Picking up the Pieces, 20: Phases
Title: Picking up the Pieces
Author: exquisite_ugly
Rating/Warnings: M (language, future explicit sex)
Summary: Bella returns to Forks a few years after having married Edward and moving to Alaska. Mistakes and regrets, loneliness and grief, she severs ties and returns to those she truly loves to start over. What will she come home to? AU, A/D/R, M-language/sex
*~*~*
I hear you're asking all around/If I am anywhere to be found/But I have grown too strong/To ever fall back in your arms/And I've learned to live half alive/And now you want me one more time/And who do you think you are?/Runnin' 'round leaving scars/Collecting your jar of hearts/And tearing love apart
*~*~*
BPOV
Jake was pushing me back, his body physically growing bigger in front of my eyes. I'd never been this close as he phased and it caught me off-guard. His body was stiff and his breathing was harsher. The muscles of his back bunched and corded, and I couldn't tear my eyes from him as he contorted.
It was horrifying and fascinating all at once. My stomach rippled and quivered again, and I tried to suck back the whimper that clawed at my throat. I held my stomach, trying to reach out and soothe Jake, but he shifted further away from me as his body became a blur and then he was standing before me as a wolf.
The wolf had taken over.
I finally dared to look at Edward; his eyes were black, his body tensed in preparation. His lip curled back as he stared straight at Jake, only once flicking his gaze in my direction. I didn't know what made him come here, why now, and what the hell was going on. All I knew was Jake was an over-sized wolf that barely fit in the hallway while the door was wide open and Edward didn't look quite sane.
If they lost control and went at each other, we were screwed. We lived in an apartment and if anyone saw us there would be one massive problem to deal with. As if there weren't enough already. Jake's wolf snout lifted slightly and he bared razor-sharp teeth, a low, quiet growl emanating from him. His ears were flat, his jaw quivering as if he were imagining ripping Edward apart.
It was hard to tell who would've lashed out first, but without thinking, I threw myself between them. I turned to Jake, resting my hand against his massive chest. His jaws snapped closed immediately, afraid that he might hurt me, but I knew he never would. It didn't matter how furious, how upset, or how much of a rage he was in. I trusted him implicitly.
"Jake, stop," I said quietly. "You know you can't do this. The door is open, you're in wolf form, and nothing about this is remotely normal."
His wolf-eyes were exactly like his normal, human eyes. They met mine and he registered what I was saying. I slid my hand along his snout, unable to resist. It'd been so long since I'd seen him like this. In the blink of an eye, he phased back to human form, fully naked and unashamed. If he didn't care, neither did I.
I turned around and met Edward's eyes. He was frozen in place, unblinking and unmoving, reminding me completely that he didn't have a heart that beat. "Edward, what are you doing here?"
He shifted slightly, jaw tight. "I found out Carlisle came here, that he spoke with you, and he informed me of the danger. I came to take you away from here; to hide you."
I raised my eyebrows. "I believe it was made pretty clear that I wouldn't let anyone dictate my life for me anymore. We aren't together anymore and running won't help. This needs to stop."
He was looking at my neck now, freaking me out a little, but he'd always had pretty rigid control of his hunger. "You're still my wife, Bella."
His eyes drifted back to mine, softening, and I felt the slightest pull on my senses. My own gaze softened, but suddenly I was jerked back when I felt Jake's hand on my waist.
"I…" I stuttered, flustered. "You should have received divorce papers; if our marriage is even officially legal, that is."
He frowned at that, but moved closer, trying to draw me in. "Of course it is…"
Before I could react, Jake shifted and his arm came from out of nowhere. I could hear the crack of his fist connecting with Edward's face. The force of it threw Edward back into the doorjamb, making it creak and shudder and me jump in surprise. Edward's lip curled as he hissed, darting forward, ending up in front of Jake without me evening seeing. He landed a blow to Jake's shoulder causing his shoulder to pop out of alignment, but Jake gritted his teeth and slammed him back yet again.
Edward suddenly looked hungry again, scaring me.
"Enough," I snapped, my heart beating harder now. I watched as his tongue darted out to lick his lips. He looked too out of control for my liking. "This isn't helping matters. I don't know what the hell you're really doing here, but you can't come barging in here hungry and expect things to go your way."
"I needed to see you, to make sure you were safe," he said, his voice not quite as smooth as it usually was.
I just shook my head. "I'm safe. Now go."
He looked hurt, but I remained firm even while my insides quaked. It was partially from nerves, maybe the venom as well. "We'll talk later," he promised, his voice turning cold as he met Jacob's eyes behind me. The implied meaning of his tone - we'll talk alone - was clear without it being said. I bristled, and I could hear Jake's teeth grinding.
"Get out," he snarled.
Once Edward crossed the threshold of our doorway, Jake slammed the door in his face, fury pouring out of him. "Who does that leech think he is? I'll rip his head off for this. The prick made me phase and I could've hurt you. If he doesn't have a death wish, he needs to leave. Now." His voice was rising, his tone vicious, but I reached for his hand.
