The Fire of the Sun -- Chapter Nine
Title: The Fire of the Sun
Author: audreyii_fic
Fandom: Twilight (Team Jacob)
Rating: T
Characters: Full cast (Jacob/Bella, Sam/Emily)
Genre: Romance/Angst/Wolfpack!Humor
Warnings: Language, violence, and references to adult behavior. (Click here for more details.)
banner courtesy of untilwebleedoz
Summary:
Sequel to The Movement of the Earth. Bella finds the cost of joining the supernatural world may be higher than she can pay. ( Click here to start from the beginning.)
Chapter Nine:
and you will see my shadow on every wall / and you'll see my reflection in your freefall
Keane, "My Shadow"
9. Develop a Work/Life Balance
(claireclaireclaire)
I shifted on the couch, unable to sleep.
(claireclaireclaire)
At least it made a change from (bellabellabella).
The (bellabellabella)s had lessened. Every now and then Jacob's thoughts were overwhelmed by his imprint, but the knowledge that the leeches weren't at school with her anymore and his anticipation of Friday night - which every Pack member was giving him grief about - had kept him happy and focused. That, and the fact that as the only one of us with any experience fighting an imprint, Jacob had gotten an extra job to keep him busy: Quil-sitting. Apparently a lot of work was getting done on Bella's truck.
(claireclaireclaire)
It was a temporary solution, at best. We couldn't keep Quil away from Claire forever. His mind was already starting to scramble the way Jacob's had during those weeks he'd stupidly decided to keep Bella at arm's length. But it couldn't be helped. Not until I could figure out a way for Quil to see Claire regularly without getting arrested in the process. In the meantime I'd traded one mental hell for another.
(claireclaireclaire)
I gritted my teeth and tried to force the vibrations out of my head.
(claireclairecl-- --emilyemilyemily)
Emily.
I looked up at the ceiling.
She was sleeping in the loft.
I was not.
We hadn't talked about the... situation.
We'd hardly talked about anything for the past three days.
--emilyemilyemily--
My footsteps were silent as I got off the couch and crept up the ladder into the loft. I had no trouble seeing her in the darkness. She had rolled onto her side in the empty bed, her whole body curled around a pillow.
--emilyemilyemily--
I hesitated. This wasn't Emily. Not just Emily. This was some new version of Emily that was busy creating and I didn't have the slightest idea what to do about it.
Negatives to the pregnancy: Lack of money. Lack of time. Lack of safety. Lack of knowledge and knowhow.
Positives to the pregnancy: The only thing I could think of was that maybe it would make Emily happy, but I hadn't seen any sign of that yet. She just seemed depressed.
She made a little whimpering noise in her sleep and clutched her pillow tighter. It felt like an invisible cord was pulling at me, telling me to go comfort her, but I couldn't do it.
Emily could figure all this out. Emily came from a good family; Emily was warm and loving; Emily would be fine. I hadn't seen my dad in fifteen years. I remembered he'd always given me a dime at the grocery store to put in the machine and get one of those bouncy ball things. I was pretty sure you weren't supposed to give those to babies. They'd choke. And my mother... was my mother.
In the back of my head I felt the exhaustion of the Pack members patrolling. It was almost five AM and I'd be back out there with them in about an hour. I was tired. Even I knew I was tired. The few hours of sleep I'd managed to grab during my self-imposed couch exile weren't very effective. I could just slide into bed for a few minutes, a half hour, close my eyes--
--then Emily rolled over, and the sheen of the scar tissue gleamed in what little light was in the room. Deep, disfiguring lines down her face, carving the curve of her shoulder, twisting the muscles of her arm, running straight to her fingers and the missing tip of her pinky--
"You don't love me."
"I'm not saying that."
"So you do love me?"
"I'm not saying that either--"
"Then I don't understand!"
"It doesn't matter! It's too complicated, Sam! It doesn't make any difference whether I love you or not, and it never will!"
--exploding from the inside out with frustration at the whole world--
"Sam?"
--three paws hitting the ground and one sinking into flesh--
"Sam, come here."
Her words brought me forward, and the mattress shook uncontrollably when I sat.
--blood everywhere, all over the floor, no screams just gurgles and crunching bone--
"Sam, it's all right."
I closed my eyes and relaxed as Emily pulled me down beside her with gentle hands. She was so warm, and her frame fit so perfectly against mine. She was the absolutely only safe place left in the world--
--until she took my hand and tried to move it towards her belly.
I froze.
Everyone lost their temper with their kid. At least once.
After a moment of pulling on my wrist Emily gave up with a tiny sigh and pressed her face against my neck. I couldn't see her expression. "Did you think I was just getting fat?" she asked, strained teasing in her voice.
"No. I didn't notice." Emily had the most perfect body in the world: hourglass-shaped, like an old-school pin up girl. Her natural curves had absorbed the changes... but now that I knew to look, I could see.
So I didn't look.
Emily's fingers laced through my own, and then she pulled on my hand again, this time moving it up her chest and placing it against her bare skin. My palm cupped her body and I felt myself respond. This wasn't new. This was fine. This was still safe.
She made a small, breathy noise as I lowered my lips to her collarbone, touching her in the ways I knew she liked. "Is it okay?" I said anxiously. "Will I hurt you?"
Her nails scraped along my shoulders, and she slid a thigh between my legs. "We've been doing this the whole time, and it hasn't caused any problems so far," she whispered. "I'm still me." Then she ran her hands down my body with possessive familiarity...
...and proceeded to show me.
Emily proved she wasn't breakable, though I was careful as possible -- more careful than she wanted, I expected. She felt the same, like warmth and quiet and everything good.
As long as I didn't think about what was different now.
It was time to go. I pulled away reluctantly and made sure not to rest any of my weight against her body. "I'll see you later, sweetheart."
She glanced over at the clock. "So soon?"
"Yeah. The others need to go home."
"The ones heading out can't handle stuff by themselves for a little while?"
I sighed as I sat up. "Better not to risk it."
Emily looked at me for a long moment, then spoke with iron authority. "You're going to stay for breakfast."
"Excuse me?"
"You're going to stay for breakfast." She climbed out the other side of the bed and reached for her robe. "I'll make waffles and eggs and bacon. You're going to sit at the table and eat for the next hour. Then you can leave."
