Realistic Dreams, Chapter Four
Paring: Jake/Bella (Twilight)
Rating: M
Chapter Four: Blitzkrieg
All Bella POV
I woke up in a warm sweat again, however it was somewhat comforting this time, after the initial terror of waking up after a nightmare settled down. I crawled out of bed and headed for the shower, ignoring the red tinge my skin took on in the mirror. I set the water to cool and it again felt like I was being stabbed by little needles, but the sensation wore off quickly this time. Getting out, my skin was the same colour it always was. Stupid vivid dreams. Despite the mediocre way my day had started, I soon began humming to myself.
All in all, my weekend had been great. Sure, I was probably going to die twice choking the next time I had to face Jacob, and develop a purple complexion whenever I'm around Quil or Embry for the next while, but I still felt good. Like I was doing the right thing. Sam and the pack had accepted me as family, and as annoying and nosy some of the guys were, they were growing on me at an astounding rate. I shocked myself by being actually happy. So happy I could almost skip. But that would most likely lead to my falling down the stairs, which would ruin the whole good mood thing, so none of that.
I kept humming to myself as I fixed myself breakfast, and looking at the clock, I found that had actually woken up amazingly early, and well rested.
Just what the doctor ordered, eh Bella?
Silence! I will not let you ruin my mood with snark. This is a snark-free zone. And stop voice smirking!
I went about frying eggs and bacon, and by the time Charlie got downstairs, I had eaten my cereal and fruit, and had his breakfast ready.
"What's this Bella?"
I smiled at him. "Nothing Dad, I just got up early today, so I made breakfast."
He quirked an eyebrow at me, then sat down and ate. Seeing that I had an entire hour before I had to leave for school, I sat down and tried to get some of the homework that I hadn't done. I hummed to myself as I figured out math problems, and was in the middle of labelling a diagram for Biology when I looked up and saw Charlie staring at me gaped mouth.
"What?"
"I… I don't think I've seen you in this good a mood in… ever, Bella."
I smiled and shrugged. "I had a good weekend, that's all."
"Maybe you should go to La Push more often then?" He said putting his coffee cup in the sink. I could hear the suggestive tone in his voice, but it didn't matter.
"Oh, definitely."
"I guess you'll want to spend time there before you have to go off to college."
I shuffled my papers around. "Actually I was thinking about doing my first semester online. I think Seattle offers classes like that." It was true. I wasn't about to leave the safety of the pack, even if it meant I would end up teaching English or something at a grade school in Forks. Hell, if worse came to worse, I'll go into catering with Emily. It's not like our lives aren't already consumed by cooking.
He dropped his paper on the table. "Who are you and what have you done with my difficult moody daughter?"
I laughed at him. "I just realised I don't really want to leave Forks yet. I just got here."
He looked at me incredulously. "And what does Edward think about all this."
I bit my lip and rolled it between my teeth. "Umm, it doesn't really matter what he thinks."
"Did he dump you again? Is that was this is?"
"No, dad." The look on his face said he didn't believe me. "Dad, it's really not like that…. I just…. Things aren't really working out. I don't think he's… what's best for me anymore." I hoped that would explain things. I didn't want to dwell on the subject, given the good mood I was in.
He scratched his head in disbelief. "Well, I'll… see what we can do about Seattle. I have to go now Bella. Have a good day."
"You too." I'm pretty sure he was still in disbelief as he walked out the door, as he stumbled into the door frame on the way out.
Seeing that I still had a few minutes before I had to leave, I quickly did the dishes and got my stuff together. Even after that, I was still going to get to school early. I got into my truck, and headed out.
I turned the radio on and tapped my hands against the steering wheel as I drove. I would have to get Emily to give me one of her compilations, now that my stereo was fixed. I was so glad that I let Emmett fix it when he got back, or else I would just be singing to myself now.
That thought, however, turned out to be a time bomb.
I planted my foot on the break and skidded to a stop. Emmett. The Cullens. The Cullens who would be at school. Where I was going now. And I was still entirely sure about how I was going to talk to Edward about this.
I had hoped you weren't going to think about it. Sorry.
Well, there went my mood.
I hemmed and hawed for awhile about just skipping and headed straight to La Push. But I knew Jake still had school, nevermind that I still needed to work up the nerve to talk to him right now. Plus, I would actually need my education now that I was pretty sure that I would require a career now that I wasn't going to become a vampire. Also, it's not like I could avoid them forever, unless I holed myself in La Push for the rest of my life and never left.
Although that last idea sounded nice, I put the truck into first gear again with resolve and continued heading for school. As I got there, I searched the parking lot. There it was, the silver Volvo, shiny even through the cloud cover. I carefully parked my truck, taking about ten minutes more than I actually needed. As I stopped, I sat gripping the wheel for a moment before I took a deep breath and got out of the car.
