Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Thank you for giving us a shot, if you'd like to just dive right in please go ahead and do so! The first two chapters are already posted!

I wanted to take a quick moment just to share what we've changed because we wanted to write a really good fan fiction and you can't do that without supernatural rules. We quickly realized that the OP had none. Here's a quick bullet list of what we changed:

• Any listed vampires are just regular vampires with regular vampire powers: they drink blood, they have super human strength, burn in the sunlight... you get the idea; we just made a few changes to story lore and added additional supernatural creatures
• WE FIXED IMPRINTING. IMPRINTING IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. No weird or gross implications of imprinting
• We took out all the weird mormon/minsogynst stuff and we tried our best to fix the racism. Example: the wolves will not be cutting their hair once they find out they can shift and Leah is not infertile because she can phase, etc

If you're vibin' with a playlist, we made a playlist to listen to while we wrote. This is not meant to be listened a specific order in coordination with the story, the playlist is just for vibes.

Spotify Playlist

Apple Playlist

Chapter Text

4:36 pm, September 19th

“Bells?” Charlie came into the house, shrugging off his jacket. “I’m home,” he started looking around for her. He quickly discovered that her jacket wasn’t inside. “Bella?” He shouted again, making sure she wasn’t in the house. Her truck was here, and while he tried to relax and figure out what to make for dinner something was gnawing at him.

The door was locked… she went for a walk? The thought was too foreign in his head. His daughter wasn’t exactly what anyone would call athletic, though that little boyfriend of hers seemed determined to make her. Charlie frowned even harder at that. 

After she came back from her birthday covered in stitches and looking upset, Charlie liked Edward even less. He’d never had an issue with the Cullen’s before. He still didn’t, at least not with all of them. Dr. Cullen was an amazing doctor, he could’ve worked at any hospital in Seattle, hell he could’ve worked at any hospital in the world with his abilities and skill, and he chose to come to Forks and make next to nothing just to help. His wife, Esme, said that since she took over administration in the hospice wing that suddenly everything was running at peak efficiency and the patients seemed to suffer less than they ever had. None of the kids ever caused problems, they never got into trouble or started any issues. Rosalie sometimes even volunteered at the station to help sort and file old case paperwork. 

But Edward…

Sometimes Charlie wasn’t sure if he was trying to make Bella happy or make her miserable. She smiled more, was peppier, and had more energy when they were doing well, then like a switch was flipped suddenly she was anxious and moody and completely shut down. And the way he looked at her, it was like she was…

Charlie shook his head clear of the thoughts, pushing himself off the couch. He went up to her room, looking around. Bed made, laundry in the basket, nothing out of place. Bella was cluttered but she was always clean, never leaving messes anywhere and always keeping things in their place. He took in her room, tilting his head. 

Her backpack was missing. She hadn’t come up here after school. 

He went back downstairs, that sense of unease growing. He headed out to her truck, looking around for any signs of Edward’s expensive Volvo. Nothing. He peeked into Bella’s truck through the window and his stomach twisted. Her bag and keys were all sitting on the bench seat. Bella never left somewhere without at least having her keys. Charlie pulled out his phone and called Billy.

“Billy here.” He was grateful his friend always answered quickly.

“I need you to talk me off the ledge here. Bella’s truck, keys and backpack are here but she and her jacket isn’t.”

“Hm.” Billy hummed. “Wait an hour. See if she maybe just jumped in one of her friends' cars. If she’s not home by 5:30, call me again and we’ll scramble the jets.”

“Alright,” Charlie sighed. “I’m just worried. She came back from the Cullen’s covered in cuts and stitches and now she’s missing… Maybe I’m just paranoid. Too many years on the force.”

“Charlie… I’m not saying anything good or bad is happening with Bella but I am saying that paranoia is good. Trust your gut.” Billy said. 

“I’ll call you in an hour to either let you know she’s safe or to rally the troops,” Charlie sighed. “Thanks, Billy.”

“Talk to you soon.” They hung up and Charlie sat on the porch for a few minutes just looking at her truck trying desperately not to think of all the things that could be wrong. There were too many disappearances and missing persons lately for him not to be paranoid. 

“She’s just put for a little walk. Which is something she’s never done before but maybe she’s branching out,” he told himself. He let out a harsh sigh. His daughter didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve any of it. She didn’t deserve to be a parent to a mother that couldn’t care for herself, she didn’t deserve a boyfriend who constantly got her hurt, she was too damn smart and too damn sweet for all of it. He rubbed his face roughly, looking back out to the road. 

One hour. She had one hour to come home or call. 

That hour passed by agonizingly slowly. Charlie jumped at each car that passed and ran into the kitchen frequently to see if he had somehow missed the shrill ring of the phone. He even tried to call the Cullen’s home phone, getting nothing but a busy tone in return. As it got colder and darker he only got more worried, pacing back and forth until the clock finally hit five thirty. Charlie grabbed the phone immediately, dialing Billy’s number. 

“She’s not back,” Charlie said the moment it connected. “I’m gonna pull a few strings, get a search party going, can you get one going on the rez as well?”

“Of course, I’m gonna call Harry, and Jacob already knows-” Charlie hearing a door slam in the background “-and he’s out the door, he might get there before Harry. They’ll see you both soon. And don’t worry Charlie, she’ll turn up,” Billy tried to comfort him. “I’m gonna have Leah help us out too, she’s good at tracking.”

“I just need to know she’s okay,” Charlie said quietly, feeling exhausted. “This isn’t like her. She leaves notes, or calls, or something. I’m gonna call the station, get as many volunteers as I can. Call me if anything turns up.”

“You too, or call me if you’re thinking too much.” They both hung up and Carlie got to calling people. Normally you had to wait twelve hours before a missing persons report was filed, but in Forks he had started searches for others in less time.

In less than thirty minutes everyone who volunteered to help was there and setting up a search area. All of his friends on the force and their families were there reassuring Charlie that he wasn’t crazy and that this was odd she would just walk off. He felt a little better knowing he wasn’t overreacting, but not by much. He wouldn’t feel better until Bella was back safe in his house, alive and unharmed. Jacob and Leah were the first there to help pass out vests, equipment, compasses and help people understand the map of the area. Jacob also mirrored Charlie’s anxiety, unsure where Bella would’ve gone.

“Alright!” Charlie called, the ambient noise calmed down as he got everyone’s attention. “This house is the center radius for the search! Bella is on foot, but she would’ve gotten home about two hours ago so that’s our perimeter. She was last seen wearing a brown coat, blue jeans, and converse. If anyone finds anything, footprints, torn clothing, anything at all, radio it in so we can focus our search area. Keep an eye out for Edward Cullen as well, he’s her boyfriend and likely the last person to see her before she vanished! Any questions?” Nobody asked any so he sent them out, fingers tapping restlessly. 

He wanted to be out there, he wanted to be scouring the woods for her, but he knew that wasn’t his job. He’d gone through this with too many other parents before: he needed to stay put, keep an eye out for her here in case she came back or called. And as the chief, he needed to coordinate the search from the base of operations. He just never thought that base would be his own house.

“Charlie.” Charlie looked over, sighing in relief as Harry and Billy approached. “Anything yet?” Harry asked. 

“No, we just got started. Everyone is heading out now,” Charlie answered, looking over the map of the area. “She couldn’t have gotten far, not on foot. We’re not exactly looking for a track star or an avid hiker. God, I should’ve taught her more about these woods and how to survive in them. She’s used to Phoenix, not a massive forest filled with predators.”

“She’s not exactly the kind to wander into the woods, this was a non issue before,” Harry said. 

“Charlie!” He looked over to see Jacob running over. “Leah’s out running around the perimeter, she wants to check out some footprints first.”

“Footprints? She found something?” Charlie asked quickly. “Where at? We can narrow our search. Can we get in contact with her.” Jacob looks startled at the rapid-fire questions, but Charlie just stared at him expectantly. He knew he had a reputation for being stoic, but this was his daughter, dammit, he was entitled to some emotion. 

“Not yet, she wants to make sure they’re from today” Jacob said. “Can you show me the perimeter? How far does this forest stretch out?” Jacob asked, leading Charlie back to his squad car. 

“Right now we’re searching a three mile radius around the house,” Charlie answered, pointing to the red circle on the map. “She’s on foot, and it’s only been a few hours. But if this perimeter doesn’t bring up anything I’m going to widen it to five miles, just to make sure. The city limits are here and here,” he gestured to each. “I called all of the businesses and some people I know in these neighborhoods so they know to keep an eye out. I just really hope she remembers what I told her about getting lost out here,” Charlie muttered.

“What did you tell her?” Billy asked. 

“Find a safe, dry place and wait for help. She doesn’t know the area well enough and wandering around trying to get home is only gonna make it worse.” Charlie knew that even if she kept walking she would’ve made it out of the forest by now either to a beach, a road, or the city. These woods didn’t go on forever and someone else would’ve found her, or spotted her. She had to have stayed put somewhere.

“That’s good,” Jacob echoed. “Bella may not know much about the woods, but she is smart.” Jacob still looked as worried as Charlie felt, everyone else actively keeping an eye out. “She left her phone here right? I can try calling some of her friends if you haven’t yet?”

“I called all the ones I could think of,” Charlie told him. “She hates that cell phone, basically never uses it. It’s in the kitchen right now. I grabbed it out of her room.” He looked over at Billy. “The Cullen’s aren’t answering any of their lines, and I had someone drive by their place. Dark and completely empty.”

“Harry might know something about that,” Billy looked confused as they looked at the man who was directing some people and marking a few spots on the map. “And she didn’t leave a note… I was gonna say maybe they went to Portland… but-“ Billy let out a sigh. “I’m getting ahead of myself.”

“If that little twerp hurt her again,” Charlie growled angrily. “All that matters is finding her. I don’t care about anything else, so long as she’s okay.”

“Yeah, what did she say about the stitches in her arm?” Billy asked. 

“That she fell and landed on a broken vase,” Charlie said. “Just like how she fell down a flight of stairs and through a window. Like how she fell and hit her head. Like how she mysteriously keeps falling and getting extremely injured around him. I’ve been a cop long enough to see a pattern.”

“I know, and I’m not saying something’s not happening… but remember when her and Jake were playing on the porch and she fell and broke her arm. Or when she was walking and twisted her ankle as a kid?” Billy chuckled at the memories.

Charlie cracked a small smile before it fell again. “She’s always been clumsy, but it- between this and the mood swings and the way she clings to him… Renee didn’t exactly give her a healthy childhood, I’m just worried that she’s being manipulated. I don’t like the kid. I respect his parents and some of his siblings, but ever since he started coming around Bella… I don’t know,” he sighed. “Hell, maybe it’s just me being overprotective. I just got her back with me.”

“At the end of the day, you’re her father. Doesn’t matter how old she gets or how far away she is,” Billy said. “It’s your job to worry, to keep an eye out for her. She’s still just a kid.”

“She is. She’s my kid,” Charlie agreed, looking at the trees. “Let’s hope Leah’s found something.”

Hours had passed by in the search so far. It was slowly creeping to almost 10 and there was no sign of Bella. Charlie swore he got a new patch of gray by the time there was any news. The parties had started getting nervous, nothing anywhere in the trees that gave them a direction until finally-

“I’ve got her!” Leah Clearwater’s voice rang out, the young woman coming out of the forest with someone bundled in her arms. Charlie didn’t even have time to process Leah’s appearance, tall and muscular and somehow carrying his grown daughter with ease. He just took off to meet her, gently taking Bella from her arms. 

“Bella? Sweetheart? It’s me, it’s Dad,” he coaxed gently. Her glazed over eyes didn’t move from staring off into the distance. The only acknowledgement he got was Bella’s hand gently fisting in the material of his jacket. Her body was cold but she wasn’t shivering, just completely despondent. 

“She was deep in the forest. Looked like she got completely lost,” Leah told him. 

“Call the volunteers, let them know she’s back,” Charlie told Harry before looking back at Leah. “Thank you. I- just- thank you for bringing her home.”

“Of course, get her inside, she might be in shock. We’ll deal with everyone put here,” Leah said.

“Jacob, go help Charlie.” Charlie looked up to see Sam and Jacob staring at each other. 

“Ye-yeah,” Jacob quickly came over and the two of them got Bella inside. Charlie refused to let her go, no matter how heavy she was. He took her over to the couch, setting her down and getting her out of her coat and shoes. 

“Turn the heat up, and bring me that portable radiator,” Charlie told him, trying to warm up her chilled body. “You’re okay, you’re safe. You’re home now.” Jacob brought over the radiator, turning it on as the heater for the house kicked in higher. 

“Dad?” Bella said, finally looking at him. 

“Yeah. It’s me. You’re home,” he said gently, holding her close.

“Edward- Edward left. He’s gone,” she croaked out, the light leaving her eyes again. Charlie clenched his jaw, just holding her. 

“It’ll be okay,” is all he could think to say. Bella curled into him, letting out a sob that tore right through him. Jacob just sat next to them, rubbing Bella’s back with a worried look on his face. Bella cried herself hoarse, her sobs and tears slowing until she drifted off into an uneasy sleep. Charlie tucked her in on the couch, burying his face in his hands. 

“I’m gonna let my dad know she’s settled in and sleeping,” Jacob said quietly, looking at Bella one last time. “I’ll call you two in a few days.”

“Alright, tell everyone thank you,” Charlie said.

“I will.” Jacob left the house, leaving the house quiet. 

He couldn’t even feel relieved that the worst person in her left was gone. 

⚔️

January 

Charlie didn’t know what to do anymore. Charlie was doing so bad that Cora started calling once a week to check on him to see if he needed anything. Sometimes he just talked to her while she listened and it would help him feel better for a little while. But it had been months, months, since Edward had left Bella alone in the woods and she only seemed to be getting worse. It started with missing a few days of school, then missing a day of homework. That turned into a week of missing homework. She didn’t speak for days on end and lately Charlie could go weeks without really hearing her voice aside from very mumbled one word answers. 

She was losing weight, she wouldn’t eat unless Charlie practically fed her, and every single night he woke up to her screaming violently, thrashing in her bed like she was being attacked. The circles under her eyes only emphasized how sunken in they were and how pale she’d become. Between the night terrors or not sleeping at all, her staying in her room in the same spot. There was nothing Charlie could do to help. She was just comatose. 

It was like Edward had taken all the life out of her, leaving Charlie with a husk of his daughter floating around like a ghost. 

“It’s not good for her there, Charlie,” Renee stated flatly over the phone. “I want her back with me.”

“Yeah because you were so good for her yourself,” Charlie snapped without meaning to. He was exhausted and at the end of his rope, but he wasn’t giving up on Bella and he definitely didn’t want to ship her off to a mother that she had to take care of while she could barely take care of herself. 

“I did my best, Charlie. I didn’t see you fight for custody. She needs to get out of that depressing town. Just because you love it there doesn’t mean that everyone else does. Besides, I finally found a house in Florida. Where there’s sun.”

“I fought for custody for years, remember? She’s the one who decided that she didn’t want to come anymore because she had to take care of you. She needs help, Renee, not more responsibility.”

“What she needs is to graduate.”

“Did you even think about that part, either?” Charlie demanded, his patience with his ex-wife quickly fraying. “What schools are close to you? How is the transfer going to work? Are they going to accept all her credits? Do they have additional requirements? Is this going to set her back? Did you consider any of that before deciding what you thought was best for her?

“None of that is going to matter if you can’t get her off the couch. Send her here away from all where Edward used to be.”

“I’m doing my best! You think I’m not?! You think I don’t see what my daughter is going through?! I have to feed her, take care of her, I make sure she showers and I take her to school and I pick her up and-“ Charlie forced himself to stop, tears burning behind his eyes. He just got her back, he just got his daughter back and now it was all going wrong and there was nothing he could do to fix it. “Are you going to do all that Renee?” 

“I’ll give you until the end of the month. After that tell her to get in her truck and drive down here,” Renee said after a moment in lieu of actually answering his question. 

“I’ll buy her a plane ticket if it comes to that,” Charlie said, choking down his disgust. He slammed the phone down on the receiver, resting his head against the wall. Renee really expected Bella to drive in her state? Let alone drive a twenty year old truck with engine problems from Forks to Jacksonville? Maybe Renee was right. Maybe this would be what she needed. 

Or maybe just the threat of it could be enough to snap her out of it. 

He looked at the clock. It was almost time to pick her up from school. He could corner her about it today. He stepped out the doors and locked up, hopping into his squad car and heading for Forks High School to get into the pick up line. 

Bella was as silent as ever as she got in the car, staring straight out the window wordlessly. Her cheekbones were too visible, her face gaunt like something out of a horror movie. 

“How was school today?” He tried, doing his best to keep his tone light. It fell flat, he knew it did. Charlie tried his best but he wasn’t always the greatest at getting his emotions across in his voice. 

“Fine,” she said softly. Her voice quiet and hoarse from lack of talking. 

“Good. Good. Did you, uh, see any of your friends today?” He asked awkwardly. 

“Maybe? They don’t normally miss school.”

“But did you spend any time with them? Might be good for you,” he told her gently. 

“I didn’t see them.” All of her sentences were either short or didn’t make sense.

“Bells,” Charlie just sighed, focusing on the road. The car was silent after that. Bella didn’t like music anymore, so he kept the radio off. All they listened to was the wind outside the vehicle and the tires on the road. He pulled up and parked, getting out of the car with her before gently catching her by the arm. He paused for a moment, hands on his hips before blurting it out. “You’re going back to live with your mom in Jacksonville.”

“What?! No- I can’t leave here,” she said, finally showing an emotion other than numb. 

“Bella, you don’t eat, you don’t sleep, you don’t go out. You just sit in your room staring out the window. And the nightmares-“ Charlie closed his eyes. “I don’t want you to go, Bells, but I can’t help you here. You’re not getting any better and your mom thinks it’s time for you to go back.”

“My life is here, my friends are here-“ she sighed. 

“Your friends that you don’t even see,” Charlie pointed out. “I just- I don’t like seeing you like this and I don’t know how to help anymore. Your mom is right, maybe you need some distance from all of this. It would be different if you were going out and getting better but…” Charlie gently dropped the bait, hoping she’d take it. 

“I’m going out with-Jessica- she- she wanted to go sh-shopping,” she trailed off. Charlie perked up, almost shocked that it actually worked. 

“Shopping? With Jessica?” He asked.

“Y-yeah. Shopping.”

“Alright. Shopping,” Charlie nodded. He knew she was lying, but Bella was always the type to commit to it. She’d end up out shopping whether she wanted to or not. “I like it. Go… shopping. Buy some stuff,” he told her, smiling to himself. “But I need to see it, Bells. You’ve got a month to show me you really want to be here.”

“Okay-“ she nodded. Charlie watched her run inside and he quickly followed. He saw her start to dial in the kitchen. He tried to be sly as he waited in the living room. “Hey Jessica- it’s Bella… yeah Bella Swan.” Charlie rubbed his face. If this was the best he could get, then he’d take it.

Chapter Text

To: [email protected]

Alice, you wouldn’t believe it. I saw him…

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

This was probably a bad idea, but it was the only idea she had left. Her dad helped her load two dirt bikes into the back of her truck with the promise of going to see Jacob. Charlie seemed really unsure of the idea, but he also didn’t say no. 

It was an empty ploy, driven by her desire to see Edward again, but Charlie seemed happy she was getting out of the house and his threat of sending her away was anything but empty. She couldn’t leave. If she left Edward might not be able to find her. What if he came back for her? She needed to be here. 

Bella pulled up to the small, old house on the reservation, parking her truck near the barn that had been converted into Jacob’s garage. The house had remained mostly the same over the year, with the exception of some normal upkeep on the same red house. Billy’s truck was sitting parked in front and there wasn’t much sign of anyone else. The usual forest line was quiet, matching the energy of the area. Bella had forgotten how much she loved coming up here to hang out with Jacob. 

She got down, turning to see her grinning friend rushing over to meet her. “Bella! Where the hell have you been, loca?!” He laughed, scooping her up into his arms and hugging her tightly. He was warm and solid, and at least another three inches taller than he had been the last time she saw him. 

“Hey, I brought you a present,” she said, enjoying his hug. It was always weird to hug someone who was warm, she wasn’t used to it anymore. Jacob’s eyes widened as he saw the bikes before he gave her an amused look. 

“Scrap metal? My favorite,” he joked. “What are these for?”

“I figure they’re more work than they’re worth, but I figured if I had a mechanic friend…” she put on her best smile. 

“So… you came over here, and you want me to fix up these bikes for us,” Jacob said slowly. “That’s stupid. And reckless. And insane.” Bella’s stomach twisted, heart dropping until Jacob grinned brightly. “Let’s do it.”

“Great,” Bella felt the lightest she had in months. She hopped back up on her truck to pull off the rest of the tarp. “Be careful, those are…” her voice trailed off as Jacob effortlessly lifted the bikes. “You know that steroids are really bad for you.”

“This is all natural!” Jacob boasted. “You’d know that if you came around more. I’ve been hitting the gym, taking advantage of this growth spurt so I can impress the ladies.” Jacob did a few flexed poses after setting the bike down, still looking every bit the goofy, carefree kid he was. 

“Jake you’re 16 and you’re buff, that isn’t normal,” Bella laughed. “Also we should try to work on some homework if I’m gonna be here all the time. I don’t want your dad to think I’m a bad influence on you.”

“Age is just a number,” Jacob scoffed. “And you? Influence me? Please.” He waved her off, getting the second bike so they could walk them into the garage. 

“I’m 18, I’m older than you. Therefore I am the influencer.” 

Jake made a buzzer noise, still smiling. “Incorrect. Because of my skills and experience with all this. That combined with your paleness and lack of know-how; I am actually older than you. Therefore, I am the influencer and you’re the influencee.”

“I convinced you to rebuild two death machines. Doesn’t that make you young and naïve.” Bella rebutted flatly. 

“But I’m the one rebuilding them,” Jake countered. He stopped what he was doing with a snort and turned to look at her. “So where does that put us?”

“I’m 35… and you’re… 32,” she said thoughtfully. 

“God what does that make me? 40?” Another voice asked. Jake lit up, looking at the woman walking in. Leah was wearing jeans, a tank top and a green flannel with the sleeves pushed up. Her hair was in a french braid down her back. She was way more muscular than Bella remembered, and was at least two feet taller than the last time Bella saw Leah. Bella remembered vaguely how Billy was talking about everyone in the family shot up like weeds but seeing it was a whole other thing. 

“Leah! Hey! Bella, you remember my cousin Leah, right?” He said, hopping up to hug her. She was just as tall as he was, and no less muscular. Bella wasn’t sure if it was genetic or if there was something in the water on the rez, but this was getting ridiculous. 

“Uh- yeah-“ Bella was trying not to stare. “You- you- you’re the one who found me?”

“Yeah,” Leah smiled softly. It was a warm smile, one that made Bella’s stomach do a flip. “It’s good to see you again. Glad you’re okay.”

“Sorry I don’t really remember much… about the woods. It was- a blur…” Bella stammered out. “Thanks again… if it wasn’t for you then I would’ve probably froze.”

“Probably, but luckily I was there,” Leah shrugged. “Why are you guys building bikes? Actually I don’t care why, I’m hanging out here. Sam’s doing his stupid mopey act outside of my house again and I don’t feel like dealing with it.” Leah’s face twisted with anger as she said Sam’s name, mouth pressed into a line and jaw clenching. Jake sort of filled Bella in on that, the only thing she knew was Leah and Sam had a rough breakup, but that was the long and the short of what he knew. 

“Yup. No problem,” Jake responded with an easygoing tone. Everything about Jake was always easygoing, the boy was perpetually unphased. 

“I talked Jacob into building two death machines my dad and I found at the junk yard,” Bella said. “He also gave me some cash, how do you feel about pizza?” 

“Pizza sounds awesome, I’m starving,” Leah complained. 

“God same, I could eat a whole pizza by myself,” Jake agreed. Leah fished out a little extra cash, passing it over. 

“Get three. Meat lovers for at least one of them,” she said before moving to the small, dusty couch and dropping into it. 

“You didn’t want to dust that off first?” Bella crinkled her nose at the dust cloud.

“It’s not that bad,” Leah laughed. “Come on, Bells, don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little dust. I remember when we were growing up you were the first one to jump into the mud to play.” 

“But that was back before I learned about UTIs,” Bella countered.

“What’s a UTI?” Jake asked, looking up at her in confusion. 

“You’ll learn about those when you’re older,” Leah snorted. “I promise you’re not gonna get an infection from the dusty couch. Some allergies and a spider bite maybe, but nothing that’ll kill you.”

“Alright,” Bella came over to sit next to Leah, giving her a wide berth. “Do you know anything about being a mechanic?”

“No, not even a little,” Leah answered. “We are here simply to admire Jake’s mad skills, like how you admire when a little kid brings you their art.”

“Hey!” Jake made a face at her. “I’m not a kid! Look how tall and buff I am! I’m a man now. A ladies man! Just not either of you ladies. That’s gross.” Leah and Bella both started snickering.

“Sure Jake,” Bella chided. “Can you teach me about engines? I know how to ride a bike but… not so much about maintenance.”

“Yeah! I can show you while we fix these up!” Jake agreed eagerly. “I’ll teach you everything I know, young padawan.”

“Jake’s just happy to have you back,” Leah told me in a conspiratorial whisper that was still loud enough for Jake to hear. “He’s been moping around for years because his BFF Bella hasn’t been around.”

“Leah,” Jake complained, turning red. 

“Sorry,” Bella said sheepishly. “It was like the next thing I knew four months went by.”

“Hey, you’re here now,” Jake smiled. “And that’s what matters. Now come over here and hold this manifold for me, grandma. I’m not gonna be the only one building the death machines.”

“Grandma?!” Bella sputtered, Leah started laughing. Bella walked over to where Jake was disassembling everything, and started explaining the different parts of the engine to her. 

Bella knew it couldn’t be like this all the time, but being around Jacob soothed the jagged edges she didn’t realize she had.

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

The next week…

Bella was getting dressed and wearing something a little more tattered so when it got ruined with oil, she wouldn’t be sad about it. Her second favorite flannel had gotten some grease on it and she still hadn’t gotten it out yet. 

“Dad,” she saw him cleaning his gun on the counter. He and Harry were going hunting this coming weekend. She paused to think about it… this was the first time she had seen his gun in months. Had it really been that long since he went hunting? “I’m going over to Jacob’s again.”

“Hey that’s good!” Charlie smiled. “You two have fun. But, uh, stay outta the woods alright? Been a lot of bear sightings.”

“We will. There’s not much room for the woods inside the garage. You should come by sometime. I’m learning about engines.”

“You’re learning about engines,” Charlie said slowly. “Well that’s good, I guess. It’ll be helpful for that old truck of yours. Pretty sure it’s not supposed to be backfiring like that.”

“Has my daughter been with you?” Harry asked, a strange look on his face. 

“Yeah, she’s been hanging out with us. Not everyday, but basically,” she said. “Why, should she be doing other stuff?”

“No, just making sure she’s not sneaking off into the forest,” Harry answered. “Not safe what with the bears. You know, she also just went through a really bad breakup. I’m glad you two can commiserate together. It’s really been helping her.”

“Oh yeah, she kinda- well she didn’t really say anything, just mentioned that Sam was stupid,” Bella chuckled nervously. 

“Hm,” was all Harry responded with. “Alright, Charlie. Let’s get going. Gotta go reassure the townsfolk that their sheriff is doing his due diligence.”

“Ha ha,” Charlie responded, rolling his eyes. “Alright, Bells. See you later. Call if you need anything, the station can reach me.”

“I will, you two be safe,” Bella nodded at him before taking off to her car. A hand caught her and she felt herself being pulled into one of her dad’s awkward but loving hugs, Charlie patting her back. 

“Love you,” he mumbled, pulling away. Bella was getting used to Charlie’s gruff demeanor, now able to see the warmth in his tight, clumsy half-smiles. 

“Love you too dad,” she said back just as awkwardly. Charlie nodded, patting her shoulder before moving away. 

Bella went out into the less crisp air. January was still cold, the ice on the ground and the frost on the window showed that it wasn’t ready to let up anytime soon. The drive over was peaceful, serene almost. For a second she wondered if Leah would like the view. 

Leah.

Bella found herself thinking about Leah in the small gaps of looking out the window in class and when she looked up from her homework to look out to the woods. The same woods that Leah found her in after Edward crushed her soul. Somewhere along the way of fixing the bikes with Jacob and Leah, the lines of what she was doing had blurred. She was doing this to see Edward. He asked her not to be reckless but being reckless was the only way to see him. Edward hadn’t shown up in the two weeks they were working on the bikes, something that she was sure of. At some point she had stopped waiting for him to show up. In the gaps where the three of them were hanging out, Edward wasn’t a thought in her mind. It was something she never thought would happen.

Eventually she found her way to Jake’s house where she saw an unfamiliar Subaru. She got out of the car to see Leah and Jacob making a list. “Hey guys,” Bella said as she walked up to them. 

“Hey, Bella!” Jake grinned. 

“Hey, Bells,” Leah’s smile was softer, but somehow infinitely warmer. Bella was very aware of the jeans and tank top Leah was wearing. Her long black hair was in a ponytail and did the first time, Bella could see her whole face. Normally Leah’s hair covered parts of it. “Glad you made it. We’re going on a little road trip.”

“We need a few parts, and the only auto parts store that sells them all is in Port Angeles,” Jake informed her. 

“I love Port Angeles, they have great bookstores there too.” She had only really gone there for books.

“We can make a stop,” Leah offered. “Not like we’re in a hurry.”

Jake gave her a look. “But you said-“ he grunted when Leah elbowed him. “Right. Yeah. No- no hurry.”

“Awesome,” Bella caught herself smiling. “We can take the truck, but I don’t know you two wanna be that close again.” 

“No need, I’ve got my car,” Leah said, gesturing to the Subaru. “Good on gas mileage, and less likely to break down. The thirty-two year old can sit in the back while us forty year olds get the front.”

“We agreed I’m actually thirty seven,” Jake reminded her. 

“I don’t want to listen to your weird ska music,” Leah pointed at Jake.

“Bella doesn’t like music,” Jake shrugged. Leal looked over. 

“Dude I’m sorry but I am not driving for an hour just listening to road sounds and breathing. Are you cool with punk rock?” Leah asked. “Actual punk, not the pop punk shit on the radio.”

“Uh yeah- my dad and I used to listen to the Ramones all the time,” Bella cut herself off. No one wanted to hear about her weird music tastes. 

“I love the Ramones!” Leah lit up. “Do you ever listen to The Clash? Or Dead Kennedy’s?” 

“Uh-” Bella looked around nervously. “Ye- yeah I do. I have to borrow a lot of my dads CDs, so I learned how to burn my own. My mom- she- we listened to a lot of TLC and older country. I guess my tastes are all over the place…” she rambled. 

“We’ll have to have a music listening day,” Leah smiled. “We’ll all bring an album to show and the other two can listen and critique. Jake’s gonna bring his Phish album and we’ll pretend to be a bunch of weed smokers.”

“Not everyone who listens to ska smokes weed,” Jake grumbled. “But I’m in if you are, Bella. No pressure.”

That was the nice thing about Jake. There was never any pressure. Bella could just exist. With Leah, though, there was a strange pressure. Not bad, not suffocating, but the kind that made her want to act on it. Be the person it felt like Leah was daring her to be.

“That sounds fun,” Bella said after a second. “Like- really-” she inhaled, pushing the hair out of her face. 

“We’ll set a day. But first, parts store!” Jake cheered, running over to the Subaru. Bella walked over as well, a warmth blossoming against her side as Leah suddenly appeared next to her to get her door for her. 

“Th-thanks,” Bella stammered out, tugging at her sleeves. 

“No problem,” Leah smiled. Meeting her gaze was hard, and every time it happened Bella felt almost stuck in her deep brown eyes.

“You’re not gonna get my door?” Jake asked with a pout, breaking their staring contest.

“Do you need me to buckle you into your car seat too, Junior?” Leah snarked. The offended look on Jake’s face made Bella laugh, covering her mouth to try to stifle it. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll remember to take out your booster seat next time we take the truck,” Bella joked. “Last one, promise.”

“You both suck,” Jake frowned, but Bella could see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as they loaded in. Leah’s Subaru was clean and comfortable, the inside smelling like something warm and earthy, maybe a little spicy. Bella could see the air freshener hanging from the rear view, ‘Fall Forest’ written across the front. 

“I like your car, it’s nice,” Bella said. It didn’t feel sterile like Edwards did.

“Thanks. Bought it used from someone else on the rez a few years ago,” Leah said proudly. “She’s reliable as hell, and I can take her off-roading whenever I want. Sorry about the stains. I’ve spilled a few coffees and teas in here.” Bella looked down, seeing the dark brown marks on the floor. They weren’t crusty but they were present. 

Edward hated mess. He got annoyed once when Bella’s boots were too muddy and left a small mark on his floor mat. He’d started making her ride in Emmett’s Jeep after that.

“I don’t mind it at all,” Bella said quietly. “Especially here, right? Can't go anywhere without the road salt slush.”

“I’ve given up on keeping this thing clean,” Leah snorted, popping in an old cassette. 

“I haven’t! The road salt will never get to my Rabbit!” Jake declared. “Mostly because it’s still, like, half made of rust and I don’t want it getting worse. Any more and it’ll be looking like Bella’s truck.”

“Don’t hate the truck,” Bella defended. “That thing has never slid on the ice and has kept me alive this long.” Her mind flashed back to when Edward saved her from the van skidding across the school parking lot. 

“I like that truck. It’s sturdy,” Leah told her. “But I did not trust it to get us to Port Angeles and back.”

“We should paint it,” Jacob suggested. “We could rent the equipment and give it a shiny new coat. Maybe, like, bright cherry red or something.”

“Give it some flames, make it look like a drag car,” Leah grinned. 

“I like the burnt orange, it reminds me of the sunsets in Arizona. Everything would get so… orange,” Bella said. “Even with the work Jacob did on it… it’s stalled out a few times in the driveway.” Then she’d have to call Edward to give her a ride a lot. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Jake asked. “We can totally work on that! I can teach you how to fix up your own truck, too.”

“That’s way too much for me to ask,” Bella said quickly. “I would never put you like that. Besides, these bikes are already insane and I’m buying whatever parts you need.”

“It’s really not a big deal,” Jake shrugged. “It’s fun! I like hanging out with you and having a mutual hobby. Nobody ever listens to me talk about engines.”

“You deserve a truck that works reliably, Bella,” Leah told her. “And you’ll break little Jacob’s heart if you don’t let him talk your ear off about it.”

“Can’t have that, can we,” Bella snorted softly. “What about you Leah? What hobbies do you have?” She asked, feeling weird about the question. If Leah wanted to say what she liked she would’ve mentioned it by now.

“I-“ Leah made a face, thumb tapping the steering wheel. “I used to really love hiking and surfing. Don’t do either much anymore.”

“What she means is that her and Sam did those together all the time until that jackass walked out on her,” Jake filled in the blanks, sounding upset. 

“Jake…”

“What? It’s true. He pushed his way in and made himself a huge part of your life and then he just left you! It’s bullshit! Someone oughtta teach him and his pack of sycophants a lesson!” Jacob snapped. 

“Jake. Calm down,” Leah said firmly. 

“I like hiking-“ Bella interjected. “Not like- hiking that’s like camping- but like a walk to see places is fun.” 

“Maybe you guys could go hiking together,” Jacob suggested. Leah glanced over. 

“Yeah. Maybe,” she agreed softly. “I wouldn’t hate the idea.”

“But you’re on your own with surfing. I’ll stay on the beach and watch you,” Bella tried to joke, feeling nervous about not sharing an interest with Leah. 

“No offense, but if I started surfing again I would not want you with me,” Leah joked. “I’ve seen you trip on literally nothing, sorry to say that I have no faith that you can stand on a board.”

“Good, that makes two of us,” Bella nodded in agreement. 

“It’s all good. You can hang out and read or something while making sure nobody steals my stuff,” Leah smiled, winking at her. Bella felt her whole body freeze at the simple action. Her heart stopped and her breath hitched. 

“Cool-“ she barely managed to get the word out after a few halting moments. 

“Okay, so we need some cylinder kits, a CDI, some heads, a starter, a stator, which is different, aaaand two gear shafts and a chain guider,” Jake listed from the backseat. “Everyone got that?” 

“Don’t worry, we know,” Leah told him. “Then after that lunch and some bookstores?”

“Sounds good to me! Bella?” Jake checked. L

“Sounds like fun, but we don’t have to stop for lunch if you two don’t want to, or-“right food. She had forgotten to eat this morning. 

“If we don’t I might die,” Leah groaned. “I’m starving already. I’m gonna waste away.”

“I feel like I’m hungry all the time,” Jake agreed. “I hit this growth spurt and now I’m a bottomless pit.”

“And I can hear Bella’s stomach growling from here. Who wants burgers? Or tacos? We can hit a drive thru when we get there.”

“As long as I can get a soda, I’m happy,” she chuckled. 

“Really? That’s all you want?” Leah asked. “Don’t worry about the cost, really. I can afford a few double cheeseburgers.” 

“We’ll see, but really I’m down for anything and anywhere you want to go,” Bella reassured. 

“Cool.” Leah’s hand brushed hers gently as she rested it on the gear shift, making Bella inhale quietly. She wasn’t used to the warmth yet, but Leah and Jake were always so warm. The music played quietly in the background, and for the first time since Edward left, Bella didn’t mind it. 

Edward always had some classical music playing but it was non-existent sometimes, or he wouldn’t even play it at all. She was around people who didn't have super hearing or even have super smell. It was so different. This life she was living was warm. After the Cullen’s, she never thought she’d be warm again. 

The drive was long and nice. Jacob and Leah played a few games on the way, none of them lasting more than two rounds, accusing the other of cheating. They pulled up to a sketchy looking mechanic shop. As they piled out of the car, she saw that same flash of Edward.

“Don’t go in there,” Bella jumped at the vision. She was going crazy seeing him, but Leah and Jacob looked concerned at the spot she was just looking at. 

“This- uh- this place, you guys come here a lot?” Bella asked, trying to play cool. 

“Not a lot, but it’s the only place I called that had everything we needed,” Jacob answered. “It’s not as sketchy as it looks! I promise!”

“Get back in the car, Bella,” Edward’s voice commanded softly. 

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright,” Leah promised softly, holding out her hand. “You don’t have to come in, but if you do I won’t let anything happen to you.” Bella tried to look away from the apparition.

“I’m okay- sorry- I’m good,” she nodded, taking Leah’s hand, feeling like she was going to pass out from her heart racing. The only thing that she could think of now was holding Leah’s hand. It was comforting as Leah carefully pulled her into the shop and Jacob greeted someone. It was even sketchier inside, but with Leah pressed close to her side Bella felt completely safe. 

“Got all your parts right here,” the greasy man behind the counter told them. He looked over at Bella and Leah, giving them a sleazy grin. “I can throw in a discount, if you give me a little something in return.”

“How about in return I don’t break your arm,” Leah growled. Bella could feel her shaking, but not from fear. The man put his hands up, going back to finishing the transaction with a scowling Jake. Leah suddenly seemed even warmer next to her, doing a steady, measured breathing to calm herself down. 

“Bella, get away from her,” Edward’s voice was right in her ear. Bella jumped, Leah catching her.

“Sorry,” Bella whispered. 

“Chuck.” Jacob looked at him coldly. “You’ll give me the discount because you’re being creepy and I won’t tell anyone you tried to sleep with my cousin and best friend. Capiche?”

“What are you, some kinda wannabe gangster?” Chuck scoffed. “I’ll only give a discount if the pretty girls kiss for me, otherwise you’re not getting any discount. Push it again and I’ll take back my parts.”

“Leah, Bella? There’s Rock’s Repairs down the road. We’ll head there instead,” Jacob said, shaking out his hand in rage. 

“Have fun paying almost double our original deal,” Chuck said snidely. 

“Jake, calm down,” Leah warned him softly. “You’re right, let’s go. We have more than enough money to cover the extra costs. This douche isn’t worth it.” 

“Yeah Jacob, come on,” Bella said, quickly pulling Leah away and back out the door. Jake hit the counter hard enough for it to let out a dull creak before turning around and following them, a stormy look on his face. Leah patted his shoulder, gently pushing him out faster. They all piled into the car. “Has that ever happened before?” Bella asked Jacob, she felt too anxious to ask but asked anyways. 

“No. But I’ve also never gone with girls before. It’s usually either my dad or Quil and Embry,” Jacob sighed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think he’d be such a creep.” 

“It’s not your fault. Some guys are just like that,” Leah sighed. “We should’ve let Bella hit him.”

“Me? So I could break my wrist punching someone, no next time I’ll let Jake hit,” Bella snorted. Leah turned on the car, her own hand flexing on the wheel. 

“You kidding? You stayed quiet, but the face you stayed quiet with spoke volumes,” Leah laughed. “We know Jake could’ve cold clocked that ass, but I bet you could’ve gotten him good. But if you break your hand when you hit people then I think you need to learn how to throw a punch.”

“She could start going to the gym with us!” Jake recommended. “Leah found this super cool boxing gym. You could get buff and learn to hit guys like that.”

“Getting buff is your department,” Bella snorted. “Besides, boys won’t like me as much if I can arm wrestle better than them. That’s what my mom used to tell me.”

“Sounds like those boys are weak,” Leah commented. 

“Yeah, my dad always said that a real man isn’t afraid of a woman who’s smarter or stronger or taller,” Jake agreed. “Maybe you just need to find better options.”

“They probably are,” Bella joked with them. “Do you think if we tell this new guy we got harassed we’ll get a discount there instead?” 

“It’s worth a shot,” Jake shrugged. Both of them still looked tense, but Leah seemed to be calming down a little easier. 

“Jake, what is it called again- that engine part that makes sparks?” Bella asked. 

“The- the spark plug?” He asked, giving her a confused look. “It’s literally in the name, Bella. We replaced four of them yesterday and you said that its name was derivative in a good way.”

“You’re teaching him all of your five point SAT words,” Leah snorted. 

“Spark plug- thank you I forgot. Do we need spark plugs?” Bella hoped that the dumb questions made him so confused he forgot to be angry. 

“No, we’re good on those, I had a few laying around. But we need to rebuild some of the cylinders on your bike so we need all the stuff for that. And I need to replace some of the internal wiring on mine as well as the ignition.” Her plan worked in a way, and instead of looking angry Jacob was now telling her in detail all of the parts that they needed and what they were for. Leah pulled into the next shop, giving Bella an approving smile and gently squeezing her arm. Bella couldn’t think when Leah did that. Her stomach felt weird and her head got fuzzy whenever Leah touched her, or sat too close to her on the couch. Sitting in a car with Leah this long was lethal. 

“Better luck here,” Bella whispered the words. 

“This place’s be a lot better,” Jake promised. “Chuck sells the parts cheaper because they’re secondhand, but this place is an actual, reputable business.” It did look a lot better. The cheery green sign above the door declared it ‘Rock’s Repairs’ and through the large, clean windows Bella could see the neat and organized rows of various vehicle parts and accessories. They piled out of the car, quickly walking inside to avoid the coming rain. 

“You okay?” Leah asked softly, staying close to Bella as they trailed behind Jake, who was gleefully loading up the cart with everything they needed. He was completely in his element here, critically examining different parts and brands before making his selections. 

“Yeah, that was just unexpected,” Bella said softly. “If I ever kissed a girl, it wouldn’t be because someone told me to,” she tried to joke but she felt her cheeks warm up unexpectedly. 

“Me either,” Leah responded, looking unexpectedly shy. She never thought about kissing a girl before, and she certainly never thought about kissing Leah. That would be insane.

“I got all the parts and a few extra,” Jacob said as he came over with a few boxes. 

“Then let’s head out,” Bella nodded at him. She mostly wanted to leave so she could stop having these random thoughts. 

“Food time!” Leah cheered. “What do you like to eat around here, Bella?”

“I actually don’t know,” she scratched the back of her head unsurely. 

“You’ve been here a few times, right? You’ve gotta know a few good places,” Jake smiled, nudging her.

“Not really, I don’t really eat much when I come here- I mean I ate at one place but it doesn’t have a lunch, only a dinner opening.”

“You didn’t eat when you came here?” Leah asked, looking confused. “Did your boyfriend never take you out to eat? Or did he only take you to the diner in Forks?”

“We don’t really go out to eat, normally we just hung out at his parents house and they have a diet…” she trailed off. 

“Huh.” Leah frowned, looking displeased. “Come on, I know a really good spot. Burgers, salads and soups, sandwiches, anything you could want. It’s on me.”

“Yeah, that does sound good,” Bella nodded. Was that the right thing to say? She was second guessing herself. 

“Cool,” Leah smiled, pulling Bella over to the car. “That sound good to you, Jake?”

“I have literally never said no to a good burger,” Jacob laughed. “Let’s go!”

Bella let out a small breath, allowing herself to smile. Being with Jacob and Leah was easy, easier than she’d felt in a long time. Bella didn’t feel like she was walking on eggshells, each step getting questioned over and over and wondering when she’d make the wrong one and set herself back. She felt… free. 

No, that couldn’t be right. She was free when she was with Edward, right? He wasn’t suffocating her. Maybe it was just being around humans again. She didn’t have to worry as much around them because they didn’t need as much accommodation. The Cullen’s needed accommodations, and that was okay. Bella didn’t mind it. She could make herself small, skip a few meals and tread carefully if it meant keeping them comfortable. If it meant keeping Edward happy. That’s all she had been doing, keeping Edward happy. Keeping that loving gaze on herself. Edward had loved her, he’d loved her madly and deeply, the kind of love that consumed everything like a fire, stealing the oxygen and filling every corner of a space. And she’d loved him right back with equal fervor. 

She needed to focus. Remember what this was about. She enjoyed spending time with Leah and Jake, her two warm balls of sunshine, but the purpose of it all was to see him again. And it was working. He appeared in the shop, he’d showed up when she bought the bikes. 

He loved her and wanted to protect her from her own recklessness, but if recklessness was the only way to have a piece of him then Bella would throw herself into it with abandon. Anything for him. 

As they all sat down and ate, Bella felt more comfortable since she wasn’t the only one eating for once. She was usually starving by the time she got home and then her and Charlie ate dinner at home or at the diner. And Leah was sitting so close next to her that she felt safe. Safer than she did with Edward at some points. 

“So what bookstore are we going to first?” Leah asked, giving Bella her full attention. 

“Uh- just Twice Owned is good. They have some good stuff there…” Bella didn’t know what to do with all the attention on her like this. 

“You sure you wanna go to just one? We can hit a few more,” Jake offered. “I know Leah loves bookstores, and my dad said I need to start reading more anyways. We’d both love some book suggestions.”

“I wouldn’t wanna bore you guys,” Bella said nervously.

“You won’t,” Leah assured her. “And it’ll give me something to do next time you guys have a homework day.”

“Alright yeah,” Bella nodded. “How are your classes at Udub going… you’re majoring in…”

“Literature,” Leah answered.

“Right… you were always reading in school,” Bella nodded. “How’s that going?”

“Good! I really like it. I had to take a semester off for some personal reasons, but luckily administration was understanding,” Leah replied. “I’m still in my freshman year, but I liked my classes. And it’s nice to get away sometimes.”

“I was planning on going to the university of Alaska… but it’s just really far.” Bella said. 

“That’s crazy far. What would you major in?” Leah asked.

“I don’t know, I always thought sciences but… I guess I haven’t really thought about it.” Her whole life had just been about surviving to the next point. Making it to high school, making it to graduation, she didn’t really have a plan for what came after. 

“I could take you up to UDub if you want,” Leah offered, eyes locked on the linoleum table in front of them. “Give you a tour of campus, get you one of those pamphlets that shows degree paths. Fully up to you though. I’m not gonna make you.” 

“You’d do that?” Bella asked softly. “I haven’t toured a campus yet.”

“Yeah. We could tour a few. You’re still young, and you’re smart as hell. You deserve to see your full pick of options before making any decisions,” Leah smiled. 

“I guess…” she hadn’t thought about it. Edward had said that his family was moving to Alaska after graduation to lay low for a while and she never thought about going anywhere else. “I just hadn’t really thought about college much-” she quickly said. 

“I say UDub,” Jacob chimed in. “That way you could still come around. We’re fixing these bikes up for a reason, we gotta ride them together. It would really suck if my best friend disappeared again.”

“Ill consider it. I’m sure my dad might like it too if I went there. Washington is starting to grow on me,” Bella admitted. They all got up, Leah quickly paying before Bella could. 

“What was it like growing up in Arizona?” Leah asked. 

“It was… well Arizona was the last stop in a long line of moves. But me and my little cactus made it here in one piece… Arizona was too hot to even just sit outside. I didn’t really get out much, and it was hard to make friends when I moved around so much so I just didn’t after a while.”

“I bet. Well, you’ve got friends now,” Leah told her. 

“Yeah! Ones you’re not allowed to leave anymore,” Jake teased. “Gimme a few months with you and you’ll be right back to the girl who’d chase me around a muddy yard while we played swords with sticks.”

“I don’t know, probably not,” Bella chuckled as they all piled into Leah's car. 

“Let’s get back and get working on these bikes, I wanna see you ride,” Leah told her with a teasing grin. She started her car, navigating easily back to the road. Bella tried to be subtle about her staring, tilting her head and looking through her lashes at the woman in the driver's seat. Leah really was unfairly pretty. Tanned skin, a strong, square jaw that fit her frame perfectly, and long hair always plaited back or over her shoulder. Despite the chill, she wore a short-sleeved men’s shirt that showed off her strong arms. Arms that had saved Bella in the woods when she was curled up like a wounded animal on the forest floor waiting to die. She had a calm confidence about her, the kind of self-assurance Bella had never possessed, and she always seemed relaxed. It was a sharp contrast to Edward, who held himself stiffly, coldly, only seeming to soften in the dark of the night when they were alone in Bella’s room.

 She shouldn’t be comparing them, she scolded herself. They were two different worlds, two different feelings. Leah was her friend, Edward was the love of her life. They had nothing in common. Bella quickly looked out the window instead, getting dragged into Jacob’s game of eye spy and losing spectacularly as she tried to pick out anything in the blur of green flashings past them. 

“Leah, did you wanna go out- just the two of us?” Bella blurted out. 

“Huh?” Leah looked over, perking up. “Y-yeah! Yeah, I’d love to. That would be fun.”

“You guys should go! You should go tomorrow. Or even today,” Jake said quickly. Almost too quickly, Leah narrowing her eyes at him in the rearview. “What? You two are awesome but I need some time with my boys. You two should definitely go out and do something together.”

“I already said yes,” Leah snorted before glancing at Bella. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking we could hit all the libraries in a 10 mile radius and then pick a spot on a hiking trail to sit and read with a view?” Bella asked. She always wanted to do outside activities here since the weather was so good, but it was hard with Edward. 

“Sounds perfect. Are you free Saturday?” Leah asked. 

“Yeah actually I think our dads are hanging out that day so that works perfect,” Bella nodded.

“I can come meet you at your house? Forks has the better library,” Leah joked. Her eyes were fixed on the road, but occasionally Bella caught her looking over almost as if she couldn’t keep her eyes away. 

“Yeah, if you wanna come get me. That sounds fun. I- I do like the library there,” Bella said. “I’m usually up early so whenever you wanna come over is cool with me.”

“I’ll call before I swing by,” Leah told her. “I’m looking forward to it. Thanks.”

“Oh right yeah- you can call,” Bella nodded. Edward always just showed up without saying anything.

Maybe this would be a good thing.

Chapter Text

Charlie

For the first time since September Charlie felt like he could finally breathe. Bella was going out again, she was talking and eating. She was talking about her friends and more importantly she was alive again. The color had come back, the nightmares were getting less and less frequent, and she was even laughing again. Charlie got up on Saturday, getting everything ready to go fishing with Harry and Billy, and to his surprise Bella was already dressed in the kitchen making breakfast. 

She was listening to music. 

Charlie hadn’t heard her listen to music since it had all went down. 

“Mornin’ Bells,” he said happily. “What’s got you up so early?”

“Leah and I are having a girls day. No shopping,” she snorted. “Do you and Harry want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the road?” She gestured to all the stuff she already pulled out. 

“Love one, thanks,” Charlie smiled. “I can make them though, you eat your breakfast. And maybe tell me what a girls day with Leah entails. She’s never seemed like the girly girl type.” Charlie gently shooed her out of the way when she was done making hers and Leah’s.

“We’re going to the library and then hiking to a good reading spot. I know you said no woods, but Leah and I found this trail that goes to the shore. It’s technically a punch beach but we’re hoping no one will bug us.”

“Just be careful?” Charlie pleaded. 

“I promise. We’ll be in the ‘no large bears’ territory. Worst thing that’ll happen is I’ll get bit by a turtle.”

“Don’t joke, knowing you, that’d require stitches,” he snorted. “You’ll grow out of it. You get it from me and I eventually did. When I was almost thirty.” 

“Will you be home in time for dinner?” She asked him.

“No!” Harry said from the living room. “You and Leah should go get something.” Charlie looked over suspiciously. 

“He’s right, we won’t. Need any money to go out for some food?” Charlie asked her. 

“Maybe…” Bella said sheepishly. “I accidentally spent mine on the parts we needed for the bikes.”

“Still don’t like that you’re building those,” Charlie grumbled quietly, pulling out his wallet and passing her a few bills. “Remember, when they’re done you only ride them safely. Full gear, no reckless driving, and never when it’s dark or raining. I’ll make you watch that VHS about motorcycle wrecks again if I have to. Two wheeled organ donor machines.”

“Don’t worry Jake already gave me the whole safety speal. Really it’s turned more into learning about engines,” Bella shrugged. 

“That’s good. Never hurts to know more about engines,” Charlie nodded. “I’m really proud of you, Bells. I’ll see you tonight, have fun with Leah.” 

“You guys have fun too,” Bella nodded at him. “Bye Harry!” She shouted. 

“Have a good day, Bella!” Harry called back. Charlie followed him out, loading their fishing gear into Harry’s truck. Charlie got into the passenger seat, looking over at his friend. 

“Anything I should be aware of? About our daughters?” He asked. 

“Hm? What are you talking about?” He said a little too nonchalant. 

“I’m asking if they’re just two really good friends or if I need to find someone to give Bella a- y’know, different kind of birds and bees talk.” Charlie scratched the back of his head awkwardly. If this was more than a friendship Charlie was way out of his depth. 

“I- hm-“ Harry nodded. “I just think they’re better for knowing each other.”

“They definitely are,” Charlie agreed. “Bella’s happy again. She’s… she coming back to life with Leah and Jake.” He looked over at Harry, narrowing his eyes. “If it is more than just a friendly thing, are you gonna have a problem with it? Because I’m letting you know right now I’m not gonna tolerate any kinda bigotry. I don’t let racism towards you slide, and I’m not gonna let homophobia towards my daughter slide either.”

“No- it’s not like that.” Harry let out a small sigh. “You remember how Leah was after her and Sam. I’m just worried about her. I worry that she’s a little blind to what's good in front of her. I think she’s worried about being let down again, but that’s part of life.” 

“Yeah. I just… I just want Bella to heal and see the good again. After that Cullen kid… I just want her to be happy with someone who treats her right. Leah’s a good girl, no matter what they’re helping each other.”

“I agree. After Leah found Bella in the woods… I’m glad they rekindled their friendship. They used to be so close,” Harry said. “I’m glad the Cullens left town. Less trouble after they left.”

“Much less,” Charlie grumbled, anger rising again. “If they ever come back I’ll personally break my boot off in Edward Cullen’s ass for what he did. The Cullen’s aren’t welcome in my town anymore, not after he hurt her and abandoned her like that.”

“If they ever come back I’ll help you,” Harry chuckled.

“I really need this fishing day,” Charlie sighed. “A day away where I know Bella’s safe, nothing’s falling apart, and where Renee can’t call and gripe at me. Thanks for setting it up. Hope the biting is good, and if we’re lucky we might even be able to catch sight of that bear that’s been terrorizing the area and deal with it.” 