Once they connected, his body settled. Thankfully, my stomach had done the same. "You moved away from me before you phased," I informed him. "You were still aware I was there, Jake, so don't beat yourself up over phasing. I'm fine."
I looped my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his overly warm chest. He hesitated, but then reached around me and held me tightly against him, afraid I was going to slip away. "We'll figure this out," I said, repeating it over and over, trying to convince myself this would be okay.
What was Edward's real reason for being here? Why he would come here unannounced, barge in here like he had a right to, baffled me. He seemed a little unstable which was unusual. He was always in control of his emotions; something that drove me nuts. The fact that he was hungry, though, could have something to do with it.
Something was going to have to be done, but I had no idea what.
*~*~*
JPOV
The rest of that night, I remained alert and watchful, but quiet. Neither of us talked much, though Bella reassured me by pressing close against me, whispering that she loved me. I held her tightly, breathing in her scent, afraid to let go of her. I just got her back; there was no way in hell I was going to lose her again.
When the sun rose, I was still gazing out the window when Bella stirred in my arms. She looked worried when our eyes met and pressed even closer to me. She tilted her chin up to look at me and I kissed her. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Did you sleep at all?"
I shook my head, but smoothed her hair back. "Not really, but I'm okay. How are you?" Even with everything that happened, she sighed and told me she was still okay.
"Can you work away from the office today? I want you to come back to La Push with me. I want you on the rez and near me at all times."
She looked like she wasn't sure about that idea, but her eyes softened when she looked up at me. "If it means that much to you, yes." I felt vulnerable, even a little fearful, though that was due mainly to Bella being anywhere near Edward alone. The idea of him touching her, the thoughts of her being with him, invaded my mind and me furious and sick all at once.
She called in to work while I got a quick shower. We grabbed a few bagels and coffee on the way to La Push and got there in record time. The blood had begun pumping in my veins again, knowing Edward was here, and that some fucking leech royalty was after her. Phasing for the first time again hadn't felt particularly good, but now I could feel the power coalescing inside me. I felt as if I were jacked up on something.
"Jake, I'm okay," she assured me yet again when I hesitated in leaving, looking a little frustrated now. "I know you're concerned, but I promise I'm staying at Sue's place to get some work done. I'll be close to you." She stroked my jaw, trying to calm me down.
She stood in the doorway, looking pretty in yoga pants and a green hoodie, so I wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her to my height. She snuggled her face into my neck, and I never wanted to let go of her again.
"Are you okay? After phasing…" Her breath tickled my neck.
I nodded, kissing just under her ear. "I won't lie. It didn't feel good. It's been awhile since I've done so."
I leaned back and she met my eyes, brushing her lips over mine. "We'll figure this out. Right now, I just need to distract myself with work."
"I'm going to talk to the guys today," I assured her. "You work and I'll be back later."
Once she was inside and I heard the lock click, I hurried to the construction site. It was going to be a long day when I saw the guys were already there and starting to work; needing to talk to them would have to wait when we had a minute to gather without other ears hearing. It was a long, tense day and I earned a look from every one of the pack at some point. I knew they were wondering what the hell was going on.
Even though I was distracted, I couldn't believe how far we'd come in the past few months. We'd have the school done in time before winter, which was the plan. When we finished up for the day, I motioned to Sam, and he came right over.
"What's going on, man? You look a bit freaked and pissed off. Everything okay with Bella?"
"Yeah, she's fine, but I need to talk to you. Emergency meeting."
His brows knit in concern. "Go to our usual spot in the woods?"
I agreed and we met there within the half hour. I sat on one of the logs, pensive and anxious to get back to Bella, while I waited for everyone to get there and settle down. It wasn't going to be an easy discussion.
"Look," I started in right away, waving a hand for them to quiet down. "We have a problem. The leech royalty sent a scout to see if Bella was alive; I don't know how they knew. And last night Edward Cullen just showed up at our door."
Before I could even get any further, they all started talking at once.
"What?"
"Are you shitting me?"
"Why?"
I waved my hands again. "Shut up and let me talk. I don't know what his game is, but he said he was here to take her away, that he knew she was in danger and wanted her safe."
"What the fuck? Didn't Bella tell him in no uncertain terms that they were done?" Leah demanded, standing up, looking pissed off.
"She did," I said looking up at her. "She told him last night, too, but he's saying they're still married. He has this… fucked up dazzling thing that softens her without her realizing it before she snaps out of it."
"Shit, Jake, what now? Where is she? You left her alone?"
I bristled slightly. "She's on the rez at Sue's house. She's close, but I can't crowd her or order her around nor do I want to. She put up with enough of that and won't tolerate it now. She's more independent. And anyway, I freaked her out enough with phasing last night."
They all stared at me in shock.