You'll do fine. I'm sure of it.
As reassuring as Jacob's voice was, it didn't really work. I dawdled by my locker, trying to draw the time out as much as possible, staring very intently at its contents so as not to look up and see Edward or Alice. By the time I was done, I only had a few minutes to get to class before I would be late. I trudged through the halls, wishing I could just hide and make it all go away.
You got to have the fun part yesterday. Today's the work part. Better to just get it over with.
I guess. I reached the door to Mr. Mason's room and slowly, reluctantly opened it, just before the bell rang. Walking towards my seat, I looked up….
And the seat next to mine was empty.
I looked around to see if he was standing somewhere around the room, but he wasn't. I sat down bewildered.
"Where's Edward?" Asked Eric from beside me.
"I don't know."
Class began again before we could say anything more. We were doing review for our finals and I couldn't really pay attention, which was fine, because I knew most of the novels we were reviewing. Still, the class went by unbearably slow. I kept expecting the door to open, and Edward to come in with some excuse for being late. But he never did.
The same happened for all my other classes until lunch. Angela gave me the same quizzical look as to where he was in Spanish, but she held her tongue until class was over, and we headed to lunch.
"So you don't know where he is?"
"No idea."
"Is something wrong?" she asked eying me.
I could feel my palms growing damp. "Um… I should probably talk to him first… about it."
She nodded vaguely. "Oh.... OH." Her eyes went wide. "Well… I'm here if you need to talk to me."
"Thanks. Maybe later." It would be nice to get a female perspective on the whole thing. One who wasn't for all intensive purposes related to one of my choices, or didn't share a cosmic love-bond with the other one's boss. AKA, one who wasn't involved.
We walked towards the cafeteria, talking about other things, like tomorrow's finals. I headed through the lunch line, meeting Ben and Mike in the process. I was just starting to relax and think that I might be able to get through today without having to talk to Edward when I turned around.
And I saw them. Both of them. Sitting at the table we usually sat at.
I saw Alice first, and she looked up and glowered at me. Edward was sitting beside her, hands folded, his eyes the most intense topaz I had ever seen them. He must have overhunted to the extreme to get them that colour. Which meant he was angry. This was confirmed when his eyes darkened as they met mine. I trembled slightly, and then resigned myself to what was coming. There was no avoiding them, Ben was already walking over there. So I followed, and sat down, scooting next to Angela instead of my usual spot next to Edward. Alice's glower intensified and Ben looked at me funny. I busied myself with delicately pulling the sticker off my apple.
"Hey, Alice, Edward. Where were you this morning?" Angela asked, trying to keep everyone in check.
"Hiking." Said Alice shortly. "Jasper and Edward forgot something at their campsite over the weekend. Silly really."
"Oh." Angela nodded. "Was your trip good at least?"
Edward nodded. It was not his usual graceful motion, but a sort of jerky, careful gesture. "It was very invigorating."
"Oh." Angela swirled her pudding around its container, and a silence fell on the table until Mike spoke up.
"Well what did you do Alice?"
Alice smiled, her teeth flashing. "I was supposed to spend the weekend with Bella, but she had other plans. Didn't you Bella?"
Thanks a lot, Alice. "Uh, yeah."
"Well, what did you do?" Ben asked.
"Yes, Bella, what did you do? I think we would be very interested to know, wouldn't we Edward?" Alice's hard smile turned towards me, and Edward gave another slight, sharp nod. Ben looked at me expectantly. Oh, shit.
Just tell them. No reason to break it to the leeches nicely when they're the ones being pricks about.
Could you just not?
It's more fun this way.
I ignored the laughter in my head and started. "I, um, had to go with my dad to a barbecue. It was a football thing. The games were kind of boring, but the food was good."
"Oh, that doesn't sound too bad," said Mike.
"Where did you go for the barbeque, Bella?" Alice asked, sounding overly cheerful.
I looked at her, utterly unimpressed. "La Push. Jake's dad invited us. And I stayed at my friend Emily's house the night before so I could help with the food." If she wasn't going to be nice, neither was I.
Alice's smile disappeared and Edward snapped his plastic spoon is three pieces as he squeezed his hand shut. "Stupid breakable cutlery." He set the pieces down on his tray. Thankfully, no one made much of it.
"Who's Jake?" asked Mike.
"We went to the movies with him Mike. And, um, you saw him here a few days ago."
Mike's eyes widened. "You mean that massive guy? That's the same guy we went to the movies with?"
"That would be Jake." I shoved my pizza in my mouth, rendering myself unable to say more.