“Here’s hoping,” Harry agreed. 

They both fell into silence, Harry heading to Billy’s to pick him up. Charlie felt himself relax. This is just what he needed, a day on the river with his friends with a few beers and a line in the water.

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Bella waited on her porch for Leah, picking nervously at her nails waiting for her. Leah called to say she was on her way about twenty minutes ago and she didn’t want Leah to be waiting for her. It was still a little strange, knowing when someone was coming. Edward always just showed up. Leah was completely different, and Bella found herself getting comfortable. Comfortable enough that the pain in her chest, the hole inside her that Edward left, it almost seemed healed. She couldn’t get Leah’s comfortable deep brown eyes and soft hands out of her head. The way Leah made sure that Bella was always walking next to her and not trailing behind her.

Bella couldn’t stop comparing Leah and Edward which was always strange. Edward was her  ex-boyfriend and Leah was… her and Leah were just friends right? 

She shook out of her thoughts as Leah’s Subaru pulled up, parking next to her truck. 

“Hey, Bella! You ready?” Leah asked with a charming smile. Bella stood up when she was startled by a voice. 

“Don’t get in the car with her. Get back inside.” Edward’s voice was unexpected, and Bella had to resist the urge to jump. He only showed up when she was in danger, what was he doing here? She tried to keep it cool as she walked to the car. 

“Sorry, I was a little stiff from sitting outside,” Bella let out a small sigh and hopped in the warm car. Leah’s hand covered her own, a worried look on Leah’s face.

“Were you sitting outside the whole time? Shit, Bells, you’re freezing,” Leah commented, holding Bella’s hands in her own and trying to warm them up.

“Y-“ Bella couldn’t stop the stammer. “I didn’t want you to be waiting on me.” She looked down and saw two drinks in the cup holder.

“Oh yeah, I didn’t know what you liked so I got you a hot black tea, but I have some sugar packets if you like it sweet,” Leah said, not moving her hands.

“Th-thanks-“ Bella had no idea how to react to this. 

“Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you worry about me waiting,” Leah said gently. “Whenever we hang out, I don’t mind if you take a few extra minutes or even longer. Really, you don’t have to go out of your way for me like that.”

“Alright,” Bella nodded at her. “Thanks for pre warming the car… I know you’re already warm. We- we can turn it down if you need.”

“No way, you need the heat,” Leah argued. “I’m fine, I’m always warm. So long as I don’t have to wear a jacket I’m good. Did you eat breakfast? I brought some muffins,” she offered.

“Oh I also made us a pb and j, but I’ll also take a muffin,” Bella said softly.

“Awesome! I love PB&J’s!” Leah said excitedly. “I brought a lot of snacks, I’m a huge snacker. Do you like veggie trays? I-” Leah blushed, looking embarrassed. “I was hoping that we could hang out for most of the day so I tried to make sure we had enough.” 

“Yeah, I love vegetables and snacks. Also I figured if we ran out of snacks we could come back to my house- but only if you wanted to or if it didn’t put you out-“ Bella said quickly.

“Yeah, I’m pretty much up for whatever,” Leah smiled slightly. “Can I ask a question?”

“You can ask me anything.”

“It’s about your ex, I just wanna make sure you feel comfortable answering. If not, I’ll drop it, no hard feelings.”

“Uh- you can ask me and if I don’t wanna say anything I’ll tell you?” Bella said nervously. 

“That’s fair,” Leah agreed. “Your ex- you don’t talk about him much, but the way you act…  did he-“ Leah looked like she was thinking carefully about her words. “Did you have to do things that accommodated him a lot?”

“I mean… he has more needs than I do. He and his family have a special diet because they’re not from here… he always liked things really clean and he only listens to classical music. But not too loud because he’s sensitive to noise…”

“Would he get mad at you if you didn’t follow that all?”

“Not mad- he- he would just get annoyed. He didn’t say it but like-“ Bella was trying to find away to explain it. “You know when you see a parent and a child and the kid is clearly annoying the parent but the parent isn’t saying anything… it’s kinda like that.”

“Are you the parent or the child in this scenario?” Leah asked. 

“The one causing the annoyance,” Bella snorted. 

“That’s… hm,” Leah trailed off, looking out the windshield at the road. 

“What’s up?” Bella asked.

“I have some opinions on that but I don’t wanna say something that’ll upset you,” Leah answered. 

“Like what?” Bella wanted to know. 

“Like that’s not a healthy dynamic,” Leah said carefully. “If you feel like a little kid trying to get a parents attention, if you feel like you need to fold yourself into a box just to fit into his life instead of you both working together to make it work… that’s not healthy, and it sorta explains a lot.”

“It’s both of our first relationships so I know things aren’t perfect…” Bella wanted to be offended but she couldn’t find the space to be. When Leah laid it out like that, it made sense. Bella knew it wasn’t from a place of trying to be rude. Edward was gone so there was no reason Leah would try to make either of them upset on purpose. 

“Sam was talking about marriage,” Leah said softly after a moment. “Said he wanted to buy us a house so we could grow old together. Kids, maybe a dog, both of us working on the Rez somewhere. The whole works.”

“Edward talked about getting married too out of high school. It all seemed like a good idea at the time- but it was different for you and Sam,” Bella said softly. Sam wasn’t a vampire. 

“Not at the end,” Leah said. “Sam disappeared on me too, just vanished for weeks. His parents said he was fine, but they wouldn’t let me talk to him. Two years together and then silence. He finally showed back up and instead of any explanations he just told me it was over. Next thing I know, he’s shacking up with my cousin Emily and neither of them will talk to me. They just give me this sad look from a distance. It wasn’t until the beginning of the month that he decided he wanted to see me again,” she scoffed, clenching the steering wheel so tight her knuckles went white. “I told him to fuck off. I’m done waiting on him to decide when he wants to pick me up and put me down.”

“So you’ve just been avoiding him since?” Bella asked. 

“Yep. Way I see it, if someone really loves you, they don’t just walk away. And if they walk away, what right do they have to come back, you know? I said my piece, I let them both know exactly what I thought of them, and now I’m done. Sam’s not the only one who can cut someone off cold.”

“Edward said his family was leaving… but he didn’t want to keep in contact. He promised that it would be like he never existed. He’s really held up that promise.”

“What a dick. Did he just leave you there in the woods?” Leah asked quietly.

“Yeah- but I didn’t have to chase him further into the woods. There’s a shortcut to the city but there’s no trail so it’s easy to get lost.” 

“It’s still a dick move. You didn’t deserve that, I’m sorry it happened to you,” Leah told her. Her voice was soft, gentle. Somehow it felt like her tone itself was finding all the jagged, raw wounds inside of Bella and covering them until the pain was gone. 

“You didn’t deserve that either,” Bella said softly. “I’m sorry about you and Sam.”

“Who needs a man, right?” Leah tried to smile. “All I need today is you, those snacks, some good books, and a gorgeous view.”

“You’re right,” Bella chuckled with Leah. “I’m starting to wonder if men are all they’re cracked up to be. Edward was the only person I’ve ever had a crush on and he might’ve ruined all men for me, in the worst way.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Leah snorted, raising her coffee cup. “Sam definitely put me off men. If the one who seemed completely perfect could do that, I don’t trust the rest of them either.” Bella gently tapped her tea against Leah’s coffee. 

“Cheers to that,” Bella smiled in agreement. “Jake says the bikes are gonna be ready soon. If you’re free again next weekend then we should take them.”

“Yeah! I won’t be riding, but I’ll watch you guys,” Leah smiled. 

“Great, as long as you’re there too, that’s all I care about.”

“Cool-“ Leah’s face went red, her eyes widening. She cleared her throat, the car jolting as she jerkily pulled into a parking spot in front of the library. “Sorry- uh- Books! Let’s go get some books. I love books.”

“I almost forgot what we were doing,” Bella said as she gripped the seat. “Let’s go see what’s new.”

“You’ll have to give me recommendations. All I read are old classics like Into The Wild and Wuthering Heights,” Leah chuckled. Bella perked up. 

“Oh my gosh I also love classics. I reread Pride and Prejudice… it’s still amazing.” Bella said softly. 

“That’s one of my favorites. Have you read Mansfield Park?” Leah asked as they got out of the car. She walked close to Bella, hand almost brushing hers and the warmth she radiated buzzing against Bella’s side. 

“No, but I’ll read anything by Jane Austen.”

“Same. Her and Emily Dickinson are my favorite authors,” Leah agreed. Her hand brushed the back of Bella’s and Bella tried to breathe through the dizziness. It wasn’t lightning, or sparks or even an inferno. It was a warm hearth in the winter, the sun coming out from the clouds on a summer day and brightening everything its rays touched. 

“I like this one- it’s one of her shorter ones. ‘The Moon’? Have you heard of it?” Bella asked.

“I have. It’s… something about it is just so beautiful. Like she makes the moon really sound like this amazing, ethereal being,” Leah smiled softly. “You know, it’s pretty heavily speculated in academic circles that she was a lesbian.”

“I’ve heard that one too,” Bella said. “When you look at her work through that lens… a lot more of her poems make sense.”

“Don’t get me started on literary analyses,” Leah joked. “We won’t get any actual reading done, I’ll just talk your ear off about books. Sam-“ she stopped herself, shaking her head. “I’ve got a bad habit of talking too much about literature interpretations.”

“That’s the whole point of literature is to pick it apart, find your own interpretations within it. Either everyone comes to the same conclusion or no one does. It’s like a mystery and you have the find the clues the author left for you,” Bella reassured her.

“It’s nice to talk to someone who gets it,” Leah told her. “Let’s see what we can find here, then we’ll head to the beach. Supposed to be good weather today, warm and sunny.”

“I missed sunny days. Edward- he’s allergic to the sun,” Bella said. “I like being outside.” 

“Damn, that sucks. I’m sorry you had to stay out of the sun because of him,” Leah winced. “I love the sun. We don’t get it much here so I try to enjoy it as much as I can. Surfing on a bright morning… there’s nothing like it.”

“I was being serious about keeping you company on the beach. I’ll make sure no one steals your stuff while you show off,” Bella gently bumped into Leah.

“Maybe. I haven’t been in a few months, it might be nice to get back out there,” Leah said softly. “I’ll let you know.”

“Great,” Bella stammered out.

As they went through the book selection, Bella found herself gravitating towards Leah. She couldn’t be more than a few feet away from her at all times. If Edward was a star in the sky, Leah was the sun. Bright, warm, and always at Bella’s center but not in the same way that Edward used to be. When she thought about Leah, it wasn’t all consuming or felt like a weight. Leah felt like fresh air. On the days that felt the most suffocating when Bella thought of her, the world seemed more manageable. When they were together, Bella didn’t feel like she was a burden or an inconvenience.

Do I like Leah? She paused at the thought as she held a book in her hand, pretending to stare at the synopsis. That couldn’t be right. This is just what it felt like to have a good friend. She looked over at Leah as subtly as possible. Jacob or Angela or Jessica didn’t invoke the same feelings that Leah did. But neither did Edward. Her feelings towards Leah were completely new and if Bella was being really honest: she had no idea how to handle them.

“That one look interesting?” Leah asked, stepping closer and tilting her head with a smile. “You seem really engrossed in that synopsis.”

“Uh-” she looked at the book again. “I’ve never been into sci-fi-” she quickly reshelved the book. “I think what I have is good, anymore and I won’t have time to sleep before they’re due.” Bella saw that they both grabbed copies of ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie. “Maybe we should start a book club.”

“I’m in. I don’t think Jake would wanna participate but that’s fine, I kinda like spending time alone with just the two of us,” Leah told her quietly, staring down at Bella with dark eyes that made Bella freeze. How was Leah so warm? Even her gaze was warm, reaching into Bella’s soul and thawing the parts of her she thought would forever be cold. 

“Me too,” Bella squealed out. “It’s nice- and Jake’s great but sometimes he reminds me that he really is just 16. It’s nice hanging out with someone my age.”

“He’s a good kid, but he definitely acts every bit the youngest child he is,” Leah chuckled. “He reminds me a lot of my little brother Seth. But just like Seth, I need a break sometimes. And spending time with you… it’s like a breath of fresh air.” Bella’s heart might as well have jumped out of her chest. 

“Maybe- maybe you can come over to my house sometime, we can have book club and I’ll cook for you,” Bella offered. She always wanted to do that. 

“I’d like that. I can help cook, or I can just sit in the kitchen and keep you company. Whatever you want,” Leah agreed eagerly. Bella didn’t even notice that they were standing in each other’s personal space, Leah’s body was so close to her she could feel the heat she radiated. For the first time, Bella’s eyes flashed down to Leah’s lips. She always fantasized about kissing someone in the library between the shelves. The figures in the past had always been hazy, but she couldn’t kiss Leah. 

“What’s your favorite? I’ll make it.” 

“I actually really love lasagna,” Leah answered. “I could eat an entire tray of lasagna by myself, and that is not an exaggeration. I’ve done it. I swear I don’t know where I put all the food I eat but I haven’t been full since my growth spurt.” She patted her stomach with a laugh, and suddenly all Bella could focus on was the solid planes of her torso, lean and muscular and completely on display thanks to her white muscle tee.

“Then lasagna it is,” Bella said. “I’ll make sides, I hope you like salad, too.”

“I can bring a salad!” Leah offered. “What kind of salads do you like?”

“As long as there’s lettuce and shredded vegetables or chicken, I love it,” Bella smiled up at Leah. It was contagious how excited Leah seemed. 

“Got it. I’m gonna make you the best garden salad you’ve ever had,” she boasted. 

“I’m gonna make you the best lasagna you ever had,” Bella pushed back.

“Sounds like me and you are gonna have an amazing dinner.” When did Leah get so close to her? And why was the air somehow denser now? Each breath was a struggle, Bella valiantly attempting to get oxygen to her spinning head and hoping it would calm her racing heart. “Come on, let’s check these out and get going.” Leah touched her shoulder, gently guiding Bella to the counter. They got their books, loading back up into the car and heading to the beach. 

Leah played music softly as they drove, some old band from the sixties playing from one of her many cassette tapes. It was peaceful, almost everything that made up Leah’s existence  was peaceful. The type of calm that settled in your bones the way that the moss settled on the world outside the car. Bella let herself fall into it, into the smell of her air freshener and the quiet guitars and the sound of Leah’s soothing voice as they chatted about everything and nothing at the same time. 

⚔️

Charlie and Harry were pulling in for the night, both of them catching a good haul. 

“How much you want to bet the girls are at your place?” Harry chuckled. 

“I’m not taking a losing bet, Harry,” Charlie snorted. 

“Bella and Leah are at your place? I was wondering where the other two fixtures in my garage were,” Billy joked. “They seem to be getting close.”

“They spent the whole day reading,” Harry said. “I know Leah, once she gets a book in her hand…” he trailed off, waving his hand. 

“Bella, too. I’m just glad she’s reading again,” Charlie smiled to himself, looking out the window. “Stop the truck!”

“What the-“ Harry slammed on the breaks and Charlie took off, rushing into the trees. He saw the movement as they were driving, just a flicker before it was gone. But the shape was unmistakeable. The animal was gone but Charlie checked the wet ground around them, crouching down. “Charlie, what the hell is going on?”

“It’s not a bear,” Charlie said, scowling at the print in front of him. “We’ve been hunting something that doesn’t exist. I saw it, Harry. Massive and dark furred. And this right here proves it. We’re looking for wolves.”

“No way, it has to be bears based on the size of the tracks,” Harry said. 

“This isn’t a bear track,” Charlie stated flatly. “Look. It’s the size of one, but four toes and a distinct pad, that’s a wolf track. I’ve seen plenty in my day. Let’s get going, I need to call this into the station to let them know.”

“Alright,” Harry nodded. “Let’s get back to the house. Quickly.“ Charlie nodded, jaw clenched as he quickly followed Harry back to the truck. 

“Yeah don’t worry about me, I can just wait around,” Billy snorted. 

“Charlie saw wolf tracks, says he saw a large wolf running through the trees,” Harry told him. The sudden tension in the truck can made Charlie’s hair prickle. His friends' faces were suddenly too tight, a forced neutrality that had his cop senses on edge.

“No way it’s wolf tracks,” Billy backed up Harry. “Something that big?”

“I’m not stupid, and these old eyes still work,” Charlie told him. “The ground is still wet from the storm last night, the mud made a perfect print. Four toes, not five, and a clover shaped pad. Trust me, it was a wolf. Big one, too. Might’ve come down from Canada.”

“Of course not, it’s just… it’s- it’s a stretch but if they’re there, then they’re there.” Billy nodded. “We can set something up, I can ask Sam to help too. Boy need something to do these days.”

“I’ll put out the alert, make sure everyone’s vigilant. Wolves are at least less dangerous, but this one might be rabid given the disappearances we’ve had. Tell everyone in La Push to stay safe, I don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

“We’ll spread the word,” Harry nodded. Charlie took them both in before humming to himself, going back to scanning the trees. Wolves shouldn’t be that big, and yet…

He was gonna have one hell of a hunt on his hands. 

Harry dropped Charlie off. No one was home yet to his surprise but it was only four. As Charlie shed off his layers before he grabbed his regular leather jacket and shake sure his catch was in the freezer. He needed to talk with someone who knew him best. 

He drove himself down to The Lodge, Cora should be going on her lunch break soon. As he pulled up to the familiar busy diner, he was second guessing ambushing Cora like this. They only spoke in passing since their break up, but he missed her all the time. He missed her when Bella was going through her depressive episode and he wished he had a partner to help him. He missed her when Bella ran off to Arizona. He missed her when he was making dinner, or when he made coffee. He was debating going in when she saw his car and gave him a small wave. He waved back, getting out of the car and smoothing out his flannel and walking inside. He took his usual booth, sliding into it and waiting for her to finish up at her current table. 

“Hey Charlie,” she smiled softly at him, bringing him some decaf coffee. Her ringlet hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her uniform looked pressed. “Here for dinner today?”

“Hey, Cora. Just here for the friendly face,” he answered. “I was, uh, actually hoping you’d have a break soon? I can hang out until your next one.”

“My lunch is in ten, is that okay?” She looked worried. 

“Yeah, no problem. Think I could sweet talk you into getting me one of those danishes while I wait?” He asked, smiling at her.

“I’ll bring you anything you want,” Cora went to reach out for him but stopped herself before going to the counter. He watched her take a few more orders to the kitchen and topping off some people’s drinks. She came back over with his danish before she came back with her own lunch. She always got a BLT and a Diet Coke. “You sure you don’t want anything? I’m sure Paul wouldn’t mind.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got fish at home to fry up, you know I’m weak for a good fried trout,” he chuckled. “How’ve you been, Cora? Everything alright?”

“I’ve been alright, the same. I wake up, volunteer at the library, go home, change, come here,” Cora said. “Speaking off I have a few books I think I can finally get you to read,” she chuckled. “How are you? How’s Bella?”

“Bella’s…” he let out a breath, smiling slightly. “Bella’s Bella again. She still has nightmares, but she’s eating and talking and hanging out with friends, she’s doing good in school again. She’s coming back.”

“That’s great,” Cora smiled wide. “So Jacob and Leah are still helping her? Was she able to get her work made up? If not, I can talk to Susie from the library if she needs a tutor.” 

“Yeah. About that…” Charlie cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. “Do you know any lesbians? Or, maybe a bisexual or something?”

“Is there something you wanna talk about?” Cora asked slowly. 

“Bella and Leah are getting… close. And I don’t think it’s friendly. I'm pretty damned sure it’s not friendly, I dunno. Do teen girls usually hold each other and play with each other's hair and hold hands and stare longingly at each other?” Charlie asked.

“No they don’t,” Cora chuckled softly. “They sound like they’re down bad for each other. Sorry I don’t know any lesbians. They all moved away after high school, mostly to Seattle. I mean… I would just take the boyfriend rules and apply them to Leah? I mean, that’s what I would do.”

“That’s what I’m planning on on my end, I just wanna be prepared. Make sure she can have all the information she needs and all that. I just hope it’s not too soon. She’s just in a sensitive place. Leah, too. Her long term boyfriend cheated on her with her cousin and then dumped her.”

Cora nodded, thinking for a moment before responding. “Between Bella’s break up and Leah’s… they probably want some time to just be friends. But Bella is a smart girl, if not an over thinker. She’ll weigh all her options even if she doesn’t know Leah is an option yet. But you’re doing great, and I think it’s good that you’re sticking by her, which is the most important part. We’ve all dated one or two terrible guys and she’ll recover.”

“I really miss you, Cora,” Charlie sighed quietly. “You always make me feel sane. Thank you. For being you.” He reached out, gently taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. Cora had stood by him thick and thin, giving him time and space, giving him patience, she’d even let him call off their budding relationship when he heard Bella was coming back. He didn’t deserve her, but he was glad to have her in his life.

“Is it selfish to say I miss you too?” Cora didn't look at him when she said it. She was looking at their joined hands. 

“No. It’s not,” Charlie told her. “I know I have no right to ask you to wait around still but… Bella’s going to college in a few months. She graduates in May. If you think you might still want me then, I’d really like the chance to take you out.”

“I think that sounds fun,” Cora looked at him. “Just… if you want- could you call more in the meantime? I wanna hear your voice more. Only if you’re not too busy with Bella obviously.”

“Yeah. I can definitely call more. Bella’s finally out of the house again, and she’s even been having sleepovers,” Charlie smiled slightly. “We could do what we used to do, call after work and talk late into the night like a coupla teenagers.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Cora's smile widened. “I get home at 10? If that’s not too late for you.”

“Not at all. I’ll be up watching my fishing shows,” he joked. “Do you need a ride home? Supposed to storm tonight. I know you don’t live far but I hate the thought of you out in that kinda weather.”

“Only if you’re feeling up to it,” Cora said softly. 

“I’ll be here at close and wait for ya to finish up,” he promised. Leah was staying the night, Bella wouldn’t even notice him leaving. He owed Cora so much, giving her a ride like he used to was nothing.

“Then I’ll look for your car,” Cora nodded. “I gotta head back, but I’ll keep refreshing your coffee for you. I’ll also sneak you a few things for you and Bella,” she whispered conspiratorially. 

“You’re an angel, Cora,” Charlie smiled at her softly. “I’ll just be here, hanging around. Might not stay all the way through close, but you could talk me into a nice bacon burger. That BLT looked good.” 

“You can save that fish fry for another night,” Cora said as she stood up. “I’ll bring you a little something.” She squeezed his hand again before going back to the kitchen and her shift. 

Charlie hung around for about an hour, Cora coming by when she could. Topping off his coffee, getting him a few things here and there and when he was getting ready to leave back get the house she was ready with that box of goodies.

“I’ll see you at 9:30,” she smiled softly at him. 

“9:30 on the dot,” he confirmed. “I’ll call more often, too. Might even try to be around more. With everything going on… I just wanna keep you safe.”

“With you on the case, I feel plenty safe around these parts,” Cora tried to reassure him. 

“I’m always on the case. Got that chief position for a reason,” he chuckled. “I’ll see ya in a few hours, Cora. Have a good rest of your shift.”

“See you soon,” Cora gave him another small wave as he left out the front door. 

The drive back home was quiet without Cora. Normally she would be with him, catching him up on all the drama as well as tell him about her day. Sometimes they would just be sitting and enjoying each others company. He missed having her in his house, she filled his days with warmth and for the first time he could see himself really being with someone. 

At the end of the day, he felt selfish wanting his daughter and Cora. Bella really was a full time job. Kids are always are no matter how old they are. 

He saw Leah’s car in the drive way, thankful that they were home but worried because it was so early. The tension drained out of him at the sound of his daughter laughing in the living room, louder than she’d laughed since meeting Edward. He’d never heard Bella sound so calm and happy before. 

“I’m home!” He called, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it up alongside his hat. 

“In the living room!” Bella shouted. Charlie walked over, seeing the two of them on the couch. He sighed when he saw Bella’s wrapped ankle with an ice pack on it, giving her a knowing look. 

“Hey, Charlie. She slipped on some of the rocks when we were leaving the beach,” Leah told him. “Literal seconds after I told her to watch her footing.”

“I’m fine,” Bella scoffed. “Leah carried me back to the car and bandaged me up. She even made me soup.”

“Eh, it was from a can. Canned soup isn’t cooking, it’s just reheating,” Leah shrugged. “I’m just glad I caught you before it was worse. Charlie might’ve killed me if I brought you back with a bump on your head.”

“Leah really did save me from a broken leg though,” Bella chuckled. Charlie watched them interact, the blushing cheeks and traded glances, and shook his head to himself. He had no idea how to talk to his daughter about dating girls. 

“Thanks for saving her, Leah. You sticking around for the night?” He asked Leah. 

“No, I should be going,” Leah answered, sounding disappointed. Bella also looked a little disappointed.

“I invited her to dinner sometime next week, I’m making lasagna,” Bella told Charlie. “Maybe we could do a movie night in?”

“Sounds perfect to me,” Leah agreed. “If you’re alright with it, Charlie?”

“Yeah. Don’t mind me,” Charlie nodded. “But be careful going home, maybe give us a call when you get there. Finally caught sight of that predator in the forest that might be attacking people. It’s no bear, it’s a wolf. A big one.”

“A wolf?” Leah asked, raising her eyebrows. “I’ve heard howling, but I thought it was just one of the packs in the area.”

“A wolf?!” Bella looked concerned. “Why were you in the woods far enough to see a wolf??”

“I saw it from the road!” Charlie defended before pausing. “Hang on, I’m the parent I don’t have to justify myself to you. But I want you girls to be extra vigilant, no going out alone and no going deep into the trees. Not until we take this thing out.”

“Don’t worry, Charlie. We’ll be safe,” Leah promised. Charlie remembered when Edward had promised the same thing, saying he’d keep Bella safe. Charlie believed Leah a lot more.

“I’d offer to walk you out…” Bella chuckled. “Call me when you finish the chapter, we’ll discuss.” Bella held up the book they were reading. 

“I will. I’ll see you later, Bella.” Leah gave Bella a hug, and Charlie watched them interact. Bella’s face was flushed, and when her hands came up to hug Leah back she gently gripped the material of Leah’s shirt like she was trying to cling to her. When Leah pulled away, the look Bella gave her was somewhere between awed and confused, settling on one of her awkward smiles that seemed to have Leah charmed right back. 

“Bye,” Bella mumbled out, watching Leah closely as she gathered her stuff. 

“Leah,” Charlie nodded at her. 

“Have a good night, Charlie,” Leah nodded back, quickly heading out the door. Charlie frowned at Bella’s ankle, catching her eyes. 

“You got hurt.”

“I asked Leah to show me the tidepools,” Bella explained. “She helped me down there but when we were coming back up my foot slipped. It really wasn’t that bad, Leah overreacted. I’ve twisted my ankle way worse than this. It wasn’t even swollen but she insisted on wrapping and icing it,” Bella snorted. “But the tidepools were so cool! And we even saw some orcas out in the water! It was a great time even after.”

Charlie took in his daughter, reading her face and body language. This didn’t look like when she used to get hurt around Edward. Her eyes were bright and she looked relaxed, smiling widely as she told Charlie all of the things Leah showed her. He cracked a small smile, some of his own tension easing. 

“I’m glad you two had a good day. Let me know if you need anything,” he told her. 

“I will, thanks dad,” Bella told him before going back to her book on the couch. About twenty minutes later, the phone rang and Bella scrambled off the couch, slamming into the cabinet with a wince as she rushed to answer it. Charlie just snorted, shaking his head and going upstairs as Bella softly spoke to Leah over the phone. 

Between Bella finally on the up and Cora wanting to be more in his life… Things were finally looking up. 

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

“If I told you, we couldn’t fix these bikes… what would you have said?” Jacob asked as the three of them were cramped in Bella’s cab, Leah trying to make herself as small as possible. Being squished between them was like being stuck between two furnaces, Bella had even turned the heat off in her truck just for comfort.

“Are you doubting your mad skills?” Bella joked.

“No, I just-” Jacob let out a small sigh. “I guess I was thinking that I don’t know what we’re gonna do after this. I’m thinking I should’ve stretched out the rebuild.”

“If you told me you couldn’t fix these bikes, I would’ve told you that sucks and we’ll have to figure out something else to do,” Bella said plainly. 

“I think between the three of us we would’ve found something equally as dangerous to do,” Leah snorted. 

“Probably. But I just wanted to hang out,” Bella told them. “The bikes were just a convenient excuse, but we could’ve gone, like, outdoor exploring or started a movie club or really anything. You’re my best friend, Jake. That’s the reason I came to you. And Leah joining in just made it better.” 

“Okay.” Jacob smiled, perking back up. “Cool because I was worried you only wanted me for my sick skills.”

“He needs something to brag about,” Leah snorted. “How else is he supposed to impress all his friends if he doesn’t have his ‘totally awesome adult friend’ that helps him rent R rated movies and goes out driving with him?”

“I don’t see the appeal of ‘R’ rated movies. I like the action movies that my dad and I watch but, what’s there to say about people making bathroom jokes for an hour and a half,” Bella snorted.

“Action and horror are great, but R rated comedy’s suck,” Leah scoffed in agreement. 

“Ye-yeah! Totally! Who cares about movies like that?” Jacob quickly agreed. Leah snickered, giving Bella a knowing look. 

“I- oh my god!” She stopped the truck after she saw someone getting shoved off the cliff. She has no idea what Sam was doing with Jacob’s friends. She heard Leah and Jacob follow her out, but to her surprise they just started laughing. “Did you not see that?! They just shoved him off a cliff!”

“Relax, Bella. They’re cliff diving,” Jacob told her. “You know? Recreationally?”

“It’s completely safe, a lot of us do it,” Leah explained. “It’s a huge rush. Most of us go from the lower cliffs, but…” her face twisted in anger, glaring at the tallest figure on the cliffside. 

“Sam and his little cult always go from the tallest,” Jake scoffed, also glaring. 

“A rush?” Bella said unsurely. That could be another way to see Edward. 

“Yeah. It’s a massive adrenaline rush when you do it right,” Leah confirmed. “The fear of jumping, the fall, hitting the cold water. There’s nothing like it. I’m surprised your friends in Forks don’t do it.”

“No one does this- it’s-“ she watched as Quil jumped. “Wait- is- is that why we haven’t seen Quil and Embry?” She gestured to Sam. 

“Yeah. He got to them,” Jacob admitted. “They missed school for a week each, and then they were with him. Embry went first, then Quil. And… and now the way he watches me… I’m worried I’m next.”

“He’s not coming anywhere near you,” Leah promised. “I’ll kick his fucking ass if he tries. I’m gonna kick his fucking ass anyways, the pretentious, two-timing, no-good piece of-“

“Isn’t there anything your dad can do?” Bella asked Jacob. 

“Oh please, Sam’s the tribes golden boy,” Leah scoffed. “My dad’s on the council too and he still loves Sam even after he cheated on me and left me for my cousin.”

“What does your dad say, Leah?” Bella asked. 

“That I need to forgive him and that I’ll understand someday,” she spat. Bella could see her shaking from anger, fists clenched. Sam looked over and Leah gave him the double bird, snarling right back. 

“That day definitely isn’t today,” Bella snorted, grabbing Leah’s hand. “Let’s go ride these death traps.”

“Yeah, let’s go. Come on, Jake. Before he uses his weird cultists powers on you,” Leah huffed, squeezing Bella’s hand as they walked back to the car. 

They got to a nice dirt road that Jake and Leah used a lot. Jacob effortlessly pulled down both bikes again while her and Leah suited up first. Bella borrowed some riding gear from Leah, mostly the jacket and a helmet. 

“Remember, take it easy at first,” Leah coached softly, helping Bella put the helmet on and tightening it. “If you don’t, you will eat shit.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Bella said as she climbed on the bike. 

Jacob stood in front of her. “Clutch, your brake and accelerator.” 

“Got it,” Bella said again, nodding. She kicked the bike to life, feeling it rumbling beneath her. 

“Bella. Get off the bike. You promised me,” Edward’s voice was already there, whispering to her from the sidelines. Leah was looking around with a frown, but she didn’t seem to see him so Bella figured she heard something else. Bella revved the engine, letting off the brake and tearing down the road. 

She drove down the straight away and Edward popped up again- and again- she whizzed passed him a few times before she hit a small rock and lost control of the bike.

“Bella! The brake!” Jacob shouted after her. 

“Bella. Stop,” Edward commanded, appearing in front of her. 

Bella did use the brake. 

Way too suddenly. 

One second she was on the bike and the next she was flying through the air, and then was skittering uncontrollably across the ground running into a rock. The helmet slammed against it hard, but it took the brunt of it, leaving her just mildly dazed. 

“Bella!” “Bella!” She blinked at the twin shouts of her name, looking up at Jacob and Leah running towards her. 

“Are you crazy?! I told you to slow down!” Jacob told her while Leah helped her sit up, taking off her helmet. 

“I wanna go again,” Bella blurted out. 

“No. No way,” Jacob shoot his head. “No more bikes.”

“Jacob, she’s fine,” Leah said calmly before turning towards Bella with a smirk. “Nicely done, dumbass. I told you not to hit the gas too hard.”

“I breaked the front breaks instead of the back ones in a panic.” Bella felt something hot on her chest. She unzipped her jacket to show that she had cut herself on her collarbone. “Oh my god- I’m so sorry-“ she quickly tried to stop it and wipe it away but she had nothing to clean it with.

“Are you really apologizing for bleeding?” Jacob asked, looking confused. Leah stripped out of her jacket, taking off her flannel and ripping one of the sleeves off to ball up and press against the cut. 

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Bella murmured awkwardly. She forgot that she was around people who weren’t affected by her blood, both of them completely human and unphased. 

“We might need to hold off on riding until you get a better jacket,” Leah commented. “Looks like the zipper cut you.” 

“Oh shit,” Bella let out a nervous laugh. “I think you’re right. I hit like a rock or something- but- I still wanna go again.” Bella did, but with Leah touching her like this it was hard for Bella to think.

“You sure?” Leah asked. “You gonna eat shit again or are you gonna actually ride this time?” She looked amused, gently wiping the blood off of Bella’s chest. She wasn’t freaked out or strained or annoyed, and she didn’t look upset that Bella wanted to get back on the bike. She didn’t look at Bella like she was fragile. 

It had been a long time since someone hadn’t treated her like she was fragile. 

“You’re only getting back on that thing if you’re gonna be careful,” Jacob told her sternly. “I’m not gonna get my ass chewed out by Charlie because I let you get a head injury.”

“Eh, she could take it,” Leah shrugged. Bella stammered trying to get the words out. 

“I can,” Bella said softly. Leah pulled her to her feet, passing her the helmet again. The top of it was scraped up and a little dented, but it was still intact. Leah put her flannel back on, smiling at Bella. 

“You look dumb with just one sleeve,” Jacob snorted. Leah looked at her remaining one before suddenly ripping it off as well. “Why?”

“I dunno,” Leah shrugged. 

“I like it,” Bella felt her whole face warm up. Since when was Leah ripped? Her arms were massive and toned, muscles flexing with each movement. In nothing but a torn flannel, tank top, jeans, and her boots, something about Leah had Bella’s face burning and her mouth feeling dry. 

“Thanks,” Leah gave her a shy smile. Bella, Jacob and Leah got the bikes back to the starting line. 

Bella didn’t see Edward pop up for the rest of the afternoon, but she didn’t notice until she got home. She didn’t crash or severely injure herself either once he was done appearing. Her dad wasn’t home so she had time to bandage herself up so it wasn’t noticeable that she had gotten hurt after she promised Charlie she wouldn’t.

As her and Charlie settled in for the night she couldn’t stop thinking about Leah. The way that she looked concerned for Bella and not worrying that something else was going to happen. Instead Leah’s focus was on her. It was such a stark difference from Edward. Bella would get hurt and the first thing he would do is look around to make sure no one saw or to get her out of sight. 

This new life she was in was different. Foreign still. But Bella was having too much fun to stop. 

Chapter Text

“Jessica- bailed… and Angela got the stomach flu so Eric’s taking care of her.” Bella felt a little awkward standing there with just Jacob and Mike after they all agreed to a movie night. Mike was frowning at Jake, and Jake was just looking around expectantly like he was waiting for someone. 

“Are you even old enough to see this movie?” Mike asked Jacob demeaningly. 

“Yeah! Well, not by myself but if I have an adult with me I can!” Jacob protested. 

“I’m the designated adult,” Leah’s voice said from behind Bella. Bella turned, inhaling sharply as she watched Leah saunter up. Her loose-fitting flannel somehow draped perfectly over her broad shoulders, sleeves rolled up despite the chill. Leah’s hair was loose today. Leah rarely wore it down, but today it was falling perfectly around her shoulders, a little neat from her pushing it back. She shot Bella a quick smile, coming right up to her. “Don’t worry kid, I’ll get you in.”

“Leah,” Bella smiled at her. “I didn’t realize when Billy said he was gonna send someone- I should’ve guessed.”

“Yep, I’m here to escort the child,” Leah chuckled, wrapping Bella in a warm hug. 

“Hey!” Jake protested. “But I’m glad you made it! Bella’s gonna need someone to protect her from the scary movie.”

“It’s an action movie, no scary parts,” Bella snorted. “I got the tickets for everyone so we’re good to head in.”

“Cool. Awesome,” Mike grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets. Bella started walking, feeling Leah bump into her, wrapping her arm around Bella’s shoulders. She turned, seeing Leah scowling at Jake who had a shit-eating grin on his face. 

“He’s plotting something,” Leah mumbled right next to Bella’s ear. “I don’t know what it is, but watch out.” 

“I’ll be on the look out,” Bella snorted. Being under Leah’s arm was comfortable. She liked the way Leah touched her. She didn’t treat Bella like she was fragile. It had been so long since someone touched her without being delicate that she’d almost forgotten that she wasn’t made of porcelain, but with Leah she felt like she was strong again. Like she was made of something durable, something that wouldn’t shatter if too much pressure was applied. 

They walked into the theater after getting their drinks and popcorn, finding their seats near the middle. Bella found herself sandwiched between Leah and Jacob, Mike giving them both dirty looks as he sat at the end. 

“Thanks for coming with us, some of my other friends couldn’t make it, but I’m glad you’re all here,” Bella smiled at everyone. 

“Of course! Glad we could come!” Jacob agreed happily. Mike just let out some mumble that sounded vaguely like an agreement with Jake. 

“Any excuse to spend time with you,” Leah smiled. “Thanks for not picking some romcom. I’d much rather watch a crappy action movie.”

“None of them looked good, if I was gonna watch a romcom, I would just rewatch when Harry Met Sally,” Bella snorted. 

“You mean the literal greatest cinematic masterpiece?” Leah laughed. Jacob shushed us as the lights dimmed, his bright eyes locked on the screen. Bella tried not to tense as Leah’s warm form moved closer, her lips near enough to Bella’s ear to make her entire body buzz. “Thanks for inviting him. He’s been telling all of his friends that he was getting to go see an R rated movie with his super cool older friends.”

“Any excuse for cool points,” Bella whispered back. Leah let out a quiet chuckle, getting comfortably next to Bella as the movie started to play. 

Calling it terrible would’ve been an understatement. The writing, the acting, the pacing, it was all jagged and overblown. Her and Leah were quietly giggling together over the character’s clunky dialogue, Leah pointing out all of the pyrotechnic crates and obvious blood packs as the movie devolved into nothing but explosions and gratuitous violence. 

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Mike bolted out of the theater before any of them could ask what was wrong. Bella looked over, letting out a sigh. 

“I’ll be right back, I’m gonna go check on him,” she whispered, squeezing Leah’s hand before getting up to follow. She could hear Leah and a grumbling Jacob right behind her as she left the theater, finding the nearest bathroom. She could hear Mike heaving from outside the door, wincing and stepping away. 

“Some guys just can’t handle a little blood,” Jake scoffed. 

“Hey, be nice,” Bella told him. 

“What?” Jake defended. “Not my fault he wimped out!”

“Jacob,” Leah warned. “Calm down. We’ll bring you back next weekend for the movie to make it up to you, but you need to have a little grace.”

Mike came stumbling out of the bathroom, pale and clammy. “I think I need to go home. I’m definitely sick. Not from the movie, I think I caught that flu that’s going around.”

“You look really sick. Maybe you need the hospital,” Jake growled, shaking. “Maybe I should put you in the hospital.”

“Jake!” Bella grabbed him before gasping. “Jeez, Jake. You’re really hot. You feel like you have a fever.”

“I’m gonna take him home,” Leah said apologetically. “You get Mike home safe. I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Bella agreed, trying to hide her disappointment. 

“You ruined everything,” Jacob spat at Mike. Leah grabbed him, dragging him away and marching him to her car. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t-“

“It’s not your fault, Mike,” Bella cut him off. “Come on, let’s get you home.” Mike just nodded, holding his stomach. “Jacob’s-“ Bella paused. “He has some family stuff going on, but usually he’s a chill guy, he’s not mad at you.”

“Kinda seemed like it,” Mike mumbled, climbing into her passenger seat and leaning forward. “Look- I- if you’ve got something going on with that chick I’d rather just know about it now.”

“What?” Bella asked, feeling really confused at Mike. 

“Leah? The girl you were with? The one Jacob was pissed I was interrupting your date with?” Mike clarified. “You were all over each other, it was like you two were in your own world. I didn’t know you swung that way but-“ Mike retched again, throwing up into the empty bucket he’d snagged from the theater. “That- that wasn’t homophobia I promise,” he groaned weakly. 

“It wasn’t a date…” Bella said softly. “She- I think it would’ve felt that way less if Jessica was able to show up… and Angela and Eric.” Mike gagged again. “I think the stomach bug really is going around.”

“Mhm,” Mike nodded, shivering in the seat. Bella pulled into his neighborhood, parking outside his house. “Thanks, Bella. Sorry if I got you sick, too.”

“Call me if you need anything,” Bella said softly. “Next time we can see that love spells backwards is love movie, or it’ll be your pick,” Bella promised.

“Alright,” he nodded before stumbling out of the car. Bella waited until he was in his door before driving home herself.

“This was a bust,” she sighed softly. 

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

 “Leah, I’m sorry about what happened at the movie… call me back please-“ Bella sighed as she hung up the phone and her dad came out with Harry. 

“Hey, Bells. You alright?” Charlie asked with concern. Harry looked over, but his face was blank, no emotion on it. 

“Yeah- just- I can’t get a hold of Jacob or Leah and it’s been a week.”

“They’re fine,” Harry answered. “Don’t worry about them. They had some personal matters to attend to but I’m sure that they’ll call you once they can.”

Charlie shot him a look, scowling. “Just hang in there. Don’t worry about it too much. We’re going out looking for those wolves, maybe you could go to the library or see some of your other friends?”

“They’re busy this weekend… they went to go see Washington State- they’re touring the campus-“ Bella said. “It’s fine- I’ll- I’ll figure something else out to do.”

“Stay in town,” Charlie told her gently, giving her a hug. “Hey. They care about you. They’ll call when they can.”

“Alright,” Bella said softly. “You two enjoy the game… I’ll be back later. I need some fresh air.”

“No forests,” Charlie said one last time before heading out. Harry just nodded at her, and for a fraction of a second he almost looked remorseful before he turned and followed. Bella stared out the kitchen window, watching the rain. One week. A full week without a word from either of them. It was like they’d dropped off the face of the earth. 

Unbidden, the conversation she’d had with Leah about Sam popped into her head. How he’d disappeared, wouldn’t talk to her, how his parents just said he was fine but wouldn’t let her see him. That thought made her angry. Was that was Leah was doing now? After admitting how much that hurt her and now she was pulling the same thing on Bella?

She pulled up to Jacob’s house, sliding a little on the mud from the soaking rain. She saw a group of people on the treeline. 

“Leah?!” Bella shouted. She was easy to spot. Leah looked over and froze completely, suddenly as still as a statue. The rest of the group looked over at her in confusion, but Leah didn’t move. As Bella got closer, it didn’t even look like she was breathing. 

“Bella, you don’t belong here.” Jake’s voice came up behind her. His face was set serious, angry. The soft kid she’d spent her time hanging around seemed completely gone. “You need to leave. Now.”

“Billy kept saying something had happened! I thought you were too distraught to call me back-“ Bella shouted. “You got a tattoo?!” She gestured to his arm. 

“It doesn’t matter, Bella! You need to go!” Jacob shouted right back. “Run back home to your precious Cullen’s!” Bella froze.

“They’re gone- I thought-“ her eyes flickered to Leah, surprised to see her next to Sam. “I see-“ she was just a pawn. “So that’s it then? We can’t be friends anymore?”

“No. We can’t. Go home, Bella,” Jacob snapped. There was a call from the group near the trees and he turned away from her, running off to meet them. Bella looked at the faces. Sam. Embry and Quil, two of Jake’s friends she’d met a few times while working on the bikes. Two guys she didn’t recognize. And Leah, still watching her without moving. Sam said something to her but she didn’t react. He grabbed her shoulder and Leah shoved him off, finally unfreezing and making her way slowly towards Bella. 

“Bel- I-“ Leah stammered, still watching her. “I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have been that rude about it.”

“What? I’m just supposed to accept that this is how things are now? What was the point of all this, then?” Bella asked in frustration. 

“It’s not you,” Leah said softly. “It’s… it’s safer this way, Bella. Trust me.”

“Really?! ‘It’s not you, it’s me’?!” Bella scoffed. 

“It is, Bella. I-“ Leah looked away, jaw clenching. She had the same tattoo as Jacob, on the same spot on her shoulder. “I’m not good. I used to be. A good daughter. A good friend. But I’m not anymore, and I’m not good for you anymore. You need to stay away from me. It’s for your own safety.”

“You can’t break up with me-“ Bella stopped herself. “I mean- I can’t just-“ she didn’t know what to say. “Fine- go- I don’t want to see you again.”

“Bella-“ Leah clenched her teeth, looking like she was in physical pain. 

“No- you don’t want us to be friends anymore- then that’s what’s gonna happen-“ Bella said firmly. Leah looked like she was going to say something before closing her eyes. She shook her head and took off running, blowing past the group at the treeline and disappearing into the forest. Sam Uley stood in the middle of his little cult, staring at Bella with a somber look on his face. 

If Leah wanted to get back together with Sam, it wasn’t any of her business. 

⚔️

Charlie was making soup for Bella after she caught a really bad cold. He was debating on calling Cora to talk to her. He didn’t know if she would even want to talk about this. She admitted that she went to go visit Leah and Jacob and that they said they all couldn’t be friends anymore. He wasn’t talking to Billy because Billy wouldn’t tell him what was going on either. Just that there was a family thing going on which just made Charlie frown harder because Billy always told him everything.

He looked down to see his phone was ringing. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Cora. Is this a bad time?” 

“No not at all, I was just thinking about you,” Charlie smiled slightly. “How are you?”p

“I’m doing alright, I was just thinking about you and thought I should call. How are you and Bella? I haven’t seen you two in a little while at the diner.”

“I’m alright, just… doing my best. Bella’s got a nasty cold right now, and, well, I guess Leah and Jacob decided they didn’t want to be friends anymore, but we’ll handle it,” Charlie sighed. “When she’s feeling better I’ll try to bring her by. See if getting out helps.”

“What? That’s terrible, but they were all getting along so well. What did Billy or Harry say?”

“Nothing,” Charlie scoffed. “Just that it’s personal. So I made it personal, too. Ain’t talking to either of them until Bella and I get a real answer.”

“Are you still gonna go out with Harry for hunting down that bear?” Charlie decided that he didn’t want to tell Cora about the wolves. She was already so worried about him, he didn’t want to add onto it.

“Yeah, reluctantly,” Charlie sighed. “More important that I do my job, but I ain’t talking to him. If you see him at the diner, burn his food,” Charlie grumbled. “But enough about me, how are you? How’s the diner?”

“Things are the same. I started reading a new book series. It’s this high fantasy thing which I’m not normally into, but it’s actually really good. I think I just like that the good guy reminds me a lot of you,” she chuckled. 

“Really? Why’s that?” Charlie chuckled, stirring the soup.

“He’s brave, handsome, he protects people despite the personal cost. I also imagine him with your mustache which I think is also what’s happening,” Cora laughed. 

“And you gave me crap when I grew it,” he teased. “Told ya, you’d learn to love the stache.”

“When you’re right you’re right. Oh shoot, I have to run a quick errand I forgot about but I’ll call you tonight if you have time?”

“Please, call whenever. Whatcha runnin’ off to do?”

“Uh- groceries- I’m making pot roast and I forgot to get potatoes,” Cora laughed off. 

“You can’t make roast without potatoes,” Charlie hummed. Cora wasn’t telling the truth, but he wasn’t gonna push about something as small as errands. “I’ll let ya go. Thanks for calling, Cora. It always makes my day.”

“Bye, Charlie. I’ll call you later,” Cora responded before hanging up. Charlie put his phone back on the receiver, serving some of the soup into a bowl and putting some crackers on a plate. He carefully took both upstairs to Bella’s room, knocking before stepping inside.

“Hey, Bells. Gotcha some soup and crackers,” he said gently. Bella was on her bed looking downright miserable. Her nose was bright red, tissues littering the floor around her trashcan. Her head was still beaded with sweat from her fever, even as she shivered under a mountain of blankets. What hurt him the most was her red-rimmed eyes, filled with tears that had nothing to do with being ill.

“Thanks dad,” she sat up and moved to grab her bed table. “Has Leah or Jake called the house at all?”

“No,” he admitted. “But I’m sure they will. There’s no way Leah would cut you off like that.” Bella sniffed and wiped her face, just nodding not saying anything.

“Thanks for making this for me and risking sickness contamination."

“Eh, I got a good immune system,” Charlie shrugged off. “Don’t worry about me. You just worry about getting better. Need anything else? I could make you some tea or something?”

“No, I’m okay for right now,” Bella said softly, looking at the soup. He gave her a little squeeze on the arm before he went to head back downstairs to clean up. He set the rest of the soup aside for later, thinking about what he should get at the pharmacy for her. A cold wasn’t really something you could treat, she would just have to sweat it out. He was just glad it wasn’t the flu. He was still making his list when the doorbell rang. Charlie frowned, hoping it wasn’t Billy. He’d hung up on Billy earlier during the slew of excuses, and he wasn’t looking forward to a round two. He walked over to the door, checking out the window before quickly opening it with surprise.

“Cora? Hey, what are you doing here?” He asked, moving to let the woman in with a small smile.

“I got some stuff for you and Bella,” she said, holding a brown paper bag. “You don’t have to introduce me or anything I’d figured she’d be too out of it so I’m a ghost right now.”

“She’s a little out of it, but thank you so much,” Charlie told her gratefully. “I was just about to head out. You saved me a trip and a lot of hassle, but you didn’t have to do all this.”

“I know just-” Cora cautiously walked into the kitchen, checking the corners for Bella and started unloading what was in the bag. “I missed a lot these last two years and I wanted to show you that I’m still here and I’m still in it even if you can’t really think about that.” She was pulling out some fever aids, some teas-both herbal and some of those medicine teas-some immune boosters, as well as a few crackers and other snacks. Charlie gently pulled her into a hug, holding her close.

“I don’t deserve a woman like you, but I’m really glad I have you around,” He told her softly. “Thank you, Cora. Really. You’re the best.”

“You need someone to take care of you,” Cora said softly. “I know her graduation is coming up soon… If you’ll let me, I would love to make the cake for her. Even if it’s just you two doing a little hang out, I wanna do that for her.”

“I’d like that. But if you make a cake, you’ve gotta be there too,” Charlie told her. “Maybe when she’s back on her feet and feeling better… we could get dinner? The three of us?”

“I’d really love that,” Cora said softy. “I don’t mind, as long as it takes, really. I want her to be comfortable and you to be comfortable. I have my list of Bella topics ready to go.” she chuckled. “I’ll get out of your hair and take a nap, you look a little tired.”

“I’ll sleep later, wanna make sure I’m available if Bella needs anything,” Charlie replied. “It’s just making up for the years of lost sleep when she was little. I’m just glad she has someone taking care of her now. Trying to keep her from getting out of bed has been a sisyphean task,” he snorted.

“It’s like when they put you on bathroom privileges only at the hospital,” Cora snorted with him. They were still holding onto each other, Cora holding onto his hips and Charlie doing the same. “When you two come in next I’ll make sure to have your favorite pie waiting.”

“So long as you’re there, I’m happy,” he told her. “Soon, I promise. Once I know Bella is okay and doing well, we’ll all get together and I’ll introduce you. Maybe even bring up how she feels about me dating.”

“All in good time, Charlie.”

Charlie gently pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, closing his eyes for a moment and enjoying Cora’s calming presence before pulling away. “Alright, I’ll let ya go. I’m gonna get these up to Bella and pop some immune boosters so I’m not the next one laid out. You know me, I hate getting sick.”

“If you are, I’ll come over and take care of you and your man flu,” Cora chuckled as she moved back to the door. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Let me know when you make it home,” he told her. “See you later, Cora.”

“See you later, Charlie,” Cora smiled as she walked out the front door. Charlie watched through the window as she got into her car and safely drove off. He grabbed the fever meds and made one of the medicinal teas, wrinkling his nose at the smell before walking it up to Bella’s room. He opened the door to see Bella just staring at her phone like it was going to bite her. She didn’t register that he had walked in again. Charlie was trying really hard not to panic at the thought that this was happening again. 

“Hey,” he got her attention. “Drink up. This stuff is supposed to help the cold go away. Apparently,” He wrinkled his nose again at the tea. “I think it just shocks your system. It smells… terrible.”

“Oh, gross.” Bella took the mug, taking a deep breath before chugging it. “Wow that’s awful, thanks,” she coughed a few times, passing the mug back.

“Yep, I don’t envy you at all,” Charlie snorted. “I was thinking, I got some immune boosters now, why don’t you come downstairs? Get settled on the couch? I can get the radiator, we could watch some of those old movies you like. Or TV. Whatever you wanna watch,” he offered. He didn’t want to leave her up here to spiral again, maybe this time he could head it off, keep her company so she didn’t have time to be alone and slip back into that catatonic state.

“You sure? I’d hate for you to have to disinfect the whole house,” Bella said unsurely.

“I got a can of Lysol, that’ll make it easy,” he said with a small smile. “Come on, we’ll have a little movie marathon. Like when you were little and it stormed out.”

“Okay,” Bella nodded. She grabbed her heavy blanket, wrapping it around herself and they both made their way downstairs to the living room. Bella got comfy on the couch as Charlie moved the heater closer to her. “Can we watch ‘The Big Lebowski’?” 

“Yeah, you sure?” Charlie asked, perking up slightly. “I know it’s probably not your favorite. Or one that I should’ve let you watch when you were thirteen.”

“I like it, it reminds me of when I was a kid. I had a nightmare that one time and I came down and you were watching this movie,” Bella described. “It was so silly in my little head that I dunno… I just- I guess part of me just latched onto it as a comfort movie.”

“I’ll put it on,” Charlie told her. “You need anything else? Cora brought some mint tea, too, and some snacks.”

“Cora was here?” Bella asked as she sat up, looking clearer suddenly. Charlie blanched, focusing very intently on the VHS and VCR. 

“Uh, yeah. She called, heard you were sick,” he mumbled. He hadn’t told Bella anything about him and Cora. “Brought over a few things for ya. She said she missed seeing us at the diner, wanted to check in.”

“Oh, that was nice of her. Are you two friends?” Bella laid back down.

“Mhm,” Charlie nodded, hoping she couldn’t see how red his face was. He and Bella had a lot of things in common, and one of those was how easily they blushed. “Grew up together. She’s been there for me through a lot.”

“Tell her I said thank you next time you see her,” Bella said with a yawn.

“Will do. Alright, movie’s in. If you fall asleep that’s alright, I’m here if you need anything,” Charlie promised. He moved to sit in his recliner, the familiar intro playing quietly through the living room. Bella’s eyes started drooping almost immediately, and Charlie watched as she finally fell asleep within the first twenty minutes. This was good, it was a good step. He wouldn’t let her isolate this time, even if he had to force her to hang out with him instead.