Her order lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders... and I was hungry. But I still had to go. "Emily, they need--"
"No," she said firmly, turning to face me and meeting my eyes. They were the deepest shade of brown. "They don't. You've got very capable wolves out there and they'll manage. You need to sit down for an hour and eat. I need you to sit down for an hour and eat. Please."
Even without the imprint I wouldn't have been able to say no to that.
Sitting at the table to begin with was the hardest part; one instinct steered me towards the door, the other towards the kitchen. The imprint won, and the enormous glass of orange juice Emily set in front of me was the best thing I'd ever tasted in my life. I'd been eating but forgetting to stay hydrated. Note to self: remember to drink from the river when passing by.
Emily didn't talk much as she mixed the batter and scrambled the eggs, but I caught every third note or so of some tune she was humming. The tension ran out of my body and for a moment I thought I'd just fall asleep on the table. Luckily the hunger outweighed the exhaustion, and by the time I'd finished breakfast I felt a hundred times better. "Okay," I admitted through the last mouthful of waffle, "you were right."
"Yep." She ran a soft hand through my hair. My eyes closed. "You should trust me more. And the others. You don't have to do everything yourself, you know."
Yes, I did.
"I have to go," I said.
I felt her disappointment in the back of my throat, and as she gathered up the plates I took last gulp of orange juice. Before I made it out the front door, though, her words stopped me in my tracks-- "Is it about babies?"
I blinked. "Is what about babies?"
"Imprinting." Her hands made mechanical movements as she scrubbed the dishes in the sink. "The Council's always thought so. 'Future generations'. We were careful and this happened anyway. Maybe that's the whole reason after all."
The Council didn't know what the hell they were talking about, but that was too disrespectful to say out loud. "No, sweetheart. Don't worry about that." I didn't love her for her fertility. "This stuff happens. Besides, if it was all about creating future generations, why would Quil have imprinted on Claire?"
Emily shuddered.
I sighed and leaned against the door frame. We'd been avoiding the subject, but I had a responsibility to ask. "Have you heard from them?"
"Yes," she said reluctantly. "Abbie called. They think Claire picked up a bug while she was here."
"A bug?"
"She's been crying a lot. Not eating. That sort of thing. I think they're going to take her to the doctor soon."
This wasn't helpful to the situation. The more upset Claire got, the more Quil would feel it and fight to see her. A solution had to be found and soon. "Anything else?"
A long moment of hesitation. "She's cold."
I frowned. "What do you mean, cold?"
"Just what I said." Emily wrung a stream of soapy water out of the dishtowel. "We can talk about it later. You do need to go. They're probably wondering where you are."
That was true, but walking out of the house and leaving Emily unhappy wasn't possible. I had to say something... "It can't be about bloodlines, sweetheart. If it was I would have imprinted on Leah, not you."
Emily and Leah shared a common ancestor in the last pack. But Leah's lineage was all Quileute, and the blood mixed in thoroughly along her mother's line; Emily's family was mostly Makah. If this was all about genealogy then Leah would have been the natural choice. So it couldn't be that.
"You better get going," Emily said quietly. Her sadness rolled over me, and I winced.
Apparently that hadn't helped.
***
Details to consider when scheduling patrols:
No less than four wolves had to be protecting the land at any given moment.
Either Jacob or I had to be present to give orders if necessary.
Seth couldn't run during the school day or too far into the night.
Leah wanted to run with Seth.
Embry and Leah couldn't work together.
Leah and Quil couldn't work together.
Quil needed to stay with Jacob whenever possible.
Paul needed to keep his thoughts away from Jacob.
Jared's free time needed to coincide with Kim's.
Embry, Jared, and Paul's families didn't know, so they still had to keep up appearances.
No one could patrol more than eighteen hours straight and still function.
And everyone had to eat and sleep.
Because of these things, it was generally the case that if a person could be on patrol, they would be. So it was rare for someone to phase when they didn't have to. A wolf turning up in the Pack mind during time off meant something had gone wrong.
Hey, Sam!
I stopped my search of the cliff side. Jared? What's wrong?
You are not gonna believe this, man.
What? What happened? What's going on? Seth sounded like a puppy. He also looked and acted like one. He really was much too young to be here.
What am I not going to believe?
Paul was only a hundred yards down the sea wall, and I could see him shake his head disgustedly. His imprint's probably just learned some new trick.
A mental snort from Leah.
Be quiet. Jared--
Come over to Kim's, okay? Adrenaline and agitation... but no serious alarm. No immediate danger, then. It won't take long, but it's important.
Told you. New trick.
Jared, unlike everyone else, rarely asked for things. If he wanted something like this it had to be urgent. All right. Paul, you're in charge. I'll be back in twenty minutes.
Right. (good i can do this hope i can do this)
(figures)
Can I come too?
No. Seth's disappointment was sharp and painful, so I added, I need you to take over the scanning of the valley. Listen carefully for anything out of the ordinary. You've got the best hearing. I don't trust anyone else to do it right.
Pride from Seth. Very, very faint gratefulness from Leah.
Still the only thing I could do that made her happy.
It only took a few minutes to get to Kim's place. I phased before leaving the forest, pulled on my shorts, and hesitated by the birdbath in the tiny backyard. I couldn't tell if her parents were home. I'd only spoken to them once or twice, and they might expect a visitor to be wearing shoes. And a shirt. And not be covered in mud.
Luckily Jared poked his head out of a second story window and motioned me up. "No one's here," he called. "Back door's open."
The house was nice, and I tried not to leave too many dirty footprints as I climbed the stairs to Kim's open bedroom door. Both she and Jared were staring at an open laptop on her desk; I pretended not to notice the rumpled sheets on the bed or the unmistakable scent in the air. "Sam, man, I don't even know what to say here," Jared said, not taking his eyes off the screen.
If this was a video of kittens or something Jared was running five shifts in a row. "Hello, Kim," I said politely. She was young, but she was due respect as an imprint. Especially as one that didn't cause any problems.
Kim glanced up at me, blushed, and looked down again. "Hi," she whispered, leaning against Jared's arm.
All right then. "So what am I supposed to be looking at?"
Jared angled the screen in my direction. "Here. Look at this email I got."