"I guess that's not really a surprise," Embry said, raising his eyebrows. "You just lost it?"
"Yes and no," I admitted. "I knew enough to get her away from me, but Cullen was hungry and I was so furious. It triggered the wolf. It hurt like hell; it's been so long. We sort of fought, but Bella got between us and made us stop. I'm glad she did. I was about to completely lose my shit."
Sam looked worried. "We might have to phase again, it seems. If this fight comes here, to our land, there's no way we can't. I need to make sure Emily and the baby are safe."
I sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry this is happening and I know Bella is upset about it. She didn't want this to come here."
Jared looked up. "I'm not looking forward to phasing again, surprisingly, but you're our brother. I'm not sure how this will go, if we can even phase at a second's notice, but we'll stand with you. Bella is one of us."
Every single one of them nodded, even Paul.
I glanced down and took a deep breath. "You're the true Alpha, Jake," Sam said quietly. "You need to accept this once and for all. I'm willing to be your Beta."
"Thank you," I said my throat a little tight. "This means more to me than you know. It wasn't something I ever envied you dealing with Sam, but I'll accept, and I'd be grateful to have you as my Beta. Once this is taken care of, we can go back to our normal lives again."
"For whatever it's worth," Seth said quietly. "We're in this together; all for one and one for all."
We all stood, facing each other in a loose circle. I was lucky to have a pack as united as we were. I was even luckier to call them my brothers and sister.
*~*~*
BPOV
The rain ticked on the tin roof of the porch, continuously, over and over. Normally the sound didn't bother me. It usually soothed me, but I was on edge and every little sound made me twitch.
My laptop whirred quietly on the desk. I stared blankly at the empty document, trying to gather my thoughts to get some work done. By sheer force of will, I began to write and it came easily enough. Relaxing a little, I took a sip of my peppermint tea and continued tapping away.
Before long, I began to wonder how Jake was doing at the construction site. I got up to make a turkey sandwich for lunch, wishing I could make some for the guys and take them over there just to get out for a little while. I knew it wasn't a good idea for me to leave the house even if I would still be on Quileute land. And I knew Jake would be upset.
So, I ate my lunch, staring out at the drizzly day. When I finished, I sighed and went back to the desk in the living room to continue working. I managed to focus and write for awhile, but was interrupted when suddenly my stomach quivered.
Nervously, I glanced up and out the window. The sky had darkened even more as the day went and a thunderstorm was rolling in. My stomach shivered again and I gripped it tightly as the spasm worked its way through, setting my teeth on edge, and taking me down to the floor again.
"Dammit," I hissed through my teeth, struggling to get back up as the quivers in my stomach had me shaking. I looked frantically out the window, seeing nothing, and I scrambled for my cell phone.
"Bella?" The soft, melodic voice wound its way around me, and I paused in my fumbling, my fingers just grazing my cell.
I got up, brushing a hand over my forehead which had beaded with sweat, and made my way to the front door shakily. Carefully, I looked out of the peephole and tried to ease away knowing it was futile, but wishing just once I could be quiet enough to not alert him.
"I know you're in there," he said calmly. "I'd like to talk to you."
"We don't have anything to talk about," I replied.
He opened the door slowly, trying not to scare me, I assumed. "Bella, may I come in?"
I shook my head wordlessly. His eyes were back to their usual color, though they still had a bit of a wild look in them. My eyes drifted up to his tousled, bronze hair and back down to the familiar angle of his jaw, the slope of his shoulders, and down to his long, graceful fingers.
All I wanted to see was warm, rounded muscles; long arms and legs, long and lean body with russet skin. But my traitorous human mind was allowing itself to be dazzled, and I was struggling to fight it.
"Stop it," I snapped. "Stop trying to draw me back in. Edward, when I left it wasn't a whim. It wasn't a joke. I want this over."
"You aren't safe here. Neither are the wolves. The Volturi will destroy them; they will destroy you if they can. They're furious that they were fooled. Bella, please, come back with me. We can protect you."
He had slid easily into the house without my really noticing it. I backed up against the kitchen table, my emotions tangled, my stomach fluttering, and I wanted to run far away. But when he looked at me, my mind felt foggy.
"So can Jake and his pack. Plus, thanks to you, I now have a vampire early warning system embedded in my uterus," I spat sarcastically.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What? Carlisle said in passing that you'd had some health issue, but that he took care of it."
I glared at him, feeling the tears well in my eyes. "He did, but apparently not all of your venom is out of my body. It's already alerted me to something - the scout - out in the woods and now you apparently. And it might affect my having children in the future!" I finished and realized I was yelling and the tears had spilled free.
He stood frozen. Finally he said, "Are you sure it's the venom? Maybe we created something…"
It was my turn to freeze. No, that couldn't be. It seemed very eerily similar to what a pregnancy might feel like with a child moving inside of you, but that wasn't possible. He was a vampire. But Carlisle would have told me that surely.