His phone started vibrating and he quickly pulled it out to answer it.

“Hey, it’s Cora, I just got home. Wanted to call and tell you so that way you didn’t send a welfare check over.”

“That was one time and you were driving home in a storm,” he chuckled quietly. “Thanks for letting me know. And Bella said thanks for bringing everything over. She’s asleep on the couch now.”

“Oh good, I hoped it would help. Remember when the baby is sleeping, you should also get some sleep,” she chuckled. “I’ll see you soon, I just wanted to hear your voice before my shift started.” 

“Happy to be of service. I’ll see you later, feel free to call me after work. And if you need a ride or anything, let me know. I know your car’s been acting up again.”

“I will, I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Talk to you soon,” Charlie replied softly, hanging up. He got comfortable again, looking over at his daughter to make sure she was still asleep before turning his attention back to the movie. 

Things right now weren’t looking the best for him and Bella in terms of their friends, but Cora was still here. It was something he never thought he could have again. He didn’t know if he could have his daughter and Cora. He really hoped things would get better for Bella so that way she could be happy again, but there was that little selfish part that wanted things to get better for him too.

Chapter Text

To: [email protected]

Alice, things are bad again…

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Bella felt like she couldn’t move again. It was her birthday all over again things were supposed to be okay, but… 

She hadn’t heard from Leah or Jacob since she saw them. Charlie let her stay home from school after getting a bad cold from being out in the rain. 

Even Edward had stopped showing up. The visions of him were gone and for the first time Bella felt truly alone. There was one spot she could go to try to make either one of them appear.

The drive to the meadow was a short and familiar one. It was the only off trail that she knew. But when she arrived, she collapsed to her knees at the dead flowers. 

“No…” she whispered at the area. The meadow was gone, nothing but dead grass and dirt laid in a barren ring around her. The place that once held so much love and light and life in her memories was nothing but a desolate waste now. It was like Bella was seeing a reflection of herself: dried up, hollow, and empty. 

She wasn’t sure how long she stared at the broken ground before she heard something. Her head snapped towards the noise, hope overtaking her. It was Edward! He’d come back! He wouldn’t leave her-

“Bella,” Laurent’s smooth voice called her name, the vampire watching her curiously. “What a surprise to see you out here.”

“Laurent- what are you doing here?” Bella asked, her heart beating so fast she was sure she was going to have a heart attack.

“I’ve been living with that little coven up in Denali, the other golden eyed ones,” he smiled, suddenly closer. “I came down looking for the Cullen’s, but the house was empty. I’m surprised they’d leave you behind. Weren’t you something of a… pet of theirs?”

“Lie.” Bella was startled by the appearance of Edward again. 

“Uh- they had to leave for a while-“

“Lie better.”

“But I’ll tell them you dropped by.”

Laurent clicked his tongue. “I don’t think they will. The house is empty, their scent is gone. They’ve abandoned you.” He was right in front of her now, his orange eyes gleaming. “Really, I came down here as a favor to Victoria. She’s got it out for you, you know. After what Edward did to James. She’ll be so disappointed that I killed you, but you just smell so delicious. I can’t help myself.”

“Edward would know who did it!” Bella tried to defend but she felt frozen in place. She wasn’t sure if it was Laurent or her own inability to move.

“No, he wouldn’t,” Laurent grinned. “He’d never know. See, I’m on that new diet. But sometimes I just get a craving so I slip away and find a new human instead. A little treat. If he ever returned, he’d never know the truth. Or maybe… maybe he just wouldn’t care.” For a moment it almost looked like he was looking right at Edward, the ghostly visage my own head had conjured watching me with sorrow. “I’m doing you a kindness. Victoria plans to kill you slowly and painfully, whereas I will do it quick.” Bella still couldn’t move as Laurent moved closer to her.

“Leah…” Bella whispered. Hoping that somewhere out there that they would see each other again. Bella didn’t really want to stop being friends with her. 

Bella would never get the chance to apologize now. 

Laurent raised his hand, and Bella waited for the blow that would kill her. It never came, and when she opened her eyes again she saw Laurent staring fearfully at the forest. 

“It can’t be…” he said slowly, backing away. Bella followed his eyeline, a chill running through her. The wolves emerging from the brush were massive, at least two to three times the size of a normal wolf. There were an array of fur colors, but the one at the front, snarling and snapping and baring its fangs, was solid black. Its eyes were locked on Bella and Laurent, and Bella tried not to whimper in fear. 

First a vampire, now this. She wondered which would kill her first. She was hoping for Laurent now, not wanting to face getting ripped to shreds by this pack, but Laurent was retreating, a terrified look on his face. He turned and fled, and the wolves charged, rushing past Bella to give chase. One came so close to her she could’ve reached out to touch it. It paused, looking over at her with strangely intelligent golden eyes. It was smaller than the rest, with light gray fur splotched with white and brown. It stared at her for a moment before taking off with the rest of the pack, their barks and howls echoing through the trees.

They wouldn’t keep Laurent busy for long. She needed to get out of here. Fast.  

 Bella barged into the house, her dad sitting on the couch.

“Wolves- there’s- wolves-“ she said feeling breathless. 

“Woah, hey, slow down, breathe. What happened,” Charlie said calmly, getting her some water. 

“I was driving home and I saw the wolves you were talking about. They were running along the treeline. They were chasing- something.”

“How many did you see?” Charlie asked, grabbing his notepad. 

“Bella, are you sure?” Harry asked her, a frown on his face. 

“They didn’t move like bears!” Bella rubbed her face. “I think I saw two at least. They were heading north.”

“I’m calling this in. We’ll get out there and drive them off. I don’t want this many wolves on my territory,” Charlie stated firmly. “They’ve been too visible, and that means too much liability for an attack. Harry, get together some of the guys from the Rez. We’re going hunting.”

“Okay,” Harry sighed, looking between the both of them. 

“Something you want to say?” Charlie asked him. Bella could see the suspicion on his face. 

“No. I just need to talk to Billy,” Harry answered. 

“Yeah- you- you should go,” Bella said. 

Charlie squeezed her shoulder. “Stay inside. Call your friends and tell them to stay inside as well. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

“I will,” Bella nodded, accepting his quick affection. Charlie and Harry walked out and Bella quickly locked up. Not that it was worth anything. Locks and glass wouldn’t stop a vampire from getting in. By now Laurent would’ve finished off the wolves and told Victoria Bella was unprotected. It was only a matter of time before Victoria came for her. She could only hope she’d be the only casualty, and that Charlie wouldn’t get hurt in the crossfire. 

Maybe it was for the best that Jacob and Leah were out of her life. They were safe now. The dangers Bella had brought wouldn’t touch them. At least she’d seen Edward one final time. Bella wondered if he’d appear when Victoria got to her. 

Bella wondered when the thought of seeing him stopped meaning as much to her. 

⚔️

The hunt through the woods had been as successful as any other hunt so far. They were finding too many tracks. But tracks meant proof. And these tracks were fresh, too, meaning the wolves that left them were still nearby. Charlie split everyone into groups, fanning out with instructions to look for any signs that could lead to a den. He followed his own set of tracks, finding the largest ones and staying on them as best as he could. Too many people had gone missing, too many people had seen things, and it was time to put an end to it. 

Charlie had always been a good hunter. Great, even. Whether it was a human or an animal, he could find his trail and stick to it. 

“Charlie, we should head back,” Harry told him. “We’re getting outside the radius.”

“Shh.” Charlie held up a finger, listening for anything. There was a lot of rustling in the forest, but not from prey. It was silent around him, the kind of dead quiet that only happens when there’s a predator nearby. He waited, gripping his rifle tighter as he scanned the trees.

“Charlie-“

Charlie spun, Harry’s voice startling something in the distance. He took a shot with his rifle and immediately heard the yelp of an animal. He tried to go after it but Harry grabbed him, yanking him back. 

“What the hell are you doing?! I’ve got it!” Charlie shouted at his friend. Harry was pale and wide eyed, looking in the direction Charlie fired. A gargantuan black wolf was looking back, quickly limping away as fast as it could before disappearing into the trees. “Harry!”

“That’s enough!” Harry snapped. “You cannot continue, Charlie. This was too close. You need to call off the hunt.”

“Call off the- what the hell are you talking about?” Charlie demanded.  

“We-“ Harry sighed. “We need to talk, Charlie.”

“Yeah, Harry. I’m beginning to think we really do,” Charlie said lowly, glaring at the man he thought was his friend. “You’ve been doing a lot of lying, and saying a lot of evasive shit lately, and now with this I’ve just about had it.”

“Let’s head back to the reservation,” Harry said. “I’ll buy you a six pack.”

“You’re gonna owe me more than that,” Charlie scoffed, storming off. He called off the hunt through the radio, sending everyone else home as well. Harry better have a damned good explanation as to why he was stopping this. 

Harry got into his own truck and Charlie was following him. Thinking of what could possibly be the explanation behind this. He knew that some of their legends connected them with wolves, but this wasn’t a regular wolf hunt. It was for the safety of both the populations of Forks and La Push. The longer he drove and thought about it, the more upset he got. The times Harry and Billy tried to convince him they weren’t wolves, the times he was sure Harry had been lying about seeing tracks, the way that Bella suddenly wasn’t allowed around their kids. 

If Harry didn’t have a damned good reason, Charlie was walking away from him and from Billy after this. 

They pulled up to Billy’s house, Billy already waiting outside. Everyone unloaded as he walked up to Billy.

“Charlie,” Billy nodded. “Heard you shot a wolf.”

“I did. Then Harry stopped me from following it. You’ve been lying to me, Billy Black. And I don’t appreciate that at all,” Charlie told him, scowling hard. “What is going on around here? I want answers right now.”

“Come inside. I made coffee,” Billy wheeled himself inside, Charlie following, Harry behind him. “What do you know about our tribe's history? Do you know anything?” 

“Your tribe was supposedly descended from wolves, you’ve occupied this area for the better part of a millenium, and you got messed over when Europeans came in the 1700’s and took your land. That’s about it,” Charlie recounted. “I’ve heard your ‘damn the white man’ speech yearly for the past twenty or so years.”

“Our tribe possesses something we call the shifter gene. When our blood senses a threat we start shifting. Sam was the first to shift into the werewolves you’ve been hunting,” Billy explained calmly. Charlie just stared at him. 

“I came here for answers, Billy. Not for someone to blow smoke up my ass,” he deadpanned. “You can’t possibly expect me to believe that the wolves I’ve been hunting, the ones that have been killing people, are a bunch of Quileute kids running around on all fours.”

“Jacob is asleep right now after he was out all night,” Billy said. “I’ll have him phase right in front of you.”

“Sure. Yeah. He’s gonna ‘shift’ right in front of me,” Charlie drawled, getting back up. “Well, if that’s all you’ve got then I’m leaving. I’m not hanging around here getting lied to while I have an actual job to do.”

“Charlie would you just shut up and listen,” Harry said firmly. “We’re telling you the truth. You shot Sam just now!”

“I shot a wolf that’s been terrorizing my town!” Charlie shouted back. “Werewolves aren’t real, I’m not gonna bite on this weird supernatural mysticism shit! You wanna prove it then prove it! Call one of these so-called werewolves over and let me see it!”

“I heard shouting-“ Leah ran inside freezing when she saw Charlie.

“Oh great,” Charlie scoffed. “Lemme guess, this werewolf shit is also why you had your kids cut off Bella and hurt her?”

“You told him?” Leah demanded, glaring at her dad and shaking as the rage crossed her face. “So he gets to know but I don’t get to tell Bella?”

“You cannot be serious,” Charlie sighed. 

“I’ll show you,” Leah said walking back outside. Charlie followed, still grumbling under his breath. He could not believe this was-

“Woah. Hey- Leah put your clothes back on,” he ordered, looking anywhere but at his friend's daughter who was stripping out of her shorts and shirt. 

“Charlie,” Leah called. “Look at me.”

“I really don’t want to,” Charlie responded awkwardly. He glanced over, looking at the spot just above her head. 

Leah’s skin started steaming, and with a tearing crack suddenly he wasn’t looking at the girl he’d watched grow up. Instead, a massive, snarling gray wolf stood in front of him. 

“Holy shit!” Charlie stumbled back, tripping and falling before scrambling away from the creature. “What- wh- how- what-“ The wolf laid down, resting her head on her paws and giving him a pleading look. “L-Leah? But- but how?”

“When the Cullens moved back into town it posed a threat which activated the gene,” Billy said. “It’s been quiet before they showed up. Normally you only get one or two a generation. The Cullens caused the whole pack to shift.”

“The Cullen’s? The- the family- my daughter’s boyfriend was some sort of monster that triggered your werewolf gene?!” Charlie demanded. Leah let out a low, angry growl, teeth snapping. Charlie quickly put his hands up. 

“She wasn’t doing that at you. She gets really mad when anyone brings up Edward Cullen.” Charlie turned to see Sam Uley limping over. “Hello, Chief Swan. Nice shot.”

“Well. I didn’t know it was you. Sorry about that.” Charlie scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Is she just gonna, y’know, stay like that?”

“She can’t change back in front of you. She’s naked,” Sam explained. “Our clothes don’t change with us. Leah, go get dressed.” Leah snapped at Sam before getting up and trotting off.

“Does Seth do that, too?” Charlie asked. 

“No. Jake is the youngest in the pack. Him, Quil and Embry,” Billy sighed. “He changed after that night out with Bella at the movies. He was too close to Leah and out of control, and it triggered Leah’s change as well. We knew it was coming for both of them, but we didn’t know it would happen at the same time.”

“We really didn’t want them to cut Bella off,” Harry added. “But until they can control themselves, it’s not safe. Nobody wanted Bella getting hurt on accident.”

“I- I guess I can appreciate that- oh my god-“ Charlie put his head in his hands. “Oh my god. I shot Sam-“ he fell over from his sitting position so he was laying on the ground. “Oh my god.”

“Are you sure it’s wise to tell him?” Sam asked. “He’s associated with the Cullen’s. He’s not one of us.”

“Charlie hates the Cullen’s, and besides that… he shot you, Sam,” Harry said gravely. “It was an impossible shot. If we let him keep hunting, he could’ve killed someone.”

“I shot a wolf, but it turns out I was shooting Sam right in the ass,” Charlie said, body numb from the shock of it all. “Harry. Get me that six pack. I think I need a drink.”

“Already on it.” Harry nodded.

“Wait until I tell you what the Cullens actually are. You’re gonna lose your shit,” Billy said. 

“Wait until he finds out what Bella and Leah are,” Harry snorted. 

Charlie just put his head in his hands, trying to calm down. This was not what he was expecting. He needed to call Cora, he needed to talk to someone sane. 

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Bella could hardly sleep that night. She couldn’t sleep much these days anyways. She couldn’t stop thinking about the wolves. 

Really she couldn’t stop thinking about Leah.

All Bella wanted to do was call her. She didn’t know what she would say, but she just wanted to hear her voice.

It was a bad idea anyways. With Victoria coming Leah would only get hurt. 

Every tap or rustle outside had her heart racing, every flicker of movement or shadow across the curtains came with trepidation. She was just waiting for the moment she looked up and saw Victoria's face outside, ready to come in and take her life. 

The tap on her window around midnight damn near sent her into cardiac arrest. Bella froze, listening closely and watching the glass as the anxiety coursed through her. This was it. This was the moment. 

Tink. 

A rock gently tapped against her window, creating the sound again. Victoria never struck her as the type to throw pebbles. A boulder, maybe, or even Bella’s truck, but not a pebble. Bella crept closer, peering out into the darkness and afraid of what she’d see. But instead of red hair and a crazed grin, it was Leah. Standing in her yard in the dark, looking up at her pleadingly. Bella was in shock and yanked open her window.

“What are you doing here?” Bella asked.

“I need to talk to you. If you’re okay with me coming in, just take a few steps back,” Leah responded. Bella let out a small sigh and stood back. A few seconds later Leah was slipping through her open window with an unnatural grace, landing near silently on the balls of her feet. She looked proud for a moment, smiling widely, before it quickly fell back into that same sad look. “Thanks. For letting me in.”

“I’m just surprised to see you,” she said softly. 

“I missed you,” Leah told her softly. “Being without you… it’s been driving me crazy.”

Bella kept her arms crossed in a terrible attempt to guard herself. “I missed you too.”

Leah smiled slightly, letting out a sigh. “I- I need-“ she cleared her throat, almost looking like she was choking on her words. “I can’t tell you why I left. I really wish I could but I can’t. I hate that I hurt you like this.”

“Why can’t you tell me? What’s going on? Why- why did you cut me out?” Bella demanded. Leah opened her mouth, but nothing came out but a sound of frustration. 

“Jacob told you about our legends, right? The old ones about our people?” Leah asked hopefully. “I need you to remember them because I physically cannot say it. And I can’t tell you why I can’t say it. Please, just remember them.”

“You mean- wait- like when he was talking about ‘the cold ones’?” 

Leah’s smile got bitter. “Yeah. I guess I can understand why you’d only remember that part. You’re on the right track, Bella. You just need to remember the rest.” 

“If you’re back with Sam, I don’t know what that has to do with your tribes legends,” Bella looked away. 

“I’m not back with Sam, not like that,” Leah said quickly. “Trust me. I’m never, ever getting back together with him. His involvement in my life is… unavoidable.”

“Then- what if-“ Bella looked at her. “What if we just got out of here for a while? Just you and me go somewhere.”

“You…” Leah looked at her so softly it made Bella’s heart ache. “You’d really do that? Just leave with me?”

“I would… yeah,” Bella said softly.

“Bella, you have no idea-“ Leah let out a sigh. “You have no idea how much I want that. How much I’d love to just run away with you. I’d leave in an instant if I could, but I can’t. What happened to me… I’m in this for life. I can’t run away from it. Sam is- he’s- he’s not a bad guy. I understand it better now. He’s just trying to help me and Jake.” Leah looked out the window, frowning like she’d heard something. “I have to go, but please… don’t give up on me. When you remember, come find me.” She came closer, her hand coming up to touch Bella’s cheek so gently Bella wouldn’t be sure she was touched at all if it weren’t for the lingering warmth. 

“I’m just supposed to sit here and what? Wait for you while you’re off doing who knows what?” Bella’s voice had lost its edge.  She didn’t know if she could even be mad anymore.

“No,” Leah shook her head. “I need you to do what you do best. What you did the last time you got suspicious about something in this weird place. I need you to think, overanalyze every detail and legend and book. And I need you to believe. I can’t tell you what’s going on, but… well, there’s nothing stopping you from figuring it out on your own. And as for what I’ll be doing? I’ll be doing what I’ve been doing every single night, waiting for you and hoping that maybe you don’t hate me so we can start again.”

“Before- was there-“ Bella didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know what to ask. Leah’s thumb stroked her cheek, and she leaned forward like she couldn’t fight it anymore, resting her head against Bella’s. She was always warm, but now she was a furnace: radiating heat like Bella had never experienced before. Maybe this was the answer to a question she didn’t know how to ask. 

“Please. Please look into this. I know you can find the answer,” Leah pleaded softly. She pulled away, looking out the window again. “I need to go. They know I’m gone, and I’m not supposed to be here. When you figure it out, come find me. I’ll either be at my house or Jake’s.” 

Bella didn’t get a chance to respond before Leah was gone, back out her window and down the tree before disappearing into the night. When Bella leaned out to look for her, she swore she could hear the distant howl of a wolf. 

Bella sat in the crook of her window watching long past Leah’s shadow disappearing into the woods. She was trying to remember what Jake had told her last year but she had only gotten the book on vampires. It was still sitting on herself. 

I guess it’s a place to start for now.

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

After two straight days of research Bella was laying flat on her back in her room. She needed answers. Maybe Jake could tell her something. She grabbed her coat and headed downstairs. She barely told her dad bye before getting in her truck. She didn’t turn on the radio, didn’t think about anything other than her now-familiar constant refrain of ‘what is happening’ as she kept wracking her brain for clues. The twenty minute drive seemed to flash past in an instant, and she was parking outside of the Black residence before she knew it. Bella went up and banged on the door, seeing Billy’s confused face as he opened it. 

“Bella,” he said slowly. “Jacob isn’t in right now.”

She paused. This was a dick move. “I know you said he’s sick, I just need to see him.” She pushed back against his wheelchair and barged into Jacob’s room to find him and Leah sound asleep. Jacob was out cold on his tiny single bed, while Leah was on the ground of the narrow room sleeping on what looked like a pile of blankets. They didn’t even stir at the door opening, both of them looking exhausted. She slowly backed out but she saw Sam and the other boys slowly walking to the house through Jake’s window.

Something in Bella snapped and she charged outside. “Hey!” She shouted at them. “What did you do to them?!”

“Bella, calm down,” Sam said carefully. The man next to him, Bella thought his name was Paul, snarled at her. 

“What did we do?! What did they do, huh?! Was it Leah?! What did she tell you?!” He snapped, shooting off the questions rapid-fire.

“No, she wouldn’t tell me anything because of you! Because you did something to them.” Bella said at Sam. 

“Bella, we didn’t do anything, but you need to leave,” Sam warned. “Paul, calm down.”

“No! I told you she was over there! Leah can’t keep her mouth shut and now Bella’s all over us?”

Bella slapped Paul without even thinking about it. Everyone froze and Same grabbed Paul as Paul’s face twisted into rage, breathing hard. 

“Paul! Stay in control!” Sam ordered. “Bella, get out of here now!” Bella took a step back, eyes widening as Paul’s body twisted and cracked before suddenly exploding, leaving a massive wolf in his place. 

“Bella!” Leah’s voice snapped her out of it and Bella took off back towards the house, hearing the wolf snarling behind her. 

“Leah, run!” Bella shouted. Leah did run, charging right towards her. Bella stumbled and skidded to stop as Leah leapt over her head, changing midair into a familiar wolf. 

The light gray wolf from the clearing, the one that had looked right at her, it was Leah.

 Leah slammed into Paul, fur flying and snarling growls filling the air as the two of them fought. Strong hands grabbed Bella and hauled her away. Leah and Paul tumbled into a boat and shattered it, disappearing into the trees. 

“My boat,” Billy said sadly from the porch. 

“I guess the wolf’s out of the bag,” Quill joked. 

“Take her back to Emily’s! I’m gonna go get them,” Sam told them. Bella looked up.

“Jacob-“ she choked out. “Was that-“

“I’ll explain everything on the drive,” Jacob sighed. “Come on, we’ll take your truck. Quil, Embry, Jared, you three hop in the back.”

“Bossy,” Jared snorted, but the three of them complied. Jake led Bella over, putting her in the passenger seat and taking her keys. 

“I’m guessing Leah found a way around Sam’s gag order?” Jacob asked, turning the ignition and getting the truck back on the road. 

“Actually Jake, you told me. Leah just said that I needed to remember- is it cliche to say I remembered it in a dream?” Bella chuckled nervously. 

“The old legends,” Jake chuckled. “I didn’t think you’d remember anything about them beyond the Cullen’s. I’m… I’m really sorry for being mean to you that day. Leah chewed me out over it. The wolf makes it hard for us to keep our cool sometimes, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“It’s alright… you’re also sixteen and underlying anger issues,” Bella joked dryly. “Wait, we're going to Emily’s as in- Sam’s Emily?”

“Yeah, Emily Young. Her and Sam’s place is sort of the de facto meeting spot since Sam’s the Alpha of the pack,” Jacob told her. Bella nodded.

They drove up to a very nice cabin. The outside logs were a gorgeous evergreen wood and the front had a garden with a ton of native plants. Everyone piled out of the car and they all started walking in. Bella came up behind everyone.

“I hope you like raisins because that’s all I had in the pantry, I don’t go shopping until tomorrow,” Emily said as she placed a giant platter of muffins on the table. 

“Thanks, Emily!” Embry called, the boys descending on the table. “Man, Paul’s gonna kick Leah’s ass! Ten bucks says he gets in the worst bite.”

“Dude, no way,” Quil scoffed. “Paul threatened Bella. I don’t care how strong he is, Leah’s gonna put him in the dirt.”

“Emily, this is Bella,” Jacob introduced, giving his friends an exasperated look. Emily looked over at her, smiling. She was pretty, serene and calm as she walked over and held out a muffin. 

“So, you’re the vampire girl,” Emily teased. 

“So you’re the wolf girl.”

“Basically. Keeping this pack fed is a full time job,” Emily snorted. “Hey! Save some for the others!” 

“Sorry, Emily,” the boys at the table all responded, withering at her motherly tone. Emily looked over at Bella. 

“It’ll be nice to have you around. It’s tiring being the only human,” Emily chuckled. “Now what’s this I hear about a fight?”

“Bella slapped Paul for talking shit about Leah and he shifted, then Leah did this totally sick flying shift and tackled him for going after Bella. Sam was trying to break it up but going after Leah’s im-“ Embry grunted as Jacob elbowed him. “Leah’s best friend is a death wish.”

“So you’re all werewolves?” Bella asked. 

“Yep!” Jacob answered. “Sam’s the head of the pack as the oldest, and the rest of us joined when we shifted. It’s an ancient warrior ability.”

“Dude! Stop giving away our secrets!” Jared told him. “We can’t trust her! This chick runs with vampires!”

“You can’t really run with vampires,” Bella said awkwardly. “Because they’re so fast.”

“Yeah?” Jared scoffed. “Well we’re faster.”

“Dude, chill,” Jacob told him. They all looked over at the sound of a whoop, seeing Sam, Paul and Leah emerging from the trees. The boys rushed over, jeering at the scars on Paul’s neck and shoulder. 

“Sorry,” Paul said with a small shrug and a smile. 

“Are you okay?” Leah asked, coming over with a worried look. She held Bella’s shoulders, looking her over for any signs of injury.

“Yeah, I’m fine- I’m more worried about you, you just got mauled,” Bella said looking worried back.

“I’m fine. I heal fast,” Leah smiled. “I knew you’d figure it out. Follow me?” She asked, holding her hand out. 

Bella took it. “Sure.”

Leah gently pulled her away from the house and back down the road. She didn’t let go of Bella’s hand, holding it carefully as they walked down towards the familiar beach. It was peaceful out here, and for the first time since Leah left Bella felt like she could breathe again. Neither of them spoke until they were walking on the rocky shore, the wind blowing gently and the water crashing against the rocks. 

“Sam can control us. It’s his gift as the alpha,” Leah started softly. “He put a gag order on us. None of us could tell anyone anything about what was going on, not even you. Jake and I begged and pleaded but… he said he wasn’t sure about you because of your connection to the Cullen family.”

“They left me behind… and vulnerable to other vampires is what happened,” she looked at Leah. “You’re a werewolf.”

“Yeah,” Leah agreed. “I didn’t want to be but… Jake changed first, right in front of me that night after the movie. It made me change, too. It’s in our blood.”

“I guess I just-“ she was trying to get her thoughts together. “What are you guys doing that is making you exhausted? Is it just the changing?”

“No- well, at first yeah. It’s painful and tiring, but there’s been a threat so Sam has us running patrols of Forks and La Push. A redheaded vampire has been sighted. And then there was that creature, the one that tried to attack you in the clearing. He’d been popping up and attacking hikers so we had to find him and kill him.”

“Her name is Victoria- she’s- she’s been after me,” Bella admitted. 

“I’ll tear her to shreds,” Leah growled, body shaking. “I’ll destroy her before I ever let her hurt you.”

“I guess vampires have this thing where if you kill their mate then- I dunno- I guess I’d be upset too. I don’t know how much Jake told you about the ballet studio incident,” Bella said softly. 

“Nothing. What happened?” Leah asked gently. Bella inhaled, laying it all out for Leah. James locking onto her at the field, having to run, falling into a trap to save her mom who had never been in danger. Leah traced the scars on her wrist when she talked about James biting her, a dark look on her face. 

“And then Edward sucked the venom out so I wouldn’t turn,” Bella finished. “I passed out and woke up in the hospital.”

“Ven-venom? Vampires don’t have venom,” Leah told her, looking confused. “That’s not how they turn people. Also, the Cullen’s aren’t even vampires. They’re demons. They have an acidic spit that causes their victims pain and prevents clotting, but not venom.”

“They’re- they’re what?!” Bella felt her jaw drop to the ground. 

“Demons. My people have a word for them that translates to cold ones because they’re ice cold to the touch and have skin like granite, but other cultures call them pain demons, pain bringers, or children of Asmodeus. They feed on pain and suffering, but the head of the family, Carlisle, promised that they don’t inflict pain, only take what is already there. This Victoria chick is a vampire, but Laurent was a demon.”

“So what does that make me?” Bella was almost too scared to ask. 

“What do you mean?” Leah asked with her head tilted. 

“What did Edward want with me then? Because-“ Bella flashed back to all the things that people told her. All of the ‘he’s not good for you’ and ‘he looks at you like you’re something to eat’ comments all started overlapping at once. “The way you’re talking about them…”

“I…” Leah sighed. “We know on some level they can feel. They formed a family unit, one that Jake’s grandfather said seemed to genuinely care. But- I- if I’m being honest, from everything you’ve said, and from the fact that they lied to you, that he lied to you… you carry a lot of pain, and he did a lot of things that made it worse. You might’ve been in a real relationship, but you might’ve also just been a food source. And my dad said you had violent nightmares for months after he left, which is usually a side effect of being their prey.”

“You know about the night terrors I was having? Oh my god-“ this is embarrassing. “What about the hallucinations? Does everyone know about those too?”

“The- the what?” Leah asked, giving her a wide eyed look. 

“When I’m in a dangerous situation Edward would appear, I’d hallucinate him. He’d tell me to leave or to stop being reckless.”

“Do you have a history of psychosis in your family?” Leah asked gently.

“Not that I know of, no.”

“Did you see anything else or was it only him?”

“Just him.”

“Do you ever see him on the reservation?” Leah pressed. Bella thought about it. 

“No, he’s never appeared here.”

Leah’s jaw tensed and she closed her eyes, breathing steadily as she tried to control the tremors that wracked her body. Bella shrunk down. Did she say something wrong? Was it that bad? “We need to talk to Sam,” Leah gritted out once she was calm enough. 

“No- it’s okay- I- I’m sure it’s just-“

“No, Bella. We need to talk to him,” Leah repeated gently. “Because I don’t think those were hallucinations, but Sam knows more about this than we do since he’s the eldest and on the council.”

“It doesn’t make any sense though. He didn’t appear when Paul was going to attack me,” Bella tried to defend. 

“Because you’re on reservation land. The demons can’t astral project onto La Push, it’s sacred and protected,” Leah told her. “We used to have further reach, but this is as far as we’re allowed to control so it’s as far as our elders can bless.” Bella nodded looking at Leah, holding her in place by her hand.

“Does this mean we can go back to being friends?” She asked, looking down at the ground. 

“We can be whatever you want us to be,” Leah agreed softly, holding Bella’s hands. “I’m never leaving you behind again. I swear.”

Bella didn’t know how to explain the rush of feelings that wanted more than friends. “Is that what you want?” 

“I just want you to be happy and around me,” Leah told her. “In whatever capacity I can be with you, I’m happy with it.”

“But what do you want- I don’t-“ Bella ran her hand through her hair. “I just found out I was possibly in a one sided relationship and I don’t want that to happen again.”

“Do you want something else?” Leah asked. “Because I don’t want you to feel trapped in anything with me. I want… I want to be healthy for you. With you. Regardless of what I am and what my wolf thinks, you’re the one with all of the power here.”

“I don’t know what else there is…” Bella said softly. “I just don’t want to know a life without you.”

“There’s always more,” Leah said softly. Her fingers trailed across Bella’s jaw, featherlight but also powerful enough to knock the breath from her lungs. Leah was standing so close now, her warmth surrounding Bella and driving off the chill of the sea breeze and the spring air. 

Bella had never thought about kissing a girl- but for the first time she thought about kissing Leah. And that came with a whole slew of confusing emotions. 

“I’m gonna be here no matter what. When you figure out what you want, I’ll be waiting right by your side,” Leah promised, as if she could read Bella’s tumultuous thoughts and feel her whirlwind of emotions. Bella could only nod her head, she seemed to not know a single word in the English lexicon. “But we really need to get back and talk to Sam and the others about your visions,” Leah said, turning back to concern.

“Yeah- okay-“ Leah moved away and Bella could finally breathe and think again, but not very well with Leah still holding her hand as she pulled Bella back towards Emily’s house. Bella stared at Leah as they walked, trying to figure it out. Leah was her friend, probably her best friend, but now she was wondering if there was something else there, something everyone else had noticed as well. Mike asking her if there was something going on flashed in her mind, and so did all of Jake’s attempts to get them alone. The looks Charlie and Harry gave them, the way her heart would skip beats when Leah touched her and how foggy her head would get when Leah was too close. Leah made her feel warm and safe and happy, Bella never wanted to go back to not having Leah in her life. But at the same time none of her other friends made her feel like this. 

Was there something more with Leah?

They walked up to Emily’s house with Bella still deep in her thoughts, the pack loudly clamoring around the table as they ate a monstrous amount of hot dogs. Leah sped up, beelining for the table and dragging Bella along with her. 

“Sam, Bella needs to talk to you,” Leah told him, grabbing four hot dogs at once and growling when Paul got too close to her plate. Sam looked over to Bella with concern. 

“Everything okay?” He asked. 

“Leah’s worried that I might be- that- it’s about what Edward is-“ Bella stammered out. “But if you don’t think it’s anything-“

“Bella’s been seeing Edward as a ghostly projection, but has no history of hallucinations, has it happen when she does things he disapproves of, and has never had it happen on our land,” Leah told him. “Can they-“

“Astral projection,” Sam said immediately, scowling hard. “Demons can project spiritual images of themselves, especially to people they’ve terrorized in the past. With your nightmares and this, I’d say it’s a good bet that he’s still attached to your psyche and is still trying to feed on you and control you.”

“He’s what?!” Jacob roared, barely stumbling away from the table before exploding into a large, russet colored wolf. 

“Take a walk, Jacob,” Sam ordered. “We can handle this, but not unless you stay calm.” Jacob growled, snapping his teeth before running off. 

“I got him,” Embry said, hopping up and running to follow. 

“Sorry, Bella. It’s hard for the younger ones to control themselves. Too much emotion and suddenly they’re wolfing out,” Sam said calmly, sitting back down. “It’s why I didn’t want you around Jake and Leah for a while. It wasn’t anything personal. I just didn’t know you and didn’t want you getting hurt if something happened.”

“Thanks,” Bella nodded. “Sorry I slapped Paul- I didn’t realize I was just so mad.”

“I didn’t think you had it in you,” Paul snorted. “Now that I’m not mad, I’m honestly kind of impressed. You just hit me with no hesitation while outnumbered and surrounded. You’ve got guts, Swan.”

“Don’t talk shit about Leah next time. I might not have as much next time,” Bella chuckled. Leah sputtered, looking over with wide eyes. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you curse before. Like, ever,” Leah laughed. 

“You’re protective of her,” Sam smiled at Bella. Leah gave him a withering stare. “But back to more important matters. Bella, can you tell me more about the hallucinations?”

“They first showed up when I got on the back of a stranger's motorcycle.”

“You what,” Leah asked flatly. Sam shushed her. 

“What was he saying or compelling you to do?”

“He appeared like you are now… but more… as if he was a mist. And he said to don’t do anything stupid.”

“He fought and killed another demon who was targeting her. He’s invested in keeping her alive,” Leah added.

Sam hummed. “Bella, can I talk to you privately? I have questions you might not want to answer in front of the group. You can bring Leah if you want.”

“Yeah that’s fine.” She turned to ask Leah and she was already standing up. 

“I’m right here when you need me,” Leah smiled. Sam led them outside, a good distance from the house. 

“They can’t hear us from here, even with their stronger hearing,” Sam told her. “If you’re alright with it, I’d like to know more about what your life was life growing up. Please don’t sanitize it or hold anything back.”

“Oh geez,” she let out a small breath. “I mean- it wasn’t anything exciting? My parents split up when I was little and my mom won the custody battle. I really like the summers here… but I hated coming back because we had always just moved and then the house would be trashed. So I stopped coming. And my mom… she was there when I was in the hospital, but I was surprised to see her if I was being honest. Then… my mom wanted to travel with her boyfriend… turned my room into a yoga studio… but I like it here better anyways. I always hated the sun.”

“Okay, How about living with your mom? What was that like? Was she supportive? Caring? Maybe a little distant?”

“She wasn’t really home much which was nice… I kept the house clean and I got to spend a lot of time by myself. Reading a ton with no interruptions was great,” Bella shrugged. 

“But what about when she was home?” Sam pressed. 

“I have some answers,” Leah said softly. “Just from observations and from eavesdropping on Charlie and my dad. But only if Bella is okay with me saying things.”

“When she was home… I don’t know, we didn’t really talk much. Especially, Phil and I don’t really get along.” Bella was dying to know what Leah knew. 

“You’re overattentive,” Leah said. “You’re self-sufficient to the point of being almost unable to coexist with someone else who does things. Charlie said when you first moved in he would have to jump on chores immediately or you’d have them all done. You worry about money, too, in a way that nobody your age should be. I can see it in the way you would count three times when I’d go shopping with you, pricing everything out to account for every spare penny and calculating tax in your head to make sure you knew exactly how much you’d be spending. You’re a caretaker.”

“Ah,” Sam nodded. “Did you have a lot of responsibility growing up? Keeping the house running, doing the shopping, things like that?”

“Yeah,” Bella said softly. 

“Was your mom good about taking care of finances?” Sam asked gently. 

“When I helped her. Sometimes the power or water got shut off.”

“Did you stop coming here because you felt like you had to take care of your mom?” Bella nodded. “How old were you?” 

“Fourteen.” 

Sam sat back, staring at her intensely. Leah let out a snort, giving him a look. 

“Put that two years of majoring in psychology face away, Sam,” she told him. Sam cracked a small smile before it faded. 

“You grew up isolated from your peers. Alone with a mother who didn’t know how to be a parent and put the responsibility onto you. Moved around, no stability, and finally left when your mom got remarried to a man she wanted to travel with. I can see why you got targeted. Pain demons like people who suffer. People with chronic illnesses or who come from broken or traumatic pasts. You carry a lot of pain around with you, and Edward likely latched onto that as a food source. Leah didn’t tell me exactly what the relationship was like, but I’ve seen enough of your conversations through the mind link to see the pattern. He’d keep you happy, build you up, then knock you back down to replenish his meal. He kept you constantly anxious and feeling like you had to make yourself fit into his life, keeping you controlled and never really more than a few steps past miserable. I’m sorry, Bella. I don’t think you were much more than prey to him. Him killing the other demon that came after you probably was him resource guarding.”

Bella leaned against the wall. “Wait- so- because my life sucked, I attracted a demon who was making me upset on purpose. Leaving me in the woods was a way for him to- to-“ Bella hadn’t really felt true anger many times. 

This was one of the few times.

“And he lied! About everything?!” She started pacing. “Being a vampire- it-“ everything Edward had said was a lie. He didn’t even like her.

“He did. That’s what they do,” Sam said gently. “Demons like that, they target people like you because they can. And it’s important to remember that it was nothing you did, Bella. It wasn’t your fault, it’s his. He used his abilities to manipulate and deceive you, he intentionally lied to you and trapped and isolated you so he could feed off of you. It’s his fault, and his family’s fault for not saying anything. He probably told you they were vampires as an isolation technique. Suddenly, you were in on this massive, world-changing secret that you couldn’t tell anyone because if you did you’d lose him and lose access to the affection he gave you. It’s sick and twisted, but that’s demons.”

“So what? They’re gone and he’s- what do we do to get rid of him? Is he just going to keep showing up?”

“We can talk to Billy, see if he has a way to banish him,” Leah offered. 

“The only other option is to just… ignore him. Be happy without him, show him he can’t take your pain,” Sam agreed. “If he sees that you’re no longer suffering under him, he’ll either leave you alone or come back to control you. And if he comes back, the pack’ll handle him.”

“With great pleasure,” Leah spat. 

“Alright…” Bella nodded, still pacing. 

“I’ll see what Billy can dig up,” Sam told her. “You just focus on calming down right now. And when you’re ready, come on back. But beyond this, the best advice that I can give is to just live. Ignore the visions, and call us if the nightmares come back. With the redhead on the prowl looking for you specifically, we’ll probably keep some of the pack near your house. Unless we can convince you and your dad to stay around the Rez for a while?” He asked hopefully. 

“I don’t know if my dad would go for it without an explanation," Bella rubbed her face harshly. Sam and Leah exchanged a guilty look. 

“Your dad found out about all of this two days ago,” Sam told her. 

“He shot Sam in the ass so Harry spilled the beans to make him stop hunting us,” Leah said softly, cringing. 

“So I’m the last one to know about this?” Bella gave Leah a leveling look.

“Seth doesn’t know,” Leah offered sheepishly. 

“It’s my fault, Bella. Not hers,” Sam interjected. “I was going to let Leah tell you once I was sure it was safe and once we knew where you stood with the Cullen’s. Leah disobeyed me just to tell you because she didn’t want you out of the loop. Her and Jacob wanted to tell you right away, I commanded them not to.”

“Leah didn’t do anything. Jacob was the one who told me about the old legends a year  ago,” Bella defended. “She just- told me I already knew…”

“She’s not in trouble,” Sam snorted. “It really was for your safety as well. Leah’s got remarkable self control but accidents can happen. But she won’t hurt you, I know that now. I’m sorry, Leah,” he told her. 

“Just don’t do it again,” Leah sighed. “That hurt like hell.”

“We’re gonna have a bonfire in a few days. You and your dad should come,” Sam told Bella. “You can hear the legends firsthand and get some more information. I was going to have Leah bring you to it anyways, but I think it would be good for you both to know. Until then, Leah’s going to be with you pretty much constantly, making sure nothing can happen.”

“Oh noo, my best friend will be attached at the hip,” Bella snorted. “I’ll talk to my dad about staying somewhere on the Rez. If you guys think it’s safer.”

“Just for a while, until we deal with Victoria and get Edward out of your head,” Leah told her. “Edward can’t come here and the pack can protect you better from here. Hey, you can crash at my place. Like a really long sleepover.”

“I haven’t seen your room since you redecorated it,” Bella leaned against Leah. Leah’s arm wrapped around her, holding her gently. 

“I’ll see you two inside in a few,” Sam told them before walking back towards the house. 

“You okay?” Leah asked softly. 

“No- yes- no-“ Bella sighed. “I wanna do something crazy.“

“What do you wanna do? I support it already,” Leah told her without hesitation. 

“I want to jump off the cliff to see if it summons him,” Bella said. “Maybe find a way to get rid of him that way.”

“Okay,” Leah agreed. “But we have to do it safely. I can show you where to go cliff diving, and we’ll find a day when it’s nice out and the water isn’t too rough. Cliff diving on a stormy day will kill you.” Bella looked at Leah. “Bella. No,” Leah warned. 

“Bella yes.”

“Oh my god,” Leah sighed. “If you dive on a stormy day the water will swallow you. You’ll get slammed against the rocks and dragged under.”

“I’m a good swimmer and I’ll jump from the lower ledge,” Bella said. “It’ll be fun.”

“You’re gonna make me go gray,” Leah told her. “I have to be there with you. You cannot go without me, alright? I don’t want you to do this sometime when I can’t drag you out of the water.” 

“Alright, alright,” Bella smiled up at her. “I have to get to school early tomorrow… but sleepover at your place tomorrow night?” 

“Yeah, that sounds great,” Leah smiled softly. “You can come over whenever. I have patrol early in the morning, but if I’m sleeping just wake me up. I’ll let my parents know to let you in.”

“Then I’ll do that,” Bella said. “You can help me with my homework.”

“Homework then book club,” Leah agreed. She hugged Bella close to her, wrapping her up completely. “I’m really glad I have you back.”

“Me too.” Bella fell into Leah, holding onto her tightly. She smiled like pinecones and a spiced perfume. Being this close to Leah felt right, there was nowhere else she wanted to be. 

Chapter Text

To: [email protected]

Alice, is it possible that all of the fairytales and legends are true? All of them. 

How come you never told me what you are?

⚔️

Bella charged into the house again. 

He would never miss Depressed Bella, but Eccentric Bella needed to learn how to knock. 

“You know about the pack?!” Bella shouted before finding Charlie in the kitchen as he was cooking dinner. Bella needed to eat something green. 

“Cora, I’ll call you back,” he hung up the phone. “Your ex-boyfriend is a demon?” Charlie fired back, turning the stove off and turning around. She was staring at him with her arms crossed and he matched her, not backing down under her stare. 

“I didn’t know! I thought they were vampires!”

“That’s not exactly any better, Bella! They were dangerous, man-eating monsters and you dated one! You were over at their house! Oh my god I let you go into a demon den, your mom’s gonna take my custody away,” he muttered.  

“I’m 18 she can’t do that,” Bella said flatly. 

“You’re still in high school, so she technically can. She tried it already, but I wouldn’t let you go. I can’t,” he sighed. They both stood there in the kitchen for a minute. 

“Leah and Jake are my friends again,” she said quietly. 

“Good. I’m glad. I was gonna tell you,” he told her. “Billy just asked me to wait. He wanted to make sure it was safe. And I gotta agree with that, because I watched Leah turn into an absolutely massive wolf right in front of me and it was terrifying.” 

“Yeah- it’s- it’s something-“ Bella agreed. “Sam offered for us to stay with them while they're hunting this vampire,” her eyes flickered away for a second. “That’s what’s causing the disappearances. So they’re chasing her down. And Leah and I are gonna have a sleep over tomorrow night.”

“You’re having a sleepover with Leah. And there’s a vampire on the loose- what are you hiding?” Charlie asked her firmly. 

“Nothing,” Bella said quickly. Charlie rubbed his face harshly, pulling the casserole out of the oven and taking the pan fried veggies off the stove. He plated everything, setting them down with a solid clink. 

“Sit down. We’re gonna eat dinner and we’re gonna talk, actually talk. There’s been too many damned secrets in this house and I’m tired of it,” Charlie told her. Bella looked ashamed as she took off her jacket and her shoes back by the front door. She grabbed them both a soda as she pulled on a sweater and sat down. 

“Okay,” she said with a small exhale. 

Charlie deflated slightly. “Look, I’ll answer any questions you have, too. But if this feels unfair it’s because you’ve been hiding more than I have. I just- I just need to know what’s going on with you so I can help you and keep you safe. So let’s start at the beginning. What really happened with you and Edward?”

“I got a paper cut and- he shoved me away because I was bleeding and flew into their vases. Carlisle apologized a lot while he stitched me up,” Bella piled the vegetables on her fork. 

“So all those times you fell around him, all the trips and stumbles, how many of those were because he did things like that?” Charlie asked, trying to keep his cool. 

“A lot of the time… he didn’t make an effort to catch me. Not like Leah and Jake do,” Bella admitted. 

“Bella, what happened in Phoenix,” he asked quietly. He didn’t want to know, but he needed to. 

“It started at the baseball game…” Bella slowly told the full story of what happened. Staging the argument, going to Phoenix, what happened with James. Charlie was trying to keep his cool, but internally he was so upset with himself that he missed all this. He knew-

He knew-

Something was off and he didn’t do anything about it. 

“Only to find out that Edward and the Cullens except Emmett and Jasper are pain demons… but Jasper and Emmett are actually vampires which is why they were never outside and their abilities are different,” Bella finished. 

Charlie put his face in his hands so Bella couldn’t see his tears, trying to keep his breathing even. Bella was his daughter. She wasn’t supposed to see him crying, he was the adult here. “I knew, I just knew something was up. I didn’t do my job. I should’ve protected you, fought harder, made you stay. But I was so damned worried that if I was right and he was abusing you… the first thing abusers do is isolate. I didn’t want you to have a reason to cut me out and end up worse. I’m so sorry, Bells.”

“I didn’t know what to do. Phil and mom fight all the time, I just thought how much we fought was normal. It was- I thought it was an accident. It all felt… explainable,” Bella said softly. 

“It always does. That’s how they get you. They make it so you don’t question it, and then get rid of anyone in your life that makes you question it.”

Like how Renee was. 

“Is there anything else I should know?” He asked Bella gently. 

“I’m going cliff diving with Leah.”

“Should I be worried?” Charlie asked her. “What about this- this Victoria? Will she try to hurt you if you go?”

“It should be okay, Leah’s gonna let me know when they chase her back again. It looks fun.” Bella said. 

“Just please be safe,” Charlie sighed. “You’re my only daughter. I just got you back and I spent most of that time living in a horror movie because of Edward. Don’t do anything that’ll make me lose you.”

“I promise I won’t,” Bella said. “You should stay with Billy while they sort all this out. I don’t want you to get hurt in the cross fire of this.”

“And where will you be?” Charlie asked her, knowing the answer already. Bella’s eyes darted around, cheeks turning pink. 

“Leah’s house. She said I could stay with her since her and Jacob crash together a lot,” Bella cleared her throat. 

“Mhm. Anything there I should know?” He asked suspiciously. “I’m not your hippie-dippie mother- sorry, I shouldn’t call her that, but I’m still, y’know, hip with the times. Gay people are fine and stuff.”

Bella started stammering. “I- I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Bella,” he said calmly. “I just want to know because if there’s anything going on I don’t feel comfortable with you two having a sleepover like that. I know you’re over eighteen but you also just got out of an abusive relationship and I don’t want you doing anything you’ll regret later.” 

“I know… I just- Leah and I are just friends-“ she said flatly, looking confused and frazzled at the same time. 

“Alright. I just wanted to check,” Charlie nodded. “I know I don’t have much from ya but if you have any questions for me, I’ll answer them. It’s only fair.”

“Were things really that bad with mom? Like for me?” Bella asked. Charlie looked down. 

“I-“ he cleared his throat, taking a sip of his beer. He hoped she couldn’t see his hand shaking. “I know Renee. I know what she’s like. And when you finally came back… I could see all the ways it had affected you. Kids… kids don’t do the things you did, Bells. You acted like a single adult who lived alone. I can only guess what it was like, though I’d call them pretty educated guesses. You didn’t go out with friends, you didn’t challenge authority or stay out late, you didn’t want to hang out with your peers. I looked at you when you got here.., and I saw the old me that I was before the divorce.”

“Sam said I got targeted because of the way mom treated me,” Bella tapped her empty soda. 

“You were the parent, not her. And I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Charlie told her softly. “You didn’t deserve any of it. I wish-“ he shook his head. “No sense in what ifs. You deserved better than that. From both of them.”

“Turning my room into a yoga studio was the last straw for me… I always hated how hot it was where she wanted to live. The only thing I really miss is the sun, sometimes.”

“Yeah, California and Arizona aren’t exactly cool places,” Charlie agreed. He really hated his ex-wife sometimes. He’d never say it to Bella because that was her mother, but damn if she didn’t piss him off. “She doesn’t even like yoga. Suppose I can’t talk. I kept your room completely untouched like a shrine. Sorry I didn’t update it more.”

“No, I like it.” Bella said quickly. “I added some stuff, but if I didn’t like something I would’ve changed it.”

“If you ever wanna update anything let me know. New bed, more lamps, anything. I know how much you like your lamps,” he chuckled. 

“Everything I have is good,” she said softly. “Although Leah shares my love of books so I’ll be getting a ton more soon.”

“We’ll get you another shelf,” Charlie chuckled. “I’m really proud of you, Bella. You’ve been doing a lot better these past few months. It really made me feel better.”

“I feel better too. I feel like I can think and I feel… normal. Even with the crazy wolf stuff, everything feels fine again.”

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around all that,” Charlie admitted. “Vampires, demons, werewolves… it’s all too weird. Forks isn’t some big city with weird goings on. It’s a small town. I’m a small town police chief. The weirdest stuff I’m supposed to handle is minor acts of vandalism and the drunks down at the bar. Not… this.”

“You’re not alone, you have help. You have your experts and your people on the ground,” Bella said.

“You’re not alone either. We’re in this together now,” Charlie told her. He leaned over the counter, holding out his pinky like he would when she was little. “No more secrets, alright? Give your old man some credit, I can handle weird pretty well.”

“Alright,” Bella took his pinky. “I’ll tell you the next time a vampire wants to date me,” she joked.

“Or a werewolf, or a demon, or- hell, I dunno, do selkies exist? Look, blanket statement of no dating monsters without running it by me first. And we’re going to Port Angeles this weekend to get you silver jewelry. And maybe a crucifix,” Charlie snorted. 

“I’ll ask Leah what we’ll need.” Bella was piling on some of the veggies. “So- you and Cora?” Bella left the question open ended.

“What about me and Cora?” Charlie asked, feigning innocence.

“What are you two? Are you dating? Just friends? She brought me cold medicine which I thought was really weird. And you’ve never mentioned her before.”

“Cora and I are just friends,” Charlie said slowly. “Well… sort of. We were- I was kinda- I was sorta seeing her for a while before… Look, it’s not your fault. We chose to separate when I found out you were coming back. I wanted to focus on you and rebuilding our relationship, and Cora understood that. But we’re still close. She was there when everything fell apart, she helped me out a lot. I… I care about her a lot.”

“I’m an adult now, how come you two seperated-” Bella paused. “I know you said, but why? Mom did both, so it wouldn’t have been that weird to come home to see you with someone.”

“Because I wanted to spend as much time as I could with you,” Charlie answered. “It’s hard, you know, getting to know someone when you only see them for a two weeks a year. There’s a lot that gets missed. I know I’m not the easiest guy to talk to all the time, and I can be a little…” Charlie moved his head, trying to think of the word. “Emotionally stunted. I wanted you to feel like I was around and available.”

“What are you two gonna do now? Are you thinking of getting back together at all?” 

“Maybe, once you’re settled and okay and all these threats are gone,” Charlie shrugged. “We’ve talked about it, it’s on the table, but Cora… she’s a damned angel I swear. She won’t push or get mad. She’s just waiting for me to be in a good spot.”

“Maybe you two should get back together anyways? Stuff doesn’t get better until you make it better,” Bella said. 

“Yeah, maybe. She’d like to have dinner, the three of us. She wants to get to know you better, beyond just serving you food at the diner.”

“She seems really nice,” Bella said after a moment. “I could cook for the three of us? If we did that.”

“You don’t have to. I can whip something up, or we can go out. Or if you really wanna cook, maybe we could make something together?” Charlie suggested.

“Sure, that sounds fun too,” Bella said. “Sorry that I ruined your game,” she snorted.

“You didn’t,” Charlie smiled. “You’re more important. You’re my daughter, and my priority is your health and happiness. You didn’t ruin anything by coming here, if anything, having you back has made my life infinitely better.” Bella nodded, looking like she was thinking too much. “You alright?”

“I- I dunno- you said that and the only thing I could think about was how mom made me sleep on the couch for a week before I moved here because she took all the stuff out of my room.” Bella went back to slowly eating. 

“She what?” Charlie inhaled sharply, trying to stifle his anger. “I’m sorry, Bella. That wasn’t okay. That- you deserved a better mother. You’ll never go through that again, not here with me. I don’t care how old you get or how far you go, you’ll always have a place here in this house to stay whenever you wanna come home.”

“I know, I appreciate it,” Bella said softly. “I know I thought I would miss Arizona and California but I really don’t.”

“Really? I figured you’d miss all that sunshine and warm air,” he responded.

“I miss the sun sometimes, but not as much as I thought I would. Coming here- I didn’t really have any friends and with Phil’s job it was weird. I just gave up after a while. No one that I knew has called or reached out to me since I moved. Here I have Jake, Leah, and Jessica and Angela.”

“I’m glad it’s been a good move for you. I know Forks is small, but it’s a good community,” he smiled. “Wonder how you’d feel if you were raised here, though. Always seems to be a fifty-fifty split with the kids: half wanna go move to big cities and see the world, half wanna stay around forever.”

“After living in both, here is better,” Bella snorted. “Seattle is nice too and I like UDUB. Not just because that’s where Leah is, but because I actually like the campus and their programs of study catalog."

“That’s where I almost went. Keep it on your roster. Speaking of, have you started your admissions work? I know there’s applications and essays, and even with the time you… lost, it shouldn’t be too late to apply. I can print some stuff for you with the printer at the station if you want?”