I leaned over gingerly, not touching the keyboard. I'd never used a laptop and the last thing that needed to happen was for it to break.
from: Dr. Carlisle Cullen < c_cullen@forkshospital.org >
to: jaredster3@hotmail.com
subject: Discussion
To the Alpha of the Quileute Pack and Whomever Else it May Concern:
I apologize for the amount of time it has required my family to gather the requested details regarding your intruder. In our pursuit of information we have come across some matters of note critical to our respective situations. It is my opinion that it would be prudent for us to further discuss this matter in person. Please contact us at your earliest convenience as to a preferred date and location for such a meeting.
Respectfully,
Doctor Carlisle Cullen, MD
PS. I sincerely hope that this method of communication, for all its informality, is more agreeable to you than the last.
Forget the ancient struggle of Quileute wolves versus the Cold Ones. I hated this bastard personally. Did the condescending, pretentious son of a bitch think he would look better than us by using such bullshit language? Did he think I wouldn't understand what he was saying? Did he think he was too good to talk to me like an equal?
Jacob could have the brat. The coven leader was mine.
"You don't have an email, right?" Jared said, glancing at me. "I guess they figured they'd try me instead. I wonder how they got my address."
"I don't know, but I don't like it at all." Kim narrowed her eyes as she scrolled down the screen. "They're tracking my IP, too. I'm going to run a scan after we're done."
A few deep breaths calmed the tremors in my hands. "When did this arrive?"
"A few hours ago. I got you as soon as I read it. What do you want to do?"
I thought fast.
Advantages to a meeting: Gets information and the chance to evaluate our enemies.
Disadvantages to a meeting: Gives our enemies a chance to evaluate us. Also a potential trap.
"Sam?"
"We'll talk with them. At the treaty line, in the large clearing a half-mile south of the main road." Kim's fingers flew across the keyboard as I spoke. "Their leader comes and no more than two others. Not the mind reader, the psychic, or the one that screws with feelings. They don't step on our lands. In return we'll be there with only three as well, and I won't be phased. And the information had better be worth my time."
"When?"
I paused. "Tomorrow night. At nine."
Jared glanced at me again.
"Right, okay." Kim finished typing, then turned the screen for me to look over. She'd cleaned up the language a little, but it wasn't total crap like theirs was. When I nodded, she clicked Send.
That was that. "Is there anything else?" Jared shook his head. "Good. I have to get back. Jared, you're on in three hours. Make sure you eat." I nodded my thanks to Kim and stalked down the stairs. I'd left a dirt smudge on the banister on my way up.
Email. Of all the ridiculous...
Jared caught up to me in the backyard just before I phased. "Hey, Sam?"
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow night's Friday."
I pinched the bridge of my nose and managed not to say anything sarcastic. "Yes, it is."
"But what about Jake? Shouldn't he be there?"
The force of my glare made Jared shrink back slightly. "Your patrol is in three hours," I said shortly. "And tomorrow night is not to be discussed." I ignored his confused expression as I walked back into the woods.
Jacob should be there, but I couldn't tolerate any distractions from a pup who might not be able to look past his imprint to see the bigger picture. It wasn't worth the risk.
And if either Jared or Jacob thought otherwise, one of them was more than welcome to be Alpha instead.
***
Friday evening's patrol was annoying on every level.
Sam? I think it's six-thirty.
No, it's not.
Are you sure? Look at the sun.
The sun is behind the clouds.
Sure, sure, but the position of the haze--
It's not six-thirty, Jacob.
I should probably go check a clock just in case.
For once, Leah helped me out. Jacob, if you don't shut up I'll shut you up. No one wants to hear you mewl about cherry-popping.
That's not what's... I'm not... [a soft body and a purple mark on a white neck] It's none of your business.
Paul was conspicuously silent.
If you don't want it to be my business then keep it in your own damn head. Leah's disgust was acidic. I'd just as soon not listen to you (love her) get a hard-on for some pasty white leech lover.
Anger from Jacob. Don't talk about her like that.
What? So she isn't white, or isn't a leech lover?
She's not the second and the first doesn't matter. Go to hell.
Doesn't matter, huh? Tell that to Old Quil. I bet he's just thrilled about all this.
[an old man lecturing in the firelight] (bellabellabella) [a little girl with eyes squeezed shut against dirty fingers] Old Quil can argue about it until he drops dead for all I care. And so can you. I imprinted on her so it must not matter.
(imprinting always imprinting) Whatever, puppy. Just try not to make a mess when she scratches behind your ear.
Steadily growing discomfort from Paul. It was time to put an end to this. Jacob, you can go.
A ridiculous rush of excitement and nervousness that, in spite of everything, made me smile -- or as close to it as I could as a wolf. Be back by nine tomorrow morning. Try to get at least some sleep.
(hope not) Jacob's thoughts were clear just before he transformed disappeared from the Pack mind.
Even as a wolf I could roll my eyes.
I let the run continue for another two hours before pausing and sending out the mental call to everyone except Jacob. Come to the woods and phase. The effort of issuing such a wide order to so many unphased Pack members made my stomach heave, and a few minutes later the noise was bringing on a vicious migraine.
Shift's not for another two hours--
--(thought i'd get to finish my dinner)--
--hey, Leah, when you go home watch out, Mom's kinda pissed--
--(claireclaireclaire something doesn't feel right claireclaireclaire needs me)--
--[open desk drawers and a picked lock on a metal box]--
--Jared, did you ever figure out how to get past the dungeon in--
Shut up. I took a deep breath in the sudden silence. None of them were close enough to see my tail lashing. We're meeting with the bloodsuckers in half an hour.
Five waves of shock. Nothing from Jared aside from trepidation.
They won't be crossing the treaty line. Paul and Jared will be coming with me. Quil and Embry, I want you out of sight but no more than half a mile away, in case it's a trap. Seth and Leah, you'll be doing a perimeter run to make sure no one's sneaking in while we're busy. I'll be talking to them, but the rest of you will be phased and staying in touch through Paul and Jared. Keep your focus. Is everyone clear?
Six wordless acquiescences... with many layers of reservation.
Okay. Paul, Jared, follow me. I pictured the clearing I had in mind as I broke into a light run and felt the recognition from the rest of the pack; by now they knew every inch of the fifty miles we patrolled. And yes, you can talk if you want. But try and keep the pointless chatter down.
They made it almost thirty seconds. Then Seth couldn't contain himself anymore. So, this is like a parlay?
Excuse me?
The bloodsuckers have invoked the right of parlay, right? And we can do them no harm until the parlay is complete? Those are the rules, aren't they?