I shook my head. "No. How the hell would that work? Carlisle would've said something if that were the case. It's not possible, Edward."
He sighed and reached for me. "Please, Bella, re-think things. You're still my wife. I don't have to sign the papers. We can work something out."
I flinched, but his cold hands wrapped around mine. "Stop dazzling me," I whispered. "Edward, I'm with Jacob. You must've gathered that from last night."
His eyes reflected hurt, anger, but I bit my lip to keep myself from apologizing. There was no reason for me to apologize. We were done. His fingers played with mine, and I felt tears of confusion swimming in my eyes. "I love Jacob. And I want children with him."
His eyes were so damn mesmerizing.
"I shouldn't have been with you. You should've been strong enough to stop us from happening," I continued. "I was young and made the wrong choices. I didn't want what I thought I wanted, but you made me feel guilty, intentionally or not. Our relationship was so damn cold, Edward. When I didn't want to be a vampire anymore, you tried, but you were so distant."
A few tears trickled down my cheeks. "Alaska wasn't me, that lifestyle wasn't me. I needed the forests, rain, sun, friends, and Jacob and my dad. I needed and wanted them both back in my life and now that I have them…"
He leaned in, catching me off-guard, and kissed me. I pushed him away, shaking my head. Suddenly, there was a scraping sound behind me. I turned and saw Charlie standing there, his face as dark as the brewing storm.
"Dad…" I started to say, but he cut me off in a move so surprising all I could do was gape at him.
He had ripped his gun from his belt holster faster than I could blink. He trained it on Edward, dead center in the middle of his chest. His arm didn't quaver, he didn't blink; he just stared with a blankness I'd never seen on his face before.
My mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out.
"Step away from him, Bella," he said quietly.
When I tried to say something, he just gave me a quelling look. "Now."
I backed away, aware that Edward was in no real danger, but I'd never seen Charlie move that fast or be so certain. I knew he'd have perfect aim, too. "You took my daughter from me, you son of a bitch. I thought she was dead," he said coldly.
"Now that I have her back? You can bet your sorry vampire ass that I'm going to shoot if you get anywhere near my daughter again. You may have some supernatural edge, but I won't go down without a fight," he continued.
Edward's eyes touched on mine briefly, surprised, but he didn't so much as move a muscle.
Charlie's finger twitched on the trigger, and I carefully moved closer to his side. I knew better from summers with him as a little girl to never get too close or interrupt him when he had a gun in his hand. He'd hammered that point home over and over, showed me gun safety, and made me repeat his warnings to him continuously. He stressed how important it was to respect firearms, and I took him seriously.
"Dad," I said keeping my voice even. "I know you're upset and you have a right to be, but this isn't going to help matters. You can't do this. It doesn't matter whether or not you would hurt him, this isn't you. You're the Chief of Police and you wouldn't shoot anyone unless it was absolutely necessary."
His hand wavered a little, but he was listening to me. He looked so angry and pained, and I knew everything I'd told him was hitting him at once. He was face-to-face with who he perceived as the enemy and who had tried to take his little girl away.
"Dad, please," I murmured. "He's not going to hurt me. I'm not leaving you again. I promise."
He relaxed when I told him that and lowered the gun. He looked confused for a minute and sad. As soon as he put his gun away, I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest. "I love you," I said my voice cracking.
He held me tightly.
"You're on our land," I heard a voice say behind us, and I jerked back. It was Jacob, and I could see the pain he tried to hide on his face. I wasn't sure what he'd heard, but the fact that Edward was here, in La Push, in Sue's house with me had upset him. Charlie was here, but Jake knew we'd been talking before that and he was hurt. It broke my heart to see him like that, and I tried to reassure him with a look.
He was trying to conceal the trembling, but I could see it in the way he held himself. "Get the hell off my land. You broke the treaty and if it wasn't for Bella, I would destroy you." His voice was tight and hard.
Edward acquiesced, but he met my eyes on his way out. He was trying to tell me to think about what he said, but I cast my eyes down, overwhelmed. I needed to be with Jake, to talk to him.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
I let go of Charlie and nodded. "Jake…"
"Can we talk later?" he asked. His voice was detached and he looked a little distant and the fear came back. He was still willing to talk, though. It'd be okay. But I shivered a little as he gave me a nod and slipped back outside.
It scared me, but Charlie squeezed my shoulder. "You've been through a lot," he said, his own voice still a little shaky. "Give him a little room, but go to him and explain."
I nodded, leaning my head against his shoulder, though the nagging ache in my heart returned and the worry over what Edward said loomed over my head. Jake had left for a reason, but I would never give up on him.
Chapter 21
*~*~*
AN:So, what do you think? Bella stayed pretty strong and certain of what she wanted, but who knows what's going on in Jake's head! Hope you enjoyed. :o)
And as far as this fic goes, I'm looking at about 25 chapters total. I don't have it worked out entirely, but I think it's going to be right around there, just to let you know ahead of time!