"So it was just a nice, family get together then?" asked Edward, trying to sound friendly. He probably convinced the others with that, but I could tell that anger was bubbling under the surface.
The voice in my head scoffed. What right does he have to be angry? He tried to have you kept in a house, where his little sister could watch you.
Yeah, I thought. It's not like I'm breaking up with him on some whim. It's been heading to this ever since he got back, and his actions only got it there faster. I'm not the only one who should be experiencing guilt here.
Go for the gut punch.
I shook my head, swallowing. "No, a lot of people where there. Sam Uley and the Clearwaters, and all of Jake's friends. You know, the whole pack of them." Angela looked distressed as I stared intensely at Edward. Ben and Mike just looked confused. Alice glowered harder, if that was even possible. Edward simply gave an impossibly tight smile.
"That sounds nice Bella."
"It was." His eyes were getting even darker. I figured I had instigated enough trouble for one day, and I was about to lose my confidence, and fast, so I got up and dumped my tray, heading to Biology early. Edward didn't follow behind me, but he was there in class.
"We need to talk," he whispered to me, as class started.
"After school," I whispered back. I think I took the most detailed notes I had ever taken in my life.
Gym had passed too quickly. I took my time packing up and walking out, and by the time I got to my locker, most people had already left. I packed my stuff up slowly and headed out the doors. Edward was waiting for me, by a post. I could see Alice standing by the Volvo.
I chewed on the thumb a moment, before squeaking out, "Hey."
Edward just glared at me. "Alice is going to take your truck to your house. We'll talk in the car."
Growling filled my head, as I shook it no. "No, I don't think so, Edward."
His eyes were almost black now. "What?"
"I said I wasn't going with you."
He ran a hand through his hair, gritting his teeth. "Bella, what you did was very foolish. An entire weekend surrounded by them?!" He hissed the last word at me. "You're lucky you're not in pieces."
Tears started to cloud my eyes. He didn't trust me enough to trust my judgement. And it didn't look like things were going to change. I had to do this now, it just hurt so much. Everything that means something has to hurt. I thought it at the same time Jacob's voice said it to me.
"Edward, they would never hurt me."
"They have no control!" He gripped my wrist and I squeaked. Immediately he calmed and he hand came up to brush hair out of my eyes, but he didn't let go. I turned away.
"I'm sorry."
"You shouldn't talk about losing control."
"I know, I know, I was just so worried. I don't know what I'd do if they-"
I cut him off. "Stop. I can't take that again. Do you know how stressful it is to know what you'd do if I got hurt. It hangs over my head."
"Your safety is the same to me Bella. You can't go over there again."
"I will go there anytime I want to Edward!"
"Bella, I almost lost you once. I can't lose you again!"
"You already have!"
His eyes narrowed and I could feel the hair prick up on my neck. "Bella, what are you saying?"
Tears rolled down my cheeks and I sniffed. "It's over Edward. I don't want this anymore."
"Bella no…"
"I don't want to be like you."
"Then you don't have to! I didn't even want to!"
I shook my head. "No, I can't live like this. I can't live with you dictating my life."
"I'm only trying to look after you."
"I don't need you to do that anymore. I still love you. I always will. Just not like I used to. It isn't fair to either of us."
His eyes looked wild. "Bella, I… I went mad when I thought you were dead, I can't just let you go now, I can't!"
His grip tightened, and I felt pain surge up my arm.
"Edward, let go."
"Bella, please, you can't do this!"
"Edward, you need to let go!"
"We have to just talk about this."
"Edward! You're hurting me!"
I tried to tug away from him with no avail. His hand was solidly, crushingly locked around my wrist, and sadness poured from his eyes. It hurt, my wrist and my heart, they both hurt so much to see him in pain, even if I had to do it. Even if it was necessary. He was lost to the world, telling me how much he loved me and that he couldn't leave me now, not after all we went through. I don't even think he was paying attention anymore, he seemed to be doing what was the vampire equivalent of hyperventilating. I was only vaguely aware of something tapping his right shoulder when he turned to face behind him, finally letting go.
CRACK!
The sound was deafening and wrung in my ears. Edward stumbled to the side and went sprawling down, clutching his jaw. His face looked horribly twisted, and I watched, terrified, as he moved his jaw back into place with a sickening crunch. He shook his head and tried to get up, only to sit back down, still disoriented from the blow.
There, in front of me, standing over him, was Ve, right arm still extended from the vicious haymaker she had just given Edward, pale eyes blazing with lightning. Her eyes slid from him to me, locking with my eyes, and my nervousness instantly left me again. She flicked her eyes over my shoulder, and then clutched her right hand, screaming.
"Fucking ow, what the fuck is your face made out of, steel?!!" She rubbed her hand and cradled it to her chest. Edward was still unable to get up from the floor.
