Chapter 17: Changes

Author's note - I'm having issues with private messages so I apologize if you've sent one and I haven't responded! As always, I appreciate you all taking the time to read and thank you to those of you who have been reviewing!

Sky's Point of View

"So this will be your room. We figured that you girls might want to share a room for now, but we have plenty of room should you change your mind. I figured we could go out later today and pick out some paint for the walls, and maybe a new comforter so you can make the space your own. Maybe pick out some new clothes to add to your wardrobe." Emily gestured around the room.

The girls held all of their belongings that they accumulated while at the Clearwaters house in some old back packs that Sue had found floating around. Sky recognized her own as if from a past life, wandering the halls of the school seeming more distant to her than one lifetime would allow.

Sky didn't recognize anything in the room, of course, since she had never been in this house before. But she felt a small amount of peace wash over her as she wasn't being reminded of the girl she was when she left this town. Of the girl she left behind.

"Do you mean, we can paint the walls? Whatever color we want?" Nina was skeptical of this new couple taking her in. She had every right to be, given her own history.

"You bet. Anything you want! This is your room. We want you to be comfortable here. And feel safe." Emily's voice was very upbeat. Sky tried to remember if she was always this happy and caring, or if maybe the woman in front of her was putting on an act. From what she could remember, she thought this might have been how she always was.

Nina nodded, and Sky could tell she was trying to withhold a smile, but it wasn't working very successfully.

"Well, Sam and I will be downstairs cooking if you need us." Sky's eyes darted to the man in question who was standing in the hall, giving them space. The girls nodded their thanks and Sky listened as Nina started planning out the room.

After maybe half an hour of excitement, Nina ended up falling asleep on the bed. Wrapping her in the blanket, Sky decided to head downstairs. She didn't know why she felt she had to, chalking it up to maybe needing to know she had the freedom to do so.

She was halfway down the stairs when she heard it. She contemplated turning around, but her feet had a mind of their own. She placed herself near the door to the kitchen and listened in, scolding herself for being a snoop.

Sam's breath was ragged, it was clear he was crying. "What if I fail her again? I don't think I could live with myself. I call myself a protector but look what good that has done. She's so scared, her mind and body warring with themselves over what she knows to be true and what her instincts are telling her. That's on me because I couldn't stop him from taking her."

Sky poked her head around the corner, seeing Emily holding on to Sam as he cried. "How would you have been able to stop him? You're only human. There wasn't going to be a way to stop him short of killing him." A dead body flashed across her vision, she felt herself go light headed.

Emily returned to the stove to give them some semblance of privacy. Sam's eyes quickly found her, tears still pooling along the red rim. "You are my little sister. It was my job to protect you."

She felt her mouth pop open. "I thought you were done with me, when you left Leah behind."

His shoulders sagged forward, hands meeting his face. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I thought she was forever for me at the time. But even still, my relationship with you was separate from my relationship with Leah."

Sky wrung her hands together. "So you really do still care about me? You aren't just doing this because you think somehow you're guilty about something?"

Sam didn't lift his head. "Both are true. You will always have a home here, with me."

Sky approached him slowly, her instincts telling her to run from the giant man who could hurt her so easily, but her heart knowing that wasn't true. She put a hand on his shoulder and he stiffened but leaned a cheek onto her hand. Still ensuring she had all the control.

Something about this touch soothed her as much as she could tell it soothed Sam. It was a few minutes later that she spoke. "Was I right? Was it the spirits?"

With that Sam finally lifted his head, eyes inquisitive. "Was what the spirits?"

Sky rolled her eyes, the action seeming foreign. A memory came to the forefront of her mind as she remembered the conversation. "You and Emily. I told Leah that it must have been the Third Wife thing. I told her it was the only way you and Emily would do that to her." Sky's eyes flashed over to Emily's. Trying to make sure she didn't upset the woman who opened her home to them.

Emily and Sam were staring at each other with awe and wonder, before Sam patted a hand on Sky's, still firmly on his shoulder. "You could say that, yeah."

Sky nodded to herself, before quietly asking, "Do you think Sky and Leah will forgive me?"

Sam's eyebrows rose dramatically. "Forgive you for what?"

"For leaving them again. I just couldn't be there. Even though I wanted to be." Sky was so scared she would end up losing them again.

Sam shook his head. "There is nothing to forgive for protecting your wellbeing." He wiped at his eyes before straightening his posture. "Anyways, you can ask them yourself."

As if on cue, the door burst open and Leah and Seth both came strolling in, the former looking much more tense than the latter who looked like this was a second home. Sky ran over to them, stopping herself just short of throwing her arms around them. She saw their fingers twitch as if they were holding themselves back as well.

It was in that moment, she decided to not let her fear completely control her life, not when it was something she knew she wanted. Tentatively, she raised her arms and drew her family in close. They copied her movements, holding her gently, until she stuck her head up to look at them. "I don't remember you being quite so tall."

Seth let out a strangled laugh. "Puberty, I guess."

Leah rested her head on top of Sky's. "Sorry to interrupt your settling in. We just missed you, and didn't have it in us to spend any more time apart than necessary."

Sky tightened her arms. "I needed this. Maybe you could stay for a while? I know Nina would love to see you."

Speaking softly from the kitchen doorway, Emily said, "They can stay as long as they would like. They are always welcome. Food is ready."

With that Emily went upstairs to check on Nina and bring her down for lunch.