Author: exquisite_ugly
Rating/Warnings: M (language, future explicit sex)
Summary: Bella returns to Forks a few years after having married Edward and moving to Alaska. Mistakes and regrets, loneliness and grief, she severs ties and returns to those she truly loves to start over. What will she come home to? AU, A/D/R, M-language/sex
*~*~*
I hear you're asking all around/If I am anywhere to be found/But I have grown too strong/To ever fall back in your arms/And I've learned to live half alive/And now you want me one more time/And who do you think you are?/Runnin' 'round leaving scars/Collecting your jar of hearts/And tearing love apart
*~*~*
BPOV
Jake was pushing me back, his body physically growing bigger in front of my eyes. I'd never been this close as he phased and it caught me off-guard. His body was stiff and his breathing was harsher. The muscles of his back bunched and corded, and I couldn't tear my eyes from him as he contorted.
It was horrifying and fascinating all at once. My stomach rippled and quivered again, and I tried to suck back the whimper that clawed at my throat. I held my stomach, trying to reach out and soothe Jake, but he shifted further away from me as his body became a blur and then he was standing before me as a wolf.
The wolf had taken over.
I finally dared to look at Edward; his eyes were black, his body tensed in preparation. His lip curled back as he stared straight at Jake, only once flicking his gaze in my direction. I didn't know what made him come here, why now, and what the hell was going on. All I knew was Jake was an over-sized wolf that barely fit in the hallway while the door was wide open and Edward didn't look quite sane.
If they lost control and went at each other, we were screwed. We lived in an apartment and if anyone saw us there would be one massive problem to deal with. As if there weren't enough already. Jake's wolf snout lifted slightly and he bared razor-sharp teeth, a low, quiet growl emanating from him. His ears were flat, his jaw quivering as if he were imagining ripping Edward apart.
It was hard to tell who would've lashed out first, but without thinking, I threw myself between them. I turned to Jake, resting my hand against his massive chest. His jaws snapped closed immediately, afraid that he might hurt me, but I knew he never would. It didn't matter how furious, how upset, or how much of a rage he was in. I trusted him implicitly.
"Jake, stop," I said quietly. "You know you can't do this. The door is open, you're in wolf form, and nothing about this is remotely normal."
His wolf-eyes were exactly like his normal, human eyes. They met mine and he registered what I was saying. I slid my hand along his snout, unable to resist. It'd been so long since I'd seen him like this. In the blink of an eye, he phased back to human form, fully naked and unashamed. If he didn't care, neither did I.
I turned around and met Edward's eyes. He was frozen in place, unblinking and unmoving, reminding me completely that he didn't have a heart that beat. "Edward, what are you doing here?"
He shifted slightly, jaw tight. "I found out Carlisle came here, that he spoke with you, and he informed me of the danger. I came to take you away from here; to hide you."
I raised my eyebrows. "I believe it was made pretty clear that I wouldn't let anyone dictate my life for me anymore. We aren't together anymore and running won't help. This needs to stop."
He was looking at my neck now, freaking me out a little, but he'd always had pretty rigid control of his hunger. "You're still my wife, Bella."
His eyes drifted back to mine, softening, and I felt the slightest pull on my senses. My own gaze softened, but suddenly I was jerked back when I felt Jake's hand on my waist.
"I…" I stuttered, flustered. "You should have received divorce papers; if our marriage is even officially legal, that is."
He frowned at that, but moved closer, trying to draw me in. "Of course it is…"
Before I could react, Jake shifted and his arm came from out of nowhere. I could hear the crack of his fist connecting with Edward's face. The force of it threw Edward back into the doorjamb, making it creak and shudder and me jump in surprise. Edward's lip curled as he hissed, darting forward, ending up in front of Jake without me evening seeing. He landed a blow to Jake's shoulder causing his shoulder to pop out of alignment, but Jake gritted his teeth and slammed him back yet again.
Edward suddenly looked hungry again, scaring me.
"Enough," I snapped, my heart beating harder now. I watched as his tongue darted out to lick his lips. He looked too out of control for my liking. "This isn't helping matters. I don't know what the hell you're really doing here, but you can't come barging in here hungry and expect things to go your way."
"I needed to see you, to make sure you were safe," he said, his voice not quite as smooth as it usually was.
I just shook my head. "I'm safe. Now go."
He looked hurt, but I remained firm even while my insides quaked. It was partially from nerves, maybe the venom as well. "We'll talk later," he promised, his voice turning cold as he met Jacob's eyes behind me. The implied meaning of his tone - we'll talk alone - was clear without it being said. I bristled, and I could hear Jake's teeth grinding.
"Get out," he snarled.
Once Edward crossed the threshold of our doorway, Jake slammed the door in his face, fury pouring out of him. "Who does that leech think he is? I'll rip his head off for this. The prick made me phase and I could've hurt you. If he doesn't have a death wish, he needs to leave. Now." His voice was rising, his tone vicious, but I reached for his hand.