"What the hell is going on out here? What was that noise?" I turned to see Mr. Banner from Biology and my Gym teacher, Coach Clapp approaching behind us.
Ve stepped forward, hissing in pain. "My apologies gentlemen." She tried to move her hand and moaned in pain. "I saw this boy accosting my friend, and the self-defence classes kicked in. Are you alright Bella?"
I nodded, clutching my own wrist. Mr. Varner eyed Edward.
"I believe Cullen is Swan's boyfriend," Coach Clapp said to him.
"Ex-boyfriend," I mumbled.
Coach Clapp looked at Edward with disdain and then hauled him off the ground. "You're going to the office Mr! I won't tolerate the treatment of young ladies like that!" They headed off inside the building, Edward still trying to shake the punch off.
Ve looked up apologetically at Mr. Banner. "I'm very sorry to have done that sir, but I wasn't left with many options. He seemed to be hurting her. Take a look at her wrist."
Mr. Banner asked to see my arm, and I obliged. "Ms. Swan, this is going to bruise, you're lucky…" He looked at Ve and she supplied her name. "Ve was here. Do you want to come into the office and make a report?"
I shook my head. "No sir, I'll be ok."
"Well at the very least bring your friend to the teachers' lounge with me and we'll ice her hand. She sounds like she hurt it."
"Oh, it's alright sir," She began.
"No no, I insist. I don't know what self defence classes you took, but it sounded like you punched a hole in some pavement." He turned down the hall to lead us, and Ve followed him. As we walked she looked me, turned her wrist in a full rotation, wriggled her fingers, and winked. Thankfully, the lounge was only down the hall, which is probably why they heard Edward and I arguing in the first place. Mr. Banner put some ice in a bag and handed to her.
"Here you go."
"Thank you very much." She smiled her brilliant smile at him as she put it on her hand.
"You'll have to excuse me, but I haven't seen you before, though you do look a little old to be in high school."
She laughed. "I was visiting family in La Push when I met Bella this weekend. We were going to eat dinner together before she had to study for her finals." I was jealous of her ability to lie so fluidly. I don't think I even said anything about having finals tomorrow.
Mr. Banner frowned. "No offense, but I had heard that some of the people on the reservation don't like the Cullens. I hope this has nothing to do with this."
She looked perfectly confused. "That was a Cullen? I didn't even realise. Hmm." Her eyes flicked open wider, and somehow her expressiveness made her seem all the more genuine. She had to have known what he was, she would have smelled him. I'm surprised Edward didn't notice her come behind him.
Mr. Banner eyed her and then nodded. "I trust it won't happen again?"
"No sir, I wouldn't think it. But we really should be going. Thanks for the ice." She handed the bag back to him and got up to leave. "Come on Bella."
I gave Mr. Banner a final look as I headed for the door. The bag he held up no longer hand ice in it, only water, even though Ve had only touched it for a few minutes. "Funny," he said, feeling the bag, brow furrowed. "It's not cold."
Ve was already headed out the door, and I followed quickly behind her. Once we walked down the hall, she let go of her hand wriggling her fingers. "Well, that was an experience."
I nodded, looking at her hand. It wasn't even red. The screaming was only for Mr. Banner's benefit. You would never know that he had just ploughed her first through a vampire's stony jaw unless she told you. And then you wouldn't believe her unless you saw it.
She continued to head out the door, with me in tow behind her. She turned to me. "Do you mind if we actually do get dinner? I would like it very much if we were to talk."
She had a funny way of putting things, even in comparison to Edward, but it made her endearing. "Um, sure."
Her white smile glittered across her face. "I know you were adverse to the small Cold One taking your truck, but I happened to nearby with Quil. He was showing me some of the more wooded areas actually in Forks for reference. He has his license, so would it be fine if he returned your truck to your house while we ate?"
I know that I just refused the same to Edward, but, somehow, the fact that she asked me instead of telling me made a world of difference. "Alright."
We headed off the school lot and across the street, where Quil was waiting in Ve's cherry red Mustang. His knuckles were white from gripping the door. "Are you alright Bella?" His brow knit together in concern.
I nodded. "I'm alright Quil."
"That was kind of scary. One minute we were driving, and the next she breaks and then leaps out of the car. I've never seen anyone move that fast. I didn't even see her move that fast, she was behind the leech in a blink of an eye. Then POW! He goes flying!" He swung his fist for effect. "I know you, uh, liked that leech, Bella, but you have to admit, that was some punch!"
Ve smiled at him. "She saw it too, Quil. Would you please take her vehicle home for her and leave her keys there? If Chief Swan is there, tell him I met her for dinner and will have her home well before dark. I'm sure he'll understand."
