The Guardian, Chapter Five
***
Fifteen minutes later, Ellie was sleeping peacefully in bed as if nothing ever happened. Bella stood with her arms wrapped around Jacob and her face buried in his chest.
They hadn’t spoken a word, but Bella thought they didn’t need to. She could read Jake like the back of her hand, and she knew he felt the exact same way she did at the moment, which was a whirl of emotions.
Edward had saved Ellie. Bella wasn’t sure exactly why or how he came to be there when he was, or Alice, either, but it didn’t matter. Ellie might have died if they weren’t. That thought was too horrible to even consider.
Suddenly, Bella heard sirens in the distance and gasped, pulling away to look up at Jacob.
“Jake, we didn’t even call the police! What if that man was injured?”
Jacob winced and took Bella’s hand, quietly leaving Ellie’s room. “He…” Jacob looked like it took some effort to say his name, but began again. “Edward probably called. And your dad probably knows, too.”
Bella’s eyes widened. “My dad can’t see Edward or Alice! My God, Jacob, he would freak out!”
Jacob and Bella hurried outside and looked frantically around for the two vampires, but there was no trace of them. The man was sitting on the curb forlornly, looking extremely baffled.
Jake glanced at Bella and then loped over to him.
“I’m sorry we disappeared, sir, um…are you alright?”
The man looked at Jacob and shook his head. “Where are they? I saw them here. He saved that little girl…and then they were gone,” he said in bewilderment.
Jacob cleared his throat and scratched his head, thinking fast. “You mean my daughter? Yeah, I…uh…I was the one that grabbed her.”
The man stood slowly and stared at Jacob like he was crazy. “No. The other man…he wasn’t as tall as you. And there was a girl, I think…”
Jacob gestured to Bella, who was standing just behind him. “My wife, you mean? Sir, are you sure you’re alright? Maybe you hit your head and…” Jacob spread his hands in front of him, trying to gently imply that perhaps the man was a little confused from the accident.
Jacob was spared from saying anything else as an ambulance and three police cruisers, which was nearly the entire extent of the Forks Police Department, turned onto the street.
Charlie jumped out of the car practically before it stopped moving and ran over to Bella, grabbing her shoulders roughly. “What happened? Bella, are you alright? Where’s Ellie?”
Bella forced a smile to try and reassure her father and then quickly hugged him. “I’m fine, dad. Everything’s okay. Ellie’s okay. Jacob…well, he got to her in time. He pulled her out of the way after she ran into the street after her ball and…” Bella gestured to the still very confused man standing next to Jacob. Charlie turned his attention to him.
Bella stepped back and scanned the line of trees across the street, searching for any signs of Edward or Alice. She had a feeling they were still there, watching, but she knew she would never spot them.
Jacob took her hand and squeezed it, giving her a small smile. It almost felt nice to have another sort of conspiracy going with him, a secret, just them against the world. Maybe part of Bella actually missed the excitement of her teenage years - the vampire girl versus the wolf girl. The wolf girl had decisively won out.
Jacob and Bella both gave statements to the police about what happened and avoided waking Ellie up after insisting she was okay. Being related to the chief of police had its high points, considering Ellie probably would have started babbling about the man that had saved her and blew their entire story.
As the last of the police cruisers drove away, Jacob and Bella still stood at the end of the driveway. Bella looked at Jake and said slowly, “I think they’re still here, but…do you not want to see them?” Bella couldn’t help it - she wanted to. She would always want to.
Jacob sighed and stood very still for a moment, studying Bella with an intense gaze.
After a few seconds, he said gently, one hand on her cheek, “I don’t mind, Bella. Of course I don’t mind.” Jake looked toward the trees, looking very handsome and confident in the moonlight, and called quietly, “Edward? Are you still here?”
Fifteen minutes later, Ellie was sleeping peacefully in bed as if nothing ever happened. Bella stood with her arms wrapped around Jacob and her face buried in his chest.
They hadn’t spoken a word, but Bella thought they didn’t need to. She could read Jake like the back of her hand, and she knew he felt the exact same way she did at the moment, which was a whirl of emotions.
Edward had saved Ellie. Bella wasn’t sure exactly why or how he came to be there when he was, or Alice, either, but it didn’t matter. Ellie might have died if they weren’t. That thought was too horrible to even consider.
Suddenly, Bella heard sirens in the distance and gasped, pulling away to look up at Jacob.
“Jake, we didn’t even call the police! What if that man was injured?”
Jacob winced and took Bella’s hand, quietly leaving Ellie’s room. “He…” Jacob looked like it took some effort to say his name, but began again. “Edward probably called. And your dad probably knows, too.”
Bella’s eyes widened. “My dad can’t see Edward or Alice! My God, Jacob, he would freak out!”
Jacob and Bella hurried outside and looked frantically around for the two vampires, but there was no trace of them. The man was sitting on the curb forlornly, looking extremely baffled.
Jake glanced at Bella and then loped over to him.
“I’m sorry we disappeared, sir, um…are you alright?”
The man looked at Jacob and shook his head. “Where are they? I saw them here. He saved that little girl…and then they were gone,” he said in bewilderment.
Jacob cleared his throat and scratched his head, thinking fast. “You mean my daughter? Yeah, I…uh…I was the one that grabbed her.”
The man stood slowly and stared at Jacob like he was crazy. “No. The other man…he wasn’t as tall as you. And there was a girl, I think…”
Jacob gestured to Bella, who was standing just behind him. “My wife, you mean? Sir, are you sure you’re alright? Maybe you hit your head and…” Jacob spread his hands in front of him, trying to gently imply that perhaps the man was a little confused from the accident.
Jacob was spared from saying anything else as an ambulance and three police cruisers, which was nearly the entire extent of the Forks Police Department, turned onto the street.
Charlie jumped out of the car practically before it stopped moving and ran over to Bella, grabbing her shoulders roughly. “What happened? Bella, are you alright? Where’s Ellie?”
Bella forced a smile to try and reassure her father and then quickly hugged him. “I’m fine, dad. Everything’s okay. Ellie’s okay. Jacob…well, he got to her in time. He pulled her out of the way after she ran into the street after her ball and…” Bella gestured to the still very confused man standing next to Jacob. Charlie turned his attention to him.
Bella stepped back and scanned the line of trees across the street, searching for any signs of Edward or Alice. She had a feeling they were still there, watching, but she knew she would never spot them.
Jacob took her hand and squeezed it, giving her a small smile. It almost felt nice to have another sort of conspiracy going with him, a secret, just them against the world. Maybe part of Bella actually missed the excitement of her teenage years - the vampire girl versus the wolf girl. The wolf girl had decisively won out.
Jacob and Bella both gave statements to the police about what happened and avoided waking Ellie up after insisting she was okay. Being related to the chief of police had its high points, considering Ellie probably would have started babbling about the man that had saved her and blew their entire story.
As the last of the police cruisers drove away, Jacob and Bella still stood at the end of the driveway. Bella looked at Jake and said slowly, “I think they’re still here, but…do you not want to see them?” Bella couldn’t help it - she wanted to. She would always want to.
Jacob sighed and stood very still for a moment, studying Bella with an intense gaze.
After a few seconds, he said gently, one hand on her cheek, “I don’t mind, Bella. Of course I don’t mind.” Jake looked toward the trees, looking very handsome and confident in the moonlight, and called quietly, “Edward? Are you still here?”