“Yeah- I have a-” she looked over in the direction of her backpack. “My counselor gave me a thumb drive with a college packet put together. All I have to do is submit it, but I keep forgetting to do that.”

“You should get on that. Maybe do it tonight,” Charlie urged. He hadn’t gone to college, he’d be damned if Bella missed that opportunity as well. “Apply to a lot of schools, a safety net kinda thing. I want you to go wherever you wanna go. Got you set up with a decent college fund, too, so don’t worry about tuition.”

“I have a few mind, I just gotta change the header on some of my letters,” Bella snorted. “Mom said she also put something aside for me too, I gotta call her and ask about it.”

“Yeah, between the two of us I’m sure you’ll be able to afford all four years no problem.” Charlie didn’t have any hope for Renee if he was being honest. Her college fund was probably a few hundred dollars and a not-so-subtle hint about colleges near Jacksonville.

“Thanks dad,” Bella finished her food before she picked up her plate. “Are you finished? I can get you seconds?”

“Nope, I’m all good. You head upstairs and get started on those college applications, I can clean this up,” Charlie urged.

“No, you cooked, I can totally clean,” Bella protested.

“Nope, I got it. Your education comes first. Wouldn’t wanna accidentally miss out on UDubb,” he teased.

“Alright, I’m gonna call Leah, she if she has any tips. I’ll just be upstairs, burning my eyes out with the computer screen.” 

“Have fun,” Charlie told her, gathering the dishes as Bella went upstairs. He was just happy she was applying. Bella deserved all of the opportunities life could afford her, and college was the first step to getting them. 

When Leah came inside and ran up the stairs just a few minutes later, Charlie just snorted and shook his head. He didn’t know what was going on between them, but at least Bella was happy.

Chapter Text

Charlie wasn’t sure what to expect from the bonfire if he was being honest. He’d grown up with Harry and Billy and Big Quil, but he’d never really been allowed to attend one before since it was usually closed practice. It almost felt weird being on the inside now, knowing things he was never supposed to know all because his daughter got involved and he shot a werewolf. 

He shot a werewolf. 

Charlie didn’t know whether to feel bad or be proud. Sam didn’t seem to harbor any bad feelings at least, and Harry said he was fully healed by the end of the day. 

He watched Bella and Leah come from inside the house. She had been staying over over at Leah’s the last few days after school, coming home to get a change of clothes for her sleepovers. They were standing close to each other as they walked to a spot around the bonfire. Charlie hummed quietly to himself, watching how Leah moved around his daughter. Standing close, almost protectively. Watching Bella carefully, but with so much adoration on her face it almost made Charlie’s heart squeeze. Edward had watched Bella like she was prey. Like she was an object to be owned and kept. Leah was watching his daughter like she was the only thing that mattered to her, as if Bella herself had hung the moon and the sun and had put the stars in the sky. And Bella was watching her right back, gravitating to Leah as if she needed Leah near her to exist. 

Just friends my ass. 

“…telling you, Rent is probably the story of the generation,” Bella argued. “I don’t know the last time I went to a movie that I thought had a compelling and complex story that was on par with a classic book.” Charlie caught the tail end of Bella’s explanation, Leah watching her fondly. 

“It’s the story of a specific facet of a generation,” Leah countered. “But the struggles of people in New York don’t represent an entire world. I’ll give you the win on it being an amazingly crafted case of complex storytelling, but only because I trust your opinion on it. If you really want me to watch it that badly, we can check a video store for it.”

“Wow, you’re getting Leah to watch a real movie,” Jacob jogged over taking a spot. “Bella deserves a medal.”

“Only if you want-“ Bella looked up at Leah. 

“I do,” Leah said quickly. “You talked me into it. You’re very persuasive.”

Jacob gave them both a look, shaking his head. “The burgers are almost ready but everything else is set up. Hey, Charlie!” He waved. Charlie nodded at him, quirking an eyebrow at his daughter and Leah. Leah’s arm was wrapped around Bella and Bella was pressed firmly into Leah’s side, holding onto her by the waist in a way that was definitely not platonic. 

“Jake, Bella, Leah. Nice to see you all together again,” Charlie told them. 

“When did you get here dad?” Bella asked. 

“Somewhere around you talking about the movie of the generation,” Charlie answered. “Brought some potato salad, where should I put it?”

“Nice! I’ll show you to the tables,” Jacob said quickly, darting away from the two girls. Charlie followed him, looking over his shoulder at the bonfire. 

“This seems… cozy,” Charlie commented, pointedly looking at Bella and Leah. “Where’s your dad, Jake? I wanted to talk to him real quick.”

“He’s inside,” Jacob pointed. “He said he’ll be out in a minute, but he could probably use your help carry some of the sodas.”

“Got it,” Charlie nodded. He set the potato salad down on the folding table where other sides and dishes sat before heading in, finding his friend trying to stack twelve packs on his lap. “Well that looks like a recipe for disaster,” Charlie chuckled. 

“I do what I can,” Billy snorted. “If you can take the top one I can balance it better.”

“Nah, I got a better idea.” Charlie helped Billy stack the rest before grabbing the handles of his chair and leaning him back, heading for the door. “Remember after you got the chair for the first time and you tried to pop a wheelie and flipped yourself? Because I do,” he smirked. 

“That was one time,” Billy said, pointing at Charlie. 

“But it was one hilarious time,” Charlie laughed. “Hold on. Little bump,” he warned as they popped over the small lip to the ramp. “You sure it’s okay that me and Bella are here? I don’t wanna invade on a closed practice.”

“Ah yes. Our closed practice open air dinner party with our traditional Quileute foods such as hamburgers and hot dogs.” Billy snorted. “It’s not a closed practice to hold a bonfire with friends and tell stories. We’re not doing any ceremonies, we’re just hanging out. You, Bella, Sam’s girlfriend Emily and Jared’s girlfriend Kim just happen to be the outsiders.”

“Alright, just wanted to make sure,” Charlie nodded. “Didn’t wanna end up involved in this years list of white men to hate when you read it in November.”

“If you go on the list you won’t have to wait until November to know,” he laughed. “But we’re just having a bonfire barbecue. The only thing similar to anything we would do in practice is we’re lighting a big fire and everyone is gonna listen to me and Harry lecture for two hours.”

“I’m just here for the food and to watch my daughter and Leah,” Charlie snorted. “Hopefully though you’ll have something in your lectures about how a regular guy like me can fight these things. If anything else comes after Bella, I need to be able to protect her. She’s been through too much, I’m not letting anything else happen to her.”

“Don’t worry, you’re anything but a regular human.” Charlie gave him a confused look. 

“You gonna elaborate on that or am I gonna have to wait until your lecture?” Charlie asked, unloading the cases of soda from his friend's lap.

“You’re gonna have to wait,” Billy said as they started putting the drinks in the cooler. 

“Great,” Charlie snorted. “Alright, where to next?”

“Down to the fire, time to get this show on the road.” Charlie nodded, helping wheel his friend across the wet sod to where everyone else was waiting. Spirits were high, everyone joking and laughing and a few of the boys wrestling playfully. Bella and Leah hadn’t moved since he’d walked away, chatting with Jacob and a few other boys. Charlie recognized Quil’s son, Little Quil, and Embry Call as well.

“Glad you made it, Charlie,” Harry smiled. “Sue’s been loving having Bella around, she’s a great kid.”

“Hm.” Charlie gave Harry and Sue a look before glancing at their daughters. “Right.” Bella was tucked into Leah’s side, Charlie could see that they were still talking, but couldn’t hear what they were saying over all the ambient noise. Billy let out a whistle, getting everyone’s attention.

“Alright, everyone get your food and gather around,” Billy called. “I don’t have the energy I used to, and I want to be in bed by ten.” That got a round of laughs, everyone moving to the tables.

“You save our spots, I’ll get you a plate,” Leah told Bella, hopping up and pushing her down with a smile. 

“Yeah-“ Bella nodded and she got a spot for them. Leah moved over to the table, and Charlie watched her bully her way in to get Bella a plate first. He shook his head, moving over to get his own before finding a place to sit where he could keep an eye on everything. When everyone settled down, Billy sat up, clearing his throat.

“The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning,” Billy said. “And we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn’t always the magic of shape-shifting — that came later. First, we were spirit warriors. In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled ship builders and fishermen. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted our land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them.

“Kaheleha was not the first spirit warrior, but we do not remember the stories that came before his. We do not remember who was the first to discover this power, or how it had been used before this crisis. Kaheleha was the first great Spirit Chief in our history. In this emergency, Kaheleha used the magic to defend our land. He and all his warriors left the ship — not their bodies, but their spirits. Their women watched over the bodies and the waves, and the men took their spirits back to our harbor. They could not physically touch the enemy tribe, but they had other ways. The stories tell us that they could blow fierce winds into their enemy’s camps; they could make a great screaming in the wind that terrified their foes. The stories also tell us that the animals could see the spirit warriors and understand them; the animals would do their bidding.

“Kaheleha took his spirit army and wreaked havoc on the intruders. This invading tribe had packs of big, thick-furred dogs that they used to pull their sleds in the frozen north. The spirit warriors turned the dogs against their masters and then brought a mighty infestation of bats up from the cliff caverns. They used the screaming wind to aid the dogs in confusing the men. The dogs and bats won. The survivors scattered, calling our harbor a cursed place. The dogs ran wild when the spirit warriors released them. The Quileutes returned to their bodies and their wives, victorious. The other nearby tribes, the Hohs and the Makahs, made treaties with the Quileutes. They wanted nothing to do with our magic. We lived in peace with them. When an enemy came against us, the spirit warriors would drive them off.

“Generations passed. Then came the last great Spirit Chief, Taha Aki. He was known for his wisdom, and for being a man of peace. The people lived well and content in his care. But there was one man, Utlapa, who was not content. Utlapa was one of Chief Taha Aki’s strongest spirit warriors — a powerful man, but a grasping man, too. He thought the people should use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hohs and the Makahs and build an empire. Now, when the warriors were their spirit selves, they knew each other’s thoughts. Taha Aki saw what Utlapa dreamed, and was angry with Utlapa. Utlapa was commanded to leave the people, and never use his spirit self again. Utlapa was a strong man, but the chief’s warriors outnumbered him. He had no choice but to leave. The furious outcast hid in the forest nearby, waiting for a chance to get revenge against the chief.

“Even in times of peace, the Spirit Chief was vigilant in protecting his people. Often, he would go to a sacred, secret place in the mountains. He would leave his body behind and sweep down through the forests and along the coast, making sure no threat approached. One day when Taha Aki left to perform this duty, Utlapa followed. At first, Utlapa simply planned to kill the chief, but this plan had its drawbacks. Surely the spirit warriors would seek to destroy him, and they could follow faster than he could escape. As he hid in the rocks and watched the chief prepare to leave his body, another plan occurred to him. Taha Aki left his body in the secret place and flew with the winds to keep watch over his people. Utlapa waited until he was sure the chief had traveled some distance with his spirit self. Taha Aki knew it the instant that Utlapa had joined him in the spirit world, and he also knew Utlapa’s murderous plan. He raced back to his secret place, but even the winds weren’t fast enough to save him.

“When he returned, his body was already gone. Utlapa’s body lay abandoned, but Utlapa had not left Taha Aki with an escape — he had cut his own body’s throat with Taha Aki’s hands. Taha Aki followed his body down the mountain. He screamed at Utlapa, but Utlapa ignored him as if he were mere wind. Taha Aki watched with despair as Utlapa took his place as chief of the Quileutes. For a few weeks, Utlapa did nothing but make sure that everyone believed he was Taha Aki. Then the changes began. Utlapa’s first edict was to forbid any warrior to enter the spirit world. He claimed that he’d had a vision of danger, but really he was afraid. He knew that Taha Aki would be waiting for the chance to tell his story. Utlapa was also afraid to enter the spirit world himself, knowing Taha Aki would quickly claim his body. So his dreams of conquest with a spirit warrior army were impossible, and he sought to content himself with ruling over the tribe. He became a burden — seeking privileges that Taha Aki had never requested, refusing to work alongside his warriors, taking a young second wife and then a third, though Taha Aki’s wife lived on — something unheard of in the tribe. Taha Aki watched in helpless fury. Eventually, Taha Aki tried to kill his body to save the tribe from Utlapa’s excesses. He brought a fierce wolf down from the mountains, but Utlapa hid behind his warriors. When the wolf killed a young man who was protecting the false chief, Taha Aki felt horrible grief. He ordered the wolf away.

“All the stories tell us that it was no easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was more frightening than exhilarating to be freed from one’s body. This is why they only used their magic in times of need. The chief’s solitary journeys to keep watch were a burden and a sacrifice. Being bodiless was disorienting, uncomfortable, horrifying. Taha Aki had been away from his body for so long at this point that he was in agony. He felt he was doomed — never to cross over to the final land where his ancestors waited, stuck in this torturous nothingness forever. 

“The great wolf followed Taha Aki’s spirit as he twisted and writhed in agony through the woods. The wolf was very large for its kind, and beautiful. And then Taha Aki had the idea that changed us all. He asked the great wolf to make room for him, to share. The wolf complied. Taka Aki entered the wolf’s body with relief and gratitude. It was not his human body, but it was better than the void of the spirit world. As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears. Utlapa, of course, stayed safely hidden.

“Taha Aki did not attack his warriors. He retreated slowly from them, speaking with his eyes and trying to yelp the songs of his people. The warriors began to realize that the wolf was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit influencing it. One older warrior, a man name Yut, decided to disobey the false chief’s order and try to communicate with the wolf. As soon as Yut crossed to the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf — the animal waited tamely for his return — to speak to him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant, and welcomed his true chief home. At this time, Utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he saw Yut lying lifeless on the ground, surrounded by protective warriors, he realized what was happening. He drew his knife and raced forward to kill Yut before he could return to his body.

“‘Traitor,’ he screamed, and the warriors did not know what to do. The chief had forbidden spirit journeys, and it was the chief’s decision how to punish those who disobeyed. Yut jumped back into his body, but Utlapa had his knife at his throat and a hand covering his mouth. Taha Aki’s body was strong, and Yut was weak with age. Yut could not say even one word to warn the others before Utlapa silenced him forever.

“Taha Aki watched as Yut’s spirit slipped away to the final lands that were barred to Taha Aki for all eternity. He felt a great rage, more powerful than anything he’d felt before. He entered the big wolf again, meaning to rip Utlapa’s throat out. But, as he joined the wolf, the greatest magic happened. Taha Aki’s anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people and the hatred he had for their oppressor were too vast for the wolf’s body, too human. The wolf shuddered, and — before the eyes of the shocked warriors and Utlapa — transformed into a man. The new man did not look like Taha Aki’s body. He was far more glorious. He was the flesh interpretation of Taha Aki’s spirit. The warriors recognized him at once, though, for they had flown with Taha Aki’s spirit.

“Utlapa tried to run, but Taha Aki had the strength of the wolf in his new body. He caught the thief and crushed the spirit from him before he could jump out of the stolen body. The people rejoiced when they understood what had happened. Taha Aki quickly set everything right, working again with his people and giving the young wives back to their families. The only change he kept in place was the end of the spirit travels. He knew that it was too dangerous now that the idea of stealing a life was there. The spirit warriors were no more. From that point on, Taha Aki was more than either wolf or man. They called him Taha Aki the Great Wolf, or Taha Aki the Spirit Man. He led the tribe for many, many years, for he did not age. When danger threatened, he would resume his wolf-self to fight or frighten the enemy. The people dwelt in peace. Taha Aki fathered many children, male and female, and some of these found that, after they had reached the age of adulthood, they, too, could transform into wolves. The wolves were all different, because they were spirit wolves and reflected the man they were inside.” 

The fire threw a volley of sparks into the sky, and they shivered and danced, making shapes that were almost decipherable. Charlie looked around, seeing everyone engrossed in the story. Nobody dared say a word, but there was pride reflected on the faces of the pack members as Billy told the tale of their ancestor.

Harry stepped up to continue the story, voice strong and steady. “Some of his children became warriors with Taha Aki, and they no longer aged. others, who did not like the transformation, refused to join the pack of wolves. These began to age again, and the tribe discovered that the wolves could grow old like anyone else if they gave up their spirit wolves. Taha Aki had lived the span of three old men’s lives. He had married a third wife after the deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this was something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did. That is how the magic came to us, but it is not the end of the story. . . .” He looked at Old Quil Ateara, who shifted in his chair, straightening his frail shoulders. 

“That was the story of the spirit warriors,” Old Quil began in a thin tenor voice. “This is the story of the third wife’s sacrifice. Many years after Taha Aki gave up his spirit wolf, when he was an old man, trouble began in the north, with the Makahs. Several young women of their tribe had disappeared, and they blamed it on the neighboring wolves, who they feared and mistrusted. The wolves could still read each other’s thoughts while in their wolf forms, just like their ancestors had while in their spirit forms. They knew that none of their number was to blame. Taha Aki tried to pacify the Makah chief, but there was too much fear. Taha Aki did not want to have a war on his hands. He was no longer a warrior to lead his people. He charged his oldest wolf-son, Taha Wi, with finding the true culprit before hostilities began. Taha Wi led the five other wolves in his pack on a search through the mountains, looking for any evidence of the missing Makahs. They came across something they had never encountered before — a strange, sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses to the point of pain.” Charlie looked over at Bella, seeing her fitting herself more firmly into Leah’s side with wide eyes. 

“They did not know what creature would leave such a scent, but they followed it,” Old Quil continued. His quavering voice did not have the majesty of Billy’s, but it had a strange, fierce edge of urgency about it. “They found faint traces of human scent, and human blood, along the trail. They were sure this was the enemy they were searching for. The journey took them so far north that Taha Wi sent half the pack, the younger ones, back to the harbor to report to Taha Aki. Taha Wi and his two brothers did not return. The younger brothers searched for their elders, but found only silence. Taha Aki mourned for his sons. He wished to avenge his sons’ death, but he was old. He went to the Makah chief in his mourning clothes and told him everything that had happened. The Makah chief believed his grief, and tensions ended between the tribes.

“A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared from their homes on the same night. The Makahs called on the Quileute wolves at once, who found the same sweet stink all through the Makah village. The wolves went on the hunt again. Only one came back. He was Yaha Uta, the oldest son of Taka Aki’s third wife, and the youngest in the pack. He brought something with him that had never been seen in all the days of the Quileutes — a strange, cold, stony corpse that he carried in pieces. All who were of Taha Aki’s blood, even those who had never been wolves, could smell the piercing smell of the dead creature. This was the enemy of the Makahs. Yaha Uta described what had happened: he and his brothers had found the creature, who looked like a man but was hard as a granite rock, with the two Makah daughters. One girl was already dead, white and bloodless on the ground. The other was in the creature’s arms, his mouth at her throat. She may have been alive when they came upon the hideous scene, but the creature quickly snapped her neck and tossed her lifeless body to the ground when they approached. His white lips were covered in her blood, and his eyes glowed red.

“Yaha Uta described the fierce strength and speed of the creature. One of his brothers quickly became a victim when he underestimated that strength. The creature ripped him apart like a doll. Yaha Uta and his other brother were more wary. They worked together, coming at the creature from the sides, outmaneuvering it. They had to reach the very limits of their wolf strength and speed, something that had never been tested before. The creature was hard as stone and cold as ice. They found that only their teeth could damage it. They began to rip small pieces of the creature apart while it fought them. But the creature learned quickly, and soon was matching their maneuvers. It got its hands on Yaha Uta’s brother. Yaha Uta found an opening on the creature’s throat, and he lunged. His teeth tore the head off the creature, but the hands continued to mangle his brother. Yaha Uta ripped the creature into unrecognizable chunks, tearing pieces apart in a desperate attempt to save his brother. He was too late, but, in the end, the creature was destroyed. 

Old Quil paused, a grave look on his face. “Or so they thought. Yaha Uta laid the reeking remains out to be examined by the elders. One severed hand lay beside a piece of the creature’s granite arm. The two pieces touched when the elders poked them with sticks, and the hand reached out towards the arm piece, trying to reassemble itself. Horrified, the elders set fire to the remains. A great cloud of choking, vile smoke polluted the air. When there was nothing but ashes, they separated the ashes into many small bags and spread them far and wide— some in the ocean, some in the forest, some in the cliff caverns. Taha Aki wore one bag around his neck, so he would be warned if the creature ever tried to put himself together again.” Old Quil paused again and looked at Billy. Billy pulled out a leather thong from around his neck. Hanging from the end was a small bag, blackened with age. A few people gasped, and Charlie raised his eyebrows. He’d seen Billy’s father wear that necklace, and then Billy got it when he took over as chief. He never knew what was inside it.

“They called it The Cold One, the Blood Drinker, and lived in fear that it was not alone. They only had one wolf protector left, young Yaha Uta. They did not have long to wait. The creature had a mate, another blood drinker, who came to the Quileutes seeking revenge. The stories say that the Cold Woman was the most beautiful thing human eyes had ever seen. She looked like the goddess of the dawn when she entered the village that morning; the sun was shining for once, and it glittered off her white skin and lit the golden hair that flowed down to her knees. Her face was magical in its beauty, her eyes black in her white face. Some fell to their knees to worship her. She asked something in a high, piercing voice, in a language no one had ever heard. The people were dumbfounded, not knowing how to answer her. There was none of Taha Aki’s blood among the witnesses but one small boy. He clung to his mother and screamed that the smell was hurting his nose. One of the elders, on his way to council, heard the boy and realized what had come among them. He yelled for the people to run. She killed him first.

“There were twenty witnesses to the Cold Woman’s approach. Two survived, only because she grew distracted by the blood, and paused to sate her thirst. They ran to Taha Aki, who sat in counsel with the other elders, his sons, and his third wife. Yaha Uta transformed into his spirit wolf as soon as he heard the news. He went to destroy the blood drinker alone. Taha Aki, his third wife, his sons, and his elders followed behind him. At first they could not find the creature, only the evidence of her attack. Bodies lay broken, a few drained of blood, strewn across the road where she’d appeared. Then they heard the screams and hurried to the harbor. A handful of the Quileutes had run to the ships for refuge. She swam after them like a shark, and broke the bow of their boat with her incredible strength. When the ship sank, she caught those trying to swim away and broke them, too. She saw the great wolf on the shore, and she forgot the fleeing swimmers. She swam so fast she was a blur and came, dripping and glorious, to stand before Yaha Uta. She pointed at him with one white finger and asked another incomprehensible question. Yaha Uta waited.

“It was a close fight. She was not the warrior her mate had been. But Yaha Uta was alone — there was no one to distract her fury from him. When Yaha Uta lost, Taha Aki screamed in defiance. He limped forward and shifted into an ancient, white-muzzled wolf. The wolf was old, but this was Taha Aki the Spirit Man, and his rage made him strong. The fight began again. Taha Aki’s third wife had just seen her son die before her. Now her husband fought, and she had no hope that he could win. She’d heard every word the witnesses to the slaughter had told the council. She’d heard the story of Yaha Uta’s first victory, and knew that his brother’s diversion had saved him. The third wife grabbed a knife from the belt of one of the sons who stood beside her. They were all young sons, not yet men, and she knew they would die when their father failed.

“The third wife ran toward the Cold Woman with the dagger raised high. The Cold Woman smiled, barely distracted from her fight with the old wolf. She had no fear of the weak human woman or the knife that would not even scratch her skin, and she was about to deliver the death blow to Taha Aki. And then the third wife did something the Cold Woman did not expect. She fell to her knees at the blood drinker’s feet and plunged the knife into her own heart. Blood spurted through the third wife’s fingers and splashed against the Cold Woman. The Cold Woman could not resist the lure of the fresh blood and pain leaving the third wife’s body. Instinctively, she turned to the dying woman, for one second entirely consumed by thirst.

“Taha Aki’s teeth closed around her neck. That was not the end of the fight, but Taha Aki was not alone now. Watching their mother die, the eldest of the children, a son and a daughter, felt such rage that they sprang forth as their spirit wolves, though they were not yet grown. With their father, they finished the creature. Taha Aki never rejoined the tribe. He never changed back to a man again. He lay for one day beside the body of the third wife, growling whenever anyone tried to touch her, and then he went into the forest and never returned. They say that the wolves recognize the spirits of the people around them. Their spirit families, their friends, the ones they are meant to protect, and for some, they see the souls of the ones they were destined to love forever and they bond with them, never to be separated again.” Charlie looked around at that. Some of the pack members had women with them, Sam holding a woman close from behind while he rested his face in her neck, Jared kissing the hand of the girl he brought with him.

And Leah, holding onto Bella and looking at her like nothing else existed in the world. Bella was completely oblivious to the way Leah looked at her. 

“Trouble with the cold ones was rare from that time on. Taha Aki’s children guarded the tribe until their children were old enough to take their places. There were never more than three wolves at a time. It was enough. Occasionally a blood drinker would come through these lands, but they were taken by surprise, not expecting the wolves. Sometimes a wolf would die, but never were they decimated again like that first time. They’d learned how to fight the cold ones, and they passed the knowledge on, wolf mind to wolf mind, spirit to spirit, parent to child. Time passed, and the descendants of Taha Aki no longer became wolves when they reached adulthood. Only in a great while, if a cold one was near, would the wolves return. The cold ones always came in ones and twos, and the pack stayed small. A bigger coven came, and your own great-grandfathers prepared to fight them off. But the leader spoke to Ephraim Black as if he were a man, and promised not to harm the Quileutes. His strange yellow eyes gave some proof to his claim that they were not the same as others. The wolves were outnumbered; there was no need for the cold ones to offer a treaty when they could have won the fight. Ephraim accepted. They’ve stayed true to their side, though their presence does tend to draw in others. And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen,” Old Quil said. Charlie saw Quil look at Bella, who stared at the ground. Charlie could read her body language, though. Bella wasn’t distraught or depressed, she was angry. Her jaw was clenched and her shoulders were tense, not even Leah’s hand rubbing her back getting her to unwind. “And so the children of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their ancestors endured before them.”

“Though once mistaken for vampires, our tribe later encountered the truth,” Billy said. “These Cold Ones are demons. They feed off pain. They torture their victims both in mind and body, then when they are done they drain their blood as a final act of desecration. They are our greatest enemies, but not our only enemies. The warriors of our tribe are meant to defend us against all the threats we face, the ones that humans alone cannot handle. But we’ve also discovered we are not the only protectors. Other bloodlines possess different powers, the powers to hunt, cast magic and fight the darkness that plagues this world. And one of those bloodlines is present with us today.” Billy looked right at Charlie, who quickly put his hands up. 

“Woah- hang on,” Charlie said quickly. “What the hell are you staring at me for?”

“Charlie Swan. You alone were able to track our wolves. You’re the first person in centuries to successfully injure one, and potentially could’ve killed one,” Harry told him. “You and your daughter have magic in your blood. Magic we have never seen before.”

“Wait what?” Bella whipped towards Harry. “What are you talking about? We don’t have any magic.”

“Bella, you survived the demons, you carry the scars of your battle,” Billy gestured to her wrist Bella instinctually pulled her sleeve down to cover it. “We don’t know how potent your powers are, but no regular mortal could’ve done what you and Charlie did.”

Charlie looked at his daughter, seeing the same shock reflected in her own brown eyes. 

“You’ll need this strength,” Sam said solemnly. “With the vampire hunting you, and with the demon likely to return for you, you’ll have to learn how to hone it.”

“Edward? He’s not touching my daughter ever again,” Charlie spat. 

“So my dad can just casually hunt any magical creature?” Bella asked. 

“And you can shield from them,” Leah told her, gently brushing some hair out of her face. “The demons can’t read her mind or affect her with their powers. She can block them without even trying.”

“Interesting,” Billy hummed. “The Swan family has long been friends of our tribe and our people. Together, we will make sure nothing ever hurts anyone in our area again.”

Charlie stared at his hands, trying to process it. Magic? In his family? Sure, his dad was an amazing hunter and taught Charlie to be as well, but that couldn’t be magic, could it? He looked up at Bella, seeing her staring at the fire. They couldn’t affect her, she could block them. She could learn to protect herself. 

“Teach us,” Charlie told his friend. “If we have these… gifts, we need to learn to use them.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Sue smirked. “I’ve already called in some friends, they’ll be here in a few days.”

“Alright, go enjoy yourselves,” Billy dismissed the group. “Eat up before the wolves clean those plates, and think about the stories you’ve heard. There’s wisdom in the past.”

“I’m gonna get seconds,” Bella said softly. 

“I got it, what do you want?” Leah hopped up, taking Bella’s plate. Charlie caught the conversation before going up to Billy.

“So- Hunter Blood?” He asked Billy. “Is this something you always knew or not until I accidentally shot Sam?”

“Not until you shot Sam. The wolves move faster than a regular human can track, nobody else would’ve made that shot,” Billy told him. “We had Sue contact someone about it and they said they’d come confirm it. But between you shooting Sam and Bella’s shielding, we’re fairly certain.”

“Well what about that soul connection? Does anyone have it?” Charlie looked around again at all the people coupled up. 

“A few,” Billy answered, scratching his neck. “Seems like this generation is finding their imprints at a much higher rate this time around.”

“Imprints?” Charlie chuckled at the cute name. “So just come back here in a few days when Sue’s friends get into town?”

“Yep. Unless we could talk you into staying here?” Billy asked with worry on his face. “I’ve got a spare room with Rachel and Rebecca gone, or Harry’s got a bed for you.”

“I can’t,” Charlie told him. “I need to be in Forks protecting my people and keeping the town running. And Bella can’t stay here with Leah forever. Unless you have something to tell me,” he said with a pointed look at the two girls curled up together. 

“Leah hasn’t said anything,” Billy shrugged. “If there is… imprints are mutual feelings. If Leah has imprinted, then Bella feels the same feelings.”

“I’m not doubting that part, I just wanna make sure I’m still in the loop,” Charlie said as he watched them. “They’d be good together.”

“They would be,” Billy agreed. 

“You know, I never apologized to you,” Charlie told him. “When the Cullen’s came to town, and we had that fight about the locals boycotting the hospital… I just thought you were being biased. I never imagined it was because of all this. I wish I’d listened to you back then. Might’ve saved us a lot of pain.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Billy said. “On the surface… you know what it looked like.” 

“Yeah. I did. Hindsight’s 20/20 and all that,” Charlie muttered. “Thanks for inviting us out tonight. It was neat hearing all these stories.”

“Glad you and Bella enjoyed them,” Billy nodded. “Now that you’re in the know, you could use your help setting traps for Victoria. We have marked maps, borders, all that.”

“Happy to help. Anything that keeps Bella safe,” Charlie answered. 

“Between you and Leah, Bella may as well be in a bunker,” Billy snorted. 

“Good. I’ll happily take Bella having a personal werewolf bodyguard. I was thinking about taking her to the shooting range but-“ Billy visibly recoiled when he said it. “Yeah, that was my reaction when the thought popped up as well. Barely trust her with pepper spray and a taser.”

“The bear mace you got her is good,” Billy chuckled. 

“She maced a demon,” Charlie said proudly. “Got him right in the eyes. It didn’t do anything, but she still did it.”

“Bella maced a demon?!” Paul asked, whipping over to face Bella. “You maced a demon?!” Bella stammered, going red. 

“Yeah she did!” Leah boasted. “Got the son of a bitch right in the face! My girl’s tough as nails!”

Bella ducked her head, chuckling. “With James- I managed to mace him right in the face. Full contact.”

“Damn, Bella! You’re a badass!” Quil cheered. 

“You’ve got that warrior blood for sure,” Jared agreed. “You’ll have to show us a few moves.” He threw a few punches at the air and Leah pulled Bella closer protectively. 

“I don’t think so,” Bella looked at the ground nervously. “I think I’m just stubborn.”

“You are. You’re stubborn and strong and amazing,” Leah told her softly. Charlie let out a snort, wondering how the hell his daughter was missing the way Leah was looking at her. 

“If you say,” Bella smiled softly. 

“I do say so,” Leah told her, tucking some of Bella’s hair behind her ear. Charlie hear a thud, turning to see Jake hitting his head against a wall with an exasperated look. 

“Jacob, don't do that!” Billy shouted. 

“Wanna show my dad our bikes?” Bella offered. 

“Yeah, sure,” Jacob snorted. “Anything is better than this.”

Leah gave him a warning look before turning back to Bella. “You go ahead. I’ll keep our spots. I got pack stuff to talk to Sam about anyways.”

“Sounds good,” Bella squeezed her hand before her and Jacob started showing him to a large shed. “Jacob did a really impressive job.”

“And you guys are riding them safely, right?” Charlie asked them, already stressed. 

“Completely. We always wear helmets and I managed to find us some dirt bike armor,” Jacob told him as he opened the door. Two motorcycles sat side by side in the shed, one silver and one black. “The black one is mine and the silver one is Bella’s.”

Bella was smiling happily, touching the bike. “We had a blast building these, and there’s a lot of dirt roads for us to ride them on so we aren’t on the asphalt.”

“They look a lot better than they did when we pulled them out of the junkyard,” Charlie admitted. “Glad you two are enjoying them. Please, please don’t make me respond to a call where they’re scraping you off the road with a large spatula.”

“I won’t,” Bella said. “Leah comes with us. She checks out the road with us to make sure it looks good. But it’s really fun. And I learned a lot about engines, I’m changing my own oil soon on the truck. It turns out my engine didn’t work because Edward was trashing it.”

“Jackass,” Charlie muttered. “You’re doing good with the engine stuff. Keep it up.”

“Thanks,” Bella nodded looking at the bikes. “Do you wanna come with us next time?”

“Absolutely not,” Charlie stated flatly. “I’m happy knowing you’re happy, but seeing you on that bike will give me a stroke.”

“Then it will just be an abstract photo of me next to a bike in your head,” Bella joked.

“I’m alright with that.” Charlie pulled her into his side, giving her a hug. His daughter was gonna be just fine.

Chapter Text

Bella and Leah were sitting in Leah’s room, Bella tucked into Leah’s front. Bella was reading ‘Perks of Being a Wildflower’ for school, and Leah was reading ‘The Book Thief’.

“I’m thinking of cutting my hair, like- a lot of it,” Bella said when she got to the end of a chapter.

“Do it,” Leah answered immediately. “How short are you thinking?”

“Almost all of it… I’m thinking Winona Ryder short… but a little longer on top.”

“Oh like… Reality Bites?” Leah asked.

“Yeah!” Bella nodded excitedly. “I dunno, I've never had my hair short like that. Ever. I’m worried it won’t look good.”

“I bet it’ll look amazing. And if it doesn’t, it’ll just grow back,” Leah shrugged. “You’re white, so for you it’s just hair. You should get a little crazy.”

“My hair grows pretty fast. Wanna come with me? If I don’t do it today, I don’t know if I will,” Bella snorted.

“Let’s go. Right now,” Leah shot her a wild grin, eyes shining with excitement. “I’ll drive. We’ll get coffee, too.”

“Great,” Bella put a bookmark in and they both scrambled up to start getting ready to go. It was mid-March and it was finally warm enough outside to not need a heavy jacket. That could also be the lack of needing to stay in freezing cold houses or cars, shivering as she tried to spend time with the Cullen family and Edward. 

Bella shook that thought away, focusing herself fully on Leah instead. Leah’s hand was familiar in her own now, warm and safe as she pulled Bella out to her car. It was warm inside, smelling like salt water and Leah’s body spray, something spiced and pleasant that Bella had smelled in the men’s section. Leah was wearing her new usual outfit of cut off shorts and a muscle shirt, one of her old band tees that she’d chopped up herself that fit her like a glove when it used to be baggy. Bella looked out the window, still trying to figure out why the sight of Leah made her mouth dry.

Forks only had one barber shop, if it could even be called that. It was a small place with two chairs, one sink, and no options beyond cutting and the occasional dye job if you brought your own box. But Sandra was free when they got there, putting Bella right down in her chair.

“What are you looking for, hun?” She asked sweetly, fluffing out Bella’s hair and getting her supplies ready. Bella started talking about the hair cut she wanted. 

“I know this is crazy, but could we also shave the sides?” Bella asked, gesturing wildly to her head how she wanted it to look.

“Honey, after my first divorce I shaved myself bald and dyed what was left bright green,” Sandra told her. “We can absolutely give you a mullet. A good post-break up haircut solves all of your problems, you know. It refreshes you, gets rid of the bad energy. Come on, let’s get you washed up and we’ll get started.”

It took about twenty minutes of Bella facing away from the mirror, seeing lock after lock of hair getting chopped off before Sandra started styling. Leah’s smiles grew wider and wider the more was chopped. She was giving Bella encouraging thumbs up and couldn’t stop talking about how cool it was going to look. 

“All finished,” Sandra spun her around and Bella let out a surprised laugh. 

“Oh my gosh-“ her hair was shaved short on the sides, she had some length on top, and then she had a little shag in the back that grazed her neck. “I love it. Leah?”

“This was a great idea. You look beautiful,” Leah told her, watching her with a softness that made it hard for Bella to breathe. 

“You look great doll. If you don’t love it in a week, I have hair oil and take vitamins to help your hair grow back faster,” Sandra joked. Bella checked out tipping Sandra a little extra and Bella shivered at the new chill on her neck. 

“You sure you like it? I don’t look absolutely terrible?” Bella joked, touching her shaved side. 

Leah’s fingers gently carded through her hair, toying with the ends of it. Bella got dizzy, lightheaded and struggling to breathe as Leah touched her. “Trust me, it definitely doesn’t. You look amazing, Bells.”

“Good,” Bella squeaked out. She didn’t know how to think with Leah this close. The last two weeks of proximity and near-constant touch had left Bella more confused. She had too many feelings and she didn’t know what to do with them. “I- I’m glad you like it.” Bella didn’t want this moment to end. 

“I like everything you do. I haven’t seen you have a bad idea yet,” Leah said softly, not moving away. Thunder rumbled in the distance. “We should head back. That storm’s coming in fast.”

“I guess we should.” Neither of them moved still. “Or… we could go cliff diving?”

“Okay remember when I said I like everything you do? I take it back,” Leah told her flatly. “You really still want to do this?”

“I think we should see if he’s even still summonable. I’ve been hanging out with this hot wolf girl who makes me happy, he might not even be around anymore,” Bella smirked. 

“You think I’m hot?” Leah smirked back. “You said it out loud. I’m hot, no takebacks.”

“You are- hot,” Bella doubled down despite her stomach flipping at the way Leah looked at her. 

“I can think of a few other ways to piss him off other than cliff diving,” Leah told her in a low voice. “But I’m not gonna stop you if you wanna bait your ex into astral projecting so you can dump him and banish him.”

“Oh really, you can think of other things… like what?” Bella baited. If Leah had been thinking about things then she wanted to know. 

Leah’s gaze dropped lower and Bella swore she was looking at her lips. Leah licked her own and Bella fixated on the motion, the quick flash of a pink tongue and the curve of Leah’s mouth. She stared at Leah’s mouth more than she cared to admit, memorizing how it curled in happiness and anger. She knew that curve better than she knew her own mouth now. She knew everything about it except…

“Things that aren’t going to happen until you decide you want them to,” Leah answered. “I told you, Bella. You hold all the power here. Anything that happens, happens at your command.”

“I- I don’t know what I want… just as long as it involves you.”

“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere until you send me away,” Leah swore. “I’m never leaving you again.”

The first raindrop fell, landing on Bella’s freshly shorn head. “Wow, that's cold!” Bella cringed under the droplet. 

“Come on, let’s go,” Leah laughed, pulling Bella back to her car and getting her into the passenger seat. She took her own, starting the Subaru. “Back to my place or to the cliffs?” Leah asked. 

“The cliffs please,” Bella asked sweetly. 

“Alright. But only because I need to make sure you don’t do it when I’m not around,” Leah snorted, starting to drive. 

The road was familiar, one Bella had taken multiple times back and forth between La Push and Forks, but she’d never taken this turn onto a dirt path before. It was bumpy and loud, Bella swore her teeth were rattling in her skull at a few points, but Leah’s old Subaru handled it like a champion. She parked, looking out at the rough seas. Bella was nervous about taking the dive, but she was also excited. This didn’t feel like a bad or reckless thing to do in a negative way. She was doing something because she wanted to, not because she felt forced.

“Okay,” Leah sighed softly. “I’ll be right behind you. Just far enough away that he might not see me. The moment you go over, I’m coming after you. Listen to me. You need to jump as far out as you can. Don’t surface right away, swim away from the cliff first. When you hit, hit feet-first and keep your arms tight against you. If you get flipped around underwater, follow the bubbles. Don’t swim blindly or you’ll drown,” Leah coached, looking stressed and concerned. 

“Be a board, follow the bubbles, and stay calm,” Bella nodded. “This’ll be fun.” Bella was really excited about doing this. 

“This is going to be stressful. But when you want to go cliff diving on days that don’t look like someone pissed in God’s Cheerios, that’ll be fun. I’ll take you to the taller cliffs, let you really have some fun,” Leah promised. 

“When it’s the middle of summer you can talk me into it then,” Bella bartered. “This is just a test, one jump and then we’ll be on our way back to reading,” she promised. 

“One jump,” Leah agreed. She grabbed Bella’s hand in her own, kissing the back of it. “Be safe. I’m right behind you.” Bella’s whole body did a hard reset when that happened, her brain shutting off and everything getting fuzzy. 

“If it’s true that I’m just hallucinating. Just find a good nut house for me… somewhere that has clean rooms,” Bella joked weakly as she left all the extras she had on in Leah’s car. 

“I’ll keep you in my room and feed you soup and crackers, take you out for walks,” Leah promised. “I’ll take care of you forever.”

“That sounds better,” Bella smiled softly. “Alright. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Leah nodded, not looking any less nervous as Bella got out of the car. It was weird without Leah right next to her as she walked alone to the cliff edge. The waters had gotten a little choppy since they drove up from the beach, but in Bella’s head it still looked manageable. 

The cliff itself was more intimidating once she was overlooking it and the wind was picking up. 

“Don’t do this,” Edward’s voice projected from behind her. 

“You wanted me to be human- you lied to me-“ it was weird confronting him in this way. He didn’t even have the decency to actually face her. He had to do this astral projecting shit. 

“Bella, step away from the cliff,” he told her. “I’ve never lied to you. I love you, I need you safe.”

“No- you just need me miserable- and I’m not miserable anymore-“ she said back, trying to control her angry stammer. “I don’t want you anymore. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

Edward was silent for a moment.  “You’ll never be happy without me, Bella. Not really. Think about this, think about what you’re doing. Nobody will ever love you like I do,” his voice said coldly. Edward softened, giving her that gentle look that used to make her crumble. “Get back in the car, go home, tell the mutt you don’t want to see her anymore, and I’ll forgive you. I just want you to be safe and happy.” 

“You don’t control me anymore. You broke up with me, and if you come around me again? You’re gonna regret it,” Bella said as she looked at the cliff again. She had to jump soon before the waves got too bad. 

“Bella don’t do it,” Edward warned. “You’ll regret this. She’ll never love you like I did. She’ll never stay.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to take that risk,” Bella let out a small breath and took a running jump. 

The fall was terrifying, but short. Her feet hit the frigid water quickly and she didn’t sink down much. Bella reemerged quickly and started laughing hysterically once she realized what had happened. 

I did it. 

She laughed again. Now for the hard part, swimming back to shore. As she slowly started, a wave came out of nowhere. Bella didn’t have enough time to dive under it before she was slammed close to the cliff wall. She just had to stay calm, the beach was closer than it looked. 

Fuck-

Bella had enough time to dive underwater for the next wave, but as she dove under she saw Victoria. There was no mistaking that bright red hair. She wasn’t panicking before, but she was panicking now. As she frantically tried to swim away, she met the edge of the cliff wall. 

A form dove through the water like a knife, grabbing Bella’s arm and dragging her away fast. Bella barely had time to process before she was suddenly on shore. Leah was cradling her gently, setting her down before turning towards the waterline. Her body rippled, smoothly changing into the light gray wolf and she let out a piercing howl. She stayed between Bella and the shore, snarling and snapping her teeth at the water until the pack arrived. She saw a flash of red hair appear for a moment before disappearing again. 

“Bella!” Jake rushed over, crouching down next to her. “Leah said she saw Victoria in the water! Are you crazy?! What are you doing cliff-diving in this weather?!” Leah snapped at him, crouching protectively over Bella with her ears pinned back. Jacob put his hands up. “Easy, I’m not gonna do anything to her.”

“I was-“ Bella took a deep breath trying to calm down. “I was trying to see if he would show up- he did-“ Bella said. “Leah has some extra clothes in her car, between you two we can walk back up.”

“Leah saw him,” Sam told her, coming out of the trees with a pair of shorts on. “He really was there. Astral projection.” Leah growled again, pressing against Bella firmly. Her furry body was even warmer than her human one, which was nice because it was freezing cold. The wind was always stronger on the beach than high up. 

“Leah, let’s go. You can get dressed and take Bella home,” Jacob told her. The wolf turned her head, gently nuzzling Bella with a small whine. 

“I’m alright thanks to you. No one tell Charlie,” Bella said.  

“Sue’s friends are coming in today so we’ll get more answers then,” Jacob said. Leah moved away, laying down and looking at Bella expectantly. “She’s offering you a ride on her back so you can get to the car faster.” 

“Uh-“ Bella chuckled. “Sure-“ this was absurd in a good way. She carefully climbed on top of Leah. “Oh my gosh you’re tall,” Bella laughed. Leah let out a bark, shimmying slightly, and Bella gripped the coarse fur around her neck to hold on. The moment she was secure, Leah took off. Bella let out a laugh, pressing close to Leah’s back as they darted through the trees. She was just as fast as the Cullen’s, maybe even faster as she easily navigated the forest. Bella heard the howls first, turning her head and seeing the pack running around them. Sam overtook them, leading the way, and a russet wolf kept close to Leah’s side. His tongue lolled out goofily, looking over at Bella with a canine smile, and Bella immediately knew it had to be Jacob. 

The once-half hour walk to the car took only a matter of minutes, and the other wolves disappeared as Leah crouched next to the car. Bella stumbled off, body shaking and still laughing. The wolf disappeared around the Subaru, and Leah popped up a few moments later in a sleeveless shirt and some basketball shorts. 

“You alright?” She asked, coming over to hold Bella steady as she caught her breath. 

“Yeah- I’m- I’m great,” Bella laughed. “You- you’re amazing.”

“It’s all the wolf,” Leah chuckled. “I love running like that. It’s… it’s indescribable. When I first shifted I thought it had ruined me, that I was a beast, something horrible, but how can it be horrible? I have my brothers, my pack, I can see and do whatever I want… and I still have you. That's all I need.”

“Thanks for confirming that I’m not crazy,” Bella said softly. She was holding onto Leah tightly.

“I knew you weren’t,” Leah told her. “Let’s get you back so you can change. Can’t have you getting sick.”

“Not again,” Bella said softly. “Thanks for saving me again.”

“I’ll always save you,” Leah promised. “And don’t listen to the demon: I’m never, ever going to leave your side. I swear.” 

“Good because I don’t want you too.” Bella didn’t let go of her. There was only one thing that she could think of. There was one thing she wanted to do. 

Bella raised onto her toes to kiss Leah. 

Leah stiffened for a moment before pressing closer and kissing her back. Her lips were soft and felt like a home she never knew, and when she wrapped her arms around Bella to pull her in Bella felt like she was finally where she belonged. But it didn’t last long, Leah pulling away with a ragged gasp, resting her head against Bella’s but not letting Bella kiss her again. 

“I’m really, really glad you finally did that,” Leah said softly, voice husky in a way that had Bella melting into her. “But you’re soaking wet and there’s a massive storm coming in. We can kiss when you’re not about to get hypothermia.”

“Damn,” Bella whispered softly. Leah let out a small chuckle as she moved to her trunk to grab a blanket, wrapping it around her. Leah gently led her to the passenger's seat, helping Bella into the car. “Sorry I didn’t ask first.” Bella said, feeling high. 

“It was perfect,” Leah smiled as she started driving. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while but I needed you to make the first move. You’re the most important person in my life, I didn’t want you feeling forced or pressured. You’ve been pressured too much,” she said softly. She reached out, taking Bella’s hand. Warm and familiar, fitted perfectly like her hand was made to hold Bella’s own. 

“Did- did you imprint on me?” Bella asked. “I’m not mad if you did, I just wanna know.”

Leah fell quiet, the car silent beyond the tap of rain on the windshield and the sound of the tires on the ground. Bella waited, but her silence seemed like all the answer she needed.

 Leah did. 

“I don’t own you,” she finally spoke. “Just because- just because I saw you that day at Jake’s after I changed… I don’t own you, I can’t claim you and trap you. But I can’t pretend like it didn’t happen. I saw you and- it was like gravity. Everything else holding me to this world disappeared, and the only thing left, the only thing that matters, is you. This imprint, it means whatever you want it to mean. You’re the one in control here.”

“The week I didn’t see you was the worst week of my life. And I spent three months completely comatose. I wanted to call you so many times… probably like 100 times a day.”

“Can I admit something that’s gonna come across as creepy?” Leah asked with a wince. 

“No such thing as creepy between us anymore,” Bella smiled. 

“I hung around your house a lot. In the forest. I never got close enough to see you or risk you seeing me, but… I couldn’t let you go. I’d lay out there for hours wondering if you missed me as much as I missed you, wondering if I’d ruined it all. I was just too scared of hurting you to get close,” she confessed. 

“I was laying in my bed the whole time wondering if I had done the same thing.” Bella gently squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“I deserved it,” Leah snorted. “I’m sorry I hurt you. It’ll never happen again. Literally never. My soul belongs to you, Bella Swan. I couldn’t leave or hurt you even if I wanted to, and I definitely don’t want to.”

“You didn’t hurt me- I was just- I thought you and Sam had gotten back together and I felt led on,” Bella explained. 

“I will literally throw myself off a cliff before I get back together with him. And not a recreational, fun cliff. A cliff with rocks and shit at the bottom,” Leah stated flatly. “He’s so obnoxious now, it’s the worst. He’s Mr. Alpha Man Pack Dad and it’s impossible to talk to him without it turning into a lecture where he imparts his wisdom.” Leah rolled her eyes so hard Bella swore her head rolled with them. “But I can understand the end better now. He shifted and imprinted on Emily. He belongs to her now, and when I imprinted on you… I got it.”

“But I think it’s cool… that you and me- we’re gonna be together forever. I can’t see my life without you,” Bella said. 

“Are you sure?” Leah asked softly, pulling to a stop in front of her house. “I don’t… I don’t want you to feel like you have to be with me because of this. I want you, I want you so much it’s an ache inside of me, but I’m okay with whatever relationship you want in return. Billy said the imprint is always reciprocal but- I just- I don’t like the idea of taking choices away from you.”

“You’re not taking anything away from me,” Bella said softly. “I- I was having these feelings before, I just didn’t know it.” Leah brought Bella’s hand up, pressing her lips to it tenderly. 

“Me too,” she smiled slightly. “Let’s get you dressed. And I’ll tell the pack they can finally acknowledge the imprint. I just didn’t want them to say anything until I’d talked to you myself.” 

Bella looked around. “Oh good Charlie’s not home yet. I wanna cook for you tonight, will you stay? Or do you have to go back?”

“I’ll stay,” Leah agreed immediately. “I’d love to have dinner with you. After you’ve had a hot shower and put on dry clothes, please.”

“I will,” Bella promised, a smile creeping on her face. They both piled out of the car. Leah on high alert as she escorted Bella to her house. 

“Wait-” Leah stopped her before Bella pulled out her keys. “Someone’s here.” She inhaled sharply, baring her teeth for a moment. “Unlock the door but stay behind me.”

Bella followed her instructions, dread freezing in her chest. It couldn’t be Edward, could it? He wouldn’t come back that fast. Before the thought of him showing up was all she wanted, but now the thought filled her veins with ice. Leah stepped silently through the door, keeping Bella between her back and the wall as the entered the house. A familiar figure stood in the living room; short and pale, with pixie-cut hair and wide, golden eyes focused on the two of them. 

“Bella,” Alice sighed, crumpling in front of them. “Thank the gods, I thought you were dead! Your future disappeared-“

“What are you doing here, Cullen,” Leah snapped, cutting her off. “You’re not welcome.”

Alice met her glare, straightening out. “I’ll let Bella decide whether or not I’m welcome, dog.” A harsh growl tore out of Leah’s chest, her entire body vibrating with rage. Bella grabbed her arm, holding onto her so she didn’t lunge.

“Alice, don't call Leah that! And you’re not going anywhere until I get some answers!” Bella said firmly. 

“Bella,” Alice sighed, sitting daintily on one of the couches. “I’m just here to make sure you’re alright. I’m not supposed to be contacting you. If Edward knew-“

“If Edward comes back here, he’s a goddamn dead man,” Leah spat. Alice smiled slightly, a dark look on her face. 

“Well that we can agree on.” The room seemed to freeze at her words. Leah’s shaking stopped, her rage overcome by confusion.

“What are you- what?” Bella asked. 

“I agree. Edward’s a dead man if he shows up here,” Alice repeated. “I don’t want him to find out I’m here because if he knows I defied Carlisle he’ll take it as an excuse to do the same. But I saw you throw yourself off a cliff, and your future disappeared. I needed to make sure you were okay,” Alice told her softly, looking her over with worry. “I’m guessing this… Leah saved you, and since I don’t know her I couldn’t see you with her.”

“Yeah, Leah was with me because Edward’s been astral projecting to make me feel like I’m crazy,” Bella said. 

“That son of a-“ Alice clenched her jaw. “Of course he was. Why would I expect anything else? He was supposed to cut all contact with you and leave you alone.”

“He left her alone alright,” Leah growled. “Abandoned her in the middle of the forest after dumping her. If I hadn’t found her she would’ve frozen.”

Alice rubbed her temples. “He wasn’t supposed to do that, either. He was supposed to leave you safe and sound in your house. I swear I’m going to put a muzzle and a leash on him.”

“I’m freezing and I need to think. If I leave you two here for five minutes will my house still be intact?” Bella asked. She was starting to shiver uncontrollably and she couldn’t think. 

“Go,” Leah told her gently, voice filled with concern. “Warm up, get dressed. I won’t attack if she won’t, and she doesn’t seem likely to.”

“I won’t. Best behavior,” Alice confirmed. “Go take care of yourself. We’ll be good.” Bella gave them both one last look before heading upstairs. She grabbed some warm, comfortable clothes and went into the bathroom, cranking the shower as high as she could get it. The steam warmed her first, and then the hot water finished driving the chill from her body until she could feel her fingers and toes again. She didn’t waste time, quickly drying off and putting on her clothes before rushing back down the stairs. Alice was still sitting in the same spot, statue still, while Leah had moved to the kitchen. 

“I made you some tea,” Leah told her, coming over with a steaming mug and guiding Bella to the couch before passing it to her. Alice tilted her head, eyes glazing over. 

“Would you rather me explain now or in front of an audience?” She asked. “Charlie will be home in an hour, he’s got friends with him.”

“Just- start from the beginning,” Bella gratefully took the mug.

“We didn’t know Edward was feeding on you,” Alice said, jaw tense. “He had us all convinced he just cared about you. I should’ve known better, I should’ve seen it, but I’ve always had a blind spot for him. When James hurt you, we thought it was a lapse and he swore it wouldn’t happen again, but Carlisle started watching you more closely. He saw what Edward was doing and tried to get him to stop. On your birthday, when Jasper lost control… he didn’t need to do that. We could’ve gotten Jasper away without you getting hurt. But he threw you intentionally into that glass and that was when Carlisle decided enough was enough. He forced us all to leave so Edward couldn’t hurt you anymore. Edward split off and Carlisle had me tracking him to make sure he wouldn’t come back for you.”

“You don’t smell like the demons are supposed to,” Leah stated. “Why?”

“I’m not a demon. I’m a witch,” Alice answered. “A seer. I can look into the futures of the people around me. Carlisle saw my usefulness and asked me to join them. He’s not like Edward, he really is trying to be better. Him and Esme. Rosalie… Well, Rosalie’s a succubus, her nature can’t be changed, but she at least only targets the filth among the humans.”