He nodded and hopped out of the car. "Sure thing boss." I handed him my keys. "And, uh, Bella, sorry about… you know, yesterday."
I felt my face grow hot and I headed for the passenger seat, not meeting his eyes. "Yeah, sure Quil. No problem." I said quickly. Well, at least he apologised. Ve patted his shoulder and got in the car.
"You made quite the impression yesterday."
I'm sure my face was purple. "You heard about that, then."
"Jacob phased right after you left, and I must admit I was curious as to why he wanted to kill two of his pack mates."
"Oh."
"I wouldn't worry little sister. The impression you left was all good." Looking into her eyes, I felt reassured, and stopped feeling embarrassed. "Is there some place to eat near here?"
"There's a local sort of hot dog and hamburger place a few blocks away, on Main. One of the things you walk up the window to."
"It will suit." She started the car and drove off.
I looked at her hand on the wheel as she pulled out, still bewildered at what had just happened. How did she do that, and how did she even sneak up on him like that? Alice was at the Volvo, and she didn't even have time to intercept her. I know Jacob had always said that I underestimated werewolves, but it was still unbelievable that she broke, or at least dislocated, his jaw so easily.
"You're confused about something?" She said, suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah… I was wondering how you did that."
"Which thing exactly?"
"Sent Edward down for the count."
She chuckled, shaking her head. "You're wondering how he didn't smell me."
"Yeah," I started. "And how you hit him that hard."
She looked me over, appraising me with her ice blue eyes. "Well let's start with the first one. You notice I am wearing perfume."
I nodded. All yesterday, she had this slightly spicy scent lingering around her, sort of a Christmas type of smell. "Its cloves or something."
She nodded back. "Yes, clove oil. It does wonders masking things. Works the other way around too, if they were wearing it."
"So just plain clove oil?"
She laughed. "Generally, you make it a little more carefully, pressing it at night during the right time of the month, using the right concentrations, and having the right people do it, but other than that, it is just clove oil."
"And then vampires can't smell you."
"No, little sister. They smell me. But they only smell the cloves. It isn't made to be stealthy. This isn't the first treaty concocted between members of the Council and the Cold Ones. This treaty is unusual in the subject matter, but we've worked with vampires when dealing with larger threats before. The clove oil simply makes us tolerable to each other. It's just that your friends aren't aware of its use. Handy for me, until they realise they will always smell cloves when I am around."
"And hitting him that hard?"
"Pft," she exhaled rolling her eyes. "That was just a warning shot. The next time he touches someone in my pack, I'll actually send him flying."
"Oh… wait, what?"
"I've had more than a few years to develop my strength, nevermind that it is supernaturally enhanced."
"No, not that. Your pack?"
"Ah. You see, as a High Elder of the People of the Wolf, it is my responsibility to represent those among us that don't have their own representation. The Quileute are such an example, and while I am with them, they are ostensibly my pack. To my understanding, you are to be included in that number, as their family or mates would be. Am I mistaken in this?"
"No, I suppose not."
"Then you're worried about my promise not to kill them?"
I nodded.
"Yes, I thought so," she said, sighing. "Ordinarily, death would be the correct response for a Cold One harming someone under the protection of the Council. However, I did make a promise, and we were in public. Besides, I believe his death would distress you. I will not, however, tolerate him taking liberties with your person. While I do honestly worry about your wrist, to do violence on any member of the Council is to do violence on all of us. In such a case, I have not only the right, but the requirement to retaliate in full force. It is like I said before. I speak for the Council and must put them before my own honour."
Ve might possibly be the most responsible person I've ever met. "What about all the other stuff?"
"Such as?"
"How did you know everyone's name?"
Her brilliant smile peaked through her lips again. She also has possibly the whitest teeth I've ever seen. "I keep forgetting they are so young. They can't even feel them."
"Feel what?"
"Their wolves."
"What?"
"You know about our ability to communicate with each other when phased, right?
I nodded.
"Well, that connection is always with us, even when we aren't phased. However, most young shape shifters can't feel it, because it's so foreign to them. It takes some time to get in touch with it. Given their traditions, very few Quileute ever get in touch with it. Similarly, other types of shape shifters will call it feeling their bears and so on. In some ways, we are more alike than we think."
"So you 'felt their wolves.'"
She laughed. "Well, I talked to them. Normally I do not take such liberties, but they so wanted me to be impressive that I couldn't help having a little fun."
"Oh."
"Don't worry little sister."
"What? Why?"
"You think you're bothering me with the questions. Quite the opposite really. It's lovely to meet someone so interested in learning the ways of the Council. You're the first person to work up the courage to ask anything. Which is such a pity, because they know so very little."