Once they connected, his body settled. Thankfully, my stomach had done the same. "You moved away from me before you phased," I informed him. "You were still aware I was there, Jake, so don't beat yourself up over phasing. I'm fine."
I looped my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his overly warm chest. He hesitated, but then reached around me and held me tightly against him, afraid I was going to slip away. "We'll figure this out," I said, repeating it over and over, trying to convince myself this would be okay.
What was Edward's real reason for being here? Why he would come here unannounced, barge in here like he had a right to, baffled me. He seemed a little unstable which was unusual. He was always in control of his emotions; something that drove me nuts. The fact that he was hungry, though, could have something to do with it.
Something was going to have to be done, but I had no idea what.
*~*~*
JPOV
The rest of that night, I remained alert and watchful, but quiet. Neither of us talked much, though Bella reassured me by pressing close against me, whispering that she loved me. I held her tightly, breathing in her scent, afraid to let go of her. I just got her back; there was no way in hell I was going to lose her again.
When the sun rose, I was still gazing out the window when Bella stirred in my arms. She looked worried when our eyes met and pressed even closer to me. She tilted her chin up to look at me and I kissed her. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Did you sleep at all?"
I shook my head, but smoothed her hair back. "Not really, but I'm okay. How are you?" Even with everything that happened, she sighed and told me she was still okay.
"Can you work away from the office today? I want you to come back to La Push with me. I want you on the rez and near me at all times."
She looked like she wasn't sure about that idea, but her eyes softened when she looked up at me. "If it means that much to you, yes." I felt vulnerable, even a little fearful, though that was due mainly to Bella being anywhere near Edward alone. The idea of him touching her, the thoughts of her being with him, invaded my mind and me furious and sick all at once.
She called in to work while I got a quick shower. We grabbed a few bagels and coffee on the way to La Push and got there in record time. The blood had begun pumping in my veins again, knowing Edward was here, and that some fucking leech royalty was after her. Phasing for the first time again hadn't felt particularly good, but now I could feel the power coalescing inside me. I felt as if I were jacked up on something.
"Jake, I'm okay," she assured me yet again when I hesitated in leaving, looking a little frustrated now. "I know you're concerned, but I promise I'm staying at Sue's place to get some work done. I'll be close to you." She stroked my jaw, trying to calm me down.
She stood in the doorway, looking pretty in yoga pants and a green hoodie, so I wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her to my height. She snuggled her face into my neck, and I never wanted to let go of her again.
"Are you okay? After phasing…" Her breath tickled my neck.
I nodded, kissing just under her ear. "I won't lie. It didn't feel good. It's been awhile since I've done so."
I leaned back and she met my eyes, brushing her lips over mine. "We'll figure this out. Right now, I just need to distract myself with work."
"I'm going to talk to the guys today," I assured her. "You work and I'll be back later."
Once she was inside and I heard the lock click, I hurried to the construction site. It was going to be a long day when I saw the guys were already there and starting to work; needing to talk to them would have to wait when we had a minute to gather without other ears hearing. It was a long, tense day and I earned a look from every one of the pack at some point. I knew they were wondering what the hell was going on.
Even though I was distracted, I couldn't believe how far we'd come in the past few months. We'd have the school done in time before winter, which was the plan. When we finished up for the day, I motioned to Sam, and he came right over.
"What's going on, man? You look a bit freaked and pissed off. Everything okay with Bella?"
"Yeah, she's fine, but I need to talk to you. Emergency meeting."
His brows knit in concern. "Go to our usual spot in the woods?"
I agreed and we met there within the half hour. I sat on one of the logs, pensive and anxious to get back to Bella, while I waited for everyone to get there and settle down. It wasn't going to be an easy discussion.
"Look," I started in right away, waving a hand for them to quiet down. "We have a problem. The leech royalty sent a scout to see if Bella was alive; I don't know how they knew. And last night Edward Cullen just showed up at our door."
Before I could even get any further, they all started talking at once.
"What?"
"Are you shitting me?"
"Why?"
I waved my hands again. "Shut up and let me talk. I don't know what his game is, but he said he was here to take her away, that he knew she was in danger and wanted her safe."
"What the fuck? Didn't Bella tell him in no uncertain terms that they were done?" Leah demanded, standing up, looking pissed off.
"She did," I said looking up at her. "She told him last night, too, but he's saying they're still married. He has this… fucked up dazzling thing that softens her without her realizing it before she snaps out of it."
"Shit, Jake, what now? Where is she? You left her alone?"
I bristled slightly. "She's on the rez at Sue's house. She's close, but I can't crowd her or order her around nor do I want to. She put up with enough of that and won't tolerate it now. She's more independent. And anyway, I freaked her out enough with phasing last night."
They all stared at me in shock.
"I guess that's not really a surprise," Embry said, raising his eyebrows. "You just lost it?"