Seth, what the hell are you talking about?
I don't think the Pirate Code applies here, kid. Besides, they're more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.
Oh my God. Please tell me you didn't just go there.
Hey, you quoted Monty Python for three hours straight yesterday--
That was in context!
--and I had Knights of the Round Table stuck in my head the rest of the patrol!
I'm just surprised no one's made an Admiral Ackbar "IT'S A TRAP!" joke yet.
Well, I was gonna, but thanks for spoiling it!
I phased before I ordered someone to jump off a cliff and ran the rest of the way as a human.
The light wasn't good -- a waning moon and a lot of cloud cover -- but that wouldn't make a difference to anyone present. Paul and Jared were already circling and peering between the trees. I walked through the middle of the clearing, nudging aside ferns, feeling out the edges of our territory. This footfall was on our land; that footfall was not. I didn't know how I knew these things, but I did. I could feel it in my bones.
Suddenly Paul's ears flattened against his head and he let out a growl; a second later I caught it too. A whiff of stinking, perfumed rot.
They were here.
"Back up," I ordered, and the wolves fell behind me, snarling. I didn't put on my shorts. There was no reason to destroy clothes if I needed to phase. And I didn't care what they thought about my being naked.
When the bloodsuckers walked out of the woods, it took all of my control not to phase instantly.
They were wrong. Everything about them was wrong. Their movements were too sharp. Their faces were too angular. It was like they were wearing costumes of flesh, and if you caught them out of the corner of your eye you might see them for what they were: rotting corpses pretending to be human beings. Something long dead playing at life.
And the smell.
The one in front -- a blond man in a sweater -- walked forward, right up to the treaty line. "Good evening," he said. He even sounded wrong, like someone had spiked all the audio settings on a recording. But it was better than listening to him on the phone. "I'm Doctor Carlisle Cullen. You must be Sam Uley -- you look very much like your great-grandfather. It's a pleasure." He held out his hand.
I didn't take it.
After a moment, he pulled back. "These are two of my children, Emmett--" he gestured to the dark-haired leech who had his arms crossed across his chest "--and Rosalie." The girl in heels glanced down at me with a smirk.
Their names made no difference to me, and they had no business knowing Jared and Paul's names, so I didn't offer them in response. The doctor's eyes flicked behind me to glance at my brothers anyway. "Is one of you Jacob Black? I'd like to convey an apology--"
"Do you know something about the trespasser or not?" I interrupted. It was good to know I'd made the right move by not having Jacob here; there was no doubt in my mind that he'd have tried to shove the apology right up the bloodsucker's ass. "That's the only reason we're here."
Carlisle appeared to sigh. Just an appearance, though. "Yes, of course. Let me start, though, by again saying how very sorry I am at what has happened to--"
"We received your sincere apologies for our mutations. Don't worry, I remember." I'd remember every word of that letter until the day I died.
"Then you must also remember my desire to make amends."
"Yes, and you can start with that by leaving before your six weeks are up." The mental itches of Collin and Brady's impending phasings were getting stronger each day. "Five weeks, now."
"In five weeks it may not matter if we're here or not," Carlisle said. "So unfortunately, it would help no one for us to depart early."
Paul growled and shifted further into a crouch -- and the leech in heels waggled a finger at him. "Down, Fido."
For a moment I saw red at the insult, and both wolves snarled, but the doctor raised a warning hand. "Be polite, Rosalie," he said.
"Sorry," she replied sarcastically. "The dog smell is starting to get to me."
"I think we should get a dog," the big bloodsucker -- Emmett -- said out of nowhere. Rosalie turned to look at him, and he shrugged. "Just sayin'. I've been thinking about it since this started. A Great Dane would be really cool."
"A Great Dane," Rosalie repeated.
"Yeah. No offense to you guys, though." Emmett gestured in our direction. "It's just the smell that makes me think of it."
"Emmett, you'd eat a Great Dane."
"I would not!"
"And it would chew up all my shoes--"
"That's why you train them--"
"Emmett. Rosalie. Please." Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose, and for a quarter of a second I actually sympathized with him. Except he'd done this to himself and I hadn't had a choice. After a moment he shook his head. "I apologize for my family."
"They can apologize for themselves if they want," I snapped. Rosalie raised an eyebrow as I did. "Tell me what you know and then get away from our land before my family loses patience."
"Very well." Carlisle's bloodless face became all business. "My son Edward received the image of your trespasser from Jacob Black's mind--" he glanced back at Jared and Paul again, and I didn't enlighten him that neither of them were Jacob "--and developed a suspicion of who that trespasser might be. He shared this suspicion with me, and I've spent the last several days attempting to contact friends of ours in Denali. Unfortunately, they are not always reachable... but yesterday I was able to confirm our fears."
I crossed my arms. "And?"
"And the identity of your trespasser is a woman of our kind named Irina. It seems she developed a relationship with a mutual friend by the name of Laurent--"
--that name sounded familiar--
"--who made his way in this direction some months back. He hadn't been heard from since."
Oh, right. "Yeah. We got rid of him."
"So I gathered," Carlisle said dryly. "Unfortunately, it appears Irina gathered that as well."
This information wasn't worth very much. "When she comes back we'll get her too. Is that all?"
The doctor shook his head. "You don't understand. Irina won't be returning. She has made another decision. Alice has seen it."
The expressions on the other leeches grew serious as well, and for the first time I felt a flicker of uncertainty. I was missing some important piece of information and I didn't like that. "So what did your psychic see, then?"
"Irina has gone to the Volturi," Carlisle said. His dead face was sympathetic. "And the Volturi are coming to kill you all."
***
Chapter Ten: Play To Your Strengths
Sanity Update: The Twilight Illustrated Guide came out. While I have not read it, I have no doubt that the backstories included therein will have completely destroyed everything I've tried to do here with regards to canon-compliance. If I think too hard about that I'll have a nervous breakdown and crawl under the bed and weep uncontrollably until the husband lures me out with pictures of Jensen Ackles in a towel. So... canon-compliance will continue to extend to what we know from the original four saga novels. (With judgement calls made when canon itself lacks compliance. That'll get discussed next chapter.) Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go mourn the death of my backstories.
This was another super-late night edit that still made it on time according to certain time zones. I have no doubt that after a night of sleep I will see massive mistakes and try to scribble on the screen with red pen in a blinding panic. Edited to add: Yep.