"Really?"
"Yes. They still think the council is comprised only of shape shifters."
My eyes went wide. "Whaaat? It isn't?"
She threw her head back and laughed. "I doubt the Benandanti appreciate being called shape shifters."
"Who?"
"Italian dream walkers. Very interesting people. Very secretive too. But we can't know everything, now, can we?"
"Are they the only ones?"
"No, no. Shape shifters may make up the majority, but there are others."
I stared at the trees going by, my head reeling from all this new information. Looking in the side view window, I stared at the car behind us. It seemed familiar.
In fact, it was very familiar.
It was a silver Volvo.
"Oh, not again. Ve, they're-"
"Yes, I know they are following us. They have been for the last five minutes. Is this the place you meant?"
She pulled into the parking lot of the food stand. My stomach did a little dance as I watched the Volvo park across the street and stay there. Edward and Alice got out and sat on a bench.
"Don't worry about them," said Ve, shutting her door. "If they bother you, I will toss the little one down the street and send your Edward to find her."
I found myself chuckling at the thought of Alice flying through the air, even though it was horrible. We walked up to the counter. Ve ordered four hotdogs with the works and some nachos. "Junk food is so novel, isn't it? Do you want anything?"
"Sure, I'll get some chili fries and a cherry lemonade."
"Oh, make that two cherry lemonades." She smiled and paid the girl working the cash.
We sat down, Ve turned away from the Cullens and I facing them. She proceeded to dig in as I looked across the street. Even from here I could make out the severely confused looks on both Edward's and Alice's face.
"Oh, they're wondering a few things."
"Are you psychic too."
She snorted, laughing. "Not as you'd define one."
"Then how do you… all that other stuff?"
She wiped her mouth with a napkin and locked her eyes with mine. Again, I felt braver. "Ah, that. That's a blessing I was given when the Council gave me honours after a particularly successful battle. What better gift to give a general than the ability to inspire courage with a look?"
"They can do that?"
"The Council can do a lot of things." She took another bite of her hot dog.
"And you can read people's minds and emotions?"
She shook her head chuckling. "My tribe are, well, were more mystically inclined. It makes us apt learners of other abilities, when they can be taught. I learned how to parse out surface thoughts from a friend. A very lovely friend actually. Perhaps I shall take you to meet him one day, I think he'd find you most interesting."
"So you can read minds?"
"No, only the surface most thought. And even then, I need you to think it, well, rather loudly to do so. It's extremely difficult to do, and I generally need to be completely at rest to do it. Not so useful in battle, and only slightly helpful in diplomacy. Really, it's more of a parlour trick."
"And the emotions?"
"I don't read emotions."
"Then how do you know mine all the time?"
"I do not mean to brag, but my senses are incredibly refined."
I stared at her, bewildered. "So you… taste emotions."
She threw her head back in a boisterous laugh. "Well, I suppose you could say that. What I mean is that I can detect minute changes in a person. The heart beat rising a little, when they begin to perspire slightly, their eyes widening, if they're hand is even a little unsteady, even their smell changing. And when I mean a little, I mean very little, so little that most people aren't able to detect these changes happening to themselves. After a while, you can tell what those changes mean. When a person is angry or confused or happy. It's something that comes with age."
"Oh."
"It's not exact, mind you. Depending on the person, you heart rate could rise if you were angry or jealous. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out what means what, but I get a generally good idea."
"And Edward and Alice?"
She chuckled. "They're screaming their thoughts, and everything about them just says 'I am extremely puzzled.'"
"What are they wondering."
"Their most present thought is simply 'What the hell is happening?' I can however make a few educated guesses. For instance, they're wondering who and what I am."
"Because you don't smell like a werewolf, but you were able to clock Edward?"
"Exactly. Next, I believe Edward is the one who can read minds and this Alice is the fortune teller?"
"Yes."
"Well, then, Alice is probably wondering why she can't see your future, or mine for that matter, as, from Jake, I gather that she can't see the future of shapes shifters, and Edward is wondering why he can't read my mind."
"Edward can't use his power on you either?"
"It's not like you, little sister. I don't have the natural ability. It is simple shielding and grounding though, any qualified mystic could teach it to you. I would suppose that you would have to be well practiced to for it to work against that Cold One. He really is trying hard. It's a little distracting."
"Anything else?"
"They're no doubt wondering why they can't hear us."
"Why can't they hear us?" This is possibly the most confusing conversation I've ever had, even if she is making sense of it all eventually.
"May I see your hand?" She reached out for me.
I laid my hand in hers and she took it and placed it on her neck. It took a moment to feel, but it was like she was talking when she wasn't. Her throat vibrated with sound I couldn't hear. "What are you doing?"