"Yes and no," I admitted. "I knew enough to get her away from me, but Cullen was hungry and I was so furious. It triggered the wolf. It hurt like hell; it's been so long. We sort of fought, but Bella got between us and made us stop. I'm glad she did. I was about to completely lose my shit."
Sam looked worried. "We might have to phase again, it seems. If this fight comes here, to our land, there's no way we can't. I need to make sure Emily and the baby are safe."
I sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry this is happening and I know Bella is upset about it. She didn't want this to come here."
Jared looked up. "I'm not looking forward to phasing again, surprisingly, but you're our brother. I'm not sure how this will go, if we can even phase at a second's notice, but we'll stand with you. Bella is one of us."
Every single one of them nodded, even Paul.
I glanced down and took a deep breath. "You're the true Alpha, Jake," Sam said quietly. "You need to accept this once and for all. I'm willing to be your Beta."
"Thank you," I said my throat a little tight. "This means more to me than you know. It wasn't something I ever envied you dealing with Sam, but I'll accept, and I'd be grateful to have you as my Beta. Once this is taken care of, we can go back to our normal lives again."
"For whatever it's worth," Seth said quietly. "We're in this together; all for one and one for all."
We all stood, facing each other in a loose circle. I was lucky to have a pack as united as we were. I was even luckier to call them my brothers and sister.
*~*~*
BPOV
The rain ticked on the tin roof of the porch, continuously, over and over. Normally the sound didn't bother me. It usually soothed me, but I was on edge and every little sound made me twitch.
My laptop whirred quietly on the desk. I stared blankly at the empty document, trying to gather my thoughts to get some work done. By sheer force of will, I began to write and it came easily enough. Relaxing a little, I took a sip of my peppermint tea and continued tapping away.
Before long, I began to wonder how Jake was doing at the construction site. I got up to make a turkey sandwich for lunch, wishing I could make some for the guys and take them over there just to get out for a little while. I knew it wasn't a good idea for me to leave the house even if I would still be on Quileute land. And I knew Jake would be upset.
So, I ate my lunch, staring out at the drizzly day. When I finished, I sighed and went back to the desk in the living room to continue working. I managed to focus and write for awhile, but was interrupted when suddenly my stomach quivered.
Nervously, I glanced up and out the window. The sky had darkened even more as the day went and a thunderstorm was rolling in. My stomach shivered again and I gripped it tightly as the spasm worked its way through, setting my teeth on edge, and taking me down to the floor again.
"Dammit," I hissed through my teeth, struggling to get back up as the quivers in my stomach had me shaking. I looked frantically out the window, seeing nothing, and I scrambled for my cell phone.
"Bella?" The soft, melodic voice wound its way around me, and I paused in my fumbling, my fingers just grazing my cell.
I got up, brushing a hand over my forehead which had beaded with sweat, and made my way to the front door shakily. Carefully, I looked out of the peephole and tried to ease away knowing it was futile, but wishing just once I could be quiet enough to not alert him.
"I know you're in there," he said calmly. "I'd like to talk to you."
"We don't have anything to talk about," I replied.
He opened the door slowly, trying not to scare me, I assumed. "Bella, may I come in?"
I shook my head wordlessly. His eyes were back to their usual color, though they still had a bit of a wild look in them. My eyes drifted up to his tousled, bronze hair and back down to the familiar angle of his jaw, the slope of his shoulders, and down to his long, graceful fingers.
All I wanted to see was warm, rounded muscles; long arms and legs, long and lean body with russet skin. But my traitorous human mind was allowing itself to be dazzled, and I was struggling to fight it.
"Stop it," I snapped. "Stop trying to draw me back in. Edward, when I left it wasn't a whim. It wasn't a joke. I want this over."
"You aren't safe here. Neither are the wolves. The Volturi will destroy them; they will destroy you if they can. They're furious that they were fooled. Bella, please, come back with me. We can protect you."
He had slid easily into the house without my really noticing it. I backed up against the kitchen table, my emotions tangled, my stomach fluttering, and I wanted to run far away. But when he looked at me, my mind felt foggy.
"So can Jake and his pack. Plus, thanks to you, I now have a vampire early warning system embedded in my uterus," I spat sarcastically.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What? Carlisle said in passing that you'd had some health issue, but that he took care of it."
I glared at him, feeling the tears well in my eyes. "He did, but apparently not all of your venom is out of my body. It's already alerted me to something - the scout - out in the woods and now you apparently. And it might affect my having children in the future!" I finished and realized I was yelling and the tears had spilled free.
He stood frozen. Finally he said, "Are you sure it's the venom? Maybe we created something…"
It was my turn to freeze. No, that couldn't be. It seemed very eerily similar to what a pregnancy might feel like with a child moving inside of you, but that wasn't possible. He was a vampire. But Carlisle would have told me that surely.