“Why did you all lie about what you are? The whole vampire thing never really made sense if I’m being honest,” Bella said softly. 

“That-“ Alice sighed. “It’s easier. We all lie and pretend and we don’t have to admit that we’re all a loose collection of various monsters. Edward said vampires, and we just… went along with it. I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have. That was on us. It’s all on us. We should’ve stopped him when we realized how far he was going. All I can offer are apologies, and tell you that whatever happens next I’m on your side.”

“And we’re just supposed to trust that?” Leah asked flatly. 

Alice shot her a glare. “What does it even matter to you? Who are you?”

“I’m her girlfriend,” Leah shot back. Alice’s eyes widened. Bella felt a small mix of happy emotions when she said the word. 

Alice looked between them before letting out a small laugh. “Honestly? She’s an upgrade. Well done. But you really can’t stay away from the supernatural creatures of this world, can you?”

“I think I’m in it forever,” Bella chuckled. “You two mind joining me in the kitchen while we keep talking? I’m starving and I need to make dinner.”

“Yeah, need any help?” Leah asked softly, holding her hand. 

“No, it’s alright.” Bella needed to do something with her hands, needed a way to process all the information she’d been given.

“I should probably actually go before Charlie gets home. I think you have more to explain to him than me being back,” Alice told her. “Here. It’s my new number. Call it if you need me to come back.”

“You sure?” Bella took the paper.

“Yeah. I-“ her eyes glazed over again, freezing for a few moments. “You’re gonna have more important things to discuss. Don’t worry. I’m not going to disappear this time. I’m just going to look into a few things, but I’ll be in the area.”

“Alright,” Bella nodded. She didn’t know if she could trust Alice completely, but she was here. And Bella had Leah and Jacob in her corner. Alice gently squeezed her arm before moving to the door. She was gone the moment it closed, disappearing into the dark. Leah’s arms wrapped around her, holding her steady. She was Bella’s rock, her anchor, the solid and warm place she could go when things were too much. 

“If you need to sit down for a while, I can cook,” Leah offered softly. “I know that was a lot.”

“No, I need something to do, to keep my mind busy,” Bella said softly. “You called yourself my girlfriend.”

“Sorry, I hope that was okay. It just kinda slipped out,” Leah said sheepishly. 

“I- I liked it,” Bella said softly.

Leah held her face, looking down at Bella tenderly. “Be my girlfriend?”

“Yeah, I want to be,” Bella smiled wide. Leah smiled back, leaning down to kiss her softly. 

“Cool,” she whispered. “Food time. You need to eat.”

“So do you.” Bella bullied Leah into sitting down while she pulled out everything to make Leah’s favorite. 

“Just let me know if you need help,” Leah chuckled. “Otherwise I’ll just be sitting here, admiring how beautiful you are and wondering how I managed to get so lucky.”

“Oh hush,” Bella blushed, gently shoving her shoulder. 

“Never,” Leah grinned. “I get to be with you. I’m never gonna stop telling you how beautiful you are and how happy I am to just get to be near you.” Bella chuckled and started getting everything together. By the time her dad got home she was putting the lasagna in the oven. 

“Hey, Bella. Hey, Leah. Your dad is here,” Charlie told them. 

“Hey, girls,” Harry greeted. “Smells good in here, Bella.”

“Thanks, I made a tray of lasagna, garlic bread, and I’m making a salad,” Bella listed off. “What are you guys up to?” Bella turned around to see their faces. She had forgotten in everything that she had gotten her hair cut not too long ago. 

“You got a haircut,” Charlie said, staring at her. “You… I don’t think I’ve seen it that short since you were a little girl. Looks good.”

“It’s certainly a statement,” Harry chuckled. 

“She looks amazing,” Leah said firmly, giving her dad a withering stare. 

“Didn’t say it didn’t,” Harry responded. 

“When did you decide to do that?” Charlie asked.

“A few hours ago,” Bella said. 

“Huh. Well,” he shrugged, nodding. “Looks, looks good.” Charlie was always awkward about things like this. He didn’t know how to compliment hair or clothes or really anything. But his smile was genuine, and his hand squeezed Bella’s with that familiar warmth and pride. 

“Thanks dad,” Bella nodded. “Are Sue’s friends here yet?”

“They stopped off at the rez,” Harry told her. “They’ll be here in a bit. We wanted to get here first, let you two know they were coming.”

“Good-“ Bella nodded. “Hopefully I made enough-“ she said. “Maybe I should make some pasta salad too-“ she said going over to the pantry. 

“You made plenty,” Leah said quickly, catching her and making her sit down. She passed Bella some water. “You don’t hydrate enough. You can get up after you drink that.”

“Alright,” Bella reluctantly sat down and started drinking. She was admittedly feeling a little stiff after standing for so long. Leah was sitting close, touching Bella gently like she couldn’t bear to be too far from her. Bella looked over, seeing both of their dads watching them closely. 

“Ready to find out if you’re magic?” Charlie asked Bella. He seemed almost too unphased by how Leah was treating her, as if it were entirely normal to him.

“Yeah- it’s weird to think that we could be,” Bella chuckled. 

“It is. Never thought our family was all that special outside of you,” Charlie chuckled. “Guess we might be after all.”

“What were you two up to today?” Bella asked as Leah hovered around her, making sure she was actually relaxing. 

“Harry was testing my skills or something,” Charlie snorted. 

“I wanted to see how strong his magical tracking was, so last night I had Sam run around and leave a trail to a specific spot. Charlie found his way there in just a few hours,” Harry told them. “Then target practice, he can shoot things that move faster than a regular human can track the motion of.”

“Suppose so,” Charlie mumbled. “What about you two? Get up to anything other than the haircut?”

“Read some books, Bella did some homework,” Leah answered casually, looking over at Bella to see if she would say more. 

“Anything else?” Charlie asked, giving Bella a knowing look. 

“Um- nothing- nothing to-“ Bella stammered feeling conflicted about not telling her dad. 

Charlie narrowed his eyes suspiciously, leaning forward. “Bella Marie Swan, you promised.”

“Leah’s my girlfriend.” Bella blurted out. 

“Oh,” Charlie blinked. “Alright. She finally told you about the imprint thing?”

“You told him?” Leah demanded, giving her dad a betrayed look. 

“I didn’t! He put it together!” Harry defended. 

“Oh come on, you weren’t being subtle,” Charlie snorted. “Leah’s all over Bella all the time, she acts like she can’t bear to be more than a foot away, and we hear this story about werewolves finding their soulmates with their magic and I look over and see Leah staring at Bella like she’s her entire world? I’m pretty sure Bella was the only one who didn’t put it together.”

“I didn’t really know lesbians could be a thing!” Bella defended. 

“Your mom never told you about gay people?” Charlie asked, confused. “When we first met she was traveling with a lesbian couple. It was a big group, but I distinctly remember them because it was the first time I’d seen two girls kiss and it threw me off.”

“Used to be a lesbian in La Push,” Harry said. “She moved to Seattle like twenty years ago.”

“Who was the lesbian?” Charlie asked in confusion. 

“Helen Uley.”

“Helen Uley was a lesbian?!” Charlie gaped. Leah sighed, resting her head on Bella’s shoulder. 

“I hate small towns,” she chuckled. 

“But that’s all that happened today,” Bella said. Her dad didn’t need to know about the cliff jumping.

“Glad it finally came out,” Charlie nodded. “No more sleepovers and the door stays open at all times.” Leah let out a quiet groan, pouting heavily. 

“All we do is read!” Belle defended. “Just watch movies.”

“And that’s going to stay all you’re doing. I’m an equal parent. If I’d put this restriction on a boy, it’s on Leah too,” Charlie told her. 

“This is so lame,” Bella groaned. Before she could protest further there was a knock at the door. 

“That’s probably Sue’s friends.”

Charlie went to open the door and Bella and Leah carefully looked to see who it was. 

Two Mexican women stood in the doorway, they could be twins if it wasn’t for the comical height difference.

“Hello, I’m Luna and this is my sister Sol,” the shorter one introduced. “You must be Charlie and…” the woman looked right at Bella. “And Bella.” 

“Yeah. Thanks for coming,” Charlie nodded. The taller one, Sol, walked right up to Bella and grabbed her by the face. Leah immediately shoved between them, a warning growl leaving her. 

“Calm down, shapeshifter,” Sol snorted. “Bella, tell your mate to stand down so I can inspect you.”

“Is this how you normally operate?” Bella asked.

“Yes,” Luna answered. “Excuse my sister, she's eccentric.”

“I need to see your head,” Sol grunted, trying to reach around Leah. “What are you made of, fuckin’ concrete?”

“You can touch her when she gives you permission,” Leah snapped. Sol groaned. 

“Bella, can I please grab your head?” She asked, each word sounding like an inconvenience. 

“Uh- sure-“ Bella said. “I don’t know how this helps you see.”

Leah reluctantly stepped to the side, and Sol grabbed her again. Her piercing dark eyes felt like they were seeing right through Bella and she instinctively shied away from it. “Stop that,” she said. 

“Stop what?”

“Shielding yourself more. It doesn’t help if I can’t see anything.”

“I’m not doing anything,” Bella protested. 

“Not intentionally,” Sol hummed. “Definitely a shield! A powerful one, too. I can’t see into her head, and I’m not easy to stump. It would take a lot of effort to break through that, but I’m lazy and don’t wanna.”

“We’ve also got a latent tracker,” Luna called, tracing her fingers across Charlie’s hands. 

“So we got a witch and a watered down hunter,” Sol clapped her hands together. “That’ll be easy.”

“What?” Charlie asked, looking uncomfortable. 

“Your magic is tuned towards hunting and tracking. I don’t sense Hunter blood, so you’re not a birthright kid, but you’ve still got some abilities that match,” Sol explained. “But Bella here has some powerful protection abilities, stronger than I’ve seen in a while.”

“What does that mean for them?” Leah asked. “Because Bella’s got vampires and demons after her. Can she use it to protect herself?”

“Oh yeah,” Sol nodded. “Herself and others. With practice, Bella can extend her mental protections to other people to defend from any sort of psychic attack. I’d wager you could even turn it into a physical barrier if you tried hard enough.”

“Like- a shield- like something out of He-man?” Bella snorted. 

“No,” Sol laughed. “More like- like Violet from The Incredibles. An invisible barrier that you can put around you. The mental shield you have is a psychic version of that barrier, so magical creatures can’t enter your head to read your mind or affect your thoughts or memories. Which is probably a good thing, considering the demon mark on you.”

“The what on her?” Charlie asked, immediately concerned. 

“Demon mark?” Luna walked over and touched Bella’s chin. Bella was starting to get really uncomfortable with the amount of eye contact happening. “Oh yeah, look at that. Huh.”

“Can you get it off her?” Leah asked immediately.

“We can’t, but Bella can,” Luna said. 

“How? What do I need- how can I break it?” Bella asked, grabbing her arm. She was sick of Edward’s control, sick of the nightmares, sick of every mark he’d left on her. Edward Cullen had left a bloodstain on her soul, one that she couldn’t rid herself of no matter how hard she tried. Like scrubbing spilled wine from a white shirt, the mark would never leave her. 

She needed him gone.

“Ow-“ Sol said. “First things first, we gotta find out what your base magic is. It’s obvious your shield is what’s keeping you safe, but it’s a brick on the foundation of your magic.”

“Charlie yours will be easier. But Sue said you want to learn how to fight our kind, meaning you’re going to have to train. Hard,” Luna told him. “All of your gifts are physical. You need to learn to hone them.”

“We can start tomorrow,” Sol told them. “We’ll meet up after you’re done with your day jobs and show you the ropes. We’ll need the shapeshifters.”

“You mean the werewolves?” Leah asked. 

“Were- you’re not a werewolf,” Sol laughed. “Not even close! You’re a shapeshifter, it just happened that your other form is a wolf. It could’ve been literally any animal. Werewolves turn with the full moon into uncontrollable monsters, and they have a silver allergy.” She pressed her hand into Leah’s arm before pulling away. “This ring is silver. If you were a werewolf, that would’ve burned you.”

“Huh?” Leah stared at her, confused. 

“Boy howdy you’ve been isolated too long,” Luna said. “Tell you what, we have a few friends, we’ll teleport them in tonight and tomorrow we’ll have a bonfire. Sound good? Tomorrow night? We’ll leave a note on your doors?”

“You can just tell us? Why are you leaving notes on doors?” Leah asked, even more baffled. 

“Where is your whimsy? Your sense of adventure and mystery?” Sol demanded. 

“Also we haven’t figured out what time yet,” Luna said flatly. 

“If you tell one of us the whole pack will know. With our mind link,” Leah clarified. 

“Psychically connected shapeshifter pack? That’s fun and also a new one for me,” Sol snorted.  “We’re still leaving notes. See you all then, my little sister and I have work to do!” They swept towards the door quickly, bickering in Spanish before disappearing right in front of them. 

“That was… weird,” Charlie commented. 

“Beyond,” Bella agreed. She went to pull the lasagna out, Leah immediately sitting down with an excited look on her face. 

“That smells amazing, thank you for cooking,” Leah told her, eyes fixated on the tray. 

“We’ll eat and probably head out. Leah’s got pack business to handle,” Harry added. Leah frowned. 

“Bummer, but I’ll see you tomorrow,” Bella said softly as she grabbed plates for everyone. 

“Yeah,” Leah agreed, looking as bummed as Bella felt. She helped Bella serve everyone, all of them sitting down to eat. Leah was patient, waiting for everyone else to eat their fill and for Charlie’s lunch to get packed before devouring the rest of the tray. With how much her girlfriend ate, Bella realized she was going to have to adjust her portion sizes when she cooked. 

“I’ll make sure to make a mini tray just for you next time,” Bella said softly to Leah.

“You don’t have to,” Leah told her softly. “You’re an amazing cook, but I can just eat more later.”

“Please feed her more,” Harry begged. “I haven’t had a full pantry between her shifting and Seth starting to show signs. I’ll give you money to feed her if it means sending her home full.”

“I can’t help it,” Leah complained. “I’m hungry all the time. After shifting it’s like my stomach is a black hole. It’s never satisfied.”

“I have many recipes I wanna try out so I hope you’re a willing participant,” Bella joked. “I’ll have Charlie make us some steaks and I can make all the sides. He can make a mean ribeye.”

“I’m a grill master,” Charlie nodded. “I’ll pick up a family pack so Leah can have a few.”

“Really you don’t have to,” Leah told them. “I mean- I’d love to have dinner here again, and I’m more than happy to taste any and all recipes, but don’t break the bank for my eating habits. I have other ways to get food.”

“Please I don’t eat much meat.”

“I’m rich from being a bachelor.” Charlie said flatly. 

“Alright, alright,” Leah conceded, smiling at Bella. “Only because you said please. I’m too soft for those big brown eyes of yours.” Bella made a mental note of that. 

“You should get going or else I’ll never let you leave,” Bella said softly.

“I’d stay forever if you asked me,” Leah told her. 

“No you won’t. You need to report back to the pack,” Harry reminded her. “You have responsibilities.”

“Ugh. Responsibility is the worst,” Leah grumbled. “Walk me out, Bella?”

“Yeah,” Bella started following Leah back to her Subaru. “I know today accidentally turned insane, but thank you for being there.”

“Always and forever,” Leah responded. “No matter how crazy things get, I’ll be here for you.” Leah looked around, leaning close. “Can… can I sneak into your room later? I just want to cuddle, I promise. Nothing nefarious.”

“Yeah, you- you wanna sneak in?” Bella asked just as quietly.

“If you’re okay with it, yeah,” Leah nodded. “I miss you when you’re not around.”

“I’ll leave my window open, just come on up.”

“Okay,” Leah grinned widely. “Think Charlie would freak out if I stole one more kiss before I left?” Bella reached up again, kissing Leah softly. 

“That is going to get addicting very quickly,” Bella whispered. Leah nodded, kissing her again and again. Bella felt her back press against Leah’s Subaru, gripping Leah’s arms and falling into it. It was like fire, spreading from Leah’s lips and completely consuming her until she couldn’t think. 

A car horn split the air, startling them apart. Harry was still in his truck, honking a few more times. 

“Alright!” Leah hollered. “See you tonight, Bells.”

“See you tonight, Leah,” Bella stood back so she could get in her car.

Bella watched as Leah’s car slowly disappeared into the mist. As she walked back inside she saw her dad cleaning up.

“I cooked, I can get that,” Bella said. 

“No, you cooked. I’ll clean. That’s fair,” Charlie told her. “Wanna watch a movie or something? Bet we can find something on, or you’ve got all those DVD’s and tapes. You can pick whatever.”

“Yeah a movie sounds good,” Bella nodded.

Her and Charlie got settled into the evening. They decided on this cheesy buddy movie from the 80s. Her dad almost made it through the whole thing before falling asleep. Once it was over, they said their good nights and Bella went into her room and quickly opened the window. She wasn’t expecting Leah for a while so she got out her book and started reading. She became engrossed in the pages, not even noticing time passing until there was a quiet thump in her room. Leah closed the window behind her, wearing what Bella was starting to call the werewolf uniform: shorts and a muscle shirt with no shoes, unphased by the cold outside. Leah walked over laying down next to her. 

“I’ve got patrol early in the morning,” she told Bella softly. “I’ll probably be gone by the time you wake up.”

“Are you sure you wanna stay here then?” Bella asked. “I don’t want you to be tired.”

Leah’s arms wrapped around her, the woman letting out a contented breath. “I just wanna hold you for a while. I’m trying really hard to be normal but I swear it’s like I can’t be away from you for more than five minutes without going crazy,” she chuckled. “The pack hates me. All I think about is you.” Bella got comfortable in her arms, turning off one of the lights in her room but leaving the other on for a nightlight.

“All I want to be is with you. When I’m at school, I just want you there as a decoration,” Bella joked. 

“If I could be, I would be. Sam said this phase of the imprint passes in a few weeks, but until then we’ll both be clingy,” Leah mumbled, nuzzling her shoulder. “I could start dropping you off and picking you up? Or meeting you wherever. Anything to spend time with you.”

 “What? No, you have actual responsibilities. I don’t want to bore you with school stuff.” 

“My only real responsibility is to guard you and keep you safe,” Leah snorted. “Sam knows I can’t stay away from you anymore than he can stay away from Emily, so he put me on Bella duty. Hope you don’t get sick of seeing my pretty face because it’s gonna be around a lot.”

“Alright you can pick me up from school,” Bella snorted. Leah smiled, wrapping herself around Bella fully. She was warm and soft, and Bella slowly relaxed into her touch. This was completely new to her, cuddling someone who’s skin didn’t freeze when she touched them. Leah’s warmth and the sense of safety she exuded wrapped around Bella, her eyes slowly drifting shut as Leah’s steady breathing lulled her to sleep.

Chapter Text

Charlie

Charlie was unsure of all of this. These two… sister witches were kinda weird, to put it mildly. As promised they left a funky note on everyone’s door of when and where to meet them. Charlie was here first at the opening to a hiking trail, Bella was on her way with Leah from school and Harry and Billy said they’d catch a ride together. The wolf pack was coming in soon as well. It gave him too much time to think about all this. The reality-

This new reality-

He was really trying to keep it all together. His daughter was a witch and he was something called a ‘Tracker’ and if he was being really honest with himself: He wasn’t sure if he had fully recovered from Leah turning into a wolf right in front of him. 

An unfamiliar Subaru pulled into the spot next to his cruiser and Sol and Luna hopped out along with two more unfamiliar people. A very tall woman who wore a light pink cardigan and a long skirt that had a matching color pattern with flowers. In contrast was another woman in head-to-toe black goth clothes with blonde hair. She looked like the hooligans that he went to high school with that used to drink at the water tower. Charlie nodded, approaching them with caution. 

“Ew. Cop,” the goth girl said, eyeing him disdainfully. “You didn’t say he was a cop, Luna.”

“Easy, Riley,” Luna chuckled, holding her hand. “This is Charlie Swan. Charlie, this is my girlfriend Riley Vega, and our friend Juliette Leroux. Riley’s human but Juliette is a werewolf so she’ll be able to help with training.”

“Enchanté,” Juliette nodded at him. 

“Nice to meet all of you,” Charlie said gruffly. “So, uh, girlfriends.”

“You got a problem with it?” Riley demanded angrily. 

“No! No- I just, uh, my- my daughter has a girlfriend. It’s her first girlfriend. I don’t know how to talk to a girl about dating another girl. Is there, like, I dunno, literature? Or, some kinda video? Informational! Not- not anything-“ Charlie trailed off, hands on his hips and eyes firmly on the ground. “Nevermind. Forget it.”

“Yes, here’s literature for her and for you.” Luna summoned some pamphlets, passing them to Charlie.

“The first thing you need to know is-“

“Nope. Not from you,” Charlie cut Sol off. “You scare me. I wanted advice from the sane one.”

Juliette started laughing, a low, musical sound. “Cherie, if you’re looking for sanity, this is not the group to look to.” Her voice was a little deeper than Charlie was expecting for a tall petite woman. 

“These will help you get started. Really the best thing you can do is just accept Bella as she comes out to you. She will come out multiple times, and just stick by her every time,” Luna told Charlie. 

“I mean, yeah,” Charlie said slowly. “She’s my daughter. I love her. I already lost too much time with her, I’m not gonna lose any more by being some kinda bigot. I accept whoever she is. Thanks. For these.” He held them up awkwardly, nodding at Luna. He was saved from the situation by a howl, Leah and Bella bursting from the trees. Leah was in her wolf form with Bella laughing on her back. 

“Wait, she got to ride her like that?!” Riley gasped. “Juliette-“

“Not on your fucking life,” Juliette drawled flatly. 

“Damn,” Riley mumbled. Leah disappeared, reappearing from the trees and walking over hand in hand with Bella. She looked over the group, freezing when she saw Juliette. 

“Relax!” Juliette called. “I’m not here to take your territory, don’t start pissing on things.”

“Canid shifters are very territorial,” Luna filled Charlie in. “The pack is gonna be uncomfortable about Juliette at first.”

“Is she gonna be safe?” Charlie asked. Sol let out a sharp laugh. 

“A real werewolf could curb stomp a pack of shifters,” she scoffed. “Juliette here would wreck them.”

“I’m just here to hang out and make sure Bella doesn’t have any shifting powers,” Juliette said. “And to show the shapeshifters what a real lycanthrope is.”

“What makes you different?” Charlie asked. 

“Weakness to silver, full moon based phasing, and I can turn people with my bite or blood,” Juliette listed. “I’m also faster, stronger, larger, and more dangerous.”

“You can turn people?” Bella asked. 

“Put that thought away,” Leah warned. 

“You don’t want to be like me, mon Ami, not unless you’re looking to go on an all-meat diet and have a monthly cycle that makes periods look like light work,” Juliette snorted. 

“I don’t wanna die before Leah,” Bella said softly. 

“You won’t,” Leah told her. “Once the danger’s over I’ll just stop shifting. When we don’t shift regularly, we age like normal.”

“Really?” Juliette gave her a confused look. 

“You don’t?”

“I can’t control my phasing like you all, it happens on the full moon whether I like it or not,” Juliette shrugged. “I’m in my eighties, but my life span will probably keep me alive for at least a few centuries.”

“Good, everyone’s here,” Sam said, coming out of the trees with the rest of the pack. They all stopped when they saw Juliette and she rolled her eyes. 

“Let’s get going, Luna. I’m bored,” she said calmly. 

“The spot we found is just a small hike up,” Luna said. 

“Got it,” Leah nodded. “We’ll follow you.” She held Charlie and Bella back until the group was about twenty feet away before she started moving. “Keep some distance. That tall girl… she’s dangerous,” Leah whispered quietly as the pack closed in around them. 

“Wait! Uh-“ Jake shifted uncomfortably as the group all stopped, everyone looking at him. “Can- can we stay here in this area? Nobody will bother us, but my dad’s in a wheelchair and he can’t make it up to wherever you’re leading. But he’s the chief, so he wants to be here.”

“Oh that’s not an issue, we can levitate him. If he’s cool with it,” Sol said. 

“I’ll ask when he gets here,” Jacob told them. 

“I’ll wait with ya,” Charlie said. Everyone else followed Luna into the trees, and Charlie, Jacob, and Sol fell into silence. The rumble of Harry’s truck finally broke the quiet, pulling into the gravel lot and parking near them. 

“Is Bella being a lesbian a secret?” Sol asked. 

“If it is, it’s the worst kept secret between Forks and La Push,” Charlie snorted. “Especially after the haircut.”

“Bella’s a lesbian?” Jacob asked. 

“You’re joking,” Charlie gave him a flat look and Jacob started snickering, unable to hold it in. 

“I am. I’ve been trying to get them together for months,” he scoffed. “You think they’re bad now?! You should’ve seen the way they’d cuddle up on the couch when they first started hanging out.”

“Oh I know.” Charlie said flatly. 

“Nothing but ‘oh is it okay if I sit right next to you?’ ‘Is it okay if I put my arms around you?’ ‘Is it okay if I stare at you with adoration while you talk and swoon over your muscles?’” Jacob mocked in a high voice. “That last one was Bella.”

“Jacob is the original shipper,” Billy said. “I had to hear all about it.”

“I feel validated,” Jacob shrugged. “Leah literally uses Bella as an anchor when she needs to calm herself down. It’s a non-stop slideshow of her in Leah’s head. It’s the only time she’s actually nice. She’s a bitch to everyone else.”

“Jacob Black,” Billy scolded. 

“What? It’s true!” Jacob defended. “Leah’s mean!”

“She’s not mean,” Charlie commented. 

“You’ve only seen her around Bella, so you’ve only seen the nice version of her,” Jacob snorted. 

“I gotta agree,” Sol chimed in. “I don’t think I’ve seen Leah smile once, but she’s tried to bite my head off at least three times.”

“Well the rest of the group is waiting for us. They have… it’s a colorful collection,” Charlie hummed. Billy looked in the direction Charlie gestured, letting out a sigh. 

“Guess I’ll wait here- woah!” His chair started floating, Billy gripping it tightly. 

“I gotcha. Don’t worry, we can get you there,” Sol told him as she started walking. Charlie stayed close to his friend, preparing to catch him in case he tipped out of his chair. “So how’d you lose your legs?” Sol asked bluntly. 

“That’s rude,” Jake snapped at her. Sol shrugged, clearly still waiting for the answer. 

“Type 1 diabetes,” Billy responded flatly. “Developed when I was young, and I did my best with it but the government doesn’t fund the reservation enough for us to have decent hospitals so I developed diabetic neuropathy.”

“Rough.” Sol clicked her tongue. “White people fucking suck. Luna and I are Mexica, not that anyone knows what that is anymore. Not since the Spaniards conquered our lands and destroyed our temples to build monasteries.”

“Mexica like Mexican?” Charlie asked. “Like Aztecs?”

“Don’t call us that,” Sol snapped, a cold look on her face. “Aztec was the name we were branded with when those shit-licking sons of bitches came over and killed us off.”

“Sol,” Luna said softly. “Not everyone knows, especially people this far north.”

“Sorry,” Charlie mumbled sheepishly. 

“You speak like you were there,” Harry commented. 

“We were. Our grandmother was twenty when they came. She died when our mother was just a girl, and when Luna and I were little she died of smallpox. We barely pulled through ourselves. We swore ourselves to our old gods, and we serve them now for however long they request.”

“But then that would make you-“ 

“432… give or take,” Sol shrugged. 

“How?” Charlie asked, trying not to sputter from shock. 

“Magic. Literally,” Sol answered. “We have rituals and spells meant for longevity. Ancient ones passed down by what was left of our people before we were broken completely and isolated. We’re not the only ones, but the number is… small.”

“We can understand that,” Billy sighed. “We barely have any native speakers of our language left. When the elders die, our language dies with them. We teach as much as we can, but… it’s been a very long time since a Quileute was born speaking only our tongue.”

“On paper we also hold a dead language, but we also hold extinct flowers, extinct foods, extinct methods. You want a pot made from a basket? I got like a hundred,” Sol snorted. 

“We made those!” Jacob exclaims. “The Quileute were excellent at weaving baskets. We also used to use the fibers of the cedarwood trees to make clothes that were completely waterproof.”

Charlie decided to keep his mouth shut, looking around the forest as they bonded. His family participated in the very oppression they were bonding over, and he’d spent enough time with Harry, Billy, and Old Quil to know that this wasn’t his conversation to participate in. As Billy told him when they were teenagers: sometimes white people needed to learn to shut up and not insert themselves into conversations.

“Oh good you’re all here!” Luna smiled wide. “It’s great to meet you all.”

“You too, Luna,” Harry nodded. “Thanks for coming out. Sue’s been really excited to have you all around.”

“Should we be worried about the girl Paul’s about to attack?” Billy asked. Charlie whipped to look, seeing Paul’s snarling wolf staring down an unbothered Juliette. 

“Did she goad him?” Sol asked Luna.

“Juliette? No, never,” Luna responded. Each word was steeped in sarcasm, almost dripping off of them. “She would never intentionally piss anyone off. That’s not like her at all.”

“Don’t worry, she’s fine,” Riley told Billy. “I’d be more worried about your wolf boy.”

Paul lunged and Juliette reached out almost causally, grabbing him by the muzzle and shoving his nose into the dirt. “Bad dog,” she scolded, pinning him in place. 

“She told Paul he was a weak little puppy with nothing but bluster,” Bella informed Charlie. “Apparently he didn’t like that.”

“She’s a bitch,” Leah said flatly. Juliette looked over, not letting the thrashing Paul up. 

“Takes one to know one,” Juliette smirked. Leah scowled even harder, and Charlie was pretty sure the only thing that kept her from being in Paul’s position was Bella’s hold on her arm. 

“Alright, Juliette. Let him up. We’ve got work to do,” Luna called. Juliette shrugged, letting Paul go and smacking him hard enough on the nose to make him yelp when he tried to bite her again. Paul retreated backwards, tail between his legs and his ears pinned back. “We’ll be splitting off into two groups, the shifters will be going with Juliette and Riley. Charlie and Bella will be with me and Sol. But be careful when we have Bella go in the circle, we won’t know what kind of magic she’ll have. It could be explosive,” Luna said with the authority of a safety training video. 

“What? Is she going to be safe? What are you going to do to her?” Leah demanded, bundling up Bella protectively in her arms and holding her to her chest so tight that Charlie was sure Bella was being smothered. Bella’s lack of flailing suggested she didn’t mind at all. 

“Chill, she’ll be fine. It’s a magical explosion. Just all of the energy inside of her coming out at once, like when you tap a keg. But she’s got psychic based abilities, so it’ll be a mindfuck more than anything,” Sol explained. 

“You’ll need to stay clear so you don’t get physically or psychically knocked out.” Luna said. 

“We’re tougher than you give us credit for,” Jacob boasted. 

“You’re beautiful, you’re the light of my life, I’m going over there,” Leah told Bella, kissing the top of her head before walking a decent distance away.

“I’m going to try to whip this pack into some semblance of shape, you two have fun,” Juliette snorted as her and Riley walked off. 

Charlie looked around, feeling out of place. This wasn’t his world, he had no place in it. And yet here he was in the middle of all this magic and ability with nothing but a gun and the determination of a father desperate to protect his daughter.

“Don’t worry Charlie. We’ll get you so trained, you’ll be mistaken for a birthright kid,” Sol patted his shoulder. Charlie stroked his mustache, smoothing out the hairs and schooling his features. 

“I don’t know what that is, but if it means that I can keep Bella safe from the son of a bitch that hurt her then that’s all that matters. I want to make sure that he can’t get within ten feet of her before I wipe him from existence,” he huffed. 

“Get in line,” Bella muttered darkly, fists clenched. “He ruined my life, he ruined me, I’m going to make sure that he’s nothing but a pile of ashes.”

“Hoo boy that’s a lot of hatred,” Sol whistled. “Don’t use that. Ever.”

“What?” Bella shot, giving Sol a confused look. 

“Don’t ever cast with hatred. Casting with hatred will create a lot of powerful magic, but it’ll consume you entirely. It’s like trying to kill a spider with a flamethrower in the woods. You’ll definitely kill it, but you’ll burn the forest down with yourself inside of it in the process,” Sol told her. 

“Oh-“ Bella turned thoughtful for a second. “Stay level headed.” 

“Lesson one.” Luna said. “I’m gonna draw a circle. Charlie, Sol’s gonna walk you through some stretches.”

“Don’t want you to hurt yourself, old man!” Sol laughed. Charlie frowned. 

“I’m only 41, I’m not that old,” he defended. “And I’m in better shape than you might think. I have to pass basic training for the force each year.”

“That’s human shit. We’re doing way harder stuff. Limber up,” Sol told him. Charlie grumbled, letting Sol guide him through some stretching exercises while she shouted and bounced like someone on a fitness tape. He could hear Harry and Billy snickering as they watched and he gave them a dirty look. 

“Maybe you should join in, Harry. See how far you make it before you’re huffing and puffing,” he jeered. 

“I’m good over here with my beer, thanks!” Harry called back. 

“I don’t see high knees!” Sol called. “Come on! Count with me! You can do it!”

“Putting you on my damned hunting list,” Charlie muttered, following the instructions. He could handle this if she wasn’t so… her, but it didn’t matter if she reminded him of that old Billy Blank Tae-Bo fitness tape he’d bought that had been collecting dust after getting used once. He could focus past that, focus on the girl drawing circles in the dirt that he swore to protect. She was the only family he had left, he wouldn’t lose her.

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Bella was groaning in her bed, waiting for Leah to show up. She had been trained until her bones felt like they were grinding together. Both her and Charlie had all-but collapsed when they’d gotten home, barely having the energy for a quick dinner of leftovers before dragging their aching bodies up the stairs and parting ways. She could hear Charlie already snoring through the walls, envying his ability to fall asleep through the pain. She tried to relax, waiting for the telltale sounds of her girlfriend coming in her window. Bella’s eyes drifted shut and without meaning to, and her breathing evened out with sleep. 

Dark forests. Trees too tall, blocking all the light. It was cold, freezing her to her very bones until her body was burning from it, painfully numb all the way through. This was a familiar dream, one where she would chase Edward, his bronze hair and golden eyes always just out of reach in the shadows. This time Bella planted her feet, spotting him in the distance. 

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” She screamed, glaring at him. The trees pressed closer and she felt the roots tangle around her ankles, climbing up her legs. “NO! I DON’T WANT YOU ANYMORE! LEAVE ME ALONE!”

The whispers got louder until his voice was right in her ear. “You’ll never get away from me.”

Bella couldn’t stop screaming. 

“Bella! Bella!” Warmth surrounded her, a beautiful voice breaking through the nightmares and pulling her back to consciousness. “It’s okay, I’m right here. You’re okay. I’ve got you,” Leah soothed, holding Bella tightly in her arms. Bella hid her face in Leah’s neck, shivering and trying to stop the tears. Leah just kept whispering, rocking her gently as Bella tried to calm down. 

“We’re sleeping back over at your place tomorrow,” Bella said softly, trying to keep it together. 

“Whatever you need,” Leah promised softly. “I’ll be here, or we can be there. Either way he won’t be able to get to you.”

“You’re late,” Bella whispered, finally able to look at the clock. Leah held up a pharmacy bag. 

“There’s no twenty-four hour pharmacies in Forks. I ran up to Port Angeles, I’m sorry,” she replied softly. “I got you some stuff to help with the aches and pains of training. Painkillers, heating pad, and some of that warming massage oil. Strictly for use in recovery, I figured it might help.”

“I’ll take anything. I didn’t think magic involved stretching and running around until my knees fall off,” Bella tried to joke. “Thank you… you didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I wanted to,” Leah smiled softly. “When I first shifted, it was the most painful thing I’d ever experienced, and when I was finally human again everything was so sore I could barely drag myself off the forest floor. All I wanted was some painkillers and Tiger Balm, so I figured that you’d appreciate it.” She started working a spicy smelling cream into Bella’s legs as she spoke, gently massaging it in. 

“Oh my god-“ Bella groaned at the touch. “Thank you.”

Leah kissed her temple. “Anything for you. You did amazing today. I’m proud of you.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Bella said softly. Leah moved onto her arms and shoulders, all the tension draining out of her with each warm touch. When Leah was done, she wiped her hands and kissed Bella softly. 

“Wanna try going back to sleep?” Leah asked quietly, pulling Bella into her arms again and laying them both down. 

“Maybe, but-“ Bella closed her eyes “-part of me is still in the forest.”

“Once you’re stronger, you’ll break off whatever tether he attached to you. And if he ever dares to show his face, you’ll show him exactly who he’s dealing with. But until then, I’m right here,” Leah promised. “Here, one sec.” Leah slipped out of the bed, taking the warmth with her. She rummaged around before coming back with one of the library books Bella had checked out. Leah moved Bella around, her strength making Bella feel like she weighed nothing as Leah picked her up and repositioned her so Bella was laying on top of her with her head on Leah’s chest. She could hear the calm, even thud of Leah’s heart beating, her breathing steady and relaxing.

Leah cleared her throat and started to read, quiet and low. Bella let herself relax into Leah as she read about the latest Jane Austen book. Eventually, Leah’s voice soothed Bella back to sleep. She was still in the forest, but the trees were lighter and the air was warm, a light gray wolf walking with her as she roamed.

Chapter Text

Charlie

Charlie always knew when the front door opened. He’d always considered it just his weird dad skill, like how some dads could just tell when the thermostat was messed with or when someone was touching their tools. He always knew when the front door opened even if he was dead asleep. 

So imagine his surprise when he went to wake up his daughter for breakfast and found Leah Clearwater in her bed. 

“Bells, it’s time for breakf-“ his voice trailed off, staring at the two girls on the bed. Bella was laying on top of Leah, both of them frozen and looking at him with guilty looks on their faces when they realized that they had fallen asleep like that. His only comfort was that they were dressed, a book next to them on the bed still splayed open like it was being read, Bella was under the covers and Leah was outside of them. He glanced at Bella’s window, seeing it closed but not locked. “Come downstairs. You have five minutes,” he warned them, not closing the door all the way before he left. Charlie sat down, sipping his coffee with a sigh. A few minutes later he heard two sets of feet on the stairs, Bella and Leah coming into the kitchen. 

“Chief Swan, I swear it wasn’t what it looked like,” Leah told him immediately, sitting Bella down and starting to make some tea. Charlie’s frown deepened, eyeing them both. 

“Bella, I told you no Leah in your room for sleepovers. Especially no Leah in your room with the door closed,” he scolded. 

“Nothing happened- I- I had a nightmare-“ Bella said softly. “Leah read to me until I fell asleep. I’m sorry.”

“I heard her screaming,” Leah told him. “I came up to check on her and then stayed to make sure the demon couldn’t bother her again. Nothing is going to happen between me and Bella for a very long time, you have my word. I at least want to take her on dates and actually work on our relationship first and foremost, which we can’t do until she’s safe.”

“What were you doing close enough to hear her?” Charlie asked flatly. Leah blushed from looking embarrassed. 

“… I went to Port Angeles to get her stuff from the pharmacy,” Leah mumbled. Charlie snorted, sipping his coffee to hide his smile. He didn’t like that she was in Bella’s room, but he trusted Leah. She was kind, respectful, caring, hell she’d gone on a nearly two hour round trip just to get Bella things to help her after the training. As far as partners went, she was one of the better options. 

“If Leah comes over, the door stays open,” Charlie told them. “No exceptions. Wide open, no funny business, and only when I’m home.”

“Sorry,” Bella said sheepishly. 

“I’m not mad, I’m just worried. We’ll talk about that more when Leah goes home,” Charlie told her. Leah set the tea down, rubbing the back of her neck. She looked strangely in place in their kitchen, standing next to the table in her cutoff jeans and sleeveless baggy tee, her long hair braided back. She touched Bella’s shoulder softly and Charlie wondered if she fit in so well here because she fit with Bella. Maybe it was just knowing about the imprinting thing or maybe it was seeing the way they moved together, but the two of them just made sense to Charlie. 

“I should probably head out. Juliette wanted to run the pack through some stuff this morning, then I’ve got patrol. I’ll see you later,” Leah said softly. 

“Alright, I’ll see you after school,” Bella said, holding Leah’s hand. Leah kissed her cheek, smiling softly. 

“Bye, Charlie. I’ll see you later,” Leah told him. Charlie nodded at her and watched her lope out of the house. He turned back to Bella, clearing his throat. 

“So, uh, the- the witch, Luna. She’s a lesbian,” Charlie said awkwardly. “I don’t know a lot of lesbians, kinda a new thing for me. But she gave me some stuff. Pamphlets and shit.” He got up to grab them from his jacket, passing a few over. “Now I don’t know what you and Leah have done-“

“Oh my god- dad- Imavirgin-“ Bella said quickly. 

“Ah-nah-neh-“ Charlie stammered as he waved his hands in front of his face, feeling uncomfortable. 

“Glad we had this talk!” Bella took the pamphlets and ran upstairs. Charlie rubbed his face harshly, shaking his head. 

“I’m going to work. Where I don’t learn too much information about my daughter and where everything makes sense,” he grumbled, grabbing his work belt and his jacket. He smiled slightly to himself though, nodding. “Starting to like Leah more and more each day..”

⚔️

“More disappearances in Seattle,” is what greeted Charlie as he walked into the station. One of his lieutenants, Gary Danes, came up with the reports and passed them over. Charlie looked through them, mouth twisting. 

“Thanks, Gary,” he sighed, walking to his desk. “Tell the locals to be on their guard if they head that way. And keep them out of the forests and off the trails, still. We took care of the wolves, but there’s still something dangerous out there.”

“Yes, Chief,” Gary nodded and scurried off. Charlie didn’t like this, all these disappearances didn’t seem much at first, just one here and there, but Charlie’s gut told him there’s a connection here, and it all leads back to one of the first to go missing:

Riley Biers. 

20, a Forks local, went off to attend UDubb after high school before suddenly vanishing without a trace two months ago. Charlie meticulously added pins to his board, eyes scanning over it. Something was happening, but what?

“That’s one hell of a conspiracy board there, Chief!” Sol’s voice made him jump and he whipped to face her. 

“Now what the hell are you doing here?” He demanded, voice laced with exasperation as he looked at the sisters. 

“We need to borrow you,” Sol grinned. “Time for more training.”

“I have a job,” Charlie told them flatly. 

“Not right now,” Sol waved her hand. “There. Now all your people can operate without you for the rest of the day.”

“No. No.” Charlie stood up and shook his head. “Look, I know you’re here to help but we need to establish some boundaries here. You cannot come into my department in my town and just wave your hand to put magic on my people. Look around you.” He gestured widely. “I know you two are probably used to big city slacker ass cops and power hungry jackasses in badges, but here in this precinct we run things differently. I am responsible. I am in charge. Each and every single person in this building relies on me to keep them and their families safe, they are my people. 

“These are the people who have been with me from the beginning. Dale covered for me when my mom would sundown and I’d have to leave my shift to take care of her. Mrs. Fritz made this tea and cream for my dad that would help his arthritis even on the days when he couldn’t move. Al, Ben, and Frank were pallbearers at both my parents funerals, and Frank’s daughter babysat Bella before I lost custody when I was working nights. You can do whatever you want to me, you can work me until I’m in the damned ground, but you do not cast on them. Do I make myself clear?”

“You done, Mr. Big Cop Man?” Sol asked with a bored face. Charlie’s eye twitched. “You want to protect the people you love? Then you need to drop what you’re doing now- your focus needs to be on this. Forks will not be isolated much longer. With the wolves starting to shift, this little Victoria hunting Bella, more and more are just going to keep coming. If you don’t let us do what we need to do for two weeks to give you all the training we can cram into your heads, this will get out of control very quickly. Then we’ll be out of your hair forever if you want.” 

“Fine,” Charlie snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Nobody listening, no respect, might as well have never gotten the damned divorce. Like being with her all over again,” he grumbled under his breath. 

“Renee was a manipulative bitch, I will always be straight up with you,” Sol said. 

“No more casting magic on my people,” Charlie told her. “I can come up with my own excuses for why I’m going out. I just- I just don’t want them involved in any of this. They’ve never had to deal with magic, I don’t want it to ruin them like-“ like it’s ruined everything else. 

All this stuff had been nothing but trouble. His daughter had been hurt, abused, cursed, and nearly killed over it. The Quileute kids had to suddenly grow up and take on roles as protectors because of it. Charlie hadn’t known peace since all this came into their lives, and he would be happy as soon as it was gone. 

“Hm.” Sol tilted her head. “Luna, change of plans. I think we need to do some spiritual work today instead.” Sol’s eyes were glowing, it was really off putting. She waved her hand. “There I took the spell off. Meet me at your house when you get out of here.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen. Thank you,” Charlie nodded. He walked over to Frank, touching his shoulder. “I’m going over to the Rez, some of the local kids think they saw something. I’m gonna do interviews and maybe some poking around. I’ll let you know if anything comes from it.”

“Got it, Chief. Radio in if you need anything,” Frank nodded immediately, not questioning it for a moment. Charlie patted his shoulder before walking out and hopping in his cruiser. He could do things like this, he had control still, he was capable of handling things without people waving their mumbo jumbo. He was still Charlie Swan, the man that worked his way up from foot patrol to chief while taking care of his own life. He didn’t need those sisters coming in and making things worse.

He drove through the streets, following the familiar path home where he saw Bella standing awkwardly trying to get into her truck. Sol was leaning against the door, holding it shut. Charlie got out, rage bubbling up. It was one thing to take him away from work, but keeping Bella from school was crossing the line. 

“Bella’s in danger, the school isn’t safe,” Luna explained quickly when she saw Charlie. He froze. 

“How do you know?” He asked Luna. 

“I told them.” Charlie’s blood froze, and he turned to see Alice Cullen by his door. “Hello, Charl-“

“Give me one good fuckin’ reason,” Charlie spat, gun already in his hand and aimed at her. “Is your piece of shit brother here, too?”

“Easy, Charlie. I’m not here to cause trouble,” Alice said carefully. 

“We all need to go inside,” Luna said. “And Leah doesn’t know about this yet.”

“She will soon enough,” Sol commented. Charlie holstered his weapon, still glaring at Alice. She’d once been his favorite, but now she was just another accomplice in his daughters abuse. 

“Bella, try to get a hold of Leah. I want her here as soon as possible if the Cullen is going to be around,” he said coldly, walking up to his door. Everyone followed him inside and Charlie grabbed some water, needing something to do with his hands. 

“I suppose I deserve that. I just came to warn Bella that Victoria was waiting at her school,” Alice told them. 

“Shoulda warned her about your brother, too,” Charlie muttered. 

“Charlie, I swear if I had known what he was doing I would’ve stopped him,” Alice said. “I know-“ Alice sighed heavily, looking away. “I was suspicious, but when I brought it to Carlisle he told me not to worry and I don’t know much about the Children of Asmodeus. So when Carlisle said he had it handled- I believed him. And I’m sorry.”

“Bella?” He looked over at his daughter. “This isn’t my place to forgive. You’re the one who got hurt.”

“I’m still- Alice isn't kill on sight, but I haven’t forgiven her completely,” Bella said softly. 

“Then that’s where I stand,” Charlie nodded. “What’s going on with school?”

“I’ve been keeping tabs on Victoria. It’s not easy, but I saw her deciding to go to Bella’s school,” Alice told them all. “She thinks killing Bella will avenge her mate, James, because Edward killed him defending Bella. I can’t see her all the time, but when she interacts with people I can see better, like Bella, it gets clearer.”

“See? Is that demon slang or something?” Charlie asked. 

“She’s not a demon, she’s a witch,” Sol told him. “She can see the future, premonitions and shit.”

“Huh.” Another point for the weird column. “Was that all you came here for? Not scoping out for your brother?”

“Please stop calling him that,” Alice said firmly. “The family act is a facade, a ruse to keep suspicion off of us. I haven’t spoken to Edward since we left Forks and I have no intention to start.”

“Where is he anyways? Where’s the-“ Bella stammered. “The rest of them?” 

“Carlisle and Esme are up in Alaska in a remote town, working at a hospital, trying to help them despite their funding and location. Rosalie and Emmett are in New York. She’s pretending to be a broke singer at an old jazz bar and Emmett is the customer who wandered in and fell hopelessly in love with her. Meanwhile, they’re killing every man that tries to follow Rosalie home without her permission. Edward is in Rio de Janiero, doing… god knows, honestly, and Jasper-“ her voice wavered slightly. “He went with Edward. I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Understood,” Bella nodded. “What about you? What are you doing?” Bella asked her. 

“Drifting. Thinking about going to art school. Keeping tabs on everyone for Carlisle,” Alice responded. “This isn’t the first time we’ve all split up, I usually just wait for everyone to decide they’re ready to come back together and then I organize the meet ups. I’ll probably hang out around here until the threat is gone.”

“That’s alright with me,” Bella shrugged. 

“Bella also has psychic magic, we could use your help,” Luna said. 

“Finally,” Alice huffed. “Edward didn’t want me teaching you magic, said it would be too dangerous. But that little shield of yours has been waiting to be used. I’m more than happy to help, if your girlfriend is okay with it.”

“You know about Leah?” Charlie asked her suspiciously. 

“Yes,” Alice agreed, not elaborating. 

“Have you been stalking my daughter?” Charlie  demanded. 

“No. Well- not physically. I check her future to make sure she isn’t in danger but that’s about all.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Leah’s voice startled everyone. “Hold my girlfriend hostage much?”

“Oh great, the dog’s here,” Alice rolled her eyes. “I did you a favor. Your girlfriend was about to walk into a trap.”

“The redhead?” Leah demanded. “Not possible, we checked all over the area, couldn’t find her scent anywhere. But I found yours.”

“Maybe your nose is broken,” Alice hummed. 

 “Maybe I should break yours,” Leah snapped back, snarling at Alice.

“Enough, both of you,” Bella scolded. “Alice I appreciate you being here, but Leah and the pack aren’t your enemies.”

“I’m aware of that, but it doesn’t mean we’re friends,” Alice responded coolly. Leah growled quietly and Bella reached up, gently touching her cheek. Leah looked down at her, softening and letting out a breath. 

“Thank you for the warning and for keeping Bella safe,” Leah told Alice flatly. Alice huffed. 

“Would it kill you to smile and put in a little more effort?” Alice asked. Leah’s scowl just deepened. 

“I don’t smile,” she shot back. “That’s the best you’re getting.”

“We should come here more often. There’s great drama,” Sol whispered to Luna. 

“I was literally thinking the same thing,” Luna said. “Today is spiritual work. And Bella, we need to work on expanding your shield. And Charlie… you’re going through a speed round of 10 years of therapy.”

“I don’t need therapy. I’m not some head case,” Charlie protested. “I am perfectly well-adjusted.”

“Well…” Bella hummed. Charlie gave her a betrayed look. “Dad, come on. The cabinets?”

“What about them?” He asked defensively, looking at the chipped yellow paint. 

“Mom painted them almost twenty years ago and you never changed them, I think therapy could help with some… unresolved issues,” Bella said gently. 

Charlie frowned harder, rubbing his neck. “They’re the same color your nursery was,” he mumbled. “Trust me. I’m over Renee and all her- nevermind. Don’t worry about it. I don’t need therapy.”

“Yeah you do,” Sol said flatly. “Charlie Swan. You gave up your life for your parents. You married a woman on a whim and had a kid, and then that woman took your child from you while you-“

“Stop,” Charlie ordered. “Not in front of Bella. We’ll talk about it later.”

“Exactly.” Sol said. “Your daughter is old enough to know what her mother was like.”

“Please. Don’t,” Charlie pleaded softly. “I’m not gonna be that parent who bashes on the other one after a divorce.”

“Dad, I already know some of it,” Bella told him. “I’m eighteen, I’m old enough to form my own decisions about people what are you hiding?”

“Nothing.” Charlie turned away, looking around desperately for something to do with his hands. Anything. There wasn’t even a single dish for him to clean. 

“Dad- if- if you tell me what happened, I’ll tell you what happened with mom on my end,” Bella said. Charlie fiddled with a dish towel, looking out the window. 

“Can we have a minute?” Charlie asked. “Just me and Bella?”

“What?! But-“

“Sol, not the time,” Luna said gently. Charlie listened to their retreating steps, the front door opening and closing, Leah politely leaving with them. Charlie looked through the glass, seeing just his daughter sitting there waiting for him. 

“When I was eighteen, my mother, your grandma, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” Charlie started softly. “You probably don’t remember her all that well, you were only four when her and your grandpa died. I’d just gotten accepted into UDubb, but… well, your grandpa couldn’t move all that well, he couldn’t take care of my mom, so I dropped out and stayed here in Forks to take care of them. Got a job with the force, and settled in. I met your mom a few years later when she came into town on a roadtrip. Her and her friends spent a few days here, and I… well, I fell head over heels.” Charlie smiled sadly, shaking his head.

 “She was the opposite of me: wild and carefree, doing what she wanted when she wanted, not tethered by anything. I was nothing but roots, always stuck in the same place and never moving. She left, and I never stopped thinking about her. Then suddenly she showed back up again looking for me. She wanted me to go, but I asked her to stay, told her why I couldn’t leave. She understood, and she said she wanted to be here with me in this little town that she called picturesque and charming. We got married, I bought us a house near my parents, and then she got pregnant with you. But a few months in…” Charlie gripped the cloth, wringing it in his hands and focusing on the faded blue of the fabric. 

“Few months in she changed her mind. My parents were getting worse. Mom was sundowning more than she was clear, dad could hardly move. I spent all my time working and taking care of them and taking care of her because Renee wasn’t exactly the best at taking care of herself, and all Renee wanted to do was leave. Kept begging me, said I didn’t need to handle all this and to let someone else do it. Told me to just put my parents in some kinda home in Seattle and run off. I couldn’t do that, I couldn’t abandon them. You were born, and everything seemed okay for a moment. I had my little girl, the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen. Month later, I came home from taking care of my mom and- uh-“ Charlie cleared his throat. 

“Renee was gone. She’d packed up with you and just took off. Called me from a payphone in Oregon and said she needed to leave before she was stuck in Forks like I was, eating at the diner every night and seeing the same people day after day. She needed to save you from the boring, small town life, that she’d never come back. Told me to just let her go.” Charlie felt the stab of pain all over again, hearing Renee’s voice over the crackly phone filled with venom, her words echoed by the same exact ones Bella had thrown at him only a few months ago. He quickly wiped his face, clearing his throat again. “Tried to fight for you in court but they sided with your mom, I was only able to get visitation once a year. And that was the end of it. Your grandparents died a few years later, just a few months apart, and I’ve been here like I’ve always been.” Bella sniffled, wiping her face.

“It’s weird hearing you tell it because mom told me what happened… but I guess when you feel stuck it sounds different. I- I dunno- I liked my time here with you but I hated coming home to a trashed house and sometimes the power was out. But I thought it was normal. I- I like it here.”

“That’s not normal,” Charlie said. “You shouldn’t have been responsible for making the bills got paid, that the utilities didn’t get shut off and that you weren’t late on rent. I should’ve fought harder for you. I wish I had found a way to keep you here so you could’ve been a kid.”

“It’s not your fault… the system… it was the 80s,” Bella said softly. “There were never going to let you keep me.”

“No. They weren’t,” Charlie agreed. “I know you were her caretaker. You didn’t… you shouldn’t have had to be. I just hoped you were happy, even though I missed you like crazy. Your mom… when things were bad a few months ago, she threatened to have you taken. Since you’re still in high school she could’ve done it. I never wanted to send you to Jacksonville. I swear.”

“Thanks for the threat when I wasn’t feeling great,” Bella said softly. “I hate to say it worked.”

“I’m just glad it did.” Charlie moved over, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re the most important person in my life. I don’t wanna let you go until I have to. But I also don’t want you stuck here like I am. Please go off to college, go live your life. I can take care of myself just fine, so long as you come visit your old man every once in a while.”

“I want to go to the same college as Leah- I don’t wanna go to college in Alaska. I wanna stay close to here,” Bella said softly. 