"It's something else peculiar to my tribe. Our shape shifters have two voice boxes. I can produce both infra- and ultrasonic tones. Even beyond the range of vampire hearing. I can also do a few other vocal tricks. For instance, to them right now, it sounds like we're in a crowd, even though we're the only ones sitting here."
"Woah."
She grinned at me between taking sips of her lemonade. "That's pretty much it, besides your generic high temperature and metabolism and everything. We're generally shorter and faster than the Quileute, if that's significant." It was true. Jacob was about a head taller than she was, though she still had to be over six feet taller, and Quil did say he didn't even see her until she was at Edward.
"But you're so strong!"
"I told you in the car, little sister. When you have a lot of time on your hand, the muscle builds. You should meet my friend Renault. They call Rennie 'Great Bear' for a very good reason. He could put me to shame. Now, little sister, I've talked a lot, why don't you tell me about you. How did we get into the situation of bruised wrists and knockout punches in the first place?"
My heart flopped in time with my stomach until I looked into her eyes again. I took a deep breath and started from the beginning. I told her about my first week at Forks, Edward avoiding me, the incident in Port Angeles and James. Then I told her about my birthday, Edward leaving and my time with Jacob, all the way up to going to Italy.
"He was going to kill himself? That's why you went?"
I nodded slowly, remembering how I felt when I thought he was gone.
She scoffed. "How utterly selfish."
I looked up at her. "What? No, he really cared for me. I reacted almost the same. Don't get mad at him for that."
She shook her head, a slow anger building in her light eyes. "How can I not? He leaves you for no other reason than his own selfishness, because he decides himself that he knows what's best for you, though I must agree with him that you remaining human is for the best. Then, with no care for his family, he leaves and rejects them because he can't come to terms with what he wants from you. And finally, to top it all off, he decides to walk into the sun in a crowd full of people? How utterly self aggrandising."
"What do you mean?"
"Let us pretend for a moment that the Volturi Guard did not get to him and he actually made it into the sunlight. You say you were in the middle of a crowded square?"
"Yeah it was some sort of festival."
"How many of those people do you think the Volturi would have allowed to live after having seen Edward in the sun?" Her eyebrows rose as she asked the question.
I stared at my eyes thinking it over. If Edward had walked into the sun, those people would know something is wrong with him. And they're willing to kill me for knowing exactly what that is, how lenient would the same people who slaughtered an entire bus full of people be? After all it wasn't the first tour bus they killed either.
My eyes became round discs. "Oh God, they would kill them like they did the tourists."
She grimaced. "That I can't imagine either. Being in a position to save those people and doing nothing so he could get you out. Not to say you are less worthy than anyone else, Bella, but I haven't been able to afford that kind of selfishness for years. But I suppose my worries are not his. Still, I do not know how it does not weigh on his mind. They were innocents." She crumpled another napkin as he finished her last hotdog.
"He's… well, I thought he was like Carlisle. All human life is important and all."
She scoffed again. "That is hardly true. I have seen my fair share of people who deserved their punishments, including death. Those tourists however, did not. Nothing is worse than watching someone die who does not deserve it. When your job is to keep people safe, watching that makes you feel like you've achieved nothing. That's it's all been for naught." She piled her garbage together and stood up. "Well, let's go. We have to get you home."
We threw our stuff out and headed to the car. As I got in I looked to the bench. Alice and Edward we're still sitting there, still looking bewildered. I heard a laugh from beside me and turned to see Ve waving to them as she started the car and backed out of the parking lot.
"You'll have to forgive me, but I do enjoy antagonising vampires. They always get so upset when they realise that they don't, in fact, know everything."
"It's ok. They're the ones who followed us."
"Indeed. I am generally of the opinion that vampires are selfish by nature, but that could just be me."
"The Volturi seem pretty selfish."
"They also don't know everything. They still think they've hunted European and Asian werewolves to near extinction."
"Why would they think that?"
"One of their members managed to figure out that we didn't just kill them when we came across them. We were hunting them. They aren't always ignorant either, as it turns out. Granted, they put a heavy dint in our numbers, but they mostly just pushed us into hiding."
"I would have thought that they would be trying to get the Council to lay off them."
She smirked as we turned a corner. "They don't know about the Council."
"Really?" This just got weirder and weirder.
"Well, they realise supernatural creatures besides themselves exist. They also realise that many of these creatures highly dislike them. They just don't realise that we're connected. They know about us, but not that we work together, though others of their kind do. They're also under the current assumption that a great number of those creatures are now dead thanks to them. For the best really. When they believe they moved unchecked, it allows us to watch more of them. And then they pay the price for their arrogance."
"What do you mean others know?"