I shook my head. "No. How the hell would that work? Carlisle would've said something if that were the case. It's not possible, Edward."
He sighed and reached for me. "Please, Bella, re-think things. You're still my wife. I don't have to sign the papers. We can work something out."
I flinched, but his cold hands wrapped around mine. "Stop dazzling me," I whispered. "Edward, I'm with Jacob. You must've gathered that from last night."
His eyes reflected hurt, anger, but I bit my lip to keep myself from apologizing. There was no reason for me to apologize. We were done. His fingers played with mine, and I felt tears of confusion swimming in my eyes. "I love Jacob. And I want children with him."
His eyes were so damn mesmerizing.
"I shouldn't have been with you. You should've been strong enough to stop us from happening," I continued. "I was young and made the wrong choices. I didn't want what I thought I wanted, but you made me feel guilty, intentionally or not. Our relationship was so damn cold, Edward. When I didn't want to be a vampire anymore, you tried, but you were so distant."
A few tears trickled down my cheeks. "Alaska wasn't me, that lifestyle wasn't me. I needed the forests, rain, sun, friends, and Jacob and my dad. I needed and wanted them both back in my life and now that I have them…"
He leaned in, catching me off-guard, and kissed me. I pushed him away, shaking my head. Suddenly, there was a scraping sound behind me. I turned and saw Charlie standing there, his face as dark as the brewing storm.
"Dad…" I started to say, but he cut me off in a move so surprising all I could do was gape at him.
He had ripped his gun from his belt holster faster than I could blink. He trained it on Edward, dead center in the middle of his chest. His arm didn't quaver, he didn't blink; he just stared with a blankness I'd never seen on his face before.
My mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out.
"Step away from him, Bella," he said quietly.
When I tried to say something, he just gave me a quelling look. "Now."
I backed away, aware that Edward was in no real danger, but I'd never seen Charlie move that fast or be so certain. I knew he'd have perfect aim, too. "You took my daughter from me, you son of a bitch. I thought she was dead," he said coldly.
"Now that I have her back? You can bet your sorry vampire ass that I'm going to shoot if you get anywhere near my daughter again. You may have some supernatural edge, but I won't go down without a fight," he continued.
Edward's eyes touched on mine briefly, surprised, but he didn't so much as move a muscle.
Charlie's finger twitched on the trigger, and I carefully moved closer to his side. I knew better from summers with him as a little girl to never get too close or interrupt him when he had a gun in his hand. He'd hammered that point home over and over, showed me gun safety, and made me repeat his warnings to him continuously. He stressed how important it was to respect firearms, and I took him seriously.
"Dad," I said keeping my voice even. "I know you're upset and you have a right to be, but this isn't going to help matters. You can't do this. It doesn't matter whether or not you would hurt him, this isn't you. You're the Chief of Police and you wouldn't shoot anyone unless it was absolutely necessary."
His hand wavered a little, but he was listening to me. He looked so angry and pained, and I knew everything I'd told him was hitting him at once. He was face-to-face with who he perceived as the enemy and who had tried to take his little girl away.
"Dad, please," I murmured. "He's not going to hurt me. I'm not leaving you again. I promise."
He relaxed when I told him that and lowered the gun. He looked confused for a minute and sad. As soon as he put his gun away, I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest. "I love you," I said my voice cracking.
He held me tightly.
"You're on our land," I heard a voice say behind us, and I jerked back. It was Jacob, and I could see the pain he tried to hide on his face. I wasn't sure what he'd heard, but the fact that Edward was here, in La Push, in Sue's house with me had upset him. Charlie was here, but Jake knew we'd been talking before that and he was hurt. It broke my heart to see him like that, and I tried to reassure him with a look.
He was trying to conceal the trembling, but I could see it in the way he held himself. "Get the hell off my land. You broke the treaty and if it wasn't for Bella, I would destroy you." His voice was tight and hard.
Edward acquiesced, but he met my eyes on his way out. He was trying to tell me to think about what he said, but I cast my eyes down, overwhelmed. I needed to be with Jake, to talk to him.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
I let go of Charlie and nodded. "Jake…"
"Can we talk later?" he asked. His voice was detached and he looked a little distant and the fear came back. He was still willing to talk, though. It'd be okay. But I shivered a little as he gave me a nod and slipped back outside.
It scared me, but Charlie squeezed my shoulder. "You've been through a lot," he said, his own voice still a little shaky. "Give him a little room, but go to him and explain."
I nodded, leaning my head against his shoulder, though the nagging ache in my heart returned and the worry over what Edward said loomed over my head. Jake had left for a reason, but I would never give up on him.
Chapter 21
*~*~*
AN:So, what do you think? Bella stayed pretty strong and certain of what she wanted, but who knows what's going on in Jake's head! Hope you enjoyed. :o)
And as far as this fic goes, I'm looking at about 25 chapters total. I don't have it worked out entirely, but I think it's going to be right around there, just to let you know ahead of time!