Fic: Twilight Saga - "Rite of Passage"
title: Rite of Passage
author: perletwo
fandom: Twilight Saga
words: 771
rating: G
prompt: Episode Tag or Missing Scene
A/N: Written for cliche_bingo. Since the Twilight series is so deeply wedded to Bella's POV, there are loads of missing scenes. Here is one from New Moon dealing with Jacob's change of life, for which Bella was not present.
Billy Black's fingers drummed the handle of his wheelchair. The TV was on, but the sound was not, and he stared at it without seeing it.
The clock struck the hour with a musical chime, and he turned to look at it. Six hours since Jacob tore out of the house in a fever. Surely six hours was enough time...?
A metallic clatter from outside drew his attention. He sat back in his chair and smiled, then began wheeling himself to the back door.
Billy found Jacob staggering weakly around the shed, dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt Billy had never seen on him before. He was barefoot, and his hair was newly shorn. One of Jacob's motorcycles (probably Charlie's girl's really, but who was he to wreck a perfectly good teenage rebellion? One a far sight better than dating a Cullen) was knocked onto its side. Jacob was crying as he tried to right it.
"Jake?"
Jacob broke off in mid-sob and straightened to look at his father accusingly. "You. You knew!"
"Of course," Billy agreed. "Emily came and told me you were with the pack tonight. I've been waiting for this ever since you got sick."
"They cut my hair," Jacob said dazedly, and ran a hand over his scalp. "Why didn't you tell me? You could've warned me!"
"I told you we're the descendants of wolves," he pointed out. "I told you about the Cold Ones. You weren't listening."
"Folktales." Jacob sneered. "Stories to scare little kids with. Wolves in the woods and boogeymen under the bed. Why should I've believed it? Hell, why should you believe it?" His eyes narrowed. "You're not...?"
"Language," Billy said mildly. "I believe it because my best friend is Charlie Swan. Because every other week lately my friend leaves the table for the scene of a grisly murder somewhere on the outskirts. Because I know about the Cullens, and what happened to Bella last year. And no, I'm not. I wish I was."
Jacob winced. "No, you don't. You really don't. If you knew what I did tonight - If you saw - why would you want that? Hell, why didn't it happen to you if you wanted it so bad?"
"The change occurs during puberty, if the Cold Ones are hunting in our territory. When I was a teenager, they were not. The treaty was in force, and if there were any others, they weren't making themselves known. That's no longer so. I thought when the Cullens left...but maybe their presence discouraged the others? I don't know. That's your responsibility now, not mine." He banged a hand on the wheelchair handle. "If it'd been me I wouldn't be in this thing, for one. This is something you'll never have to worry about. I'll never have to worry about it for you."
"I'd rather have that." Jacob looked ill. "Dad, I'm not - I can't do this. I'm not made for this."
"No you wouldn't." Billy's mouth set in a hard line. "You are Ephraim Black's grandson. You're likely to follow us onto the Council someday. Would've been even without this. We protect the tribe, Jake. That's in our blood, no matter what else is mixed in there. You just get to do it a little more - actively, that's all. And you won't have to do it alone. You're part of a pack now." Billy frowned, realizing suddenly that he had lost Jacob to a new family. Sam's going to be more his father now than I am, he thought. "You get your friend Embry back, closer than ever. Quil too, probably, sooner or later."
"But - what we have to do - I don't want to hurt anyone, Dad."
"It's not a choice you have to make, son. It's what you are. Think about the Cullens a minute. Picture that boy Bella took up with in your head. You think you could be in the same room with him? Now?"
Jacob's jaw clenched. "Yes," he gritted out, with effort.
"If you say so. Pick up before you come in, won't you?" Billy turned the chair around and headed for the door, pretending not to notice the tremors Jacob was trying to suppress.
Billy was halfway across the yard when the garage door flew open and a large wolf leapt clear over him. It ran to the top of the rise and howled at the top of its lungs.