"Much as the Volturi would like everyone to think so, they aren't the only ancient Vampires around. Some Cold Ones are even better at hiding than they are at finding. I am in no way suggesting that the Volturi aren't dangerous. They have been foremost in interest to the Council ever since we found out about them, which was before my time, and before the Council had grown to include the Americas, and, given the opportunity or reason, I'm fairly certain that they still could devastate our numbers. Nor am I saying they aren't knowledgeable. I have assumed that you have been told things by these Cullens, and what I'm trying to get across is that all is not as they believe it to be."
I nodded and stayed silent, trying to absorb all that information. I remembered when I thought Edward was like Spiderman and thought how much more simple it was then, before vampire high councils and inter-species alliances. We were nearing my house when I spoke again.
"Why do you think so little of vampires?"
She sighed. "Yes, it is a bias on my part. But I have seen them continuously think higher of themselves than they really are. Particularly as they are telling me how violently they're going to kill me. Hazard of the job I guess." She frowned. "There are a few more specific reasons, but I do not wish to talk about them at the moment. My apologies."
"It's fine Ve, I think I've learned enough for one day."
She smiled. We turned on my street and stopped before the driveway. The truck was on the street, as promised. I thanked her and made to get out of the car before she put a hand on my arm, stopping me.
"Bella, besides those two Cold Ones who followed us, are there any others that have a reason to enter your house?"
Something about her tone of voice bothered me. "No, why?"
She crinkled her nose. "Someone has been here, and I don't recognise the scent. Stay behind me." She got out and headed up the stairs to my house. Coming behind her, she stopped after she got in the front door and sniffed. "They didn't' come in this way. No scent on this entire floor."
Charlie walked in through the kitchen. "Oh, you're home Bella. Here, Quil left these." He handed me my keys.
Ve nodded towards Charlie. "Hello Chief Swan. Bella was just going to show me something. We won't be a minute."
"Oh that's alright Ve. And call me Charlie." I don't know what it was about my dad and werewolves, but he seems to like every single one he meets almost instantly.
Charlie headed back into the kitchen and Ve turned to me. "They aren't still here, but I still want to check what they were doing upstairs." I nodded and followed her up. She walked up the stairs two at a time and paused at the top for a moment, before heading to my room. Again she stopped at the door, and then walked towards the window.
"They came in through here." She sniffed again. "Then it's all over. Like they were looking for something." She walked through my room, her odd eyes sliding over my belongings. "It is strongest here," she pointed to my bed, "here," then my dresser, "and here," and then my hamper
I looked my bed over. Something was wrong about it. It took me a few scans of it before I realised just what it was. "One of my pillows is missing." I walked to the hamper and started counting through it. At least one day's worth of clothes were missing. "What the hell?"
Ve was standing in front of the dresser. "Did you leave this drawer open when you left?"
I walked over to her. My sock drawer was open. "No…"
She inhaled deeply again. "None of the Cullens are new vampires I assume?"
I shook my head.
"It smells like newborn."
I looked at her. "Seattle. In the paper there were murders in Seattle and Edward said it sounded like a newborn. But why would they steal my socks?"
Ve's expression hardened as she met my eyes. "That depends on who made the newborn."
Who made the-? Oh, no. "Victoria."
Ve shut her eyes and looked like she was trying to listen to something. Slowly, her eyes began to move back and forth like she was dreaming.
"Ve, what are you doing?"
"Telling Sam that I want two people on your house at all times during the night in addition to patrols."
"You can do that?"
She put her hand up. "It's like I said, talking with your wolf. Now shh, you're distracting me. It's harder to do when you're actually talking to someone and not just trying to access their memories."
He eyes moved behind her eyelids a few times more, then opened her eyes. "They'll be over here soon. You need to stay here. Hopefully we'll get this sorted out tomorrow when I formally meet with the Cullens. I think I may know what's going on, but it's too early to tell. They should be alerted as it is. They got you into this mess." She walked towards the door. "I have to go talk with Sam. Will you be alright, or would you like me to stay here until they get here?"
I thought about Victoria and her eyes bearing down on me. "Could you stay?"
She nodded.
She sat down on my computer chair backwards, leaning her arms against the back rest and tapped her fingers against it. I sat on the bed and chewed my thumb.
After a moment she looked up at me. "So, what is your preferred way of having me distract you from thoughts of being eaten? I could tell you about the time me and Rennie got caught in a cavern after an avalanche and devised a plan for him to chew his way through rock until we realised that there was another opening on the other side of it, if the misadventures of two shape shifters intrigues you."
I laughed in spite of myself. "That sounds great."
She scooted the chair closer, and her eyes grew bright as she began talking. "It all started with one of Rennie's famous games of 'Try to Toss the Werewolf.'"