Chapter 12: Homecoming

A/N: Please DO NOT message me about concept art. I am not interested, and the messages are becoming very annoying!

"You sure about this?" Paul questioned.

"I'm sure. I need some time to gather my bearings. I want to see our family, but… As soon as I get there, I will be ambushed by a pack of wolves, and there's no telling what else. I need to process everything."

" understandable." Paul purred

He then handed her the car keys and they sped off.

The two-week cruise they were on led them to Miami, Florida. Trying to stay under the radar, Paul managed to secure a rental car that would take them two days and a couple of hours to get to Forks. Before hitting the road, they stopped at a Walmart to buy new clothes.

Bella smiled in relief as she slid on a pair of skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. However, Paul wasn't as lucky when it came to finding clothes, but that didn't bother him. Instead, he dragged her to the nearest Harley-Davidson store. Fifteen minutes later Bella's mouth dropped open as her husband appeared. Long muscled legs appeared clad in tight-washed jeans, a white t-shirt that practically hugged his abs, and a dark leather jacket. To top it off his eyes were hidden behind dark shades.

Good God I knew this man was to die for but now… I think I just died twice. She thought.

Heads turned in her man's direction but he ignored them all as he approached her.

" see something you like?" He purred.

Instead of answering, Bella pulled him in and kissed him. Paul was just as receptive.

When they pulled apart Paul's eyes were glowing that gold and blue she loved so much.

" come on, let's get you home."

….

"Let's get this moving guys! We have a deadline to meet!" Sam ordered firmly as his workers spread about the unfinished house. He couldn't help but allow a small hint of pride to seep in as he looked around. Two years after he phased Sam decided he needed to do something else with his life. Yes, he was the Alpha of his pack but living off the stipend the council gave him wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to uphold a household or care for his wife. Sam then decided to start his own renovation and construction company. They were a crew of thirty-two from the reservation that included most of the guys from his pack, excluding the pups. It made it easy for the pack to leave at the drop of the hat and since it was his company no one could complain.

That pride however was flung out the door when the month's events weighed on him. The two redhead nomads were still out there but there hadn't been any signs of them. It seemed as if they had disappeared but that only made the pack and the Cullens on edge. Speaking of the Cullens, the golden eyes had become a permanent fixture in the pack's life. It was an uneasy alliance and one wrong move could shatter it. Even though he wouldn't be complaining if it did, at the same time it was nice to be able to get a full night's sleep.

As if he knew he was thinking about them, Sam's phone rang. The caller ID showed it was Dr. Dracula.

"Uley," he answered.

" Hello, Samuel I apologize for interrupting your day. However, I wanted to know if we could meet at the treaty line at some point tonight?"

"Fine," he responded

"Very well thank you and Samuel have you-"

"No." we haven't heard from her," he growled in irritation and then he hung up the phone.

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

A year had gone by since his pack sisters' disappearance. A whole year. Sam practically had to alpha-order his pack back under control when the realization finally hit them.

She wasn't coming home and the risk of her being dead was high. Had been high, especially after the little seer's revelation. The whole pack had gone into chaos and it took the little self-control he had left to reign them in. but that same night, Sam found himself sobbing into his imprint's lap as he broke down. He blamed himself. He was a bad alpha, he had let the most vulnerable member of his pack get taken and killed because of him because he couldn't protect her. This guilt had plagued him for a long time and weighed on the pack too. They all felt the same thing as if they had failed Bella and each other.

Their pack's sister's absence was felt. It was almost as if she was the glue that held them together.

His Pack had been shattered, a cloud of depression hanging over all of them.

But all that ended when Charlie Swan came pounding on his door.

Flashback:

"Sam? Aren't you going to eat honey? We have to be to my parents in an hour." Emily gently chided

Sam took a small bite of his sandwich and pushed it away.

"Look done. Let's go." he sneered.

Emily gave an exasperated sigh and opened her mouth to argue with him. Something they seem to be doing more than normal.

However, the beginning of an argument was shut down and the sound of a car speeding up his driveway caught his attention.

Sam stood and before he could open his door, Charlie Swan was screaming his name.