Author: audreyii_fic
Fandom: Twilight (Team Jacob)
Rating: T
Characters: Full cast (Jacob/Bella, Sam/Emily)
Genre: Romance/Angst/Wolfpack!Humor
Warnings: Language, violence, and references to adult behavior. (Click here for more details.)
banner courtesy of untilwebleedoz
Summary:
Sequel to The Movement of the Earth. Bella finds the cost of joining the supernatural world may be higher than she can pay. ( Click here to start from the beginning.)
Chapter Nine:
and you will see my shadow on every wall / and you'll see my reflection in your freefall
Keane, "My Shadow"
9. Develop a Work/Life Balance
(claireclaireclaire)
I shifted on the couch, unable to sleep.
(claireclaireclaire)
At least it made a change from (bellabellabella).
The (bellabellabella)s had lessened. Every now and then Jacob's thoughts were overwhelmed by his imprint, but the knowledge that the leeches weren't at school with her anymore and his anticipation of Friday night - which every Pack member was giving him grief about - had kept him happy and focused. That, and the fact that as the only one of us with any experience fighting an imprint, Jacob had gotten an extra job to keep him busy: Quil-sitting. Apparently a lot of work was getting done on Bella's truck.
(claireclaireclaire)
It was a temporary solution, at best. We couldn't keep Quil away from Claire forever. His mind was already starting to scramble the way Jacob's had during those weeks he'd stupidly decided to keep Bella at arm's length. But it couldn't be helped. Not until I could figure out a way for Quil to see Claire regularly without getting arrested in the process. In the meantime I'd traded one mental hell for another.
(claireclaireclaire)
I gritted my teeth and tried to force the vibrations out of my head.
(claireclairecl-- --emilyemilyemily)
Emily.
I looked up at the ceiling.
She was sleeping in the loft.
I was not.
We hadn't talked about the... situation.
We'd hardly talked about anything for the past three days.
--emilyemilyemily--
My footsteps were silent as I got off the couch and crept up the ladder into the loft. I had no trouble seeing her in the darkness. She had rolled onto her side in the empty bed, her whole body curled around a pillow.
--emilyemilyemily--
I hesitated. This wasn't Emily. Not just Emily. This was some new version of Emily that was busy creating and I didn't have the slightest idea what to do about it.
Negatives to the pregnancy: Lack of money. Lack of time. Lack of safety. Lack of knowledge and knowhow.
Positives to the pregnancy: The only thing I could think of was that maybe it would make Emily happy, but I hadn't seen any sign of that yet. She just seemed depressed.
She made a little whimpering noise in her sleep and clutched her pillow tighter. It felt like an invisible cord was pulling at me, telling me to go comfort her, but I couldn't do it.
Emily could figure all this out. Emily came from a good family; Emily was warm and loving; Emily would be fine. I hadn't seen my dad in fifteen years. I remembered he'd always given me a dime at the grocery store to put in the machine and get one of those bouncy ball things. I was pretty sure you weren't supposed to give those to babies. They'd choke. And my mother... was my mother.
In the back of my head I felt the exhaustion of the Pack members patrolling. It was almost five AM and I'd be back out there with them in about an hour. I was tired. Even I knew I was tired. The few hours of sleep I'd managed to grab during my self-imposed couch exile weren't very effective. I could just slide into bed for a few minutes, a half hour, close my eyes--
--then Emily rolled over, and the sheen of the scar tissue gleamed in what little light was in the room. Deep, disfiguring lines down her face, carving the curve of her shoulder, twisting the muscles of her arm, running straight to her fingers and the missing tip of her pinky--
"You don't love me."
"I'm not saying that."
"So you do love me?"
"I'm not saying that either--"
"Then I don't understand!"
"It doesn't matter! It's too complicated, Sam! It doesn't make any difference whether I love you or not, and it never will!"
--exploding from the inside out with frustration at the whole world--
"Sam?"
--three paws hitting the ground and one sinking into flesh--
"Sam, come here."
Her words brought me forward, and the mattress shook uncontrollably when I sat.
--blood everywhere, all over the floor, no screams just gurgles and crunching bone--
"Sam, it's all right."
I closed my eyes and relaxed as Emily pulled me down beside her with gentle hands. She was so warm, and her frame fit so perfectly against mine. She was the absolutely only safe place left in the world--
--until she took my hand and tried to move it towards her belly.
I froze.
Everyone lost their temper with their kid. At least once.
After a moment of pulling on my wrist Emily gave up with a tiny sigh and pressed her face against my neck. I couldn't see her expression. "Did you think I was just getting fat?" she asked, strained teasing in her voice.
"No. I didn't notice." Emily had the most perfect body in the world: hourglass-shaped, like an old-school pin up girl. Her natural curves had absorbed the changes... but now that I knew to look, I could see.
So I didn't look.
Emily's fingers laced through my own, and then she pulled on my hand again, this time moving it up her chest and placing it against her bare skin. My palm cupped her body and I felt myself respond. This wasn't new. This was fine. This was still safe.
She made a small, breathy noise as I lowered my lips to her collarbone, touching her in the ways I knew she liked. "Is it okay?" I said anxiously. "Will I hurt you?"
Her nails scraped along my shoulders, and she slid a thigh between my legs. "We've been doing this the whole time, and it hasn't caused any problems so far," she whispered. "I'm still me." Then she ran her hands down my body with possessive familiarity...
...and proceeded to show me.
Emily proved she wasn't breakable, though I was careful as possible -- more careful than she wanted, I expected. She felt the same, like warmth and quiet and everything good.
As long as I didn't think about what was different now.
It was time to go. I pulled away reluctantly and made sure not to rest any of my weight against her body. "I'll see you later, sweetheart."
She glanced over at the clock. "So soon?"
"Yeah. The others need to go home."
"The ones heading out can't handle stuff by themselves for a little while?"
I sighed as I sat up. "Better not to risk it."
Emily looked at me for a long moment, then spoke with iron authority. "You're going to stay for breakfast."
"Excuse me?"
"You're going to stay for breakfast." She climbed out the other side of the bed and reached for her robe. "I'll make waffles and eggs and bacon. You're going to sit at the table and eat for the next hour. Then you can leave."