“UDubb? It’s a great school,” Charlie smiled, secretly thrilled. “You can come down on the weekends and do laundry here. The full college kid experience. Normally I’d tell ya not to go to a school just because your partner goes there, but I figure the whole soulmate thing sorta makes that a moot point.”

“I was looking at that school even before,” Bella admitted. “I know mom wants me to go to Jacksonville… but I don’t want to go to college in Florida.”

“Can’t understand why anyone would wanna go to Florida in general,” Charlie snorted. “It’s terrible there. Wherever you go and whatever you do, I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks dad,” Bella leaned into him. “I’m sorry that I said all that mean stuff to you before I left.”

“You cut deep,” Charlie acknowledged. “But I know why you did it now. And you were right, it was the only way to make me let you go. Just don’t do it again, alright?” He told her with a small chuckle.

“I won’t, I promise,” Bella said softly. “You ready for some more weird training today?”

“Nope, but if it’s what we gotta do then we’re doing it,” he said with a firm nod. Charlie followed Bella as they walked outside to meet with Luna and Sol. 

“Charlie, you're with Luna today,” Sol said.

“Please don’t be weird to my kid,” Charlie sighed. 

“I got her,” Leah promised as she stretched it out with Sol. 

“We are going to do some spiritual training. Since Bella is a shield, that means that you also have some mental blocks that you need to work past,” Luna started as all of them walked to the back of the house where he normally chopped wood. “People who stay where they were raised can have a hard time letting go of things, even when they think they’ve moved on. Why are the cabinets still the same color?” Luna asked plainly as she pulled a blanket out of nowhere and unfurled it. Gesturing for him to also sit on it. Charlie could feel every joint cracking on his way down. 

“I dunno. Just never got around to painting them.” He shrugged.

“Did you want to?” 

Charlie paused. Part of him didn’t want to tell these strangers anything. But another part of him knew that there were Sue’s friends and if she trusted them then so could he. “No. I thought- It’s easier just to keep everything the same as Bella grew up. She could come home to a familiar house, everything would be the same, just waiting for her when she got back. No matter how many years passed, I wanted her to know that I would still be waiting for her. The reason the cabinets are the same color as Bella’s room is because I bought too much of the same paint. I thought I got two different greens. I liked it so much and so did Renee…I figure why change it. Then my parents got sick, Renee left me and I only saw Bella once a year. The color reminded me of a time when for just a second, it felt like my life was finally going the way it was supposed to.” Charlie was looking out to the treeline. Passively looking for animals, making sure no one was hiding in the trees. 

“The color of the life you thought you’d have,” Luna said softly. “I can understand that.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you experienced the death of your culture. My divorce is nothing compared to that.”

“No one’s pain is less than just because of a situation. You and I experience grief all the same. Grief is not limited to death, it’s about what could’ve been. Your parents should’ve been fine, should’ve had another ten years with you and Bella. Instead your mother got Alzheimer's and your father was quickly disabled because of a lifetime of manual labor,” Luna explained softly. “You thought Renee was the love of your life and that you were going to be together forever. Instead she only turned out to be the vessel that gave birth to your daughter. I know you love Bella more than anything, but she’s your daughter, not your partner.”

“I know that, I don’t want her to feel like she has to be anything but my daughter. I don’t want her stuck here with me, I want her to run and fly and experience everything life has to offer, and I want her to know whenever she needs a safe place to land she has one here with me. I’m her dad, and I hate that I didn’t get to be for so long because of Renee,” Charlie let out a wet laugh. “Renee she was- I didn’t know her that well, but I was young and wanted the kinda love my parents had. When I saw her it was like lightning- for just me. She- I was just a fling that went a little too far. I can’t regret her. I can’t regret our time together because being a father is the one true joy I had after my parents died.” Luna looked back at the house.

“You moved your parents into your house. Their spirits still linger, they’re waiting for you to be happy. You’re just moving through life right now. Making sure Bella’s okay and feeding yourselves and getting up for work. I know you get fulfillment, but it’s not enough. It’s okay that’s not enough because you want to share with someone. And that’s okay. You’re allowed to move on.”

“I just- I don’t understand how Renee moved on so quickly.” Charlie finally said. It was something that plagued him for years. 

“She did move on. It was because she didn’t want the same things as you, but lied to you because she thought you’d go along with it. From what you’ve told us she makes these assumptions. She assumes you’ll move with her when your parents are sick. She assumes you’ll just want to go with her wherever. She assumes that Bella wants to live in eight different states in ten years. She assumes Bella is cool just being dropped off here and that she’ll go back to Jacksonville. Renee doesn’t know how to think about what other people want. That’s a fault of her, not a fault of you.”

“I guess- I never thought of it that way. I knew- I know that there was nothing that I could do to stop her.”

“There was nothing you could do to stop her.” Luna repeated. 

“There was nothing I could do to stop her,” Charlie said again. “There was nothing I could do to stop her.” Maybe he didn’t really know that. Saying out loud- there was weight off his chest. The words had held him down this whole time and the more he said it, the lighter he actually felt. It was as if he was actually breathing for the first time since Renee said she wanted to leave. 

“You did everything you could for your parents,” Luna said. Charlie felt his throat close at that one. “Say it.”

“But I-”

“Say it,” Luna said more firmly. 

“I did everything I could for my parents.” The words came out too stiff. “I did everything-” Charlie’s voice cracked and he took a deep breath. Saying words shouldn’t be so hard. Saying words isn’t hard, but this? This was hard. “I did everything I could for my parents.” Luna sat quietly with Charlie for a few minutes as he listened to the birds, the way the breeze came through the trees, sitting with the words he left in the air. For a moment he let himself believe the words he was saying. “I miss them. I miss my mom’s cooking and my dad’s steady voice. I miss going fishing with him, and coming home and helping my mom make a fish fry. They died when I was twenty seven. I did everything I could and they still died, it wasn’t fair,” Charlie admitted quietly, staring at the ground. 

“It’s not fair,” Luna agreed. “It’s not fair that uncaring illness took both your parents and it’s not fair that you had an unsupportive partner through it all.”

“I try not to show it around Bella because after the divorce I took this, like, divorcee support thing where they said the most important thing is to never say anything bad about your ex in front of the kids, but I’m so mad at her,” Charlie huffed. “I’m just so angry that she told me to toss my parents in a home, and I’m angry that she took Bella and that the state sided with her and next thing I know my six year old is asking me about utility bills and if I paid my mortgage. A six year old! A six year old shouldn’t even know what those words mean!” He got up, starting to pace. “How was she the more fit parent? Just because she was Bella’s mother? That’s why they let my daughter get taken off to another state by a woman who can’t stop spending money long enough to make sure she had groceries?!”

“What happened after that?” Luna asked. 

“After Renee took Bella and I lost custody- I- I didn’t know what to do. I had to keep it all together for everyone else, but when my mom was clear and asking for her granddaughter, or when she was sundowning and couldn’t remember the divorce… if I didn’t have Billy and Harry and Quil I would’ve lost it completely. They kept me from spiraling,” Charlie sighed. “My little girl was gone. The light of my life. I loved her so much and I feel like I never got to show her, and now I feel like I don’t know how.”

“Why do you think you failed?” Luna asked softly. 

“It was 1988, they didn’t care about who was the better parent. They just knew Renee was the mother, and I was a man who worked a lot and couldn’t be home enough,” Charlie sighed. “Do you know how hard it is to get to know someone when you only see them for two weeks a year? Renee never let her call, and once she was old enough it just wasn’t something we did. But I could’ve done more. I should’ve. I should’ve tried to call, pushed for more custody. I shouldn’t have let her stop coming.”

“Do you really think you could’ve? 1988 single dad Charlie with a full time job and full time care giving?” Luna asked. “Even after? Do you believe deep down there was something you could’ve done?”

“No, at least not to get custody. But I could’ve tried harder to at least build a relationship, even if it was over the phone.”

“It’s hard, being the parent who's away. You did the best you could, Charlie. You have to believe that,” Luna said firmly. 

“I’m trying,” Charlie said softly. “I’m trying really hard to believe that.” 

“What matters right now is that you’re here for her now. You’re involved now. You’re doing the most insane shit now because you care,” Luna said. 

“I’m her dad. I couldn’t protect her before, but I’ll be damned if I ever fail again. I drew my line in the sand. Never again,” Charlie said firmly. “I’ll burn that motherfucker down myself before Edward Cullen touches her again.”

“That’s all that matters now. Charlie you have to make peace with the past. To accept that it happened. Acceptance doesn’t mean that it’s okay that it happened, but to acknowledge that it happened is the only way to fix the past and make the most of the present.”

“How do you do it? How do you just… accept it and move past it?” Charlie asked her.

“I stopped playing ‘what if’,” Luna said, getting a far away look in her eyes. “It’s hard, the survivors' guilt. It took years, I killed everyone I could and I still felt hollow. Nothing helped: booze, killing, drugs, it was all bullshit. Thinking about what I could’ve done only drove me insane, literally. Once I sat down and told myself over and over there was nothing I could do- I just had to keep doing it until I believed it. I had to stop rationalizing what happened because there was no rationality to what happened to me. And it’s not easy- healing isn’t easy- moving forward isn’t easy. And if moving forward means putting it in a box in your mind and not thinking about it anymore, then that’s what it means. If it means sharing your experience with others more and joining a group, then that’s what it means. You have to discover what will help you move forward.”

“The only thing that can help me move forward is this.” Charlie gestured. “Learning to keep Bella safe so she can have a good rest of her life. I couldn’t give her a good start, but I’m gonna make sure she gets everything. I want her to go to a good school, I want her to travel, see the world and be so, so happy.”

“Then that’s what’ll happen. You’ll make it happen.”

“Yeah. I will,” Charlie nodded. “What’s first? How do I do it? The magic thing?”

“You’re already doing it,” Luna stood up with him. She started walking to the forest line and passed him a throwing knife. “We’re gonna do an exercise but first I need to teach you how to throw these.”

“I’m guessing there’s no way to make my gun effective?” Charlie asked. “No dunking in holy water or using silver bullets or something?”

“Silver bullets don’t really work, but you don’t need to reload a knife and we’re testing your natural abilities. I have some friends coming into town and I need to tell them your baseline.”

“More friends?” Charlie asked unsurely. “Are they like your sister? Because no offense but I don’t know that I could handle more of her… energy.”

“No, Joanie and Andy are much more tame,” Luna said. “They’re former hunters. Also known as blood traitors, so they don’t hunt magical creatures indiscriminately like regular hunters. I think you and the wolves will all get along with them.”  

“The pack would probably appreciate the break from Juliette. Apparently she’s been bullying them,” Charlie snorted, taking the knife. “Bella’s ready to punch a werewolf. Again.”

“We’ll be out of your hair soon,” Luna chuckled. “Now, the basics of knife throwing.”

They spent the next house learning how to throw a knife. Charlie was a little clumsy at first, but got the hang of it surprisingly quickly. It was actually kinda fun. 

“Now, we’re going to practice your magic,” Luna said once he hit the same mushroom three times in a row. “Now close your eyes.”

“Seems like a terrible idea with a knife in my hands, but sure,” Charlie snorted, closing his eyes. 

“Listen to the sounds of the forest,” Luna started. “Listen to the breeze in the trees, the birds chirping.” Charlie let out a small breath, trying to ignore how silly it felt, but after a few minutes he was surprised how quickly he tuned in. Something he was doing for years and didn’t even notice. “I want you to pick a target, a squirrel. You know what the sound like as the skitter across the floor… the way they hop from branch to branch. Find one without opening your eyes and catch it with your knife.”

“Can I do a rabbit?” Charlie asked. “It’s the season for them, and if I’m gonna kill something I’d rather be able to eat it so it doesn’t go to waste.”

“Rabbit is good too,” Luna nodded. “Harder target, let’s see what you got.” 

Charlie really listened in. He could filter out the noise of the kids talking and messing around, the wind becoming a low hum to keep him focused. He could hear the rustling in the brush and he let the knife fly without even thinking about it. He was more startled by Luna letting out a surprised noise.

“Holy shit you got it,” she praised. Charlie opened to see that he managed to get a rabbit right in the chest, killing it instantly. 

“Huh. That- Hm.” He didn’t know what to think about that. “I didn’t think I could do that.”

“You can, that’s your magic,” Luna nodded. “Let’s go again.” Luna walked over to grab the rabbit, not worried about the blood or the dead animal. She wiped off the knife in the grass before passing it back. Her and Charlie walked a little further into the forest where there was more ambient noise. He did the same thing, keeping his eyes closed while he mentally searched for his target. He was able to get another rabbit, this one he hit a little lower, catching its stomach, Charlie quickly ran over and popped its neck to kill it before it suffered. “You did great, and now you can make an even better rabbit strew. Bella’s also just about done for the day, so we’ll let you two go and tomorrow my friends will be here to combat train you two. Nothing crazy, probably just teaching Bella a few basics but they’ll want to get a feel for your hand-to-hand and they’ll want to see you shoot also.”

“Alright, so long as Bella’s learning how to defend herself. Hopefully she’ll learn how to throw a better punch so she doesn’t break her hand.”

“Punching a demon made of crystal can cause your hand to break,” Luna chuckled. “You two are gonna have a blast.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Charlie snorted. When he looked for Bella she was laughing as she was shaking out her hand. Leah looked stressed, while Sol was giving Jacob a high five. 

“What happened?” Charlie asked, hoping the answer wouldn’t involve a trip to the hospital. 

“Oh I projected my shield, but it wasn’t enough to stop a cold blast. But soon, soon it’ll stop- I dunno, anything?” Bella snorted. 

“Anything that needs a medkit?” Charlie asked with a small snort.

“No, my hand’s just cold,” Bella clarified. Leah grabbed it and started warming it up. “No injuries today.”

“Good. Proud of ya,” Charlie patted her shoulder. 

“I’m gonna be really happy when you have that shield,” Leah mumbled, watching Bella worriedly. 

“Can I go over to Leah’s tonight, dad?” Bella asked, pulling him away little from the group. “Jake and Leah are gonna be at Billy’s house… and the nightmares-“ she looked away. “Nothing’s gonna happen, Billy’s said he’d make breakfast for dinner.”

“Billy’s gonna be there the whole time?” Charlie pressed. Bella nodded. “No funny business, just sleeping. But alright. I’ll allow it.”

“Jake too,” Bella said, “thanks dad, I’ll be back in the morning. They have early patrols.”

“Alright. Have fun, be careful. Call me if you need anything,” Charlie told her, giving her a side hug.

“I will,” Bella hugged him back. It was a good thing that she was going with her girlfriend and her friend. Charlie needed some time to himself to process what had happened. He let her go, watching her run over to Leah. Leah wrapped Bella up once she was close enough, kissing the top of her head. She waved at Charlie and Charlie waved back, watching Bella walk off with her girlfriend and best friend.

“Yeah. She’s gonna be okay,” Charlie nodded to himself. 

Chapter Text

Charlie

“Bella, wake up!” Charlie barged into her room after hearing the screaming again. It had been over two months since it happened and Bella jolted up right in bed, breathing heavily when he finally managed to wake her up. 

“Sorry,” she said quietly, still trying to get her bearings. Charlie looked behind at the dream catcher that Jacob had gotten for her birthday. 

“I was starting to think this was working,” he touched the small piece of art that hung above her bed. “What was the nightmare?”

“It was him… chasing me. I wanted to stop running, to face him, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop moving. I know Sol and Luna said that he’s- he has- that he’s connected himself to me, but I’m not strong enough to break it on my own right now.” Charlie nodded, listening to the story. Luna had mentioned another way for Charlie to sever the connection: killing Edward himself.

He hadn’t told Bella yet, but after their session yesterday that was exactly what he was going to be doing. 

“Try to get some sleep, or, and hear me out, we could go downstairs, I could make some hot chocolate while you pick out a movie?” Charlie offered up.

“That sounds better than staying up here,” Bella said after a few quiet moments. 

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” he nodded, kissing her on the top of her head. 

⚔️

“Happy day for Mr. Charlie Swan,” Sol said once he opened the door for her and her sister. “Today is your last day of training with us. And we brought the fun people.”

“Wait, hang on, Bella still needs you,” Charlie said quickly. “He’s still attacking her in her sleep.”

“I know,” Sol said. “We’ll address all lingering questions, curses and mental links today.”

“Alright,” Charlie sighed. He let them in the house and went over to the living room, gently shaking Bella’s shoulder to wake her up. “Hey, Luna and Sol are here,” he said softly. Bella jerked up, looking around wildly and putting her hands up. 

“Huh- oh, hey. Right, last day of training,” she said. Charlie rubbed her back, trying to help her calm down. She looked exhausted, dark rings under her eyes and a vacant stare that didn’t process anything in front of her. Charlie looked up at the other witches, desperately hoping they could help. 

“Yeah, we’re definitely gonna try to break that today,” Sol nodded, crossing her arms. “He drained you hard last night. Luna, we’re gonna need some spiritual recovery tea, and Charlie she’s gonna need a large, hearty breakfast.”

“On it,” he nodded, rushing to the kitchen and pulling out everything he’d need for a full breakfast. Ham, bacon, some stuff for pancakes, and all the eggs he had in the house.

“I’m gonna call Leah,” Bella said. 

“Good idea,” Sol said. “You’ll need someone to additionally protect your body while your dad is training and we break the connection.”

“Ask if she can stay the night, just in case,” Charlie told her. “And if she’s on patrol, maybe Jake. The pack can keep him at bay, and you need sleep.”

“Are you sure? About Leah staying over?” Bella asked, looking up from her cellphone. 

“You’re gonna be out cold tonight,” Sol said. 

“I’m more worried about your health than you having your very respectful girlfriend in your room. And Sol’s right, you’re exhausted,” Charlie agreed. “Go ahead and invite her.”

“Thanks,” Bella looked grateful and relieved. “Hey…” Leah seemed to answer right away as Bella walked off.

“Good the teenager left, I have to tell you something,” Sol came over quickly. 

“What is it?” Charlie asked, eyeing her as he mixed the batter. 

“There’s a small chance this won’t work and we’ll need to put her in a magically induced coma while you hunt Edward down and kill him.” Sol blurted out. 

“Christ, Sol,” Charlie groaned. “Can’t we just send her to La Push? He can’t attack her on their lands.”

“That would be the plan. But we can’t cut the connection on blessed lands. We would have to induce her, transport her and then you and Harry can hunt him down,” Sol said. “I just want to make sure you knew because there won’t be much time.”

“And how do you expect me to get to Brazil, search all of Rio de Janeiro for a mind-reading demon, and kill him with my half-trained skills?” Charlie asked flatly. “If I’m going I want your monster hunting friends with me, Harry Clearwater is one of my best friends but he’s not exactly what I would call strong backup.”

“We wouldn’t send you blindly into the fray,” Sol clarified. “I already have the whole thing planned, but it’ll work.”

“Alright. Whatever keeps her safe,” Charlie sighed. “Why didn’t you warn me sooner? I would’ve taken some more time to prepare.”

“Because a lot of this shit is developing as it comes. I’ve met a few other shields like her, but children of Asmodeus usually stay in Europe. They almost never come here so I’ve been learning on the fly here.”  

“We need more information. Not from Edward, the only thing I need from him is a clear shot. Maybe one of the other Cullen’s? Or- there was some family up in Denali?” Charlie clicked his tongue. “I don’t like not knowing what I’m hunting, makes me antsy. I need to know it so I can kill it. Bears and deer are two different tactics.”

“I can get in touch with Alice, she’ll be your main point of contact and magical bestie going forward.”

“Alright. Suppose I could deal with that,” Charlie nodded. He’d never admit it, but the eccentric sisters had grown on him a little. He might actually miss them. Not much, but just a bit.

“Leah said she’ll be here soon,” Bella came from around the corner. “Did I miss anything?”

“Just Sol being Sol,” Charlie answered. “I know you’re all grown up, but are you too old for funny shaped pancakes?”

“Nope,” Bella snorted as she sat at the kitchen table and curled up on the chair. She almost looked like she did when she was a kid, drinking her orange juice and waiting for Charlie to serve her a plate. Charlie smiled slightly, turning to the stove and getting everything going. It wasn’t his best job, he’d always overcooked bacon when he made it, and  it had been a long time since he’d made shaped pancakes so they were a little lopsided, but he plated them anyway and put everything in front of his daughter. 

“Eat up. Sol said you need it.”

Bella started loading up her plate. “Thanks dad,” she smiled up at him as she happily ate. 

“Course, kiddo.” There was a frantic knock. “Come in, Leah! It’s unlocked!”

“Bella? You okay?” Leah asked the moment she was inside, striding into the kitchen quickly. 

“What’s wrong? We just finished talking like fifteen minutes ago?” Bella looked concerned as she made herself a sandwich with the bacon and toast. 

“There’s vampire stink all over your house. I could smell it the moment I got here,” Leah answered. “Was it one of the Cullen’s?”

“What?” Bella looked alarmed. “No- I don’t-“ she put down her food and ran up to her room, Leah behind her and Charlie right behind her. They walked in and Charlie stiffened, immediately on edge. It wasn’t messy, nothing seemed out of place, but he felt that prickle on his neck and that feeling in his gut.

“Someone’s been in here,” he told them, moving to check the windows. “We need to start locking these. It’s too easy to open.”

“The smell is in here. Bella, check everything, make sure nothing’s missing,” Leah told her. 

Bella looked around, stopping and touched her desk chair. “My sweater- the brown one- I had it here.”

Leah moved over, sniffing the entire area. It was a little weird to see, but Charlie trusted her nose. “I don’t recognize the scent. It’s not the redhead. I’ll call Sam and have the pack come by and pick it up so we can track it.”

“Only if they can spare it,” Bella said. “Today we’re supposed to be severing the connection.”

“Oh good,” Leah sighed. “You look really tired, it’s time to break it. You deserve some peace.”

“I didn’t sleep well last night,” Bella admitted softly. Leah moved over, holding her close. 

“Come on, let’s go finish your breakfast,” Charlie said gently. “Drink that tea that Luna made ya. Replenish the spiritual energies or something.”

“Let’s definitely get you back to that spread,” Leah agreed. 

“You hungry Leah? I made extra.” Charlie offered as they all went downstairs. 

“Pretty much always,” Leah agreed sheepishly. “Juliette said that because of our enhanced healing and other abilities, we burn calories at about four times the rate of a regular human. She’s got us on a diet that helps but…” Leah made a face of mild disgust. 

“Ah yeah, the raw meat and organ diet,” Sol nodded. 

“Not a big fan of it,” Leah shuddered. 

“She said it’s easier in the shifted form,” Sol tacked on. 

“Do you think if you could shift into a bunny you’d be hungry for vegetables?” Bella couldn’t keep it together, she was laughing too hard at her own joke. 

“I mean, you’re joking but yes,” Sol told her. “Shifters that have herbivore forms do best on vegan and vegetarian diets and crave their natural food sources.”

“I would literally never change shape if I was a bunny,” Leah snorted. 

“I mean, it could be useful,” Charlie snickered, trying to imagine a massive bunny rabbit. “Stealthy, fast, you could dig tunnels like no tomorrow.”

“You’d be so cute, I’d just carry you everywhere,” Bella cooed at Leah. 

“Are you saying I’m not cute as a wolf?” Leah pouted at her. Charlie shook his head, setting a plate in front of Leah. 

“You’re, like, big and cool and intimidating, you’re cuter as a human,” Bella explained. 

“Kinda hard to see a six foot tall, eight foot long wolf as cute,” Charlie mumbled. 

“Not the scariest,” Sol shrugged. “You should see the crocodiles.”

“The what?” 

“No thanks,” Bella said as she dug in. 

“Don’t worry, they don’t like coming up here,” Luna assured them. “It’s too cold, they need warm waters. Like the far east, or Florida. But yeah, a thirty foot monster croc is certainly a way to terrify threats.”

“Of course in Florida,” Charlie snorted. 

“I’m good as a wolf, thanks,” Leah said with vague horror on her face. 

Bella finished her breakfast and nervously tapped on the table. “Is it gonna hurt?”

“Probably.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Leah asked. 

“Just support her,” Luna responded. “Keep her body safe. And Charlie, you’ll be training with two of our friends for now. Concentrate on that. You’ll need their knowledge.” She gave Charlie a pointed stare, one he understood thanks to Sol’s warning. If this went awry, he’d need everything he could get to hunt Edward down.

“You can do this,” he told Bella. “You’re a Swan. You’re made of tougher stuff than this pathetic demon.”

“It’ll be easy,” Bella said. “Just gotta do two things.”

“Just two things,” he chuckled. “Just lemme know what you want for dinner tonight to celebrate. Originally I was gonna suggest the diner but I’m sure you want something fancier than that old place.”

“No I like the diner, but I do just wanna stay at home after all this craziness” Bella asked. 

“Yeah, of course. It’s your party,” he agreed, patting her shoulder. “It’s on me. I’ll put the grocery bill on a payment plan.”

Bella let out a surprised laugh while Leah looked panicked. Charlie snickered, giving Leah a small smile. 

“Joanie and Andy are here,” Sol announced. “Time for Charlie to get training, and time for Bella to break free. Time to tell this demon to stick it up where the sun don’t shine!”

“You ready?” Leah asked Bella gently. 

“As I’ll ever be,” Bella nodded, standing up. Luna took her hand with a comforting smile. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be with you the whole time,” Luna assured. “You’re stronger than you think, Bella. You can do this. He doesn’t have power over you anymore, remember that.”

Charlie hugged her tightly, trying not to think about Sol’s warning. Bella could do this, he had to believe she could. 

“I’ll be out training, lemme know when you’re done so we can start celebrating,” he smiled, hiding his nerves. He let Bella go, watching her, Bella, and Luna head up the stairs to Bella’s room.

“Alright. Let’s go meet these trainers,” Charlie told Sol.  

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

“Okay just like we practiced.” Luna said.

“I’m going to be in the woods, put up my shield and walk home,” Bella repeated. She looked over at her dad who looked like he was having fun doing hand to hand training with Joanie and Andy, the former hunters the witches were friends with. 

“He’s going to batter the shit out of your shield,” Luna warned. “He’s going to hit you from all sides. He’s going to try to stop you, confuse you, make it seem like you can’t get out. Just focus on holding the shield and walking forward.”

“She can do it,” Leah said with full confidence. “Edward’s a bitch, you can handle him. You’re stronger than he’s ever been.”

“Leah, just keep talking to her,” Luna reminded her. “You two are also spiritually linked so you can reach her.”

Leah kissed her forehead, wrapping Bella in that familiar, calming warmth. “I’ll be right here with you the whole time,” she promised softly. Bella let herself be wrapped up, enjoying the comfort. She was mostly excited to sleep after all this was over.

Sol came over, gently touching Bella’s shoulder. “Let’s get you in the circle. The sooner we do this the sooner you can get back to your life.”

“Right,” Bella buried her face in Leah’s shoulder one more time, inhaling that crisp forest and warm cedar scent. She stepped away, moving towards the center of the chalk circle the witches had drawn for her.

“Oh good, just in time,” Alice walked into view. 

“I don’t mean this in a rude way but why are you here?” Bella asked

“I’m here to see what decisions Edward makes,” Alice said.

“Actually that’s a good idea,” Sol agreed. “When you cut him off he’s gonna be pissed. We need an advanced warning system.”

“The anti-demon circle you drew will help but…” Alice looked unsure at it, stopping at Charlie training. “Bella will be safest on the reservation once he’s taken care of.”

“I’ll get her there,” Leah told them. “Her and Charlie. We’ll keep them safe. And once this is over we need to talk. There was a vampire. Demon first though, Bella needs sleep.”

“Vamp- okay,” Alice sighed, pinching her nose. “Demon first. Bella, go ahead. And don’t let him know I’m here. If he doesn’t know to avoid me, I can track him better.” 

“On the down low, got it.” Bella nodded. She sat in the center of the spell circle. “I’m ready.” She told Luna and Sol. 

“I’ll right, close your eyes,” Sol instructed. “Don’t think about anything, just listen to our voices and focus on what’s around you. We’re going to guide you into a dreamlike state, it’ll let you get into the forest. Once you’re there, you’re on your own.”

“I know how to navigate home from where I was,” Bella told herself. Part of her training included her and Leah mapping out a route from where she was lost to her home. Bella laid down in the grass, grounding herself as she listened to the chanting of Luna and Sol. She first focused on their voices, the hum of their voices coming through the ground. Really letting herself sink into the dirt and grass. Within a few minutes she was back in the forest. The trees creaked ominously, darkening and twisting around her. She could feel him, feel the presence he pushed down on her. The weight of him was cloying, strangling, making it hard for her to breathe. 

Those burning gold eyes were already watching her from the trees, a predator locked onto its prey. 

“You don’t own me anymore,” Bella said firmly. Before Edward could say or do anything she imagined her shield. A light gray shield, a place where she could imagine that Leah was with her. She was deep in the woods where Leah found her all those months ago. Bella looked up, trying to figure out where the moon was. There was a chance it was a false moon in his torment but it was the only lead she had. She pictured her house, where her dad and Leah were and started walking. 

“You can’t get away from me, Bella. This shield can’t keep me out,” Edward hissed. His voice was that low, even calm tone it always was, but she could hear the anger. “We belong together. You belong to me.”

“No- no we don’t-“ Bella kept her breathing steady as she walked over the roots that couldn’t pierce her shield. “You want what I can give you but I can’t give it to you anymore.”

“Think rationally about this, please,” he said softly. “Don’t you see what you do to me? This is the only way for me to see you, for us to be together.  I’m only crazy because of how much I love you. I don’t know what they’ve been telling you, but my feelings are real. They always have been. If you try to cut me out, you’ll lose me.”

“If you wanted us to be together you should’ve never left. Then I never would’ve seen that you were making my life miserable,” Bella said firmly. “And I never would've fallen in love with Leah. So really-“ she tripped but was able to get back up. “-I should thank you.” 

“You’re not in love with her. She’s tricking you. Corrupting your mind. She can’t love you like I can. The way a man loves a woman,” Edward scoffed. “Carlisle made me leave. He took me away. I would’ve stayed with you forever. I can give you eternity, the mutt can only give you one measly human lifespan, and you’ll never be happy with her. You know that, deep down. You know that nobody will ever make you feel like I can make you feel, especially not a woman.”

“Shut up about her, you don’t know anything about her,” Bella snapped. “Carlisle made you leave because you’re a demon who wasn’t supposed to be feeding off me. And I’ll be sure to give him a firm handshake next time I see him.”

“You can’t leave me! You’re not allowed to!” Edward commanded. Her shield rippled as a shadow slammed into it, but Bella held on. “Without you, I have nothing. You’re my reason for existing. My beautiful, perfect human. If I don’t have you, I’ll end my own life.”

Those words would’ve meant so much for that girl who sat catatonic in her room. 

Bella had to make it back to her house. She owed it to herself. She focused on walking and keeping her shield up as he hit her bubble, doing her best to ignore him. The forest thickened, the spaces between the trees narrowing to nearly nothing pressing against her and making it difficult to move. 

“Fine. If this is what you wish…” Edward sighed. He appeared near her, looking like he always did. Devastatingly handsome, with bronze hair that was always just perfectly mussed. He looked tired, broken, completely disheveled, and his eyes pleaded with her as he held out his hand. “You’re going the wrong way. Let down your shield, I’ll guide you home.” Bella paused, he almost looked… defeated. What if…

“Bella, you’re almost there. Keep going. Come home to me,” Leah’s voice whispered quietly through the trees. Edward’s face twisted, cold rage replacing his sorrowful expression. Her voice still guided her in the direction she was going. In the real world it was southwest. Bella shook her head, refocused on her shield and on Leah.

“Bella, come with me. I can help you,” Edward told her, voice firm. “You’re going to get lost. Leah can’t help you here.”

“You’ve done nothing but lie to me. Why would I trust anything you have to say now,” she said flatly.

“You’re angering me, Bella,” he warned coldly. “Don’t do anything reckless. Leah can’t protect you. She can’t protect Charlie. Don’t take risks.”

“Charlie can protect himself, and he doesn’t have to. That's a side effect of having people who actually care about you.”

“I care about you. Nobody else will ever love you like I do,” he shot. “You really think Leah will? Think she’ll put up with your incessant rambling and odd quirks? That she’ll love you when she sees who you really are? Your own mother couldn’t even be bothered to love you. You’re off. Weird. Strange. You speak too much and too little and say the wrong thing. You’re awkward and overeager and she’s going to get tired of you. Stop walk-“

“Oh my god, do you ever stop monologuing?” Bella stopped and looked at him. “We were together for a year and you didn’t even like me. You didn’t feed me, you hated when I read and didn’t pay attention to you. And on top of everything it was fucking freezing- literally way too cold all the time when we hung out. God.” Bella sighed heavily and continued walking. 

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I should’ve been better,” Edward admitted, sounding contrite. “I’d never been in a relationship before. I didn’t know how to do it right. You were the first girl in almost a century to make me feel something. Don’t throw that away, Bella. Don’t throw us away. Just stop walking, come back, and let me show you how much you mean to me. I didn’t mean to say those things, you just make me so… unlike myself.”

“This would’ve been a really tempting offer two months ago,” Bella sighed as she thought she saw the clearing to her house. Step two was get inside and slam the door as hard as she could and the connection would be severed. “What’s the end goal for you? We get back together and you drain me for my misery? What happens to me then?”

“We could be happy. I could make you happy. I don’t want your misery, I want your joy. I want to be better for you,” Edward pleaded. He appeared right in front of her, blocking her path. “Don’t leave me here, Bella. I’ll go insane.”

She looked around. “Seems like a personal problem. You can’t make me happy, you never did.”

“I’ll kill them,” he spat, his mask dropping. “If you leave me, I’ll come and kill them. Charlie, the mutt, all the little humans at your school. If you don’t stay with me, I’ll make sure you have nothing but me.” That made Bella pause just as she was reaching the clearing. She could see it but… He suddenly switched again, looking pained. “I don’t want to be a monster, Bella. Stop pushing me like this. You’re making me into someone I’m not.”

“You- you don’t have the strength to do that,” Bella whispered.

“Bella, you need to keep moving. Do not stop. Don’t listen to him,” Leah pleaded. “You’re almost back, come back to us.”

“If I can’t have you, nobody can. If you cut this off, I’ll make you pay,” he warned. “Just come back to me, stay with me here. We can be happy, and nothing has to happen. You don’t want anything to happen, right?”

“No-“ Bella had her hands on a tree, keeping herself steady. Everything was getting fuzzier the longer she was in here. 

“I know you don’t. And it doesn't have to happen.” Edward gave her that charming smile, holding out his hand. “Come with me. Come back to me. Everything will be okay if you do, I promise.”

“Bella, move. He’s twisting your reality. You need to move,” Leah urged, sounding panicked. “He can’t hurt you, whatever he threatened or promised he’s lying. Remember: he’s a lying bitch, and you’re stronger than he will ever be.”

“I don’t want him to hurt you-“ Bella told Leah softly. 

“He couldn’t even if he tried. I’ve got an entire pack of werewolves built to kill things like him, we’re faster and stronger. And we have our secret weapon, remember? He won’t even get close.”

Bella looked up at the door, she didn’t realize how small her shield radius had gotten. She took a deep breath, looking at the clearing: it was a straight shot. She took a heavy step forward, and another one until she touched the regular grass and her house was in view. 

“No!” Edward slammed into her shield, face twisting with rage. Bella nearly dropped to her knees from the force of it. The first hit staggered her, the second felt like it was denting and fracturing the barrier around her. “You don’t get to leave! I’m not done with you! This is your fault! This is what you made me!” He roared, hitting her again. Bella stumbled, trying to focus on holding it. 

“Bella, I love you! Don’t give up on me, run!” Leah urged. Bella could almost see her in the back window, her and Charlie waiting for her. She took a few steadying breaths as she imagined the shield being repaired as Edward hit it. She just had to get up. 

Bella carefully stood up and started running to her door. Edward was right behind her, clawing at her block and roaring with anger. It was getting harder and harder to keep him out, Bella wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on as the space between her and the door seemed to stretch further as she ran. She gritted her teeth and forced it to come back, her shield wobbling hard as she hit the porch. She felt it shatter as she barged through the door, slamming it shut behind her and feeling the crash as Edward hit it. He let out a deafening wail, everything shaking, but Bella sucked in a breath, feeling the snap in her soul. 

She severed it. He couldn’t hurt her again. 

Bella was yanked out and her eyes snapped open as she caught her breath. 

“Yes, Lassie, you can go now,” Sol’s voice broke the silence. 

Sol couldn’t even finish the sentence before Leah was crashing into her. “Bella.” Leah’s arms wrapped around her, cradling Bella close to her chest. Leah rocked her gently, wiping her face and kissing her head. “You’re okay. I’ve got you. You did so good, Bells. You did it, he’s gone.” Bella was holding onto her tightly, trying to hold back her tears. 

“It was all- it was weird- I couldn’t think rationally while I was there,” Bella admitted. “I couldn’t stop believing what he said.”

“Non-mortal realms feel like that,” Luna reminded her. “There wasn’t much we could do but tell you about the feeling, which is why grounding was our main focus this last week. But you’re good now.”

“I’m impressed,” Sol smiled. “You faltered a lot less than I expected. Well done. From now on when you go to sleep, you’ll never see that forest again.”

“Good,” Bella nodded. “Thanks, for all your help with this. I know you guys came up here as a favor to Sue, but I don’t know how we’ll ever repay you.”

“Don’t start any magical creature wars you can’t finish,” Sol answered way too fast. 

“We won’t,” Leah agreed, stroking Bella’s head. 

“Not ones we won’t finish,” Alice added, face completely unreadable. “I need to make a few calls. Good job, Bella. I knew you could do it.”

“Alice?” Bella looked up at her. “Carlisle really had nothing to do with this? How Edward acts and how he gives into his nature?”

“He really doesn’t,” Alice confirmed. “Carlisle wants to be better. He wants others to be better, too. He’s… in a roundabout way he’s protecting you. Edward is afraid of him, so the threat of Carlisle coming after him has kept him away from Forks.” Bella nodded trying to process everything.

“I’m gonna get Bella to the rez,” Leah said, picking Bella up effortlessly. 

“You have the tea I made for her and then we’ll escort Charlie once he’s done with his training,” Luna came over. “You did great, Bella, really. Not bad for a baby witch, keep practicing and you’ll be a full blown coven leader one day.”

Sol came over behind Luna. “I’ll miss your faces. You have plenty of help on your side and plenty of people here to aid you on your journey. People that your dad likes more. Joanie and Andy are gonna stay for a few extra days just for your dad’s physical training, but uh…” Sol clapped her hands together.

“She’s bad at goodbyes, don’t mind her,” Luna waved off her sister. “It was great to meet all of you.” 

“It was really great getting to know you guys too,” Bella nodded at them, getting settled into Leah. “Make sure my dad takes it easy.”

“We will. Goodbye Bella, Leah,” Luna smiled at both of them. “You’ll be very happy together.” 

Bella kissed Leah’s cheek. “I know.”

“Alright, let’s go say bye to the Stache,” Sol chuckled. “He’s gonna miss us. Even if he won’t admit it.”

“He won’t,” Leah snorted, turning to walk towards Charlie with Bella still securely in her arms. “Let’s go spread the good news, then we’ll be back in time for Charlie’s celebration dinner.”

“Also you’re allowed to sleep over until the danger is gone,” Bella said. “My dad likes having you around. I think it makes him feel better to have an extra set of eyes with all this.”

“Good because it makes me nervous to leave you alone. And it’ll be nice to sleep in a bed instead of in the treeline outside of your house,” Leah snorted. “Just let me know if I’m being overbearing, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or like I’m treating you like you’re fragile.” Bella looked pointedly at their position and back up at Leah. “This isn’t me thinking you’re fragile. I know you can walk, but I’m clingy. What’s the point of having all of these muscles if I can’t princess carry my beautiful girlfriend?” Bella couldn’t help but blush every time Leah called her her girlfriend. 

“No you don’t treat me like that- not like-“ Bella tried to put the words together. “You treat me like an equal, like I’m someone you actually want around. I don’t feel like I’m just a decoration.”

“You’re not a decoration. You’re the point that my entire universe revolves around,” Leah said softly. “Nothing in this world will ever matter to me as much as you do.”

“Wait- have you been sleeping in the treeline every night?” Bella asked. Leah blanched. 

“Uh, no?” She mumbled, looking around. “Hey look there’s your dad we should let him know you did it.” Bella started giggling at Leah being flustered and busted. Leah let Bella down as her dad was taking a stretching break.

“You’re really busting a move there dad,” she said as she approached him. “You seem like you’re finally having fun.”

“I’m busting something,” Charlie grunted, making a face as he stretched his back out. “I like learning the hand to hand stuff, don’t like getting hit and thrown as much.”

“Well it’ll be good for you to do something that helps your knees crack a little less,” Bella joked.

“Don’t worry, we won’t break him,” one of the women laughed. She was tall, as tall as Leah if not a little larger, and Bella swore she was just one solid, thick muscle. Her pale skin was covered in scars and tattoos, none of which Bella recognized. The other woman with her was a stark contrast, short and lithe with dark skin and dark, curly hair. She had some of the same tattooed symbols with variations, but she looked no less lethal than the tower of strength next to her.

“You must be Bella. I’m Andy,” the shorter woman introduced herself. “This is my girlfriend, Joanie. We’ll be taking over your physical training.”

“It’s nice to meet you two,” Bella shook their hands. “It’s also really nice to meet some other gay people. I’m- uh- fresh out the closest. This is my girlfriend Leah,” Bella introduced.

“Hey,” Leah nodded at them, eyeing them up. “Thanks for coming down. Bella and Charlie needed some help.”

“And you don’t?” Joanie asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I’m a shapeshifter, my combat is more teeth and claws. And I’m one of the best in the pack,” Leah boasted. 

“She and Jacob are the only two that can shift on the fly,” Bella bragged to Joanie. “But I sprained my wrist by slapping a wolf in the face.”

“We’ll show you how to hit them safely,” Andy laughed. Charlie came over, looking her over. 

“You alright? I’m assuming everything went okay?” He asked, smoothing out his mustache nervously. 

“As of right now I am 100% free of Edward,” Bella said. “Alice said she’ll be close by to keep us posted.”

“Good,” Charlie sighed, sagging with relief. “That’s really good. I’ll bet you’re excited for a good night’s sleep and no more nightmares.”

“I really am,” Bella nodded. “Leah, Jake and I are probably gonna stay up late watching movies tonight. Billy’s planning on grilling. Did you learn if you can do anything with your gun yet?”

“Some stuff. Demons can be slowed down with iron bullets, but fire- like with James- is the only way to put them down,” Charlie said as if he was reciting something a teacher told him.

“That’s what the exploding bullets are for,” Joanie chimed in. “With demon hunting you’re looking for any weapon that can either partially or completely immobilize them. Anything that’s been blessed is also great as well.”

“Which, the elders already said that they would bless any weapons that we would need,” Leah said.

“That’s great,” Andy nodded. “Ammo, the weapon itself, it all helps.”

“I’ll see if they can bless my shotgun,” Charlie hummed, and Bella saw his mouth twitch up into an excited smile. “You two heading off to the Rez?”

“Yeah. I was gonna let the pack know that Bella broke the connection, then set her up to take a nap somewhere,” Leah agreed. “Be sure to be back around six for dinner?”

“Sounds good,” Charlie nodded. “I’ll probably meet you down there after I’m done here, catch up with Billy and Harry for a bit. You two have fun, be safe.”

“You too,” Bella said. “You have Alice here too with the other witches so you’ll be covered.”

“Right,” Charlie clicked his tongue. “I’ll do my best to play nice.”

“I know you will dad. I love you, be safe and I’ll see you later,” Bella hugged her dad tightly. 

“Love you too, Bella,” he told her, giving her a squeeze. “See you later.” He let her go, giving her another smile before stepping off. Leah took her hand, giving it a small squeeze before leading her off. For the first time in a long time, Bella looked at the trees and felt peace.

Chapter Text

Charlie

Charlie woke up on Billy’s very lumpy couch. After the chaos of the Bella severing her connection, Alice had been on standby, waiting for a vision but one hadn’t come yet. That put Charlie on edge because of how her visions worked. He was more worried that Edward was just stewing. A whole 24 hours was too long for a demon to plot. 

Charlie was up bright and early making a huge pot of strong coffee. He couldn’t solve all the world's problems, but they would be easier to manage with caffeine. He peeked in Jacob’s room where Leah and Bella were cuddled up on the floor, Jake was starfished in his bed and the DVD menu was playing quietly on a loop. Charlie turned to hear some very frantic knocking on Billy’s door. He yawned, walking over to answer it while waiting for his coffee. 

“Cora?” He blinked before wincing. Shit. He hadn’t called her with all of this going on. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, he just… didn’t know what to say.

“Sorry- I haven’t heard from you all week. You haven’t answered your phone, you’re never home-“ she looked him up and down for injuries. “I got worried.”

“No, it’s alright. I’m sorry,” Charlie told her, taking her hand and stepping out with her onto the porch. “I- it’s…” he let out a breath, looking out at the trees. “Things got weird, Cor. Real weird. The type of weird I can’t even explain.” 

Cora looked between him and Billy’s house. “Weird how?”

“Weird like… like maybe all those stories about monsters we heard growing up weren’t all that made up,” he said softly. He hated lying to her, but he also couldn’t lose her again.

Cora let out a laugh. “What? Charlie- you realize how crazy that sounds right?”

“Yep. Sure am,” he nodded, looking over at her seriously and hoping she’d see the honesty on his face. “Edward Cullen is a demon. A literal one. The catatonia, the nightmares Bella was having… it’s because he was torturing her and feeding on her. We’ve been hiding out here because he can’t come onto the Rez.”

Cora looked at him like he was crazy. “You- Charlie if you don’t want to talk to me anymore you can just say that you don’t have to lie about ridiculous shit.”

“Cora,” he gave her a pleading look. “When have I ever lied to you?”

“You haven’t so I don’t know why you’d start now. Just tell me what’s going on.”

“I didn’t want to believe it at first, either,” Charlie sighed. “I need- look, just stay? Please? Until Bella wakes up? She can prove it. I don’t- I don’t want to lose you over this Cora, you’re important to me. I want you to be here, and I can’t do that if I’m lying all the time.”

“You want me to talk to your daughter to back you up on this?” She clarified. 

“Yeah. Well- she’s got this thing she can do-“ he scratched the back of his neck. He didn’t want to tell her about the wolves and out them, but Bella’s telekinesis was probably fine. “If you don’t believe me after that you can call me an ass and walk away, just… give me a chance.” Charlie watched as a car pulled up. That was Andy and Joanie’s car. “Oh great, here we go,” Charlie sighed quietly. “You’ll get breakfast and a show. Those two are here to train me, and they’re gonna be kicking my ass all over the yard.”

“Morning, Charlie!” Joanie called. “Who’s your friend?”

“Charlie?” Andy gave Cora a questioning look. 

“This is my… Cora. I’m- well- we were seeing each other, and I dropped off because of the, you know,” Charlie mumbled. 

“Hi Cora, we’ve heard a lot about you,” Joanie smiled and waved. “I’m Joanie and this is my girlfriend Andy. Does she know?”

“I’m trying to tell her but she has her white nonsense face on,” Charlie snorted. “I was gonna have Bella do that floaty thing to show her.”

“Trust me if I wasn’t born into this life, I would’ve believed it was white nonsense too,” Andy snorted. “Let’s get with Billy and see how much he wants to say on his end. But I’ll tell you all about the hunter life and everything I’ve seen.”

“This is ridiculous,” Cora shook her head. “You cannot possibly expect me to believe this.”

“I don’t, not without proof,” Charlie agreed. “When they first told me I yelled at Harry and Billy for about five minutes before storming out. It wasn’t until I saw it with my own eyes that it sunk in. I just… I don’t want to hide from you, Cora.”

“Fine- fine-“ Cora let out a harsh sigh. “I will give you twenty minutes of me being open minded about this.”

“You won’t regret it!” Joanie said with a tone that was way too cheery for eight in the morning. 

“We also brought some stuff for breakfast if Billy’s okay with us also using his kitchen,” Andy said, holding up a large personal cooler. 

“He should be fine with it,” Charlie confirmed. “Coffee’s on the stove. We’ll be right in.” Charlie nodded at them as they passed, turning back to Cora. “Bella and Leah got together.”

“Oh they did? That’s nice,” Cora nodded. “What was the tipping point?”

“I don’t actually know, but I’m assuming it’s related to Bella getting a haircut. She chopped all her hair off and suddenly they’re dating and doing way too much sneaking into each other’s rooms,” he frowned. 

“That’s something I can agree on you with,” Cora snorted. She looked at him appraisingly. “Charlie- before I go in there with you- is there something wrong? Should I call someone one? Are you okay? Are you going to work?”

“I’m okay. I’m going to work, but there’s a lot of things wrong,” Charlie admitted, rubbing his face. “I just- I need to protect Bella and you and Forks and La Push and the things that are threatening us are so far outta my league that I feel like a little kid playing soldier in a sandbox.”

“Okay, so you’re fighting monsters?” She said unsurely. 

“Demons and vampires. Edward… he’s coming back for Bella. He’s gonna kill her,” Charlie whispered, closing his eyes. “I can’t let it happen.“

“It’s a good thing you’re the police,” she looked around nervously. “Should we be standing outside? Are we exposed out here?”

“No. The Rez is safe. But let’s get inside for breakfast. Once Leah and Jake wake up there’s not gonna be anything left to eat in the house.” He held out his hand to her, giving her an unsure smile. Cora paused for a moment before reaching out to take it. Charlie pulled her inside into the cramped kitchen, sitting her down and getting her some coffee before standing behind her. 

“Too many people in my house,” Billy complained, slowly coming in on his crutches. “Nobody kick me, I’ll sue.”

“Sorry for coming in,” Joanie said very apologetically. “Andy and I can make breakfast for everyone, you can just relax,” she offered. 

“Make a lot,” Billy told them, concentrating on getting to a chair. “Charlie, can you- Cora? What are you doing here?”

“Charlie has been avoiding my calls and he’s never home. I came to check up on him,” Cora answered. “He told me some weird monster stuff is happening but hasn’t told me anything else and he has seventeen minutes left.”

“I told her about me, Bella, and the demons,” Charlie said quickly. Billy nodded, moving to take a seat at the table.  

“Good, as of right now, yes. What’s going on is Edward, Bella’s ex boyfriend, is a demon that feeds off of pain and suffering,” Billy started to explain to Cora. “In our legends they’re called the Cold Ones. Bella just severed a mental link with Edward that was causing her to have hallucinations. Charlie is learning hand to hand combat in case Edward comes back. You still with me?”

“I guess?” Cora said unsurely. 

“It’s a lot to take in, I know,” Billy said. “But Charlie’s been training how to fight him, that’s where he’s been.”

“Okay so-“ Cora put her coffee down. “Let me get this straight: Charlie has been training in hand to hand combat because Bella’s ex boyfriend, who turned out to be a demon who was making her miserable, might be coming back to hurt her? Did I miss anything?”

“Charlie’s got magic and so does Bella, but that’s about it,” Joanie chimed in while she was frying bacon. 

“I was working up to that,” Charlie told her flatly. 

“Magic? You have magic?” Cora asked him slowly. 

“Nothing crazy. Bella’s got all of the abilities,” Charlie mumbled. “I can just… hunt real good.”

“He’s faster and stronger than a regular human, and he can track things normal humans can’t. He shot a-“

“Joanie,” Charlie cut her off. 

“I know he hunts,” Cora said. “Okay so your powers are that you’re just a really good hunter? I mean… that explains why you hunted down that rabid bear when no one else could a few years ago.”

“That was terrible at the time, but I think I’d take the bear again,” Charlie huffed. 

“I smell bacon!” Jacob came skidding into the kitchen, stopping short when he saw Cora. “You’re new.”

“Jacob, this is Cora. Charlie’s girlfriend,” Billy introduced. 

“Billy!” Charlie gave him an exasperated look. 

“It’s alright,” Cora snorted. “Where’s Bella and Leah?

“Oh Leah has her trapped in a cuddle grip,” Jacob snorted. “She’s not getting up until Leah wakes up.” Charlie hummed, hiding his frown behind his coffee. 

“It’s pretty normal,” Jacob shrugged. “She’s a major cuddle bug when it comes to Bella.”

“They’re very attached,” Charlie told Cora. “Can hardly keep them apart.”

“You say that like you don’t love Leah,” Billy scoffed. 

“Do you not?” Cora asked. 

“No, I do, but the… circumstances of their relationship make it difficult to enforce my rules,” Charlie settled on. “But Leah’s great. She’s very sweet and respectful and she’s not intentionally making Bella miserable to feed on her pain.”

“Real high bar there, Charlie,” Andy commented dryly. 

Jake tilted his head. “They’re up.”

“Oh good, I’ve only got ten minutes left,” Charlie exhaled quietly. Bella and Leah came around the corner, Bella looking startled by the amount of people crammed into the kitchen. 

“Think fast!” Joanie called, chucking an apple at Bella’s head. Leah caught it with lightning-fast reflexes, snarling at Joanie. “Boo, not you.”

“When do you leave again?” Leah asked flatly. 

“Not soon enough,” Joanie laughed. 

“Cora- hey-“ Bella ran her hand through her shorn hair, fidgeting awkwardly with the hoodie that clearly belonged to Leah. 

“Morning Bella,” Cora nodded with a small smile. “It’s always good to see you. I was just checking on your dad, making sure he didn’t need someone to take him to the crazy house.”

“Did you-?” Bella looked at Charlie, making a series of gestures and movements that left him completely confused. 

“Charlie told me the gist,” Cora said. “But I haven’t really seen a display of magic so… the only reason I’m here is because there’s only three white people here,” she snorted. 

“It’s not white nonsense, but fair,” Leah nodded. 

“Bella, I was hoping you could do the thing?” Charlie asked, gesturing between her and the apple. 

“Um- I- I can try,” Bella agreed nervously. “I’m still working on it though.”

“Billy?” Leah said questioningly. Billy shook his head. “Sorry, Bells. It’s up to you.”

Bella sucked in a quiet breath, tentatively taking the apple and holding it in her hand. Charlie watched as Bella was trying to focus. 

“Bella you don’t-“ Cora started but was cut off as the apple started to float. Bella gently floated it over to Cora. “What the-“ she said as she caught it. 

“Nice job, Bella!” Charlie grinned proudly. “That was your steadiest one yet! Last time she tried that she accidentally sent it full force into my crotch,” he told Cora with a wince. “Believe me now?”

Cora was inspecting the apple closely. She was probably looking for anything that would look like close up magic.

“I can also project my shield,” Bella said. Much easier, she was able to project a sliver looking shield around her and Leah. That made Cora drop the apple in surprise. 

“Oh my god-“ Cora gasped as Bella dropped it. 

“Wait until she finds out the rest of it,” Jacob chuckled. Billy swatted him, giving him a warning look. 

“You alright? Wanna go get some air?” Charlie asked Cora gently. Cora nodded and Charlie gently took her out front.

“She- the apple- the force field-“ Cora started hyperventilating. She hadn’t changed her body language from crossing her arms and now it had turned into her holding herself as she was trying to stay sane.

“I know, it’s a lot. I didn’t want to believe it either. But I didn’t lie to you, I never would. You deserve the truth,” he told her softly, rubbing her back and trying to get her to breathe with him. It took her a while but her breathing finally calmed down.

“You’re not really hunting a bear are you?”

“No. It’s a vampire,” he admitted. “She’s after Bella. We’ve kept her away, but… it’s not a bear. And if you see any absolutely massive wolves in the forest, don’t freak out, they're friendly.”

“Massive wolves too? Okay-“ she took a deep breath. “So this is why you’ve been MIA? To get ready for all this?”

“I’ve been training with Joanie and Andy,” he confirmed. “When Edward comes, and when the vampire gets here, I need to be ready. They’re after my little girl, and nothing’s gonna hurt her on my watch. Her or my town. But I am sorry. I should’ve called.”