"SAM! SAM! SAMUEL!" Charlie yelled.

Sam opened the door with urgency and was surprised to see Charlie standing on his porch with tears in his eyes and his face beet red.

"Charlie? What is it- whats-"

"She's alive! She called me! She talked to me! She's coming home. I - don't know when but she's alive and that boy Paul is with her! I talk to him too!"

Sam put a hand to his mouth as the words hit him.

Bella was alive and coming home.

End flashback

…..

Sam tapped the ridge of his coffee cup in anxiousness. As soon as he told the pack that Bella was alive, hope had settled over them but it only stirred them up more knowing she was coming but not when.

Not to mention the Cullens called at least twice a week for updates. The little seer couldn't see anything regarding Bella.

Sam could only pray his pack sister hurried up.

Their patience was running thin.

….

"Mrph! what! What's happening?" Bella exclaimed as she was jostled out of her sleep.

Paul chuckled next to her and said "Speed bump."

Bella stretched as tall as she could and rubbed her eyes.

"Where are we?"

"Driving through South Dakota at the moment. Hungry?" he asked.

"not really but I need to stretch my legs."

Paul didn't say anything as he swiftly changed lanes and pulled up to a nearby IHOP

He then turned to her and lifted an eyebrow.

Bella couldn't help but laugh,

"Yes, this is fine."

Once their meal was eaten without much fanfare, the couple headed back to the car, this time Bella was at the wheel again.

"So I've been wondering and I haven't gotten the chance to ask you but- What do you do? I mean the first time we met, you had the whole biker look going on, so I'm assuming that's your norm. Not that im complaining. I just want to know what my husband does for a living."

Paul reached over to play with a lock of her hair as he spoke.

"Ever heard of a silent disco?" he questioned.

"No. What is it?"

"It's basically like a club except instead of music blasting all over the place, all patrons get a set of headphones red or blue, and two D.J.'s control the music. You dance with your headphones on but if you take them off the room is silent except for the shuffling of bodies. I D.j, bartend and bounce for the place. Just depends on how the night is going."

"That sounds fun! How'd you find the place."

Paul sniffed at the compliment and lifted his shades. Bella shivered as his glowing eyes took her in.

"Eyes on the road, Minha Linda."

Bella did so but waited for him to answer the question. Her husband was very distracting.

"Got into a bar fight with a guy when I turned sixteen. We both got picked up and thrown into the Seattle jail. His uncle bailed us both out. Turned out they were shapeshifters like me. They shapeshift into cats to be exact, panthers, leopards, tigers the like. But at the time I didn't know they could shapeshift into cats, I didn't ask, and I didn't care. All I knew was that they were mystical creatures. So anyway, the Uncle, Oscar doesn't let me just walk away. He says I owe him for bail. I refused and went home. A few weeks later, I was back in Seattle fighting anybody who dared to take me on. Pissing people off and causing all kinds of mayhem. And I landed in jail again, and every time thier was Oscar, dragging me out and beating me within an inch of my life. And every single time, I laughed. I laughed because I enjoyed it. He was giving me what no one else could and that was the blistering desire for pain and violence. I don't know why I craved it but I did. Still do, although I have learned to control it. He understood me in a way that no way else had. Anyway, eventually when the craving became too much I sought out Oliver. He offered me a job and a way to take out my anger in ways that wouldn't put me in jail. Thiers eight of us altogether and Oliver owns the place. He has two locations, one in Seattle and one in Port Angeles. I jump between the two."

" That sounds interesting. Does it make you happy?" she asked.

"Don't know. Never thought about it. I am content though."

He then went back to quietly playing with her hair. That was something else she loved about him. He wasn't one for small talk or unnecessary conversation.

As soon as sundown hit, the couple decided to stop for the night. They had made it to Montana and Forks was just fifteen hours away.

It was midnight when Bella began to toss and turn. Paul's heavy hand pulled her to his chest.

"Mmm, sleep kitten." he purred.

"But I can't. Paul, I didn't think about this! What are we going to do when we get home?"

Paul was silent as he waited for her to continue.