Her order lifted a heavy weight off my shoulders... and I was hungry. But I still had to go. "Emily, they need--"
"No," she said firmly, turning to face me and meeting my eyes. They were the deepest shade of brown. "They don't. You've got very capable wolves out there and they'll manage. You need to sit down for an hour and eat. I need you to sit down for an hour and eat. Please."
Even without the imprint I wouldn't have been able to say no to that.
Sitting at the table to begin with was the hardest part; one instinct steered me towards the door, the other towards the kitchen. The imprint won, and the enormous glass of orange juice Emily set in front of me was the best thing I'd ever tasted in my life. I'd been eating but forgetting to stay hydrated. Note to self: remember to drink from the river when passing by.
Emily didn't talk much as she mixed the batter and scrambled the eggs, but I caught every third note or so of some tune she was humming. The tension ran out of my body and for a moment I thought I'd just fall asleep on the table. Luckily the hunger outweighed the exhaustion, and by the time I'd finished breakfast I felt a hundred times better. "Okay," I admitted through the last mouthful of waffle, "you were right."
"Yep." She ran a soft hand through my hair. My eyes closed. "You should trust me more. And the others. You don't have to do everything yourself, you know."
Yes, I did.
"I have to go," I said.
I felt her disappointment in the back of my throat, and as she gathered up the plates I took last gulp of orange juice. Before I made it out the front door, though, her words stopped me in my tracks-- "Is it about babies?"
I blinked. "Is what about babies?"
"Imprinting." Her hands made mechanical movements as she scrubbed the dishes in the sink. "The Council's always thought so. 'Future generations'. We were careful and this happened anyway. Maybe that's the whole reason after all."
The Council didn't know what the hell they were talking about, but that was too disrespectful to say out loud. "No, sweetheart. Don't worry about that." I didn't love her for her fertility. "This stuff happens. Besides, if it was all about creating future generations, why would Quil have imprinted on Claire?"
Emily shuddered.
I sighed and leaned against the door frame. We'd been avoiding the subject, but I had a responsibility to ask. "Have you heard from them?"
"Yes," she said reluctantly. "Abbie called. They think Claire picked up a bug while she was here."
"A bug?"
"She's been crying a lot. Not eating. That sort of thing. I think they're going to take her to the doctor soon."
This wasn't helpful to the situation. The more upset Claire got, the more Quil would feel it and fight to see her. A solution had to be found and soon. "Anything else?"
A long moment of hesitation. "She's cold."
I frowned. "What do you mean, cold?"
"Just what I said." Emily wrung a stream of soapy water out of the dishtowel. "We can talk about it later. You do need to go. They're probably wondering where you are."
That was true, but walking out of the house and leaving Emily unhappy wasn't possible. I had to say something... "It can't be about bloodlines, sweetheart. If it was I would have imprinted on Leah, not you."
Emily and Leah shared a common ancestor in the last pack. But Leah's lineage was all Quileute, and the blood mixed in thoroughly along her mother's line; Emily's family was mostly Makah. If this was all about genealogy then Leah would have been the natural choice. So it couldn't be that.
"You better get going," Emily said quietly. Her sadness rolled over me, and I winced.
Apparently that hadn't helped.
***
Details to consider when scheduling patrols:
No less than four wolves had to be protecting the land at any given moment.
Either Jacob or I had to be present to give orders if necessary.
Seth couldn't run during the school day or too far into the night.
Leah wanted to run with Seth.
Embry and Leah couldn't work together.
Leah and Quil couldn't work together.
Quil needed to stay with Jacob whenever possible.
Paul needed to keep his thoughts away from Jacob.
Jared's free time needed to coincide with Kim's.
Embry, Jared, and Paul's families didn't know, so they still had to keep up appearances.
No one could patrol more than eighteen hours straight and still function.
And everyone had to eat and sleep.
Because of these things, it was generally the case that if a person could be on patrol, they would be. So it was rare for someone to phase when they didn't have to. A wolf turning up in the Pack mind during time off meant something had gone wrong.
Hey, Sam!
I stopped my search of the cliff side. Jared? What's wrong?
You are not gonna believe this, man.
What? What happened? What's going on? Seth sounded like a puppy. He also looked and acted like one. He really was much too young to be here.
What am I not going to believe?
Paul was only a hundred yards down the sea wall, and I could see him shake his head disgustedly. His imprint's probably just learned some new trick.
A mental snort from Leah.
Be quiet. Jared--
Come over to Kim's, okay? Adrenaline and agitation... but no serious alarm. No immediate danger, then. It won't take long, but it's important.
Told you. New trick.
Jared, unlike everyone else, rarely asked for things. If he wanted something like this it had to be urgent. All right. Paul, you're in charge. I'll be back in twenty minutes.
Right. (good i can do this hope i can do this)
(figures)
Can I come too?
No. Seth's disappointment was sharp and painful, so I added, I need you to take over the scanning of the valley. Listen carefully for anything out of the ordinary. You've got the best hearing. I don't trust anyone else to do it right.
Pride from Seth. Very, very faint gratefulness from Leah.
Still the only thing I could do that made her happy.
It only took a few minutes to get to Kim's place. I phased before leaving the forest, pulled on my shorts, and hesitated by the birdbath in the tiny backyard. I couldn't tell if her parents were home. I'd only spoken to them once or twice, and they might expect a visitor to be wearing shoes. And a shirt. And not be covered in mud.
Luckily Jared poked his head out of a second story window and motioned me up. "No one's here," he called. "Back door's open."
The house was nice, and I tried not to leave too many dirty footprints as I climbed the stairs to Kim's open bedroom door. Both she and Jared were staring at an open laptop on her desk; I pretended not to notice the rumpled sheets on the bed or the unmistakable scent in the air. "Sam, man, I don't even know what to say here," Jared said, not taking his eyes off the screen.
If this was a video of kittens or something Jared was running five shifts in a row. "Hello, Kim," I said politely. She was young, but she was due respect as an imprint. Especially as one that didn't cause any problems.
Kim glanced up at me, blushed, and looked down again. "Hi," she whispered, leaning against Jared's arm.
All right then. "So what am I supposed to be looking at?"
Jared angled the screen in my direction. "Here. Look at this email I got."