After a quiet lunch, they all settled in to watch a movie. Sky found herself nestled between Nina and Seth, with Leah on the other side of Nina. The amount the two of them took to each other warmed her heart, and made her think maybe this would all work out. She tucked her feet under Seth's legs, relishing in the small contact. It was there in that living room, surrounded people people she loved and those who loved her, that she had the first overwhelming feeling of hope for as long as she could remember.

Rosalie's Point of View

"Okay, thank you so much for looking into that and getting this over to us. We owe you one." Jasper's phone call ended shortly after he entered the room but Rosalie couldn't help but think it sounded more promising than any news they have had in a while. He ran up to the office before returning a few minutes later with a stack of paper.

The whole family turned their attention to Jasper, eager to get the update. Jasper had reached out to prior contacts of his in the south and had them look into the situation with that young girl who no one could stop talking about. To be fair though, Rosalie herself had not been able to stop thinking of her either. Between the incident with the Clearwaters, where her brothers were vastly affected through the bond the young boy had with the girl, and her subsequent miraculous return, Rosalie could piece together what has happened. And her stone cold heart ached for the girl.

Edward scoffed, scowling at the stack of papers, clearly having read Jasper's minr. Carlisle voiced what the rest of us were thinking. "Son, what's this?"

Jasper's eyes flashed toward Rosalie, knowing that she would be the one most interested given her history. "My contacts were able to find the house that Sky had been held captive in. The body of one of her captors is still there, but no sign of Steve. They were able to find ledgers though. Detailing every person, their address, their number, and what their... visit... consisted of. It dates back the entire time she was there. It's an extensive list."

Rosalie could only see red. What that girl went through, what those men got away with? She recalled one of her final memories as a human. Her soul being shredded apart, long, long before she had been dying. She thought of those new memories as a vampire, how she had still been so fearful of men around her. And how much peace it brought her to know the men who hurt her had died.

Her thoughts were loud, she was sure. That's why she wasn't surprised or annoyed with Edward when he grabbed the list out of Jasper's hands and brought it to her. Having seen where her thoughts were headed well before she had reached a conclusion herself.

He nodded his head at her, giving his blessing for her mission, not that she needed it. With that she was off, giving Emmett a kiss before getting in her sports car and speeding away.

She knew, Edward took these things personally too. Had prevented many girls from falling to the same fates and horrors that Sky did. He would go too, if Bella wasn't in danger. Though loath as she was to give credit to the girl, she knew Bella would tell him to go if she knew. Because that's what the self sacrificing child would always do. She may have pushed that with Edward, but this was something she wanted to do on her own.

She would bring those slimy monsters to their knees. Then she would rip their throats out.

Sam's Point of View

Jacob came strutting into the house like he owned it. In normal circumstances, Sam welcomed the pack and wanted them to feel that way. But with the sensitive nature of Sky and Nina being so scared and vulnerable, he wanted to give them more than a day before the pack started filling the table again.

To Sam's surprise, Jacob had Bella following along after him, looking as shy and nervous as the first time she stepped foot in this place. "Hey Sam. Got a minute to chat outside?"

Sam looked over to where Sky, Nina, Leah and Seth had fallen asleep during their movie marathon. "Sure, Jacob. Bella, feel free to head into the kitchen with Emily. She's just getting started on dinner."

With that the two men made their way into the backyard. Sam waited for Jake to start talking, but was more surprised when he pulled out a phone. They both waited for the ringing to end. When it did, the unsettling voice of a vampire doctor that was getting all too familiar to his ears started speaking. "Sam, thank you so much for taking our call. You have myself and Edward here. We wanted to give you a few updates. My lawyers were able to get the approval to start background checks and finalizing the living arrangements for both girls. I've ensured there will be no problems."

Sam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "That is a relief, thank you. You can consider the debt you thunk you owe us paid once that is taken care of. You said you had other updates?"

Edward spoke next. "Yes, as you can see, we have made arrangements with Jacob that Bella spend more time on the reservation. There is no good way to say this, but we have found that our problem does not lay with only Victoria at this point. We have reason to believe that she will be coming, at first frost, with an army. We are hoping our interests will align and you will fight alongside us to stop this army and in doing so, protect our area from the threat of newborns of our kind."

"You bring an army to our doors and have the audacity to ask us to fight your battle for you? How am I going to ask a bunch of children to go to war?" Sam spoke evenly, knowing better than to let his wolf out in this moment.

Carlisle, the ever better diplomat spoke next. "We are only asking for anyone who is willing to fight to protect the area. We don't want to involve you, but fear our numbers would not make enough of a difference to stop them. We would like to have my son, Jasper, show you all some techniques to aid in the fight against a newborn. Whether you agree to the fight or not, this army means that you need to be prepared to go up against newborns. Newborns who gave a significantly different fighting style than any seasoned vampires you have fought."

"Fine I will discuss with the council and the pack and get back to you. Was there anything else?" Sam found his patience wearing thin.

"Yes. One more. Our contacts have found information about Sky's situation and we are currently looking into it. No updates on Steve's whereabouts but we have numerous feelers out there. We will let you know when we have more concrete information." Carlisle was toeing the line with the information he was providing. If Sam didn't hear the kids on his couch starting to stir, he would have pressed for more.

"Okay, we'll be waiting for that update. Thanks again." Jacob hung up the phone before smiling guiltily and running inside before Sam could swat him.

Sam pulled out his phone and prepared himself for some tough conversations he would need to have today. He wondered if asking for one day without chaos would be possible. As Jacob entered the house, he heard Nina's giggling come through the slider and he changed his mind, maybe a little chaos every day would not be such a bad thing.