" When we get home people are going to throw a fit! I mean we're married and … I mean… we are going to live together right? Wait! Crap do you have your own home or do you live with your dad? An apartment in Seattle! I didn't think about any of this when we got married!" she stressed. "And what about me? Thiers no way I am going to mooch off of you! I'll have to get a new job! And I need to fill out college applications! I was thinking I could do online college and still work full-time. Of course, I don't know what I would major in! And then theirs-"

Bella's worried rant was cut off as Paul flipped her onto her back and hovered over her, strong arms caging her in. His raven blue hair created a curtain over her.

"Enough."He purred.

He then leaned down and rubbed his cheek against hers. All the stress and anxiety being wiped away.

"Now, listen to me my kitten. You my wife and I will take care of you. You've spent your life caring for others that you often forget about yourself. You're stubborn and you want to do everything by yourself but no more of that. We are a team. You watch my back and I watch yours. About our living arrangements, I have a home on the reservation and an apartment in Seattle. I'd say give yourself a week to settle in with your father and then we can move on from there. You can begin to pack your things as well. I don't care what people say or think but I am concerned for your health right now. You may not be physically sick anymore but PTSD is a real thing and the nightmares have been bothering you in your sleep. So there's no way you and I are going to sleep separately consistently. In regards to school, thiers no rush. Study whatever you want to study and work when you're ready to work. You have my support. Just do everything at your own pace. We are in this together. Does that soothe your fears?"

Bella took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and relaxed in her husband's presence.

"Yes. I'm sorry for being such a worry wart. I just panicked."

Paul purred in response and pulled her into his arms.

"Sleep kitten."

And Bella did just that.

….

Leon lahote flipped through the magazine in anxiousness as he glanced at the clock on the wall and then down at his watch.

" you got somewhere to be son? You're twitching like a squirrel looking for nuts." His father asked.

"Nothing Dad. Just thinking."

His father nodded and turned back to what he was doing.

At the moment, Leon was sitting awkwardly in his brother's living room. Despite the years of family drama the late's and the Camerons had decided to bury the hatchet and get along for the sake of the grandkids. That included his father Craig lahote and Joseph's father Mark Cameron. Other than the grandchildren which included Paul, Jared, Joseph Junior, and Ceclily, another bridge to end the family food was his mother.

Cindy Cameron was the glue that held them all together. Not to mention, Leon felt something suspicious was going on between his father mother, and stepfather. It was the lingering touches that both men would lay on her that made him open his eyes. He didn't know what was happening between the three of them but Leon just hoped it didn't blow up in his face.

"Dinners ready!" his mother's voice rang out, pulling him out of his thoughts. A small shred of resentment ran through him as he entered the dining room.

Everyone had their place at the table and yet not once had a seat been set for his son. Not that his son ever showed up to the events but it still bothered him just a little. Was his son doomed to a fate like his own? Being the black sheep of the family? Feeling isolated and misunderstood all his life, Leon was no better, he treated his son the same way.

The back door opened to reveal Jared returning from a patrol.

"Dinner smells great Grandma! Hey everybody!" he greeted as he took a seat.

"Jared? Did you wash your hands?" His sister in law asked.

"Yes, mom." Jared sighed.

Halfway through dinner Leon looked at his nephew and asked '"Jared… have you guys heard any updates on Paul?"

The family went quiet, looks of disgust and fear playing on some of the family's faces.

Before Jared could answer, Mark interrupted.

"I don't think talking about that criminal is good table manners."

However, to Leon's surprise, Jared ignored Mark and looked at him.

"Sorry Uncle Leon, no news yet. That night he called Chief Swan was the only communication we've had with him. But im sure he'll return soon, Paul's stubborn like that."

…..

It was seven pm by the time the small two-bedroom house appeared. The porch light was on but not a car in sight.

"Dad must be working late," Bella stated her voice cracking as she took her home.

Tears welled in her eyes as she got out of the car and walked up to the front door. As always the spare key was hidden in a little garden nome her father kept hidden.

By the time, she opened the door, her eyes were blurry from the tears.

Bella was finally home.