I leaned over gingerly, not touching the keyboard. I'd never used a laptop and the last thing that needed to happen was for it to break.
from: Dr. Carlisle Cullen < c_cullen@forkshospital.org >
to: jaredster3@hotmail.com
subject: Discussion
To the Alpha of the Quileute Pack and Whomever Else it May Concern:
I apologize for the amount of time it has required my family to gather the requested details regarding your intruder. In our pursuit of information we have come across some matters of note critical to our respective situations. It is my opinion that it would be prudent for us to further discuss this matter in person. Please contact us at your earliest convenience as to a preferred date and location for such a meeting.
Respectfully,
Doctor Carlisle Cullen, MD
PS. I sincerely hope that this method of communication, for all its informality, is more agreeable to you than the last.
Forget the ancient struggle of Quileute wolves versus the Cold Ones. I hated this bastard personally. Did the condescending, pretentious son of a bitch think he would look better than us by using such bullshit language? Did he think I wouldn't understand what he was saying? Did he think he was too good to talk to me like an equal?
Jacob could have the brat. The coven leader was mine.
"You don't have an email, right?" Jared said, glancing at me. "I guess they figured they'd try me instead. I wonder how they got my address."
"I don't know, but I don't like it at all." Kim narrowed her eyes as she scrolled down the screen. "They're tracking my IP, too. I'm going to run a scan after we're done."
A few deep breaths calmed the tremors in my hands. "When did this arrive?"
"A few hours ago. I got you as soon as I read it. What do you want to do?"
I thought fast.
Advantages to a meeting: Gets information and the chance to evaluate our enemies.
Disadvantages to a meeting: Gives our enemies a chance to evaluate us. Also a potential trap.
"Sam?"
"We'll talk with them. At the treaty line, in the large clearing a half-mile south of the main road." Kim's fingers flew across the keyboard as I spoke. "Their leader comes and no more than two others. Not the mind reader, the psychic, or the one that screws with feelings. They don't step on our lands. In return we'll be there with only three as well, and I won't be phased. And the information had better be worth my time."
"When?"
I paused. "Tomorrow night. At nine."
Jared glanced at me again.
"Right, okay." Kim finished typing, then turned the screen for me to look over. She'd cleaned up the language a little, but it wasn't total crap like theirs was. When I nodded, she clicked Send.
That was that. "Is there anything else?" Jared shook his head. "Good. I have to get back. Jared, you're on in three hours. Make sure you eat." I nodded my thanks to Kim and stalked down the stairs. I'd left a dirt smudge on the banister on my way up.
Email. Of all the ridiculous...
Jared caught up to me in the backyard just before I phased. "Hey, Sam?"
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow night's Friday."
I pinched the bridge of my nose and managed not to say anything sarcastic. "Yes, it is."
"But what about Jake? Shouldn't he be there?"
The force of my glare made Jared shrink back slightly. "Your patrol is in three hours," I said shortly. "And tomorrow night is not to be discussed." I ignored his confused expression as I walked back into the woods.
Jacob should be there, but I couldn't tolerate any distractions from a pup who might not be able to look past his imprint to see the bigger picture. It wasn't worth the risk.
And if either Jared or Jacob thought otherwise, one of them was more than welcome to be Alpha instead.
***
Friday evening's patrol was annoying on every level.
Sam? I think it's six-thirty.
No, it's not.
Are you sure? Look at the sun.
The sun is behind the clouds.
Sure, sure, but the position of the haze--
It's not six-thirty, Jacob.
I should probably go check a clock just in case.
For once, Leah helped me out. Jacob, if you don't shut up I'll shut you up. No one wants to hear you mewl about cherry-popping.
That's not what's... I'm not... [a soft body and a purple mark on a white neck] It's none of your business.
Paul was conspicuously silent.
If you don't want it to be my business then keep it in your own damn head. Leah's disgust was acidic. I'd just as soon not listen to you (love her) get a hard-on for some pasty white leech lover.
Anger from Jacob. Don't talk about her like that.
What? So she isn't white, or isn't a leech lover?
She's not the second and the first doesn't matter. Go to hell.
Doesn't matter, huh? Tell that to Old Quil. I bet he's just thrilled about all this.
[an old man lecturing in the firelight] (bellabellabella) [a little girl with eyes squeezed shut against dirty fingers] Old Quil can argue about it until he drops dead for all I care. And so can you. I imprinted on her so it must not matter.
(imprinting always imprinting) Whatever, puppy. Just try not to make a mess when she scratches behind your ear.
Steadily growing discomfort from Paul. It was time to put an end to this. Jacob, you can go.
A ridiculous rush of excitement and nervousness that, in spite of everything, made me smile -- or as close to it as I could as a wolf. Be back by nine tomorrow morning. Try to get at least some sleep.
(hope not) Jacob's thoughts were clear just before he transformed disappeared from the Pack mind.
Even as a wolf I could roll my eyes.
I let the run continue for another two hours before pausing and sending out the mental call to everyone except Jacob. Come to the woods and phase. The effort of issuing such a wide order to so many unphased Pack members made my stomach heave, and a few minutes later the noise was bringing on a vicious migraine.
Shift's not for another two hours--
--(thought i'd get to finish my dinner)--
--hey, Leah, when you go home watch out, Mom's kinda pissed--
--(claireclaireclaire something doesn't feel right claireclaireclaire needs me)--
--[open desk drawers and a picked lock on a metal box]--
--Jared, did you ever figure out how to get past the dungeon in--
Shut up. I took a deep breath in the sudden silence. None of them were close enough to see my tail lashing. We're meeting with the bloodsuckers in half an hour.
Five waves of shock. Nothing from Jared aside from trepidation.
They won't be crossing the treaty line. Paul and Jared will be coming with me. Quil and Embry, I want you out of sight but no more than half a mile away, in case it's a trap. Seth and Leah, you'll be doing a perimeter run to make sure no one's sneaking in while we're busy. I'll be talking to them, but the rest of you will be phased and staying in touch through Paul and Jared. Keep your focus. Is everyone clear?
Six wordless acquiescences... with many layers of reservation.
Okay. Paul, Jared, follow me. I pictured the clearing I had in mind as I broke into a light run and felt the recognition from the rest of the pack; by now they knew every inch of the fifty miles we patrolled. And yes, you can talk if you want. But try and keep the pointless chatter down.
They made it almost thirty seconds. Then Seth couldn't contain himself anymore. So, this is like a parlay?
Excuse me?
The bloodsuckers have invoked the right of parlay, right? And we can do them no harm until the parlay is complete? Those are the rules, aren't they?
