw, but after a second he nodded.
Now, I just needed to ensure La would survive the process.
"Carlisle," I choked. "Should she choose me, would you be willing…"
Hearing my despair, he stood and came to stand beside me where he gripped my elbow. "On La's word," he said, "I would be honored to welcome her to the family."
A loud gasp drew our collective attention to Alice on the couch. Jasper was now crouched next to her, peering into her face, gone was his recent tension. While the rest of us discussed possibilities, Alice had been searching for them.
"What is it, darling?" Esme reached over and smoothed Alice's hair behind her ear. "What have you seen?"
Alice gazed into Jasper's eyes as she spoke. "I thought I saw… but that can't be right…."
Illuminating… I thought sarcastically and looked at Edward for answers, but he shook his head.
"It looks like an empty warehouse," he frowned. "I don't believe there is anything of that nature in Forks."
"Port Angeles?" Carlisle asked.
"Possible," Alice said. "But why would Esme be there?"