“I don’t want you doing this alone if this is really what you’re doing.”

“I’m not,” Charlie assured her, holding her face softly. “I’ve got a lot of backup. People who are way more experienced than I am and people who have some crazy powers. I’m gonna be alright. And so will you. I won’t let anything hurt you, either.”

“Alright,” Cora nodded, looking like it was all sinking in. “Is there anything else you’re not telling me?”

“About me? No. There’s some secrets that aren’t mine to tell,” he answered. “And, uh, Bella’s okay with us seeing each other, if you still want me. I get it if this is too much.”

“You found out about evil magical creatures and you’re worried if I still want us to be together?”

“I’ve got a lot of worries, but that’s definitely one of them. I wouldn’t have told you all this if I didn’t want to be with you,” Charlie told her. 

“I need some time to absorb all this, but we’ll talk soon?” Cora asked unsurely. 

“However much time you need,” he promised. “I’m not going anywhere. Just be safe, alright? And call me if anything comes up, even if it’s just a bad feeling something’s gonna happen. I just wanna make sure you’re safe.”

“I will. Will you call me tonight after your training?” Cora asked, she still looked confused. 

“Yeah. It’ll be off of Billy’s phone. I’m sleeping on his couch for right now,” Charlie chuckled sheepishly.  

“Okay,” Cora nodded. She stood up, smoothed out the front of her sweater. “I’ll talk to you then.” Charlie watched as she went to her car and sat there for a minute or two before she drove off. Charlie let out a breath, leaning against the support beam of Billy’s porch and hanging his head. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost her over this. 

Billy opened the door. “Did she leave?”

“Yeah. She said she needs some time to think,” Charlie agreed. “Breakfast ready?”

“Yeah,” Billy agreed. “She’ll come around. That was you two weeks ago.”

“Yeah.” Charlie nodded, staring at the wet ground. “Well. Nothing to do but what we gotta do. Let’s eat and get to training. We’re burning daylight.”

“Hey,” Billy gently nudged him. “It’ll be okay. Cora will come around.”

“I sure hope so,” Charlie said softly. “But I’d understand if she didn’t. This is a lot. It’s already a lot to expect her to handle the baggage of my divorce and grown daughter, and it was a lot to expect her to hang around until Bella was in college… I’m worried this’ll be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

“If it was, she would’ve just bolted without talking to you,” Billy said confidently. “Sarah almost bolted when I told her about the wolf. It skipped the last few generations since there wasn’t a threat but she wasn’t sure if she wanted kids who could phase. She left for a few days before she came back.” 

“Sarah was something else. I know you probably miss her like crazy,” Charlie said softly. 

“Every second that I live and breathe without her,” Billy let out a soft sigh as he looked to the trees. “If it doesn’t work out with Cora, make it work out.” He said as he went back inside. Charlie followed him in, inhaling and packing it all away to deal with later. He had a bigger focus right now. 

Charlie walked back in to see Bella and Leah next to each other in the living room. Jacob was near them as they were talking about their dirt bikes. Joanie and Andy had a spread on the table while they drank coffee.

“You two eat first please,” Joanie said. “Thank you for letting us barge in this morning, Billy.”

“Thanks for cooking. You’re always welcome to come over and kick my best friend’s ass,” Billy chuckled. 

“Thanks, Billy,” Charlie snorted.

“I don’t know. Charlie’s been giving me a real run for my money,” Andy laughed. “He’s really good at blocking and punching.”

“It’s that natural hunting instinct,” Joanie added on. “You do better the less you’re thinking about it. Letting your instincts come first, they’ll take you far.” 

“Feel like I’m just flailing, but I appreciate the confidence,” Charlie told her. He turned to Bella, Leah and Jake. “What are you three up to today?”

“Leah’s teaching me to use a taser,” Bella said. “Pepper spray doesn’t work on demons.”

“Electricity does!” Leah laughed. 

“Good luck, Leah. Hope you don’t get hit too much,” Charlie told her.

“I’m gonna have her practicing with a taser that doesn’t work anymore,” Leah clarified. “To get her used to pushing the button and hitting something.”

“I’m still betting Bella manages to hurt someone,” Jake laughed. “She’s got an affinity for accidental damage.”

“You still thinking about when she tripped and threw a wrench at your head?” Leah asked him. 

“Yeah,”  Jake snorted. 

“I said I was sorry!” Bella defended. 

“Note to self, make sure Bella has a wrench when Edward comes,” Charlie chuckled. “Any word from Alice?”

“Nothing yet,” Bella answered. “She was going to come by to check in on us and do a palm reading just to make sure that he hasn’t planned anything yet. And also to check on Victoria.”

“Let me know what she says,” Charlie agreed. 

“Of course,” Bella nodded. 

“Alright, everyone finish up so we can get training! I don’t want to waste too much of the day!” Joanie called. Charlie took his plate and finished clearing it, draining his coffee. He needed to train. He needed to not think. Just for a little while, he needed to turn his brain off and just let his only problem be how much longer his muscles could last. 

Everyone slowly transitioned outside, Joanie and Andy taking him through a stretching routine as he watched Bella, Leah and Jacob play around as if they were little kids again. 

⋆₊⁺⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

“You’re taking it too easy on me,” Bella said as she reset to pretend to punch Leah again. 

“No, no I’m not,” Leah responded. “I’m totally committed. I’m going really hard right now.”  

“Sure. The wolf girl who can catch anything thrown at her and can heal super fast can’t manage to land a hit on me,” Bella snorted. “You can’t lie to me.”

“I don’t wanna hurt you,” Leah admitted sheepishly. “What if I actually hit you?”

“Then I’m gonna have to learn how to take a punch,” Bella snorted. 

“But what if I hurt you? What if I accidentally fracture something?” Leah looked stressed. “Maybe we should have you sparring with Charlie, or I can go get Seth. Someone who can’t break something if they hit too hard.”

“I’ll spar with her,” Jacob stood up, getting in a defensive position. 

“Let’s do it,” Bella moved in front of Jake. 

“Please don’t hurt her,” Leah sighed, shaking her hands out nervously as she passed Jacob the training gloves. The initial intense feeling of the imprint was going down to a normal level. Sam filled in Leah and Bella that it takes about two full months of contact and hanging out for the imprint to come down to a normal level. In the meantime, since the connection was romantic, it would take some time for the emptiness when they weren’t around each other to go away. 

“It’s the imprint,” Jake told Bella as they started circling each other. “She’s physically incapable of harming you, it violates the prime directive in her head. Don’t worry, I won’t hold back.” Bella started doing the combo Leah taught her, Bella making a buzzing noise with her mouth to show that she was pressing the button on her turned off taser. Jacob was dodging way faster than Leah had been, feinting and throwing jabs that Bella was starting to have trouble blocking. Jacob twisted from her clumsy attempts, spinning and throwing his fist. 

Pain exploded across Bella’s jaw, stars dancing across her vision and the taste of copper filling her mouth. 

“Woah woah woah!” Jacob frantically backpedaled as Leah slid between them, body vibrating. Her skin was letting off clouds of steam, but her hands were gentle as she held Bella’s face. 

“Are you okay? Do you need an ice pack?” She asked worriedly, inspecting the spot.

“I’m okay,” Bella said as quickly as she could. “I think something split inside, but I’m okay.” 

“I’m not going to yell,” Leah said quietly, taking a few calming breaths. “You’re tough, you took that like a champion. If he draws blood again, I’m going to bite him.”

“I’m okay,” Bella repeated, helping Leah calm down. 

“Good thing Charlie didn’t see that,” Jacob joked, looking nervously at Charlie who was just casually blocking fast punches and easily anticipating the next moves of Joanie. 

“Let’s go one more round and then we’ll take a break,” Bella switched the taser to the other hand. 

“Alright. This time focus more on my torso,” Jacob coached. “Bigger target, more opportunities to hit.”

“Don’t aim where he is, watch how he leans and aim where he’s going to be,” Leah added. 

Bella nodded, clicking the unworking button a few times. Her and Jacob got back into it as Bella aimed lower, making contact once or twice until she lost her footing and just slipped on the grass. She landed on her butt, but she let herself lay down entirely.

“How am I supposed to fight a super fast creature if I can’t even keep my footing?” She groaned. 

“Hey, you got me a few times!” Jacob told her with a wide grin. “You’re doing great.”

“Maybe we need to practice your barrier more,” Leah suggested. “If you can learn to throw it up in a split second, you could lure him close, slam him with it, and then either taze him or use your telekinesis to throw him.”

“I could,” Bella sighed heavily. She would have to get better at her shield work, which means that she would have to mediate more. She was kinda bad at meditation, her mind wandering around too much when she tried. 

“Giving up already?” Alice’s voice filled the air. Bella looked up to see the familiar face. She got up to go hug Alice.

“Is it noon yet?” Bella snorted. 

“Right on the dot. I’d never be late,” Alice smiled. “Leah, Jacob.”

“Alice,” they both nodded back. 

“So what’s the news?” Bella asked as the four of them moved to sit inside the garage where they could still see Charlie.

“Nothing yet. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie and Emmett want to come by your house to reconcile and apologize themselves. As well as talk with Charlie about the last year,” Alice said. 

Bella blanched a little. “I don’t know if he’d go for it, he’s pretty pissed at everyone.”

“Then I don’t mind asking him,” Alice said as if it was no big deal. “They really just want to apologize and get in on this Victoria thing. Carlisle also believes that Victoria has something to do with all the missing persons reports and wants to give Charlie what he has.”

“I mean- I’m okay with it. I want to hear them out,” Bella said. “Leah would wanna be there.”

“I would,” Leah agreed, wrapping Bella up protectively. “I’d rather not have my girlfriend alone in a house full of demons. Bella’s amazing and powerful, but I don’t trust your family.”

“What about Jasper?” Bella asked. “You didn’t list him.”

Alice’s jaw clenched and she looked away, letting out a breath. “Jasper won’t be present.”

“What? Why? You two seemed like… you know, like you were really good together,” Bella commented in confusion. She’d always seen them together, looking in love and happy.

Alice’s fingers tapped, her face somewhere between angry and sad. “Jasper and I are… no longer seeing each other. He sided with Edward, started spouting some of Edward’s nonsense about gender roles in relationships and female responsibilities. He was already on the fence about living like we do, and he’s decided to follow a different path.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bella said sympathetically. “We could have a sleepover at my place and we can complain about our exes?”

“If you want to,” Alice cracked a small smile. “I’m more pissed than anything, but trust me I dumped him, not the other way around. The moment he said that I needed to defer to his judgement because I was a woman it was over. His racism is bad enough.”

“You put up with his racism but you drew the line at misogyny?” Jacob asked, giving her a wary look.

“White women,” Leah grumbled. Alice gave them both a flat look that faded into understanding. 

“Yes, I am white. I was trying to use my privilege for good,” she snorted. “Apparently he only pretended to listen. But the misogyny was personal. I was born in Biloxi in the 1920’s, I didn’t experience racism but misogyny got me locked up in a mental asylum and lobotomized.”

“Hold up, you got a lobotomy?” Leah asked. 

“Yeah, and they didn’t even take me to Claire’s,” Alice laughed. “That’s gonna be a funny joke in about fifteen years, trust me.”

“She was also electrocuted, like electroshock therapy,” Bella also told Leah.

“I lived through a time when women, even white women, were second class citizens,” Alice nodded. “No bank account, no personal freedom, no job opportunities unless I was married but not with child yet, and when my dad murdered my mom nobody believed me. They called me crazy and tossed me in the loony bin.”

“Sometimes I forget even white women faced oppression,” Leah commented. 

“Yeah, but to be fair white women in this day and age always forget that women of color had it worse,” Alice shrugged. “I lived through Jim Crow in the south, not looking forward to it coming back.”

“Coming back?” Jake gave her a horrified look.

“Give it ten years and you’ll get it,” Alice told him.

“Oh my god,” Bella groaned. “One thing at a time. Let’s do some palm reading because I think since you don’t know Leah… He could be deciding to come after her instead.”

“That’s a possibility. Edward knows my abilities and their limits. He’s been using my blind spots for too long,” Alice seethed. Alice started pulling out a few things, stuff that Bella hadn’t seen her use before. “Both of you sit, Bella I’m gonna read you first.”

“Sounds good,” Bella held out her hand so that Alice could grab it when she was ready. Alice set up a cloth, a candle, and a few jars, gently reaching out to grab Bella’s hand. Bella tried not to jump, she wasn’t used to touching someone who was ice cold anymore, and the almost frigid temperature of Alice’s skin was a shock to her system. “How come you’re still freezing if you’re not- you know?”

“I have really, really bad circulation. It’s been an ongoing issue my entire life,” Alice answered, pulling away to rub her hands together before grabbing Bella again. “I don’t notice the cold anymore but my hands and feet are always freezing.”

“Oh, Angela has that same problem too,” Bella nodded. “Sorry, you can do your thing.”

“All good, Bella. I know it’s… confusing,” Alice chuckled. “I’m as pale as them, I’m cold like them, I have eyes like them, but I’m not like them. The cold is from the circulatory problems, the paleness is because I stay out of the sun to adapt to living with vampires and demons, and the eyes are illusion magic that makes me blend in with my family. Also, I burn like you wouldn’t believe so it’s easier to just not try to tan,” she snorted delicately, her fingertip tracing across the lines on Bella’s hand. “Nothing, just like I expected. Nobody’s targeting you so they can avoid me. I can still see your future, though. What do you want to know and what do you want me to keep as a surprise?”

“Is there anything I should worry about? Do I still graduate?” Bella asked, half jokingly.

“Yes, you graduate. And you’re going to college, too,” Alice smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about. If you survive the next few months, you’re looking at a very long and happy life. Not the life I was expecting from you, but it’s going to be one that leaves you feeling fulfilled to the very end.”

“If?” Leah asked concerned.

“If,” Alice nodded. “We all know the risks are immense. Bella has a lot of enemies, but we’re going to do everything we can to keep her alive. I don’t speak in certainties unless I know an outcome is absolute. But I can say that if Bella dies, it’s because there’s nobody left alive to protect her, myself included.”

“She’s gonna survive,” Jacob said confidently. 

“Yeah she is. I’m not going to let anything hurt her,” Leah nodded resolutely. “Nobody’s touching her. She’s getting that happy life you promised.”

“That’s the goal,” Alice agreed. “Fate is on your side here, Bella. But fate is fickle, I know that better than anyone. As of right now, your chances are really good.” Alice looked at Leah as Alice pulled out a small vial of essential oils. “Your turn.” Bella and Leah shuffled around, Leah sitting in the spot she was just in. Alice took her hand before pausing and grabbing it with both hands, holding it tightly. 

“What are you doing?” Leah asked, looking to Bella for help. 

“Warm,” Alice groaned, pressing her hands fully into Leah’s. 

“Get your own hot wolf girlfriend,” Bella said playfully.

“She’s the only one in the pack who is both hot and age appropriate,” Alice snorted, yanking Leah’s hand closer. “I’m not going to steal your girlfriend, I just want some of that body heat for a moment. You’re like a furnace.”

“All of us run high temperatures,” Leah said, looking mildly uncomfortable. Alice let out a breath and withdrew, just holding Leah enough to read her. 

“Hang on, it takes me a second to pick up on someone new,” Alice told her, brow furrowing in concentration. Leah nodded, waiting patiently. After a few minutes, Alice blinked back looking worried. “You were right Bella. He’s focused all his efforts on Leah which is why I haven’t been able to find anything. He’s trying to figure out how he can come onto the reservation.”

“I dare him to try,” Leah growled. “I’ll kick his ass the moment he steps foot over the line.”

“Where is he? Is he here?” Jacob asked. “Because if he’s in the area, the pack can hunt him, and also if he’s in the area we probably shouldn’t let Charlie and Bella leave.”

“He’s still trying to get his plan together,” Alice said as she started writing a few things down. This was all new to Bella, it was strange to see her acting so… witchy. “Jasper should almost be there with Edward soon, if he’s not already there. We’ll have a week before they both arrive.”

“What about the other vampire, Victoria?” Leah asked. “Is she coming after me, too?”

“I still can’t see her, meaning you’re not the target,” Alice sighed. “I’ll keep looking into that. I don’t know how she keeps on slipping me, but I’ll catch her eventually.”

“She may still be planning as well,” Bella thought.

“What if she doesn’t know about the wolves? Like- yeah she’s seen us, but she doesn’t know we’re with Bella. She swam away before she saw Leah phase,” Jacob pointed out. 

“No she didn’t. She was in the water watching,” Leah corrected. 

“Either way you can smell it,” Alice told him. “Human’s can’t pick it up but all of the shifters have a scent, even in your human forms. She knows who the pack is just by smell. If she thought Leah was a human, she would’ve just killed Leah to get to Bella that day on the beach.”

“Maybe we should check out the rest of the pack, see if she’s targeting Sam or something,” Leah suggested. 

“It’s worth a shot. She’s insanely evasive, so we have to try to trap her,” Alice sighed. “Carlisle and the others will be here tomorrow, they can help us plan for both of them.”

“Alright so in the meantime, we keep sleeping here and Alice, are you sure you’re safe? Wherever that is?” Bella asked.

“Don’t worry, he can’t touch me. Not without some nasty consequences,” Alice smirked. She waved her hand, fire rippling around her fingers before disappearing. “I’m staying at our old house. I’ve got more than a few protections set up until the rest of the group joins me. I’m gonna go talk to Charlie but you did a good job today from what I saw,” Alice playfully patted Bella on the head. 

“Bite her,” Leah told Bella. 

“Leah, it’s alright,” Bella tried to laugh off, but she didn’t see the problem with it. Alice gave her a wary look before standing up. 

“I’ll see you all later,” she nodded as she walked over to where Charlie was. 

“Leah, are you okay?” Bella asked, feeling confused.

“I just…” Leah let out a breath, shaking out her hands. “I’m just being a bitch, I know I am. Part of me is having trouble believing that someone who can see decades into the future couldn’t see what was happening right under her nose. I don’t think she should just get to come back into your life and act like that, she should be on her knees sobbing and begging for your forgiveness because the shit Edward did was atrocious and she did nothing to stop it. None of them did.”

“I don’t forgive her, not right now,” Bella tried to explain. “Things are going to take a while if Alice wants to be involved, but as for right now, I only trust her as far as I can throw her. What else are you thinking?” She knew Leah too well even after only spending a short time together.

“That my girlfriend has the biggest target I’ve ever seen attached to her back and it makes me really nervous,” Leah said softly, playing with Bella’s fingers. “I don’t like the ‘if’. You shouldn’t have an ‘if you survive’ attached to your future. You deserve so much more than uncertainty.”

“To be fair, no one thought that a demon would be after me,” Bella tried to lighten the mood. “If I’m in danger, you’re in danger because I know you’re going to recklessly throw yourself into trouble to save me if anything happens.”

“I’m gonna be right next to you the whole time. If you fight, I fight,” Leah confirmed, pulling Bella closer. Bella let herself get pulled into Leah’s lap. Bella watched as Alice and her dad talk, Charlie nodding aggressively.  

“I guess it’s gonna be dinner with demons soon,” Bella commented. “Do you wanna be there too?”

“I’ll be wherever you want me to be,” Leah told her. “If you want me there, I’ll be there.”

“I’ll let you know what’s happening,” Bella answered. 

Jacob came over and sat down next to them. “I think I have some regrets about getting you two together. I’ve never felt more third wheel-y in my life.”

“You and Bella should go do something,” Leah said. “I get to see you two all the time, but when’s the last time you two got to hang out without me?”

“I… don’t actually know,” Jacob blinked. “I just got a new game for my PlayStation? I’m usually too tired right now with school and wolf stuff,” Jacob explained.

“I know, I just wanna make sure you two still have friend time,” Leah smiled. “I can’t possibly split up the amazing biker duo.”

“How about after all this is over you can come over to my house and you and me will have a sleep over that involves way too many snacks and crashing out in the living room after making a pillow fort?” Bella offered. 

“That would be awesome!” Jacob grinned widely. Bella realized she really did miss hanging out with him alone. They hadn’t really done it since Jacob and Leah had shifted, but Bella longed for the afternoons spent in Jacob’s garage tinkering with the bikes or her truck and talking about anything that came to mind.

“Oh no that means I’m gonna hear more discussions about how sharks are superior to snakes,” Charlie said as he was walking up to the three of them. “I’ll make sure the fire pit is ready to go when you two wanna make smores in the middle of the night.”

Jacob started wiggling his shoulders excitedly. “I love that fire pit.”

“Thanks, dad,” Bella smiled. Charlie nodded. 

“The Cullen’s want to come over tomorrow night. You up for it?” Charlie asked her. 

“We can definitely do that,” Bella said with a nod. 

“Good. I’ll get my gun out,” Charlie stated, looking completely serious. Bella still snorted at her fathers seriousness as they all started getting up for Bella’s turn at hand-to-hand. 

It was shaping up to be a nice carefree day. The first in a very long time.

Chapter Text

Charlie

Bella was a maniac in the kitchen. Charlie was hanging out with her as she buzzed around like a bee. She insisted on cooking because she needed to keep her mind off all of the mean things she wanted to say. Charlie and Leah however wanted her to say all those mean things to the Cullens. Charlie would prefer it. Bella deserved to say it all. After everything the Cullen’s did, they shouldn’t get off easy. 

 Charlie was pretty excited for dinner despite the Cullen’s coming. She was making a pot roast with potatoes, veggies, a salad and she was making a tiramisu for dinner. Leah was supposed to be here soon, she wanted to ‘establish her scent’ in the house; whatever that meant. Charlie was only good at hunting but supposedly didn’t have the magic to smell magical creatures. Instead it was a gut feeling of something’s wrong or off. 

And with the Cullen’s coming, that gut feeling was going crazy. 

The doorbell rang and Charlie hopped up, walking over to see who it was before letting Leah in. 

“Hey, Charlie,” she smiled. “Brought some of my mom’s sourdough bread. Figured it might taste good with that roast. God, it smells amazing in here!” She called loudly. 

“Good to see you, glad you came,” Charlie told her as he ushered her in. “Bella’s in the kitchen going wild.”

“I’ll head in in a second,” Leah nodded, rubbing herself against the walls. Charlie watched in bemusement as she touched every single surface between the front door and the kitchen. Charlie was trying not to laugh.

“There you- what the hell are you doing?” Bella looked at Leah as she was putting the dessert in the fridge. 

“Scent marking,” Leah answered as if it were obvious. “I brought sourdough, it’s homemade.”

“Thanks, it’ll go good with the roast,” Bella pulled out a cutting board for it. “I thought you were just gonna hog the couch until they got here.”

“That too, but I just wanna make sure it’s clear that I’m around, and that that means you’re protected by the pack,” Leah said with a frown, rubbing against all the doorways before coming over to hold Bella close and nuzzle into her. 

“Don’t scent mark my daughter right in front of me,” Charlie said. 

“My smell makes her unappealing to the vampires and repulses the demons,” Leah told him. Charlie hummed. 

“Alright, carry on. But no hanky panky type stuff,” he warned. “I’ll be in the living room, cleaning my gun,” he told her pointedly. 

“Yes sir, Chief Swan,” Leah agreed, her eyes flickering to it on the table. 

“Dad, nothing’s gonna happen,” Bella sighed heavily. “Go clean your gun, which is what you were gonna do anyways today,” Bella pointed out. “Today just happens to be today.”

“The gun is mostly for the Cullen’s,” Charlie shrugged, picking up his shotgun again. Billy had blessed it for him, and some shells as well. It wouldn’t kill them, but it would hurt like a bitch and slow them down long enough for Leah or Bella to finish them off. Leah came into the living room, passing him a beer and sitting on the two seater couch to watch the game he had on while Charlie cleaned. That’s something he’d always liked about Leah: she didn’t feel the need to talk, she’d just hang out in silence. Edward had always tried to talk to him, forcing uncomfortable conversation that felt like he was desperately trying to make Charlie like him. 

“Nice!” Leah cheered softly at the team scoring. It was nice having her around. Bella joined the two of them with a glass of iced tea for her and Leah as she sat down to watch the game with them. 

“So- football?” Bella said with no confidence. “What’s happening?”

“Our team is the blue guys. Right now they’re trying to make sure the black and silver guys can’t get the ball to the other end of the field to score. Every time the black and silver guys get the ball further down the field, they can get closer to scoring, so we’re trying to keep them close to our own goal post so when we get the ball back we can score,” Leah explained. “The blue guys are from Seattle which is why we’re rooting for them. The other team is from California so they suck by default.”

“I lived in California,” Bella pointed out. 

“Yeah but you’re from Forks, so you don’t have California suckiness,” Leah laughed. “Oh come on, that was totally a foul!”

“This ref is blind,” Charlie scoffed. 

“Bad ref,” Bella nodded, still clearly confused. “How do you know it’s a foul?”

“So in football you can’t grab people by the jersey or the helmet, and you can’t intentionally shove them off the field. That guy totally grabbed one of our teammates by the jersey and yanked him,” Leah told her. “It should’ve been pass interference since he didn’t have the ball.”

“You watch a lot of football with Harry?” Charlie asked. 

“Yeah but mostly it’s my mom. My mom is a huge Seahawks fan,” Leah answered. Charlie chuckled. He remembered that. Sue Clearwater was a menace when her team was playing, always the first one to start yelling at her television when the game was on. 

They watched in comfortable silence until halftime when the doorbell rang. Leah tensed almost immediately, and Charlie had no doubts about who was outside. 

“I’ll get it,” Leah told them as she got up, heading to the door. Charlie loaded his gun just in case, waiting for the sounds of people entering. “Hey!” Leah roared angrily as a blur appeared in the living room. A massive, burly teen was standing in front of Bella with a grin, picking her up and hugging her tightly as Leah squared up with a blonde woman. Emmett and Rosalie, Charlie remembered. He never saw them much, so it took a moment to place. 

“Bella, I missed you so much!” Emmett called loudly. 

“Let her go!” Leah snapped. “Don’t you fucks have any understanding of not touching people without their permission?!” 

“Don’t yell at him!” Rosalie snapped back. “But also Emmett, we talked about this.” 

Emmett set Bella down, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry. I just got excited. I missed you dude!” He told them. Charlie rose, eyeing the rest of the group warily. 

“Charlie, hello,” Carlisle greeted politely. “Thank you for letting us come over. Thank you as well, Bella. It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you guys even if I’m mad,” Bella said with a small nod, punching Emmett’s shoulder. “Since I know you guys aren’t all vampires, how many of you can eat human food? I made pot roast and I got plenty of sodas.” 

“Only I can,” Alice answered. “But it smells amazing and I’m freezing.”

“It really does,” Esme agreed with a soft smile. It fell quickly and she shook her head. “I’m- I am so, so sorry, Bella. What happened to you should’ve never been allowed to go on so long. We didn’t know, we were all blind. You’re too sweet of a girl and we should’ve protected you.”

“We’re all very sorry,” Carlisle agreed sadly. “I assure you, Esme and I do not feed like that. It will never happen again.”

“Why did you all let it go on for so long?” Bella asked nervously, picking at her fingernails. Esme and Carlisle exchanged a look.

Carlisle stepped a little closer. “That was on me. I believed Edward up until the incident with James. Seeing you in the hospital is when I started to get suspicious. Once I saw it I couldn’t unsee it. The summer seemed fine, he seemed fine, then your birthday-” he gave Bella a look of remorse. “That’s when I knew that I had let this carry on for so long.”

“We know that we can’t ever truly fix the damage we’ve done, for both of you,” she looked at Bella and Charlie. “But we start by aiding you in killing Edward.”

“Correction, the damage that you all did,” Rosalie scoffed, flipping her hair. “I didn’t do shit.”

“Rose,” Emmett said gently. 

“No! I’m not gonna sit here in the apology fest and take blame for something I didn’t do!” Rosalie shot. “I told everyone that Edward was being weird. I told everyone that it was strange that Jasper suddenly couldn’t control his blood thirst. I did everything I could to get Bella to leave him. Nobody wanted to listen to me, that’s fine, but I’m not complicit in this shit. I knew Edward was bad from the get go.”

“You tried to break them up?” Leah asked, looking at Rosalie.

“As much as I could,” Rosalie answered with an eyeroll. “Bella’s stubborn and she was completely blinded by his pretty eyes and nice smile. Telling her he was toxic and dangerous would’ve done a fat lot of nothing.” She turned to Bella. “This is exactly why I kept telling you you shouldn’t be around us. That it was dangerous. This is why I spent the entire time making you feel unwanted and unwelcome and poking holes in your little love story. I know a predatory man when I see one, I’ve been there, and it sucks that you had to go through it but I really was trying to get you to leave and never look back.”

“She did warn us,” Carlisle admitted with a sigh. “We just thought-“

“You just thought that because I wasn’t a pain demon that I didn’t know what it was like,” Rosalie snorted. “Emmett was literally the only one that believed me but he felt too mean about hurting Bella’s feelings to drive her off.”

“You’re not one of… them?” Charlie asked, gesturing to Carlisle and Esme. 

“No. I’m a succubus,” Rosalie told them. “A demon that preys on predatory individuals and uses sex as a weapon to kill them.”

“That explains… so much,” Leah mumbled. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you Rosalie, you- I know we didn’t really get along, but I appreciate it. I found out that part of it was because of the psychic link? I couldn’t leave him even if I wanted after a certain point,” Bella said. “You and Emmett don’t have to help us with taking down Edward, if you don’t want to.”

“And miss the chance to watch Rosalie curb stomp a creep? No way!” Emmett laughed. 

“Dealing with abusive men is how I get joy out of my existence. Of course I’m helping,” Rosalie snorted. “I’m just glad you can finally see it. And that you finally came out of the closet.”

“I called that one,” Emmett beamed. “I knew you liked girls but I couldn’t say anything because Edward is super homophonic.”

“Homophobic,” Alice corrected.  

“Don’t correct him, my sweet himbo can say things how he wants,” Rosalie cooed, squeezing his face. 

“How did you know I liked girls?” Bella blurted out. 

“Do- do you have any idea how much time you spent looking at me?” Rosalie asked. “You stared at me more than you stared at Edward, and I caught you checking me out at least ten different times.”

“You look like you walked out of Sports Illustrated," Bella joked. Charlie watched Leah possessively grab Bella by the waist. 

“Bella? Dinner ready yet?” Charlie asked, not wanting to think about her flirting with any girls. Or about why she knew what Sports Illustrated models looked like. 

“Yes, if everyone wanted to hang out here in the living room, the four of us that can eat can come grab a plate,” Bella said. 

“Sweet, we can catch the game!” Emmett grinned, moving to the couch. He made a face when he sat down, nose wrinkling. “Your couch kinda smells like wet dog.”

“The whole house does,” Rosalie snorted. “I’m guessing that’s the shapeshifter marking her territory.”

“Yes,” Bella confirmed. Charlie saw Leah looking smug. Bella started shredding the pot roast and everyone served themselves and made their way back into the living room, Leah pulling Bella into the spot next to her. Charlie pulled his chair closer to his daughter while Alice sat in the middle. 

Carlisle spoke up first. “Bella, you’re doing remarkably better. Your aura is lively, even more lively than the first time we met you.”

“I’m very happy to see it,” Esme nodded. 

“You’ve also gotten buff. Have you been taking her to gym Leah?” Emmett asked. 

“We hit the gym a few times a week. And we have some monster hunters in town who are training her and Charlie to fight,” Leah told them. Charlie watched everyone stiffen before Alice jumped in. 

“Blood traitors,” she said quickly. “Big difference. Regular hunters will kill anything with a hint of magic, blood traitors only hunt the magical creatures who cause problems. It’s a whole thing, I’ll explain later.”

“Wait so Bella’s learning to fight?” Emmett grinned. “Dibs on sparring with her!”

“She’ll kick your ass,” Leah snorted. 

“You’re training as well then, Charlie?” Esme asked. 

“Sure am. Nothing’s gonna hurt my daughter again,” Charlie answered with a frown. “Got my shotgun blessed, and I guess our family has some kinda magic that lets us fight demons and things a little better.”

“He’s an amazing shot,” Leah boasted. “He shot one of the shifters while they were running full speed, and Bella’s got a shield that keeps everything out.” 

“That’s amazingly impressive, Charlie,” Carlisle smiled at him in admiration. 

“I’ll be impressed when I put a bullet between Edward’s eyes,” Charlie grumbled. “Soon as he shows his face, I’m firing on him. I’m not gonna stop until he’s burning to a crisp.”

“Agreed, which is something that we can plan and anticipate,” Carlisle continued. “Alice, did you tell them about the Volturi?”

“The what?” Charlie repeated. 

“Alice?” Bella prompted. Alice was staring off into space, eyes flicking around rapidly. “Alice, is it Edward?”

“No,” she said softly, gripping her bowl. “Victoria. She’s coming.” Charlie looked at Bella, seeing Leah quickly grab her arm. 

“Then we don’t have much time,” Esme said. “Leah, would the pack be willing to fight vampires? We can train them.”

“We’re willing to fight anything,” Leah told them. “Bella is my imprint, my soul’s other half. Our most sacred law is that no harm can come to an imprint, we’ve been training for whatever threats come Bella’s way.”

“Dude you’re lesbian soulmates with a werewolf?” Emmett chimed in. “That’s dope as fuck.”

“It’s pretty cool,” Bella nodded with a small smile. “What can I do? My dad and Leah can fight but I’m still clumsy.”

“You have your shield,” Leah said. 

“She has her blood,” Rosalie pointed out. “They’re hunting her. If her blood is anywhere near the field, it’ll distract Victoria and whoever she has with her.”

“A young man. Blonde. Turned recently.” Alice patted around. “I need a pen. And paper.” Charlie handed over his notebook and a pen, Alice quickly drawing what she could see. 

“Riley,” Charlie said quietly. 

“You know him?” Carlisle asked. 

“Yeah, Riley Biers. He’s a local boy. A few years older than Bella. He was attending UDubb but went missing a few months ago alongside about twenty other kids his age.”

“How did a guy like him get mixed up with Victoria?” Leah asked Alice.

“How she does everything: by force,” Alice answered.

“You said twenty others?” Carlisle asked. Charlie nodded. “She’s building an army.”

“Not again,” Esme whispered. 

“Vampire armies are unbelievably powerful,” Carlisle explained. “I’ve been in this form for almost five hundred years, and I’ve seen the devastation firsthand. Vampires are fast, strong, and incredibly hard to kill. They can lay waste to entire human cities with just a small battalion. There were many wars over territory and in the name of conquest, most of which left behind no survivors. If Victoria’s bringing a vampire army to Forks, it’s going to be an extremely difficult fight, even with all of us. Bella, how strong is your shield?”

“I mean, I can project it and stop most physical attacks but I can only shield myself and one other person if we don’t move too much,” Bella explained.

“If they’re after Bella I don’t want her anywhere near the field,” Charlie said. “Between us and the pack we could take them. I can shoot them enough to disable them or even stop them.”

“If being on the field is what helps then that’s where I’m going to be,” Bella shot back, mouth pressed into a determined line. Charlie looked over at Leah, hoping she’d back him up. 

Leah just gave him an apologetic look. “I don’t really want Bella in the thick of it either, but- I- what-“ Leah stammered, completely frozen. 

“What if Leah and I took Bella off the field but we can make it seem like she was there?” Alice interjected. “Even a few drops of her blood would drive them insane.”

“True,” Emmett agreed. “When you got that paper cut, if I hadn't been a vampire for as long as I have been I probably would’ve reacted like Jasper.”

“Even just a vial, similar to one of that for blood testing, would be more than enough to make them forget about anything,” Carlisle added. 

“We could get some blood down and then get Bella away,” Leah jumped in. “Enough to drive them crazy while she’s at a safe distance. My scent can mask hers.”

“Also true. I can barely smell Bella and Charlie over the wolf.” Emmett confirmed. 

“Wait if I’m not gonna be there, I don’t want my dad there,” Bella stated firmly. “He’s just as human as I am, he could get hurt! I at least have a shield, all he can do is shoot.”

“Hey, my hand to hand is pretty damned good,” Charlie argued. “And you don’t get to tell me what to do. I’m your father, my job is to keep you safe. Your job is to listen to me and not get hurt.”

“Am I really that out numbered here?” Bella looked around. 

“I’m on your side,” Rosalie said. “But I don’t think anyone else is.”

“I’ll always respect your decisions, but I’d really like it if you were not in the middle of it all,” Leah told her softly. 

“Charlie will survive the battle, but he needs to be there,” Alice said. “You need to trust me, Bella.”

“If I’m not there you swear my dad will be alright?” She asked Alice firmly. 

“I swear,” Alice nodded.

“…fine.” Bella let out a sharp exhale. “I will sit this one out.”

“Okay,” Leah nodded, looking like she was trying hard not to look so relieved. “Jake and I will scout some good camping locations.”

“Bella? Camping?” Charlie asked feeling a little panicked. He had never taken Bella camping. “I have everything you’ll need for it.”

“Camping. Cool,” Bella said, looking like she was trying not to frown. 

“Don’t worry, it’ll only be for a night,” Leah snorted. “I won’t make you stay out too long, city girl.”

“Alright,” Bella nodded. “So what are you guys gonna be doing?”

Esme spoke up first. “We are going freshen up on our hand-to-hand before we show the wolves all the ways that two legged fighters get their arms around them. How to prevent crush injuries, things like that.”

“Jasper served in a newborn army,” Alice continued. “There’s a misconception that newborn vampires are stronger than vampires as old as Carlslie and Esme. The reason they seem stronger is because they don’t know how to use their strength so yes they can launch a car with no issue, but they’ll fall flat on their face because they’re also incredibly clumsy. Their drive for human blood is also out of control, so think of them as in a constant state of an adrenaline rush. Strong but frenzied.”

“The pack has seven wolves,” Leah informed them. “We were training with someone who came down to help Bella and Charlie, so we’re good at coordinated pack attacks. I know for the demons we have to burn the bodies, but what about vampires?”

“We’ll still be burning them afterwards, but we don’t have to worry as much about their regeneration,” Carlisle responded. “Vampires can be killed through decapitation or with silver to the heart, so long as the pack can get their heads off or damage their bodies enough, they’ll stay down.”

“Seems easy enough,” Charlie shrugged. “I can see what I can do about getting my hands on silver bullets.”

“Don’t,” Emmett snorted. “We had silver bullets when I was human, they actually kinda suck to shoot.” 

“Emmett’s right. A better option would be a blade or a crossbow. Silver bullets are unwieldy, their weight and density makes them incredibly difficult to aim properly,” Carlisle agreed. “Do you know how to use a sword, Charlie?”

“Oh yeah, learned that when I was a squire serving the feudal lord of Forks,” Charlie responded dryly. Bella snickered quietly. “Nobody can swordfight anymore, but I can knife fight. I’m actually pretty damned good at it.”

“That’ll work,” Esme nodded, looking amused.

“What about regular bullets?” Bella asked. “Or those illegal bullets that do a lot of damage? Can’t he use those on vampires? To slow them down.”

“It’ll slow them but not kill them. Charlie needs to be able to kill,” Rosalie responded. 

“I’ll be fine, Bella. With or without the gun,” Charlie promised. 

“Alright,” Bella pouted. “How long do we have?” Bella asked Alice. 

“Three days, that’s all the warning I was able to get us,” Alice sighed. “But I can at least see where we can intercept them before they arrive. We’re outnumbered two to one, but we’ll be able to outsmart them.”

“We think Victoria might even try to come after Bella specifically,” Carlslie commented. “So they’ll be without direction and without their babysitters.”

“If she is splitting off, I’m staying with Bella,” Leah said worriedly. “I don’t want her unprotected.”

“We’ll both stay with her,” Alice agreed. “If I’m there I can predict Victoria’s movements better, and I can see her coming before she attacks.” Charlie felt a measure of relief at that, knowing Bella was protected. 

“That’ll still be enough people,” Carlslie nodded. “Is there anything we can do for you in the meantime? Do you guys need anything?” 

“Sam wants to meet with you,” Leah told him. “By all rights, the treaty made with Ephraim has been broken. He wants to make sure it won’t happen again.”

“Fucking Edward,” Rosalie sighed angrily.

“Yeah,” Leah nodded. “But he’ll agree to a meeting as soon as possible, honestly probably tomorrow.”

“We can do that. I truly am sorry that he’s done this,” Carlisle told her. “We should’ve been more aware. Edward seemed so devoted and promising as a ward, I take personal responsibility for his failure to live by our lifestyle.”

“It isn’t an easy one, but it’s worthwhile,” Esme sighed. 

“Thank you for taking responsibility,” Charlie nodded gruffly. 

“It’s the least I can do,” Carlisle nodded. “We’ll make sure he never hurts Bella again. But for now, let’s focus on the vampires. Leah, if you could have the pack meet us near our home tomorrow evening? We can begin our training to make sure we’re all as prepared as possible. Charlie, Bella, we’d love to have you there as well.”

“We will be,” Charlie agreed. “We need to brush up as well. I’ve had some friends training me, they might also want to be there to help out. They hunt creatures professionally.”

“Bring them, I’ll cook,” Esme offered with a smile. 

“We’ll call them and ask,” Charlie snorted. 

“You can cook?” Leah asked, confused. “Why cook when none of you can eat?”

“Alice can,” Esme said. “And I came onto this mortal plane during the height of the stay at home wife. I mostly cooked for locals and food banks back when they still accepted home cooked meals. I also fed a lot of people during the depression.”

“Don’t forget the rent parties!” Emmett pointed happily.

“Yes, I cooked for those as well,” Esme nodded. “And maybe the pack will finally feel full for the first time in a while,” she chuckled. Charlie knew that the Cullens were disgustingly wealthy. It was weird to know the reason why was because Carlisle had been here a few centuries. 

“Thank you for having us over, Charlie,” Alice said as she finished her plate and politely took it to the kitchen. “We’ll leave you three for the evening but we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

“Yes, thank you Charlie,” Carlslie nodded, also standing up, everyone else following him. 

“Thanks for coming. We’ll see you tomorrow, Charlie nodded. He still didn’t trust them, not fully, but they at least seemed sincere about wanting to help protect Bella.

“That went surprisingly well,” Bella said with a small exhale as everyone finally left. 

“Hm,” Leah looked suspiciously at the door. “At least it’s over for now. I gotta get going, pack stuff, but I’ll see you tomorrow, cutie,” Leah kissed the top of Bella’s head. “Thanks for having me over Charlie.”

“Always happy to have you,” Charlie nodded. His phone started ringing, it was probably the station. “See you later, I gotta take this girls,” he said as he went to his room. “Swan, here.”

“Hey Charlie, it’s Cora.”

“Cora! Hey, I’m glad you called,” Charlie told her softly, sitting on his bed. He was nervous, fingers tapping against his knee as he tamped down his excitement.

“Is this a bad time?” 

“Not at all, we just finished dinner. How are you?” He asked.

“I’m alright. Listen, I wanted to apologize for freaking out the last time I saw you. It was a lot, but I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings because of how I acted.”

“You didn’t, really. It was a lot. I cursed Billy and Harry out when they told me because it sounded insane, and then when I saw the proof… the only reason I didn’t run off was because Bella’s too involved,” Charlie snorted. “Your reaction was completely understandable.”

“I saw- I saw one of those big wolves you were talking about.” She said quietly. 

“Where at?” Charlie asked.

“Around the diner, where the woods meet the road. I- I was walking out to my car when I saw- I thought it was a bear, but it was a huge wolf. A light colored one.”  

“I know that was probably terrifying because the first time I saw one I damn near shit my pants,” Charlie told her. “But the wolves are safe. If you saw one, it was just one of the pack patrolling the town to make sure nothing bad happens. For the first time ever, the wolves are the ones you want to run towards if you’re in danger.”

“So- Bella and Edward- is this you’re something you’re doing alone?” 

“No. I have the wolves, and… uh, well, I guess the rest of the Cullen’s are back and are working to help. They weren’t happy with what he did. But right now we got another problem. Some vampire is after Bella for some reason and she’s bringing a bunch of other vampires to come attack her. We’re gonna be training to fight them, too.”

“Okay.” The line went quiet for a minute. Charlie sat there with her while it seemed like Cora was just trying to process. “I- I’m not-” she let out a small breath. “I still want there to be an us, I’m just really worried about you. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’d rather be together and stay in the loop and be worried, than be worried and not be able to check in on you whenever I want.”

“You can always call,” he promised. “I know it’s a lot. But I wanna be open with you and I wanna be there for you, whatever you need. I like life better when you’re in it.”

“I like it better when we’re facing things together too. I know it’s late today, but can I come bring you lunch at the station the day after tomorrow?” Charlie smiled wide, she used to do that all the time when they first started dating.

“Yeah, I’d like that. I miss seeing you on my lunch breaks,” he agreed. 

“Great, I’ll see you then, but I do wanna talk sometime when you’re free about all this.” 

“Of course,” he immediately agreed. He couldn’t believe that he could still have her. Cora was one of the few things that felt right in his life and he’d do everything he could to make sure she stayed. 

“See you in a few days.” They both said their goodbyes and Charlie was trying not to get his hopes up, but it was hard not to be optimistic at a time like this.

Chapter Text

The car ride was quiet but comfortable on the way to the Cullen's new place. They were staying at property that was a little more off grid than their old place, but Bella wasn’t expecting a literal log cabin when they pulled up to the ranch style lot. Emmett was waiting on a stool near the gate doing what looked like a wood carving. Bella had no idea he knew how to do that. Emmett smiled and waved with his knife hand and opened the gate for them. 

“The wolves are already here,” he let them know. “Esme disarmed them by walking out with the most stuff I’ve ever seen for a barbecue. I’m kinda jealous cause the sides Carlslie started smell amazing.”

“Good I’m starving. Did Rosalie make salad?” Bella asked. “She makes great salads for someone who doesn’t eat.”

“She did,” Emmett smiled goofily at his girlfriend's name. 

“The girls training us are coming down,” Charlie informed him. “They said they’d show up to watch, but that they won’t be participating. Apparently a vampire army is chump change to them.”

“Oh yeah, not surprised. Hunters are usually the ones who have to take down the armies,” Emmett nodded. “Hey, they can get food and watch! I’ll be your trainer today. I’m, like, super good at fighting other vampires.”

“Hopefully all the hand-to-hand I’ve been shown pays off,” Charlie chuckled as they started to drive more onto their property, Emmett keeping up effortlessly. They pulled around the back, seeing the pack gathered in a loose semi-circle around the yard while Sam and Carlisle were standing in the middle chatting. Charlie parked and they got out, catching the conversation. 

“-course we would still stay off your lands entirely, but I would love it if the Quileutes would come to the hospital in Forks,” Carlisle was saying. “I understand the hesitance to be treated by me but your hospital doesn’t get enough funding and I would happily offer my care for free to any members of the tribe. Healthcare is an inalienable right.”

“Thank you Carlisle for your offer,” Sam still looked stuff. “I’ll let everyone know.” Charlie watched Leah all but barrel into Bella, Charlie politely ignoring their quick “hellos.”

“Glad you all could make it,” Esme beamed. “I’ve got the food on the grill. We’ve got ribs, steaks, hot dogs and brats, some hamburgers, and plenty of sides. Rosalie has some brisket going on the smoker, too. She started it last night so it should be ready soon. Please, get comfortable and grab some drinks. By the time Emmett is finished with everyone we’ll be finished too.”

“Thank you,” Charlie nodded, eyes widening at the sight of the three separate grills running. “You definitely made enough food.”

“I sure hope so. I know the pack needs to eat a lot for their caloric needs and wanted to make sure they’d actually be full,” she chuckled.

“Esme, do you need any help? I’m gonna be sitting this one out,” Bella offered.

“Sure, I could use an extra hand,” she smiled. 

“Boo, I can’t show off for you,” Leah groaned dramatically, resting against Bella’s shoulder. “I’ll see you for food time.” Leah kissed Bella’s forehead, gently shooing her away. 

“I’ve kinda been dying to know how you make your salad dressings,” Bella said to Esme, their voices getting farther away. 

“Is everyone ready to get started?” Emmett asked, looking eager. 

It was for Charlie weird being around a bunch of immortal beings that were over a hundred or nearing it but they all acted like a bunch of teenagers. He was just glad all the kids he knew would at least age a little in his lifetime. 

“We’re- Jacob! Quill! Stop wrestling and get over here!” Sam ordered. “It’s like having puppies.”

“Remember when you rescued that dog and it turned out to be pregnant?” Leah snorted.

“Yeah, it’s starting to feel like that was preparing me for this,” Sam sighed, a flashback of horror crossing his face. “Let's go. I want you all on all fours ready to train! We don’t have time to waste!” 

Charlie chuckled at the way all the wolves lined up, everyone except Jacob and Leah having some trouble transforming. Sam was the only one who stayed on two legs and Charlie stood next to him.

“First thing you need to know about newborns,” Emmett said in front of the pack. “The reason they seem so powerful is they haven’t learned how to control their own strength, so while they’re not using their full strength like myself. They are using more of their newly found raw power, but that makes them extremely vulnerable because they are also equally as clumsy. We’re also unsure what makes modern vampires so strong within their first few years. I've met some old school vampires and they could bore a hole in a mountain if they wanted to, but could barely knock out a hunter in their first year. The second thing you need to know is never let them get their arms around you, they will crush you instantly. Carlisle, Alice and myself will be fighting in a similar style to a newborn to help prepare you as best as possible. You need a buddy on the battlefield, it’s imperative to your survival.”

Carlisle stepped forward. “Ive only fought newborns on one occasion, while it was a difficult fight but we have an advantage: Bella. She has very kindly offered to use a small amount of her blood to throw the newborns off and make them completely mad with thirst which they’re already on the edge due to their feeding patterns.”

“What about fighting someone like Edward who’s not a vampire?” Sam asked.

“Luckily for you, and unlucky for me, killing a demon is very easy,” Carlisle chuckled. “We are pain demons so when someone is in pain, especially someone we know, we can sense it and we are drawn to it. That is the equivalent of having fresh human blood around. Fighting a demon is close to fighting a human who is above average strength. Think of us as being on steroids without the negative side effects. However, we are also extremely fragile." Carlisle nodded at Emmett, Carlisle braced himself, grimacing at Emmett yanking his arm off. It sounded like glass breaking. “We can be dismembered easily, but just as easily-” Carlisle spit on his limb to reattach it, stretching out his fingers once it attached. “-be put back together.” 

This was probably the closest Charlie had come to feeling queasy about stuff like this. He felt Sam put a hand on his back to help steady him after watching that.

“Who would like to volunteer to be shown some of the ways you’ll be cornered?” Emmett asked the pack. Charlie was having a hard time identifying who was who still, but he was pretty sure Jacob agreed as a dark brown wolf happily trotted forward. “Thank you. Right there are two ways a vampire will try to come at you.” 

Charlie and Sam both stood as Emmett and Carlisle were showing different techniques. Everyone in the pack was trying at least a few different forms between the Cullens. Charlie was impressed with how fast everyone moved. 

“Your turn Charlie,” Carlisle smirked. “You can’t fight Emmett with your silver knives, but you can fight me with them before they are blessed by Billy.” 

Charlie looked down at the silver daggers on his hips. He wasn’t sure he was ready for actual hand-to-hand with a magical creature. “You sure?”

“Only one way to find out where you’re at.” 

Charlie unsurely walked over to him. He pulled out his knives and got into a defensive position. He remembered what Joanie and Andy were teaching him: Don’t think about it too much.

“You can take full stabs at me, it won’t hurt.” Carlisle encouraged. 

“Newborns will be coming at you fast and reckless,” Emmett coached from the sideline, carefully watching Charlie now that it was his turn as everyone else was still buddied. “Which means that they’ll be wide open for attacks.” 

Carlisle shook himself out before coming full force at Charlie. Charlie let his hunter instinct take over. Even though Carlisle was coming at him faster than Charlie anticipated, Charlie could keep up. He was hitting Carlisle head on and making solid contact either by blocking him. Charlie wasn’t sure how long they were going for until Carlisle managed to knock him flat on his ass.

“Nice!” Emmett cheered, helping Charlie up and giving him a high five. “A few more rounds of that and you’ll be ready to fight in a crowd.”

“I’ll be joining up with Carlisle next-” Alice said but was distracted by Esme coming over.

“Food’s all ready! Break time!” She shouted. Charlie laughed as he watched all of the wolves immediately take off and get dressed behind the trees to be running just as fast. “I want a line please and take as much as you want.” 

Charlie looked over to see the mountain of food on the very nice table spread. “Those ribs look amazing, Roselie,” he b-lined for them. “We’ll have to swap some recipes.”

“I can give you some tips but this is a secret blend,” she joked.

“They’re really good!” Jake called, already halfway through his rack. The rest of the back nodded in agreement, the mountain of food already starting to look thinner. Bella and Charlie quickly grabbed their own plates before it was gone, and Charlie tried not to make a face as the wolves cracked their bones open for the marrow. 

“And here I was thinking we made too much,” Carlisle chuckled. “We have plenty more food in the fridge so please eat as much as you want.”

“Absolutely. And if you guys ever want us to do this again we have no issues. Carlisle and I have way too much money, we can afford to feed you all.” 

“Normally I’d say no because of what you are, but this cooking might be worth it,” Sam admitted reluctantly, putting another heaping scoop of potato salad onto his plate. Paul yelped, holding his hand with a scowl as Leah growled at him. Charlie looked over to see Bella protectively holding a roll. 

“That’s Bella’s,” Leah huffed. 

“You bit me!” He scoffed. 

“You deserved it,” Leah shrugged. 

“Guys,” Sam sighed before looking back at Carlisle. “I’m sorry. Normally they’re better behaved.”

“It’s quite alright,” Carlisle smiled. “This is nothing. You should’ve seen it when Rosalie and Edward used to fight. We’d have to renovate afterwards as one of them would inevitably end up going through a wall.”

“Edward. Edward went through a wall,” Rosalie deadpanned. “And it wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t bother me.”

“Ha! Nice!” Jake grinned widely, leaning over the table with his hand up for a high five. Rosalie high fived him back with a smirk before leaning back into Emmett who was sipping on some blood. 

“Any news on our main perps?” Charlie asked Alice.

“No, quiet on all fronts so far,” she confirmed. “But I see that you’ll get a shot at him.”

“Good,” Charlie said quietly. “Leah, wanna team up on Edward? I’ll fist fight him while you rip him to shreds?”

“Can I throw him in the bonfire?” Bella asked.

“We’ll let you throw his head in. That way he can see it’s you,” Rosalie promised. 

“Once we deal with Victoria, we can devote our attention fully to Edward. And after that it’s just the Volturi and everything goes back to normal,” Carlisle told them. 

“What’s this Volturi anyways?” Charlie asked. 

Carlisle cleared his throat looking for the words. “The best way to describe it to you would be that the Volturi acts as a sort of demon-earth embassy. Demons of all kinds like to come to earth for all sorts of reasons and they are there to approve or deny applications. However they are also aware of how many demons are on earth at all times. If a demon is killed they are aware of it which will prompt a visit. Esme and I have proof that Edward was doing things that risked exposing demon mains.”

“It’ll be so that his death is justified,” Esme said. “In the older days they used to wipe memories but that person who served with them went back to our realm and now they will just bind your tongue so you can’t speak of us to others.”

“Does it hurt?” Bella asked.

“No, only if you really try to force it,” Carlslie said. 

“Not like anyone would believe us anyways,” Charlie snorted. “It took Bella using magic in front of Cora for her to not commit me to an asylum. But so long as we don’t have to fight them, it’s fine. I just want all the damned fighting to be over with so Bella can get back to focusing on her grades and getting into college.”

“Don’t worry, by this time next month we’ll be eating pizza on the couch like nothing happened,” Bella promised. 

“Sounds like a date,” Charlie squeezed Bella’s hand. 

“Bella, is there anything we could do for you in the meantime?” Carlisle asked. “We would still love to pay for your college, that offer is still on the table-“ Charlie choked on his beer. “-we just want to make sure you’re taken care of.”

“Uh- su-sure- thanks for still keeping the offer,” Bella stammered. “Edward- he kinda messed up my truck a little.”