Seth, what the hell are you talking about?
I don't think the Pirate Code applies here, kid. Besides, they're more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.
Oh my God. Please tell me you didn't just go there.
Hey, you quoted Monty Python for three hours straight yesterday--
That was in context!
--and I had Knights of the Round Table stuck in my head the rest of the patrol!
I'm just surprised no one's made an Admiral Ackbar "IT'S A TRAP!" joke yet.
Well, I was gonna, but thanks for spoiling it!
I phased before I ordered someone to jump off a cliff and ran the rest of the way as a human.
The light wasn't good -- a waning moon and a lot of cloud cover -- but that wouldn't make a difference to anyone present. Paul and Jared were already circling and peering between the trees. I walked through the middle of the clearing, nudging aside ferns, feeling out the edges of our territory. This footfall was on our land; that footfall was not. I didn't know how I knew these things, but I did. I could feel it in my bones.
Suddenly Paul's ears flattened against his head and he let out a growl; a second later I caught it too. A whiff of stinking, perfumed rot.
They were here.
"Back up," I ordered, and the wolves fell behind me, snarling. I didn't put on my shorts. There was no reason to destroy clothes if I needed to phase. And I didn't care what they thought about my being naked.
When the bloodsuckers walked out of the woods, it took all of my control not to phase instantly.
They were wrong. Everything about them was wrong. Their movements were too sharp. Their faces were too angular. It was like they were wearing costumes of flesh, and if you caught them out of the corner of your eye you might see them for what they were: rotting corpses pretending to be human beings. Something long dead playing at life.
And the smell.
The one in front -- a blond man in a sweater -- walked forward, right up to the treaty line. "Good evening," he said. He even sounded wrong, like someone had spiked all the audio settings on a recording. But it was better than listening to him on the phone. "I'm Doctor Carlisle Cullen. You must be Sam Uley -- you look very much like your great-grandfather. It's a pleasure." He held out his hand.
I didn't take it.
After a moment, he pulled back. "These are two of my children, Emmett--" he gestured to the dark-haired leech who had his arms crossed across his chest "--and Rosalie." The girl in heels glanced down at me with a smirk.
Their names made no difference to me, and they had no business knowing Jared and Paul's names, so I didn't offer them in response. The doctor's eyes flicked behind me to glance at my brothers anyway. "Is one of you Jacob Black? I'd like to convey an apology--"
"Do you know something about the trespasser or not?" I interrupted. It was good to know I'd made the right move by not having Jacob here; there was no doubt in my mind that he'd have tried to shove the apology right up the bloodsucker's ass. "That's the only reason we're here."
Carlisle appeared to sigh. Just an appearance, though. "Yes, of course. Let me start, though, by again saying how very sorry I am at what has happened to--"
"We received your sincere apologies for our mutations. Don't worry, I remember." I'd remember every word of that letter until the day I died.
"Then you must also remember my desire to make amends."
"Yes, and you can start with that by leaving before your six weeks are up." The mental itches of Collin and Brady's impending phasings were getting stronger each day. "Five weeks, now."
"In five weeks it may not matter if we're here or not," Carlisle said. "So unfortunately, it would help no one for us to depart early."
Paul growled and shifted further into a crouch -- and the leech in heels waggled a finger at him. "Down, Fido."
For a moment I saw red at the insult, and both wolves snarled, but the doctor raised a warning hand. "Be polite, Rosalie," he said.
"Sorry," she replied sarcastically. "The dog smell is starting to get to me."
"I think we should get a dog," the big bloodsucker -- Emmett -- said out of nowhere. Rosalie turned to look at him, and he shrugged. "Just sayin'. I've been thinking about it since this started. A Great Dane would be really cool."
"A Great Dane," Rosalie repeated.
"Yeah. No offense to you guys, though." Emmett gestured in our direction. "It's just the smell that makes me think of it."
"Emmett, you'd eat a Great Dane."
"I would not!"
"And it would chew up all my shoes--"
"That's why you train them--"
"Emmett. Rosalie. Please." Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose, and for a quarter of a second I actually sympathized with him. Except he'd done this to himself and I hadn't had a choice. After a moment he shook his head. "I apologize for my family."
"They can apologize for themselves if they want," I snapped. Rosalie raised an eyebrow as I did. "Tell me what you know and then get away from our land before my family loses patience."
"Very well." Carlisle's bloodless face became all business. "My son Edward received the image of your trespasser from Jacob Black's mind--" he glanced back at Jared and Paul again, and I didn't enlighten him that neither of them were Jacob "--and developed a suspicion of who that trespasser might be. He shared this suspicion with me, and I've spent the last several days attempting to contact friends of ours in Denali. Unfortunately, they are not always reachable... but yesterday I was able to confirm our fears."
I crossed my arms. "And?"
"And the identity of your trespasser is a woman of our kind named Irina. It seems she developed a relationship with a mutual friend by the name of Laurent--"
--that name sounded familiar--
"--who made his way in this direction some months back. He hadn't been heard from since."
Oh, right. "Yeah. We got rid of him."
"So I gathered," Carlisle said dryly. "Unfortunately, it appears Irina gathered that as well."
This information wasn't worth very much. "When she comes back we'll get her too. Is that all?"
The doctor shook his head. "You don't understand. Irina won't be returning. She has made another decision. Alice has seen it."
The expressions on the other leeches grew serious as well, and for the first time I felt a flicker of uncertainty. I was missing some important piece of information and I didn't like that. "So what did your psychic see, then?"
"Irina has gone to the Volturi," Carlisle said. His dead face was sympathetic. "And the Volturi are coming to kill you all."
***
Chapter Ten: Play To Your Strengths
Sanity Update: The Twilight Illustrated Guide came out. While I have not read it, I have no doubt that the backstories included therein will have completely destroyed everything I've tried to do here with regards to canon-compliance. If I think too hard about that I'll have a nervous breakdown and crawl under the bed and weep uncontrollably until the husband lures me out with pictures of Jensen Ackles in a towel. So... canon-compliance will continue to extend to what we know from the original four saga novels. (With judgement calls made when canon itself lacks compliance. That'll get discussed next chapter.) Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go mourn the death of my backstories.
This was another super-late night edit that still made it on time according to certain time zones. I have no doubt that after a night of sleep I will see massive mistakes and try to scribble on the screen with red pen in a blinding panic. Edited to add: Yep.