Billy continued into the house. Time enough for responsibility later. Might as well let his son grieve and rage and get it out of his system. He'd accept his fate soon enough.
author: perletwo
fandom: Twilight Saga
words: 771
rating: G
prompt: Episode Tag or Missing Scene
A/N: Written for cliche_bingo. Since the Twilight series is so deeply wedded to Bella's POV, there are loads of missing scenes. Here is one from New Moon dealing with Jacob's change of life, for which Bella was not present.
Billy Black's fingers drummed the handle of his wheelchair. The TV was on, but the sound was not, and he stared at it without seeing it.
The clock struck the hour with a musical chime, and he turned to look at it. Six hours since Jacob tore out of the house in a fever. Surely six hours was enough time...?
A metallic clatter from outside drew his attention. He sat back in his chair and smiled, then began wheeling himself to the back door.
Billy found Jacob staggering weakly around the shed, dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt Billy had never seen on him before. He was barefoot, and his hair was newly shorn. One of Jacob's motorcycles (probably Charlie's girl's really, but who was he to wreck a perfectly good teenage rebellion? One a far sight better than dating a Cullen) was knocked onto its side. Jacob was crying as he tried to right it.
"Jake?"
Jacob broke off in mid-sob and straightened to look at his father accusingly. "You. You knew!"
"Of course," Billy agreed. "Emily came and told me you were with the pack tonight. I've been waiting for this ever since you got sick."
"They cut my hair," Jacob said dazedly, and ran a hand over his scalp. "Why didn't you tell me? You could've warned me!"
"I told you we're the descendants of wolves," he pointed out. "I told you about the Cold Ones. You weren't listening."
"Folktales." Jacob sneered. "Stories to scare little kids with. Wolves in the woods and boogeymen under the bed. Why should I've believed it? Hell, why should you believe it?" His eyes narrowed. "You're not...?"
"Language," Billy said mildly. "I believe it because my best friend is Charlie Swan. Because every other week lately my friend leaves the table for the scene of a grisly murder somewhere on the outskirts. Because I know about the Cullens, and what happened to Bella last year. And no, I'm not. I wish I was."
Jacob winced. "No, you don't. You really don't. If you knew what I did tonight - If you saw - why would you want that? Hell, why didn't it happen to you if you wanted it so bad?"
"The change occurs during puberty, if the Cold Ones are hunting in our territory. When I was a teenager, they were not. The treaty was in force, and if there were any others, they weren't making themselves known. That's no longer so. I thought when the Cullens left...but maybe their presence discouraged the others? I don't know. That's your responsibility now, not mine." He banged a hand on the wheelchair handle. "If it'd been me I wouldn't be in this thing, for one. This is something you'll never have to worry about. I'll never have to worry about it for you."
"I'd rather have that." Jacob looked ill. "Dad, I'm not - I can't do this. I'm not made for this."
"No you wouldn't." Billy's mouth set in a hard line. "You are Ephraim Black's grandson. You're likely to follow us onto the Council someday. Would've been even without this. We protect the tribe, Jake. That's in our blood, no matter what else is mixed in there. You just get to do it a little more - actively, that's all. And you won't have to do it alone. You're part of a pack now." Billy frowned, realizing suddenly that he had lost Jacob to a new family. Sam's going to be more his father now than I am, he thought. "You get your friend Embry back, closer than ever. Quil too, probably, sooner or later."
"But - what we have to do - I don't want to hurt anyone, Dad."
"It's not a choice you have to make, son. It's what you are. Think about the Cullens a minute. Picture that boy Bella took up with in your head. You think you could be in the same room with him? Now?"
Jacob's jaw clenched. "Yes," he gritted out, with effort.
"If you say so. Pick up before you come in, won't you?" Billy turned the chair around and headed for the door, pretending not to notice the tremors Jacob was trying to suppress.
Billy was halfway across the yard when the garage door flew open and a large wolf leapt clear over him. It ran to the top of the rise and howled at the top of its lungs.
Billy continued into the house. Time enough for responsibility later. Might as well let his son grieve and rage and get it out of his system. He'd accept his fate soon enough.