“I can fix it!” Jake chimed in.

“Then we’ll make sure you have what you need to do so,” Carlisle nodded. 

“Thanks Carlisle,” Bella smiled. “Thanks for cooking Esme. Everything was good.”

“Hell yeah it was,” Leah agreed. Charlie looked around at all the wolves, all of them looking full and tired. 

“You’re all welcome here anytime if you find yourself stranded, we’ll try to get you all plenty of spare clothes,” Carlisle promised. “And you can order as much pizza as you want while you’re crashing here.”

Jacob perked up. “Don’t offer that, I’ll make you regret it.”

“If you can make a dent in our fortune by just buying food we would be impressed and grateful,” Carlisle chuckled. 

“We covered all the basics for today,” Emmett said as he was bouncing his leg. “You guys can come over any time to train more. Charlie, I know your friends will be kicking your butt every day, I might come crash a session. I think we can call today finished.” 

“Thanks Emmett,” Sam walked over and held out his hand to Emmett. Emmett gave him a firm handshake with a wide smile. 

“Always happy to help. Maybe in another life we could’ve been friends.”

“Hm,” Sam hummed. “Thank you for hosting. Charlie, we’ll catch up at Billy’s later.”

“See you then.” Charlie nodded.

Chapter Text

Leah

To say Leah was nervous about this whole plan was an understatement. They did a test run to make sure Bella’s scent couldn’t be traced, except now Bella had stabbed her finger, in addition to the blood Carlslie drew. Her and Charlie hovering nervously. 

“You sure you gotta do that?” Charlie asked with a wince. Leah thought he looked strange with all the equipment Joanie and Andy left him with. The two had parted this morning, part of Leah was grateful all outsiders were gone, but at the same time it was two less people to help with the fight.

“I can't contribute anything else, so I wanna be thorough,” she said firmly.  

“You’ve contributed plenty,” Leah told her. Bella smiled before grimacing as she wiped her finger on a tree. “Yeah that’s getting disinfected before we go up the mountain.”

“Agreed,” Charlie grunted, arms crossed. “Please don’t wipe it on that rock, you don’t know what’s touched that rock.”

“It's fine dad,” Bella snorted as she did it anyway. “Alice said she would have the camp set up by now. Please be careful tomorrow dad,” Bella pleaded with Charlie as she walked over to hug him. 

“I will. You be safe up there,” Charlie replied, pulling her in. “Leah, take care of her.”

“Always, Charlie,” Leah nodded. “Nothing’s gonna touch her while I’m still standing.” Charlie nodded at her. 

“We’ll see you tomorrow, I’ll make dinner,” Bella promised. 

“You’d better,” Charlie told her firmly, squeezing her. “Alright, get outta here. I’ll see you tomorrow. Soon as it’s safe.” Charlie gently pushed her away and Leah stepped closer, moving to pick Bella up.  

“Don’t worry, we’ve got her. It’ll just be a fun camping trip,” Leah promised. “Ready, Bella?”

“Ready,” she nodded, moving to hold Leah. Leah picked her up in one swoop as she started jogging at a decent pace starting to follow the scent trail Alice left. “Too bad Alice is gonna be with us. I was hoping we could have a repeat of yesterday?”

“Insatiable,” Leah laughed, giving her a quick kiss. “We’re on ‘protect Bella’ duty together, but as soon as it’s all over I’m all yours.” 

“Are you- are you feeling okay from everything still?” Bella asked softly. “Okay with everything we did?” 

“I should be asking you that,” Leah snorted softly. “Are you? Because I’m fine but if you’re not we can definitely talk about it. I know I’m not the safest partner to have and I’m still really hoping I didn’t hurt you.”

“I had a great time. You didn’t hurt me, I knew you wouldn’t,” Bella said confidently. “I’m always safe with you.”

“Always,” Leah agreed. She hopped up a few boulders, keeping Bella close to her chest so she didn’t get too jostled. “I still don’t like sharing the tent with Alice. I’m guessing I have to play nice?”

“Pretty please? For me?” Bella batted her eyes at Leah. “I think once you two would get along once you knew each other.”

“I think you’re an optimist,” Leah responded. “There’s no chance of me and Cullen getting chummy. But for you, I’ll be on my best behavior,” she agreed. She nuzzled into Bella’s hair, breathing in her scent and her warmth.

“Thank you, best girlfriend ever,” Bella cooed. 

“You’re just saying that because I’m carrying you,” Leah teased, carefully pulling them up a small cliff. 

“Many things can be true at once,” Bella chuckled. “This is gonna be fun. We’ll camp, eat some canned food and I’ll try to read and not freeze.”

“I’ll keep you nice and warm,” Leah promised. “Just stay close to me. Maybe take your clothes off, too.” Bella hit her shoulder, blushing brightly while Leah laughed. “What? Come on, it’s Survival 101.”

“Fine, I’ll only wear two layers instead of three,” Bella joked, still blushing. “I know you're bummed about missing the action but I really appreciate you being with me.” 

“I can’t leave you all alone with Cullen. I don’t trust her as far as you could throw her,” Leah responded. Leah knew there was something going on with Alice and it made Leah all the more protective of Bella. 

“Hopefully soon this will all just be behind us,” Bella said softly, resting her head against Leah’s shoulder. “You sure this is okay? You don’t need a break or anything?”

“Not at all. I could carry you around all day,” Leah assured her, smiling down at her softly. She loved this girl so much it made her feel insane. “You just enjoy the ride courtesy of my sweet shifter strength.”

“I’m great at that,” Bella chuckled. “Thank you for being there for me… you really saved me. You and Jake but, if you hadn’t come to my window that night-” Bella shook her head. “I don’t know where I would be.”

Leah slowed her pace, looking down at her girlfriend gently and stroking her cheek. “I will always be here, Bella. I swear. No matter what happens, no matter where you decide to go with your life, I’ll be right beside you. You… you’re the only thing that matters to me and I hate that I couldn’t fight harder against Sam’s orders. Leaving you was like tearing out my own soul.”

“I want you with me too… just everywhere we go, everything we do… as long as I have you I could never fail. I’m sorry for hurting your feelings and telling you I didn’t want to see you again. I hurt my own feelings too.”

“Let’s agree to do our best not to do it again,” Leah chuckled. “Come on, let’s get to the tent. The sooner this is all over, the sooner we can have a calm, normal life. I’ll stop phasing once we’re the same age, and then we’ll go to UDubb together.”

“I forgot to tell you…” Bella winced. 

“Forgot to tell me what?” Leah asked slowly. “Are we taking a gap year?”

“I got in,” Bella smiled. 

“You got in!” Leah cheered, swinging Bella around with a loud whoop. “I knew you could do it! That’s my girl!”

“I’ll graduate and you and me can figure out a dorm situation.” 

“Shared, hopefully,” Leah grinned. 

“Please don’t start that in earshot,” Alice called. Leah felt her face drop, eyebrow twitching. 

“You were supposed to wait at camp,” Leah stated flatly. 

“You two were taking too long,” Alice responded with a shrug. 

“Thanks for setting all this up,” Bella hung onto Leah as came over the last hill. Leah set Bella down and Bella walked over to her bag looking for her book. “I also brought us tea.”

“Good, I’m glad. I’ve got a few things as well,” Alice told her. Leah wondered if Bella could see it, the way Alice’s eyes softened and how the corner of her mouth turned up just a little too fondly when Alice looked at her. 

“Great! I’ve never had a girls sleepover before. Usually Jake is with us and we end up playing ‘War’ until one of us flips the table,” Bella laughed.

“I’ve got a few board games and some cards. Hopefully everyone can keep a level head,” Alice drawled, shooting Leah a look. Leah let out a low growl. How dare she think I’d ever endanger Bella like that?

“Hopefully some of us can play an honest game,” Leah retorted. Alice frowned. 

Bella rummaged around her bag pulling out a few things. “Okay, do we wanna do tea first or just hang out?”

“Let’s get settled with some tea, then we’ll start with the games,” Leah answered. “I wanna reinforce the anchoring-“

“Already done,” Alice cut in. “There’s a storm coming in tonight. Wouldn’t want our Bella to be in a tent that isn’t secured.”

“Thanks Alice,” Bella smiled as she got the kettle out. 

Leah gritted her teeth, glaring over Bella’s head. Alice was playing with fire here, and Leah was more than willing to let her get herself burned.

🐾

The sun went down quickly and Bella all but flung herself into the tent. Leah carefully climbed into the sleeping bag and Bella clung to her. Alice was trying to pretend she wasn’t watching, flipping through a graphic novel under the low lamp light. Leah couldn’t sleep, her adrenaline was at an all time high. She was worried if she fell asleep she couldn’t phase fast enough to protect Bella. 

“How is she? Really?” Alice asked casually once Bella’s snores filled the tent. 

“Tired, but healing,” Leah answered. “It’s been getting better since she broke the connection, but I know she’s still stressed about everything. She’s got a big heart, she doesn’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“Me too. The family unit… well. I don’t owe them anything but Carlisle is the reason I’m here,” she shrugged. “I’m glad she has you.” She said through her teeth. 

“No you’re not,” Leah snorted quietly. “You hate that I’m here. You can’t stand it. Bella doesn’t see it but I do. You soften around her. You came running when she thought she was in trouble, with no regard for consequences. You’re in love with her.”

“Congratualtions. You figured it out, you want a prize?” Alice sighed as she put the book down and shifted her body so she was looking at Leah. Bella pressed closer, mumbling in her sleep and holding onto the front of Leah’s shirt. 

“I have the only prize I need,” Leah replied, looking down at the sleeping girl. “You’re not exactly subtle, I’m surprised the mind reader never put it together.”

“You think the guy who came from hell at the turn of the century knows what lesbians are? Let alone can spot lesbian thoughts?” She scoffed. “He just thought I wanted to be good friends with her.”

“He’s an idiot,” Leah sighed. “I can’t say I blame you. Bella’s… there’s nobody in the world like her. One look from those big brown eyes and it’s like an arrow through the heart.”

“I know the feeling,” Alice said softly, not taking her eyes off Bella. “The imprint… I don’t know much about it. Is it permanent? Even if you chose to stop shifting?”

“Yeah. I’ll stop aging but I’ll still have all of my abilities. But the imprint- it-” Leah was trying to figure out how to verbalise what she felt, “- my soul recognizes Bella as its other half. Soulmates, fated, whatever you wanna call it it’s what we are. You can’t change that any more than you could change the way trees grow or how the tides move. It’s just how it is.” Alice hummed, not saying anything. “Why didn’t you do anything? Why didn’t you step in and keep her safe?”

“Just because I’m a witch doesn’t mean I’m magically in tune like that. I thought something was up, but I didn’t know for sure. Jasper had his own issues that I was focused on. I didn’t know what an active victim of a pain demon looked like. I can only tell when someone has died from their side effects.”

“It’s hard not to blame you,” Leah admitted. “All of the Cullen’s. You didn’t see her that night. She…” Leah swallowed hard. “I was the one who found her curled up and half frozen on the forest floor. She was soaked to the bone from the rain and there was just… nothing in her eyes. She didn’t speak for months. It took Jake and I even longer to get her to this point. I swore if I ever saw your family again I’d tear you to shreds myself. But now you’re here, fighting for her, and you look at her like she’s the most important person in the universe and all I can wonder is why. I know I can’t blame you, that you would’ve done something if you could’ve, but… I’m just really protective. Wolf instinct.”

“You probably would’ve found it sooner than me if you had phased last fall instead of this one. I will forever regret not catching what was going on.” Her eyes flickered away before going back to Bella. “Bella wasn’t the only one who was under comphet. I just keep thinking I would’ve noticed if I wasn’t having gay panic,” she scolded herself.   

“I had literally just come out of the closet when she showed up,” Leah chuckled quietly. She stroked Bella’s cheek, watching her face scrunch up as she mumbled. “For what it’s worth… you probably could’ve made her happy.”

“No, I couldn’t have,” Alice said quietly. 

“No,” Leah agreed. “I was just trying to be nice. Still trying to figure out how to do it. But I’m going to spend every day of the rest of our lives making her so unbelievably happy that nothing else will matter, and if you love her as much as I do, knowing that should be enough.”

“Try hearing it. I always knew she’d be happy and safe- I just pictured it differently,” Alice looked like she was trying to keep her cool. 

“What did you picture?” Leah pressed. 

“Me and her. She’d go to college and I would be working in my friend’s apothecary in the east coast,” Alice answered. “A cat if she was feeling adventurous.”

“We’re going to college together, then it’s wherever she wants. She’s mine. I might trust you to protect her, but as much as she wants me to, I don’t think we’ll ever get along considering you want me out of the picture so you can have her.”

“I can’t deny that,” Alice said unapologetically. 

“I’m better for her and you know it, I’m not worried about competition,” Leah shrugged. “Besides, I don’t think you’re her type. Bella likes girls who are a little more… masculine.”

“I know. Trust me. I see you and I see everything I can’t be for her.”

“And I’m never letting her go,” Leah swore softly. “I’m not gonna be the one who loses her, no matter how much it hurts you. And I’m not gonna apologize either.” 

“Don’t worry. Once Edward’s dead, you two will never see me again,” Alice said softly. “For my own sanity. I can’t keep looking at her and thinking about all the what ifs.”

“Can’t say I’ll miss you, but I know she will. Shoot her a call every once in a while, or even an email. You disappeared on her once, don’t do it again right when she’s starting to trust you,” Leah warned. 

“We’ll see,” she shrugged. “I don’t have to tell you to take care of her…”

“No you don’t,” Leah agreed. “And that’s always been the plan. All that matters to me is taking care of her.”

“Good.” Alice looked pensive before laying back down in her cot, staring at the tent ceiling. Leah was a little wary of her. She couldn’t decipher Alice’s body language or what her full motives were. “Still nothing on Victoria but I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.” 

“Guess so. We’ll take her down, then Edward, then Bella will finally be safe and able to move forward,” Leah whispered, looking down at the young woman in her arms again. Nothing would happen, no matter what she had to do to ensure that.

“Also you cheated at poker earlier.” 

“So did you! I was just leveling the playing field,” Leah scoffed. “I saw you do that zone out shit you do when you’re looking at the future, you were seeing what cards we had.”

“No! I was just zoning out,” Alice scoffed.

“Sure, because that’s totally believable,” Leah drawled sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “For Bella we can play nice, and for her sake don’t do anything stupid tomorrow, alright? I might not like you but she does and that’s enough for me to wanna make sure you keep your head attached to your shoulders.” 

“Don’t worry, I don’t have a death wish,” Alice waved off. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good.” Leah nodded, shifting slightly to get comfortable. She let out a breath, staring up at the canvas ceiling of the tent as the storm raged outside. She was still too nervous to sleep. She didn’t think she’d really sleep well again until Bella was safe.

“You really should get some sleep. I promise I will alert you if anything is wrong,” Alice said. 

“I can’t sleep. I just- I’m too anxious to rest even with you here,” Leah sighed roughly. “My chest and stomach are in knots because Bella’s in danger, it’s driving my wolf into a frenzy. All I want to do is rip apart everything that wants to hurt her until there’s nothing left to try.”

“That’s interesting,” Alice said. “I’ve known a lot of shifters but normally their shifting animal doesn’t control a large portion of their emotions. With blood transformations yes, like werewolves. Your tribe must have something different in your magic.”

“Maybe it’s because we were wolves before we were human,” Leah shrugged, careful not to jostle Bella. “It’s not, like, a separate mind. I’m me if I’m on two legs or four. But… It's like once I phased I started getting more impulses, almost like instinct. Something inside of me woke up and it drives me to change and run and defend my pack and Bella. But it’s still me. I don’t know how to fuckin’ explain it, man. Sam’s the one with all the wise ass answers.”

“Noted,” Alice snorted. “When Edward and Jasper come for her, they're not going to stand a chance. Don’t tell Charlie but… that shotgun is gonna be put to good use.”

“Oh good. I hope Charlie gets him right in the face,” Leah scoffed quietly.

“You and me both,” Alice agreed. “If it means anything, I am sorry I didn’t catch it. What Edward was doing to her. I do feel remorse and if I could go back to change it, I would.”

“I know,” Leah shrugged again, pulling Bella more firmly into her. She had a lot more to say, things she knew would hurt Alice because the words were meant to do that, but she didn’t need to. Alice already knew she couldn’t fix it, and she was already leaving. That’s all Leah needed, Alice gone once the threats were gone. But Leah hoped she’d actually keep in touch, if only for Bella’s sake. 

One problem at a time. They had an army to fight.

Chapter Text

Bella emerged from the tent as soon as the sun was peaking over the small cliffside they found themselves on. She felt so anxious she thought she might puke. Alice and Leah were already awake as Jacob was already there talking with them.

“...trying to stay back but with how large it’s looking I don’t think I can.” Jacob looked a little too excited to fight.

“Just be careful, please. You’re my dad’s buddy and you both need to be okay after this,” Bella pleaded. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Jake smiled. “And so will Charlie. We won’t let anything happen to him. I promise.”

“You’d better,” Bella walked over and gave him a tight hug. His warmth radiating the same as Leah’s. “We’ll be up here getting a play by play.”

“You guys take care. We’ll see you when it’s over.” Jake picked Bella up, squeezing her so tight she felt her back crack. “See you soon!” He set her down, turning and rushing off down the mountain. 

“I made some tea to help with the cold. Might wanna drink it fast,” Leah joked, passing Bella a mug. She looked completely comfortable in her knee length cargo shorts and baggy tee. Bella quickly took it, savoring its warmth. 

“Thank you,” Bella smiled gratefully. “How are you doing, Alice?” 

“Good, just trying not to lose a finger,” she laughed. Bella saw that Alice was all but sitting in the small fire she had made for herself. It didn’t give off much smoke which was good because they were pretty exposed up on this small cliff pocket.

“This is the hard part, just waiting,” Bella sighed as she felt Leah move to hold her from behind.

“How are you going to communicate with the pack?” Alice asked.

“I can enter the ‘wolf mind’ if I meditate. It’s hard for me to do it. I’ll be locked into the wolfs senses, but I’ll also be vulnerable and I can’t control if I’ll phase so you two will need to be at least ten feet away from me,” Leah explained. 

“Sounds good,” Bella settled into the warmth of her girlfriend. “Then we’ll watch over you.”

“Just call my name if you need me, I’ll always hear you and come right back,” Leah promised. Her warm face pressed into the crook of Bella’s neck and shoulder, and Bella knew Leah was breathing in her scent. She said it calmed her down, kept her level when the anger and anxiety were rising up. 

“I’ll try to monitor what I can as well, but sometimes it’s tricky with battles. Things happen so fast that I can really only see a few seconds ahead,” Alice told them. “So far, the future still looks good. No serious injuries or deaths.”

“Good, that's good,” Bella said nervously. “Thanks for keeping an eye out. It’s almost over,” she reminded herself. 

“It is. You’re gonna be free soon,” Leah agreed. “Then it’s just you and me doing whatever we want, wherever we want.”

“This summer before we go to school I wanna go camping at that spot you’re always talking about? I know I’m not very outdoorsy but I could be for you,” Bella offered. Leah chuckled softly. 

“Whatever you want. I’ll take you for a short trip and if you like it we can go back,” Leah promised. They both looked up at the sound of howling in the distance, and Leah kissed her head before pulling away. The frigid air hitting the warm spot Leah left behind made Bella jump slightly, breath catching in her throat. “Sorry. That’s the pack in position. I’m gonna hop in and see what’s going on.”

“The army should be arriving soon,” Alice informed them, eyes glazed over. “They’re still going to be going right through the ambush.”

“Good. We’ll surprise them and take them out,” Leah nodded. She sat down cross legged on the ground, closing her eyes and starting to take measured breaths. Bella watched anxiously as both Leah and Alice honed into the battlefield, each of them focusing in their separate ways. “The pack can smell them tearing through the trees, they’re still laying low.” Leah started giving a play-by-play of what was going down. Jacob and Sam were frantically looking for Victoria, but she wasn’t there yet. “Charlie and Jake are doing fine, they have each other. Your dad is really taking out the vampires. It’s almost not fair with the way he can reload that fast.” 

“They’re doing good,” Alice was looking down at the cliff edge, her eyes flickering across, watching everyone’s rapid decision making. Bella sat between the two of them pensively as well as constantly looking around to supervise the area as best she could.

Everything was going fine until Bella heard Leah take a sharp deep breath.

“It’s Victoria,” Alice warned, snapping out of her visions as Leah’s form rippled and twisted into the massive light gray wolf. She let out a threatening snarl, teeth bared in the direction of the trail downwards. “She caught Leah’s scent and decided to follow it knowing it would lead to you.”

Leah snapped at the air, growling loudly as the familiar red hair of Bella’s nightmare appeared. Victoria looked between Alice and Leah warily, the young blond man next to her watching and waiting for her to move.

“Where is he?” Victoria spat. “I want him to see it when I kill you.”

“You’re not gonna touch her. If you try I’ll feed you to the wolf,” Alice threatened lowly. Leah snapped her teeth again, the sound echoing in the small clearing. 

“Edward and I broke up, as- well- as disappointing for you to hear,” Bella said. Victoria looked between Leah and Bella. She really didn’t like the smile of realization coming across her face.

“So you and Edward have nothing to do with each other?” Victoria smirked. 

“No. So you can take your army and leave.” Bella said firmly. 

“He’s not a vampire. James told me that you’re a food source. A very good one-”

“Not anymore!” Bella shouted angrily.

“Sure,” Victoria tilted her head. “You disconnected the link? He’ll be coming for you. Once a pain demon has a favorite… it’s hard for them to give up. I would know.”

“Edward’s going to die when he comes, if you don’t wanna meet the same fate, walk away,” Alice warned.  There was a flurry of movement and a yelp, Riley suddenly lunging for Leah and slamming into her hard. Bella felt her heart jump into her throat as they went tumbling, Leah’s snapping teeth and aggressive snarls still loud as they rolled into the trees. “Don’t be reckless, Victoria. James couldn’t fight me, neither can you.”

Victoria didn’t listen as she lunged for Bella. Bella only had a second to throw up her barrier before her and Alice had to take on Victoria. Bella was too distracted by the sounds Leah was making. Bella managed to focus in on her weird new powers and freeze Victoria in place before she quickly ran over, trying to get Riley off of Leah. She couldn’t use her taser in fear that she would get Leah. 

“Leave her alone!” Alice rushed over, helping Bella try to fight Riley off. 

As the struggle continued, Bella felt herself getting thrown backwards, Alice was right next to her. Victoria had regained control of her body again and they were both trying to get Leah.

“Shit-” Bella heard Alice whisper as she ran over.

Bella only had one thought come to her mind. She quickly pulled out her pocket knife and sliced part of her arm, wincing in pain as the contract of her hot blood ran down. Riley and Victoria were both immediately distracted. That was all the time Alice needed to rip Riley away from Leah’s ribcage and Leah took the opportunity to grab Victoria by the neck.

“Victoria!!” Riley screeched. Bella looked up just in time to see Alice snap off his head, piercing his heart with a silver blade for good measure. Bella ran over with her lighter to quickly pull the brush they had set aside to burn both of them. 

Leah was able to start ripping Victoria to shreds without both of them attacking her. Bella came over to try to help Leah, Alice tossing her the blade. Bella got a clear shot as Leah was tossing her around and managed to shove the knife into Victoria’s chest; Leah casually tossed her into the same fire as Riley. Leah turned to Bella, whining slightly as she pressed her nose near where the slice on her arm was. 

“Carlisle will be able to take care of that,” Alice said gently. “Leah can get you down the mountain faster than I can. I’ll get this packed up and meet you later.” 

“Okay, I’ll be expecting you,” Bella told Alice. “I’m alright Leah, I’m just glad you’re okay,” she kissed Leah’s head. Alice helped Bella onto Leah’s back now that her arm was starting to hurt. Leah quickly made her way down the mountainside.

As they approached the large bonfire everyone looked a little mussed but no one was majorly injured. Charlie and Carlisle ran over to Bella as she climbed down Leah.

“Bella, are you okay? Sam said you got attacked,” Charlie fussed over her worriedly, letting out a stressed sound when he saw her arm. Carlisle immediately stepped in. 

“Looks like I’ll be giving you stitches again, Bella,” he smiled calmly. “It’s deep but it’s not lethal. This will keep the pressure on while I get my medical kit.”

“Okay,” Bella agreed. She felt the pain start to numb slightly as Carlisle made a makeshift bandage for her, his golden eyes almost seeming to glow. “Victoria found us, but Leah and Alice killed them both.”

“Good. That should be just about all of them-“ Carlisle was cut off by a pained yelp, and Bella whipped over with fear. Her stomach dropped when she saw Jake’s wolf with a vampire on his back, frantically trying to shake loose. The pack charged over, Leah jumping up and slamming into the vampire to get Jake free. The two of them tumbled across the meadow, the pack close behind. 

That was when Bella heard a sound that she hoped she’d never hear in her life. 

Leah let out a howl of pain, high pitched and filled with distress as the vampire managed to get its arms around her and squeeze. Sam got it by the head and ripped it off, the pack dragging the rest of it away to tear to pieces. Bella watched in slow motion as Leah collapsed, shifting back into a human from the injuries. Carlisle was a blur passing her, everyone rushing to surround Leah. 

“Leah I’m so sorry I didn’t see it coming,” Jake pleaded, sobbing hard as he knelt next to her. Leah didn’t respond, just screaming in agony as Carlisle touched her. 

“The left half of her body is shattered,” Carlisle told them, looking up at Sam. “We need a stretcher, you need to get her to a house with a clean, flat surface.” Charlie grabbed Bella, gently pulling her away. Bella was fighting him to get to her.

“Can’t you fix her? You’re a doctor!” Sam yelled, watching Leah with panic. 

“Not without morphine for the pain. Anything I do to her now is only going to hurt her worse. Her accelerated healing is trying to kick in.”

Esme came over with Emmett. “We can’t get on the reservation, but we can take her home and Carlisle can treat her there. Emmett and I can carry her.” 

Sam looked at him, jaw clenching. He looked torn and frantic as he tried to figure out what to do. 

“Fine. But we’re all going with you to be nearby,” he conceded. “We’ll carry her. She’s one of our warriors, it’s our duty to get her safe. Embry! Paul! Get a tarp! Jake, go let your dad know what happened.”

“Bella, come on,” Charlie said softly as everyone started rushing. “We’ll meet them at the house. I know how much you wanna be right next to her but right now she needs medical treatment and you need to breathe.”

“She-” Bella felt like she was starting to hyperventilate and it felt like her heart was ripping out of her chest.

“Bella,” Jake came over to them. “I need you and Charlie to go to her house, grab some stuff for her. Please? She’ll need some clothes for the few days she recovers? Sam and I will give you a play by play once you’re back.” 

“We’re on it,” Charlie agreed quickly. Bella felt his hands moving her, making her face him. She tried to resist, not wanting to take her eyes off Leah. “Bella. Hey. We need to help Leah, okay? She needs clothes, and probably comfort items. Maybe some of those books she likes to read with you. Can you make a list of what we need to grab while we’re in the car?”

Bella could only watch as Leah was being carted away. “I need to call Harry and Sue.”

“We’ll tell them in person when we get there,” Charlie told her. “Then they can follow us to go see her after we have everything. Can you focus on that list? Leah’s going to be fine, but she needs you to get her stuff.”

“Okay,” Bella whispered out.

“Shes going to be okay,” Jacob hugged her tightly. “I’ll see you guys soon.”

Charlie quickly escorted Bella to the end of the trail where he parked and they both quickly got in the car. 

“I feel like I’m gonna puke- she was fine-” Bella was trying to keep it together.  

“She was, and she still will be,” Charlie told her calmly. “Leah is as tough as tough gets, and Carlisle is one of the best doctors I’ve ever met. By the time we get there she’ll be sleeping it off and waiting for you to show up and read to her.”

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt at all?” Bella asked, looking over Charlie.

“No, they couldn’t touch me. I’m fine,” Charlie said reassuringly. 

“That’s good,” Bella said softly. 

“What are we getting from Leah’s?” Charlie asked.

“I- she-” Bella was trying to calm down and focus.

“Talk to me Bells, what are we getting?”

They spent the next twenty minutes driving a little over the speed limit to get to Harry’s. Harry was already sitting outside, looking nervous and when he looked up at Bella he froze.

“Sue! We gotta go!” Harry shouted, he quickly came over. “What happened?”

“Leah- she-” Bella was trying to get the words out.

“She got her ribs crushed protecting Jacob,” Charlie said. “She’s alive, Carlisle is fixing her up right now. They’re at their old house. Harry- she’s gonna be okay.”

“I trust you,” Harry nodded. Sue came running out with her purse and ran to the car. “I’ll meet you guys there.”

“We’re just gonna grab some stuff for Leah first, for her recovery,” Charlie said.

“Thanks, Seth can lock up when you leave,” Harry looked over to his wife starting the car. “Gotta go before she leaves me behind.”

“Dad? What’s going on?” Seth asked, looking around in confusion. 

“Your sister was in an accident, we’re gonna go see her,” Harry told him. “She’s fine, don’t worry. Just wait here while we go handle everything with the doctors.”

“Leah was in an accident?! Is she okay? I’m going with you!” 

“Seth!” Harry called as he rushed to the car. “Just- this damn kid. Go get everything for Leah, you two. We’ll see you in a bit.”

Charlie nodded, pulling Bella into the house and squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. “Focus on the list, okay? Just take it one item at a time.” 

Bella walked into the house. They were just hanging out in here the other day. Bella went to grab a bag and something in her snapped. Bella realised that she was away from Leah and she needed to be with her. She started grabbing what she thought of plus a few extra things. Pjs, clothes, her pillow, a few books she had checked out and a few movies. 

“I have everything, we need to go,” Bella said.

“Alright. Let’s head on out,” Charlie nodded, patting her shoulder again before walking out. He was calm, completely relaxed, and somehow his unshakeable nature felt like it was grounding her. Charlie wasn’t panicked, so it was helping her quell her anxiety. He helped her load up the car and they both got in, Charlie pulling back onto the road. The drive to get to Leah seemed to drag on endlessly. The Cullen’s old house had this medical room that Carlisle had set up to treat people who couldn’t afford care so it was ideal, just a really long way to go. 

When they finally arrived Bella ran inside, Everyone except Sam was waiting in the living room, pensively. Jacob came over to move Bella to the couch.

“No, where is she?” She tried to protest. Jacob just held her back.

“Sam’s in there with her right now, but Carlisle-” Jacob was cut off by Leah screaming. It took both him and Emmett holding Bella back.

“You gotta let him work,” Emmett said.

“She’s alone in there!” Bella fought.  

“She’s okay!” Jacob told her. “Sam’s with her, but Carlisle has to rebreak some of the bones because they set wrong. You can go in once she’s done.”

Bella let out a harsh sigh. “Okay. Fine-” she took a deep breath to try to calm down. Jake held her hand as Leah continued to cry out periodically, each sound stabbing her in the heart. Finally it was silent, and Carlisle and Sam came down. 

“She’s alright. She’s going through morphine fast so I set up a drip, but she’ll be back on her feet soon.”

 “Can we go in?” Harry asked.

“You guys should go first,” Bella told Leah’s parents. 

“She’s asleep right now, I think visitors tomorrow would be better,” Carlisle advised. 

“Bella, you should still go up,” Sam told her. “She’ll need you in there. She might not be conscious, but she’ll still feel you. The rest of us will see her tomorrow. The pack will be outside if anything happens.”

“You mean if we hurt her or do you mean if Edward shows up?” Rosalie asked flatly. Sam didn’t answer, just walking out with Jared to set up a perimeter. 

“Head on up, Bella,” Sue said gently. “Sam’s right, she needs you to help her heal. We’ll be by  with Seth tomorrow.”

“I’ll call you if anything happens,” Bella promised. Her dad passed over Leah’s bag and Carlisle started to escort her upstairs. Leah was in medical room, stripped bare save for a small single bed set up. It was too small for Leah, but they had something near the end of it for her legs. She was slicked with sweat but breathing evenly, the IV next to her slowly dripping into her arm. 

“I’ll have someone bring you up another cot,” Carlisle said softly. “She just needs to sleep it off. Her healing is doing the rest. Mind if I take a look at your arm before I leave you in here?” 

“Yeah, I did it to distract Riley and Victoria, they were gonna-” the words caught in her throat. “I couldn’t do nothing but I have never felt as helpless as I feel right now.”

“You’re very brave, Bella. Not many humans would run into a fight against vampires like that,” Carlisle said with a small smile as he unwrapped her arm. The movement made it ache even more and Bella let out a soft hiss of pain. Carlisle’s cold fingers touched near it, and she felt the pain dull out to nothing before he started cleaning it. “When you’ve been around as long as we have, pain demons can learn to feed on someone’s pain in a way that removes it without doing any additional harm. Esme’s better at it than I am, actually. It’s why she’s great in long term treatment centers, people who experienced pain every single day of their lives go to her and get to feel what it’s like to live without it. I know Edward has definitely soured how you view our kind, but I do want you to know that some of us are genuinely interested in being better.”

“How… how do you do it? Feed?” Bella asked, needing the distraction.

“Pain creates a psychic energy. Your body releases many things when you’re hurt. Your nervous system sends pain signals and your body starts to produce endorphins and cortisol, but it also generates a spiritual residue that radiates off of you. We can sense the psychic energy and feed on the pain. When we drink blood, we also feed on the cortisol in your bloodstream. But with proper control, it can be used as pain management instead of destruction. It took me a long time to figure it out, but it’s better this way.”

“You literally came up from hell… how does that work even? I thought demons were you know- demons.”

He let out a small chuckle. “That’s a fair question. When we’re down there the worldview is very black and white. Bad people are down there for a reason, and when they’re down there… well, none of us really even thought twice about using our abilities to hurt terrible people and feed on them. I came up to earth to see what the hell was going on that we got so many people down there and thought maybe it would be better for someone like me to thrive up here. I come up here, serve on the Volturi for a few years only to find out… this world is completely screwed. People are unknowingly worshiping a hateful god that is purposely sending them down to us. The more time I spent up here the more I realized that I was in the wrong for my thinking. Humans aren’t inherently evil, and not all of you deserve the pain I can inflict. A few centuries went by and the world only got worse from where it was back then, but I realized I wasn’t getting worse. There’s something that changes when demons enter the mortal realm, our emotions change and some of us gain empathy. Or some double down, like Edward, and continue doing what’s natural to us.”

“So you and Esme are in the minority of demons?” 

“Of our type, yes,” he confirmed. “There we go, all patched up.”

“Thanks and thank you for taking care of Leah. When do you think she’ll wake up?”

“Might be a few hours, might be in just a few minutes. It’s hard to say with her healing,” he answered. “I gave her enough painkillers to tranquilize an elephant, but with her heightened healing and body temperature it’s been burning off faster than I can replace it. I just wanted her to be as out of it as possible for the worst of the healing.”

“Good, that's good,” she said softly, not taking her eyes off Leah. She was still in shock, she probably would be until Leah woke up. “I’m just gonna be reading to her until she does but I promise not to bother.”

“Just call us if you need anything,” Carlisle replied, nodding at her as he packed everything up. He walked out silently, and Emmett came in with a chair for her. 

“It’s super comfortable,” he grinned, setting it down near Leah’s bed before leaving them alone. Bella sat down, gently touching Leah’s hand. She was warmer than usual, but her face was peaceful. 

“Thanks Emmett.” Bella took out a book she had been wanting to read. “I’m finally gonna get to read to you now. I’m sorry that it took so long,” she felt her voice crack as she pulled out Wuthering Heights and cleared her throat. ‘“I have just returned from a visit to my landlord…’”

Bella only got halfway through chapter two when Leah started to groan in pain waking up, “Hey, hey, you’re okay.” Bella quickly moved closer to her, gently holding her face.

“Bella,” Leah murmured, pressing into the touch. “Is Jake okay?”

“Jake doesn’t have a scratch. You’re the only one who got hurt,” Bella told her. 

“Good.” She tried to move, wincing hard. “Ouch. Just glad it’s over,” she sighed. 

“Don’t move, you’re hooked up to a drip. Your parents and the pack are still here,” Bella said. “We’ve all been worried sick about you.”

“How long was I out?” Leah asked, finally managing to crack open one of her eyes. 

“Not very,” she said softly. “You took the equivalent of a power nap.”

“Sorry I worried you. I just-“ she groaned slightly, letting out a breath. “Didn’t want Jake hurt. Still tired.”

“You did everything. It's your turn to not worry, you’re alive and safe,” Bella squeezed her hand. “Do you need more pain killers? I can get Carlisle.”

“No. Just need you. My Bella,” Leah smiled slightly, eyes closing again. “Keep reading to me?”

“Of course.” Bella leaned over giving her a kiss on her cheek before continuing with the story. 

It would be a hard recovery but Bella wouldn’t leave her side once.

Chapter Text

Charlie

The initial days of Leah healing were rough. There was only so much that Carlisle could do, and she still needed check ups and treatment. The pack helped Leah move into Charlie’s house for her comfort, while Carlisle and Esme had to leave town for a day for medical supplies as well as blood for Emmett. Alice and Rosalie stayed behind at the house as a decoy. 

His only anchor through this was Cora. She was calling nearly every morning before Charlie’s workout to check in with him, and he’d talk to her almost every night before bed. It wouldn’t be much longer before all this was over and he could have her back around. Cora made him feel normal, and all of this was only making him regret putting the distance between them. He’d never regret choosing Bella first, she was his priority, but damn if he didn’t miss Cora’s calm presence. 

Leah was in Bella’s room resting while Bella was making dinner for everyone. Charlie sat in the living room watching the game and pretending everything was normal for the time being, that the three of them were just hanging out after work.

“Hey dad? Is it too late for us to grill those steaks too?” Bella asked as she was prepping what she needed for ravioli. “The new york strips you got?”

“Not at all, lemme just fire up the grill,” Charlie answered. “Wanna throw anything else on? Veggies? Chicken? An entire elk for Leah?”

Bella snorted. “Maybe just some grilled corn. Her appetite is still light.”

“Got it. I’ll get the steaks all seasoned up while the grill’s heatin’.” Charlie pulled them out of the fridge and set them on the table, heading outside to fire up his old charcoal grill. 

The air outside was nice and finally starting to warm up. It was a frigid winter and spring was filled with too many promises of tomorrow. The only thing left was killing that fucking twerp. 

“Gotta chop some more wood,” he mumbled to himself as he looked at the almost gone pile for the year. He’d have to call his guy to see if he could make an extra delivery. He started looking around the yard as well, noting the things that needed to be trimmed or fixed up. The lattice panels on the bottom of the house would need to be checked, and maybe he’d finally put in that garden that Cora mentioned. He walked back in once the coals were going, grabbing what he’d need to season the steaks. “Whaddaya think about a vegetable garden? Cora thinks we’ve got good space for it in the yard. For tomatoes and stuff.”

“I think if Cora is good at keeping plants alive, you two should absolutely do it,” she chuckled. 

“Yeah. Suppose she would have to be over a lot more to take care of it. Do you like cats?” Charlie asked. “Cora’s got cats. If she ends up coming around and staying more she might bring ‘em sometimes.”

“Cats are cool-” Bella paused. “I need to ask Leah if she likes cats.”

“She’s got two of them. Says one of them reminds her of me. Named him Sheriff Paws,” Charlie snorted. “Didja tell Leah about UDubb?”

“I did, she's excited for me to go and I’m excited. I think I wanna get a dorm, I qualify for in-state tuition and Carlisle said he’d pay for it and after Edward… I don’t wanna say no.”

“If you want. I can also help you get a dorm, I’ve got savings and a good pension,” Charlie told her. “I can’t getcha a nice fancy one, but you can bring laundry here on the weekends and I can help ya move.”

“That’ll be fun and I’ll be by every other weekend,” Bella bartered. 

“We should consider getting you a new car. Something that can handle the drive better. I think Larson has a nice little Civic. Good gas mileage, plenty reliable.” Charlie started doing the math in his head. He could barter on the price. 

“No, I like the truck,” Bella said. “It only didn’t work because Edward kept messing with it. It works great now that Jake and I fixed it up.” 

“Every time you say something about him, I hate him more,” Charlie grumbled. “I just wanna make sure you feel safe and secure coming home.”

“Well if my truck is sketchy, Leah’s Subaru isn’t,” Bella said. 

“That’s true,” Charlie nodded. “Alright. I’ll be outside if you need anything else on the grill.”

“Thanks dad,” Bella smiled up at him before going back to making the filling. Charlie grabbed everything and headed back out to throw it all on.

The evening went into a slow comfort routine. Bella went to get Leah so they could all sit on the couch and watch a movie while they ate. In the meantime, Leah was telling Bella and Charlie all about the campus, what was around there, where the three of them could go for dinners and lunches. And Leah also included Cora in the plans as well which Charlie appreciated. 

Charlie was thankful for the easy night that ended with the girls falling asleep on the couch while Charlie stayed on his lounger, shotgun still within reach. Things weren’t perfect, but they were better. 

⚔️

Charlie ran over to open the door when there was a knock, seeing Cora.

“Hey, how are you?” Charlie quickly pulled her in and scanned the area before he closed the door. 

“Good, I’m good. Sorry for dropping by unexpectedly, but I missed you and really wanted to check in on everyone. I brought stuff to make lunch for everyone: BLTs?” She offered. 

“They’d love that. Here, lemme get your coat,” Charlie told her. He quickly grabbed her bags, helping her out of her jacket and hanging it up. “No shift today? Normally you’d be on your way to the diner by now.”

“No I swapped with Jordan, she needed the extra hours,” Cora answered. “How are things here? Is Leah okay? How’s she recovering?” They both made their way to the kitchen where Charlie helped Cora unload the small paper bag. 

“She’s alright. She can get up and move around now but Bella has her on bedrest since she still can’t shift. Bella’s upstairs doing homework, and I’m watching the game. You’re welcome to hang out a while if you want? We could watch a movie?”

“A movie sounds great,” she smiled softly at Charlie. “In the meantime, give me the full low down, I want to know everything you left out.”

Charlie started to tentatively tell Cora about what had been going on. She was understanding when he told her that there were a few secrets she couldn’t share, and while she was doing her best in listening Charlie could tell a few times Cora was trying hard to believe what he was saying.

“Leah got hurt protecting Jacob, but she’s recovering really well. Carlisle said another week or two and she’ll be able to p-” he cleared his throat. “She’ll be back on her feet.”

“That’s good, I’m just glad all of this is starting to blow over. What about Edward? Has Alice said anything?” Cora asked as she was plating everything for the girls.

“No, nothing yet. I even installed one of those home cameras," Charlie let out a harsh breath. “I’ve been on edge and I haven’t been sleeping. But I’m ready for him.”

“You’ll get him,” Cora moved to gently hold his face. “But Bella’s safe, she's in the safest place in the world.”

Charlie took a deep breath, letting himself sit with Cora’s words. She was right. Charlie wouldn’t want his daughter to be anywhere that wasn’t here. “Thank you, I- I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that.”

“Anytime you need me to remind you,” Cora reached up to kiss him on his cheek. “Let’s go make sure these teenagers eat something. Bella would forget to breathe while she was studying.”

“You’re right about that,” Charlie chuckled as he grabbed both plates. “I’ll take these, you go get comfy on the couch.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, pick out something good,” Charlie smiled softly at her before making his way upstairs. He could hear Bella being dramatic. 

“...understand why this math is different.” she groaned. 

“Hey Charlie,” Leah saw him first, smiling at Bella laying flat on the floor staring at the ceiling. 

“Hey dad.”

“What’s up?” He asked, putting one plate next to Leah’s tray and one on Bella’s desk.

“They added more steps to math,” she groaned but seemed to perk up at the food.

“I can’t help you there. I barely passed high school math back in the seventies, but I can find someone who can help?” He offered. 

“No, I just need to complain for a little bit, it helps. Thanks for lunch,” Bella moved to sit at her desk.

“It does, sometimes you just gotta bitch about the fact that your professors all scheduled their papers within a two-day due date,” Leah laughed. “Sweet, BLTs! Is someone else here?” She asked as she started to dig in.

“Yes, Cora came by to check in, she wanted to make sure we were all doing okay,” Charlie answered. He looked at the door to make sure he had a quick escape plan just in case Bella asked anything he couldn’t answer.

“I’ll come down and say hi when we’re done eating. Did you need anything?” Bella asked as she also started digging in.

“No, no you’re all good. Just hang out and catch up on your homework, but also don’t burn yourself out.”

“That’s what the mini dvd player’s for. I found it at the bottom of your closet,” Bella pointed to the white case sitting in the pile of stuff. 

“I’ve got her on a study schedule while I’m catching up on my reading. Totally not going stir crazy at all,” Leah said with wild eyes and a deep breath. “10 more days.”

“Carlisle said 10 days minimum,” Bella said sternly. 

“I gotta side with her on that,” Charlie pointed. “I’ll let you two keep at it, holler if you need anything.”

“Thanks dad.” “Thanks Charlie.” The girls called out as he started to make his way back downstairs. When he went to the living room, his heart warmed at sight. 

Cora had set up everything for him. Their plates, a few extra little snacks, two sodas for them and the familiar screen of ‘Back to the Future’ was on the TV. “You didn’t have to do all this, but I appreciate it.”

“You’ve been taking care of everyone, this is the least I could do,” Cora already looked comfortable under a blanket.

Charlie sat down right next to her, kissing her firmly on the cheek. “You do not go unnoticed or unappreciated."

“Good, because I’m a catch.” 

“Don’t I know it.” 

⚔️

Charlie and Bella were outside Bella’s room waiting for Carlisle to finish his check up. He was coming over every other day to make sure her ribs were healing at a good rate and correctly. 

“Seriously Leah, if I find out you’re not taking it easy I’ll make Bella bully you back into this bed,” Carlisle said as he opened the door. 

“How’s she look?” Charlie asked. Harry had been coming over every day and he wanted to make sure that he had good news for him.

“She’s officially off bed rest, she can go for walks, make herself meals, very small things, but bed rest is still the priority. So no chopping wood and more importantly, no phasing,” Carlisle said. “If she phases before her ribs are fully healed they all will rebreak and we’ll have to start this all over again. But all the external bruising is gone, and she doesn’t need to wear her compression brace as much, just as needed.”

“That’s great,” Bella said with a heavy sigh. Charlie hadn’t seen her look so light since Leah was hooked up to an IV.

“If she pushes herself too much, make sure she gets back in that bed,” Carlisle chuckled. 

“I will, I promise.” Bella went into her room as Charlie could hear the two girls chatting.

“Anything I need to tell her father?” Carlisle looked at the two girls before looking back at Charlie. 

“Can I clean up downstairs?” 

“Yeah, I’m right behind you,” Charlie didn’t like the sound of that. They both made their way outside on the patio and Carlisle put his bag in his car. 

“I didn’t want to alarm Leah or Bella, but Alice still hasn’t seen any movement about Edward or Jasper. I’m worried if they try to come now Leah will phase without meaning to. It really is dangerous right now if she does it while there are still fractures on her bones, they were broken in several places and can’t handle the stress of a shift,” Carlisle said with a concerned look. “I’m worried the imprint will override the rational part of Leah’s conscious mind.”

“That’s alright, I have my shotgun always with me and-” Charlie looked around before subtly lifting up his shirt to show his concealed carry. “-I’m always ready to go.”

“Good,” Carlisle nodded, taking a moment to think. “Emmett has been getting along with the pack as they’ve been taking shifts around here, no one’s seen anything yet. When do you have to go back to work? And Bella with school?”

“I managed to get some time off, everyone thinks I’m with Bella attending a funeral in Florida and Bella… that’s what I’m worried about and I’m not going to ask Jacob to hang out with her on her way to and from.”

“What about Sam or someone else from the pack?” 

“I could talk to Sam,” Charlie nodded. “She needs to get back and catch up, she’s still going to graduate, but it’ll be cutting it close.”

“The sooner we can get her back to a routine, the better. In the meantime, we’ll keep up with Edwards movements as best we can and keep you all posted. Let Henry and Sue know their daughter is going to make a full recovery within the week, her wolf healing is having her bounce back with half the time and twice the energy of a normal human with this injury.”

“Thanks Carlisle, I’ll let them know.” 

Carlisle nodded as he piled back into his car and Charlie watched as he drove away. This was too much weird to be normal. He had to actively remind himself sometimes that it wasn’t normal that his daughter's girlfriend was a wolf along with her best friend and that they were waiting on demon and a vampire to make their next move. 

As Charlie was enjoying the cool spring air, he heard footsteps coming up to him. He whipped to see Sam jogging over. “I overheard you two talking. I can talk to Leah about someone babysitting Bella at school. It’s not a far run from here.”

“I don’t want to have to agree, but she needs to go back to school,” Charlie said reluctantly. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“It’s better than her becoming stir crazy in her room with Leah helping her keep on top of endless homework,” Sam snorted. “It’ll be good for everyone, a change of scenery, a good run for each of us and we could even do shifts and go in pairs. I can handle Leah if that’s what you’re also worried about her.”

“I’m worried about her phasing when she’s not allowed to yet.”

“Me too,” Sam said with a weight on his shoulders. “We’ll help with this part, you just focus on what you can control. Right now what’s in your control is making sure Bella graduates and goes to Udubb. That’s something the pack can help with.” 

Charlie nodded. “You’re right. I’ll talk to Bella and if you could help me talk to Leah.”

“Don’t worry, I got her.” Sam nodded. 

“Do you guys need anything? I could grill up some steaks? Or everyone could come in for something?” Charlie offered. He still felt weird that they were all just hanging around in their wolf form. 

“So far everyone’s okay,” Sam looked around to where everyone was. “We’re running between Emily’s and Billy’s.”

“Anyone can come in whenever, I know Jacob has been in a few times to hang out with them but he gets bored because now he’s the third wheel,” Charlie chuckled. 

“It won’t kill him to read a book instead of working on an engine,” Sam laughed with him. 

“Let’s go talk to the girls. Hopefully Bella can go back on Monday,” Charlie said hopefully. 

“I got you covered.” Sam followed him back inside the house. Charlie saw Leah doing ‘laps’ around the couch.

“I’m tired just looking at her,” Bella joked. 

“Leah, gotta check in,” Sam said. “Let’s go outside.”

“Finally!” Leah all but leapt over to the front door. 

Charlie sat down next to Bella. “So school?”

“What about it?” 

“Sam offered for some of the wolves to hang out and escort you.”

“No way?” She looked excited. “That’d be great. I love you dad, but I need some fresh air outside the house.”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Charlie felt relieved. A small part of him was worried this was going to be a fight. “How about Monday?”

“I’ll make sure to set my alarm,” Bella agreed. Charlie nudged her with approval as they sat in comfortable silence. “Do you think Sam’s having any luck with the same conversation?” 

“No.” They both laughed. “Wanna eavesdrop?"

“Hell yeah.” Charlie and Bella both quietly scrambled up as they went to the nearest window to open it as Bella pretended to get lunch started. 

⚔️

Charlie was catching up on some reports that one of deputies brought by and was on call come Monday. Bella was at school and he and Leah were on edge. Leah was pacing around from the living room through the kitchen and back again. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to take a lap with Sam?” Charlie offered again.

“No, I’m worried if I start running outside I won’t think and I’ll phase. God I miss it,” Leah paced. “Only because Bella’s in danger and I can’t use my one superpower.”

“I get it,” Charlie nodded. “Today’s gonna be the hardest, and then tomorrow’s gonna be a little bit easier.”

Leah nodded, her pacing finally stopping. Charlie could see out of the corner of his eye that she was still wincing while she stretched. There was probably still a pain there that was reminding her and keeping her from doing something stupid. 

“You’re right… thanks. And thanks for letting me crash here while I healed up. I couldn’t stay at their place. They’re on thin ice, but being around them that long gives me the creeps,” Leah shuttered. 

“Of course. I still see you and Bella as those little girls who used to throw themselves off my porch trying to jump farther than each other,” Charlie remembered how much less stressed he used to be, he thought that was the worst of it. “You’re my best friend’s kid, I want to make sure that I can be his number two. Has he called you today yet? Speaking of.”

“Yeah, I talked to mom and dad this morning. They can’t come by today or tomorrow, they think Seth might be showing the early signs that he might have the gene so Sam is there and…” Leah sat down and let out a heavy sigh. “I hope this all blows over and Seth doesn’t have to phase. It’s bad enough that Jacob phased too, but he’s the chief’s son so he has the gene no matter what.”

“Are they just watching him?” Charlie asked.

“Basically. Watching him like a hawk, picking apart every little thing he does, says and eats and comparing notes with Billy. He’s my little brother, I don’t know what I’d do if he phased. It’s not fair,” she said angrily.

“Like you said, this will hopefully blow over soon, the Cullens may leave, but the bulk of the threat is gone and he won’t phase,” Charlie tried to be optimistic, but there wasn’t much he could lend. 

“Right,” Leah nodded, her eyes flickering as if she was looking at things that weren’t there. “Still nothing, coast is still clear at school. Lunch is those budget cheeseburgers,” Leah crinkled her nose.

“Not a fan of those?”

“They tasted like a wet rag, the cheese and drowning that thing in mustard, ketchup and hot sauce was the only flavor it ever got,” Leah snorted. 

“Glad to know they haven’t changed the recipe,” Charlie tapped his pen against his leg. “You know, I could use a little break. Can you help me with something?”

Leah perked up immediately. “Yeah sure, what’s up?” Charlie stood up and started walking outside, Leah getting up to follow him.

“My wood guy came the other day and I told him wherever, but normally I have him put it in my shed, but it wasn’t unlocked. It’s a little cheaper to stock up through the spring and summer so by winter my shed is full and I can just start chopping to keep warm.” Charlie led them to the backyard where there was a large pile of wood next to his faded red shed. “Think you can help me get it all in there?”

“Let’s do it,” Leah nodded. He moved to unlock the doors and prop them open with a few rocks. 

“How’s Jacob doing?” Charlie asked as the two of them started stacking the wood, Leah staying within the taped lines on the floor. 

“Chomping at the bit to come back out here, but he and Quill need to be in school for the same reasons as Bella. I had to bribe him by taking him to Vancouver to check out the car shops up there. He’s been working on Bella’s truck with Quill to let off some steam and that’s been really helping.”

“Has he said what he wants to do after high school yet?”

“No, he has no clue, but he still has another year before he has to buckle down. All else fails, he knows about engines and could find something part time around here. He’s smarter than he gives himself credit for, but if he can’t think about anything past the wolf then I don’t know how to help him. But I also can’t give him any advice because I dropped out of school when Sam broke up with me and dad got sick at the beginning of the year,” she shrugged. 

“You’re right about him being smart. He’ll figure it out.”

“And then our cousin had to come back home with her daughter, her son was in an accident and died suddenly,” Leah said.

“Harry mentioned that, they're staying over at Emily’s place,” Charlie said. 

“Quil’s also been busy because of his imprint Emily’s niece so he’s a million miles away from here.” 

“How old is Emily’s niece?” Charlie asked, not remembering Emily having any siblings his age.

“She’s two.” Charlie froze at that and he must’ve looked as horrified as he felt because Leah immediately started to clarify. “No no no! Not like that! Imprint is just the term for a soulmate bond, but the bond can be any type of relationship. Quil imprinted in the way that Claire lost her older brother and needed someone to fill that void, so he’s now big brother Quil.” 

“Oh-” Charlie grasped his chest, laughing with relief. “I had only seen everyone coupled up, I got scared.”

“I get it, anyone who doesn’t know- I know how it looks. But I swear, it’s completely familial and it will be for the rest of her life. Quil is going to be everything she needs that an older brother could provide: safety, familial love, and probably some mild older sibling pestering.”

“Interesting. I didn’t realize your imprint could do that.”

“The imprint does a lot,” Leah snorted. “It’s overwhelming in a good way. You know you’re never alone in the world, they’re always going to be there for you and vice versa.”

“My mom always told me that it’s important to be with someone who will help get you through your parents death. She was dying when she said that but… I don’t think I understood it until they got sick,” Charlie focused on stacking the wood. “If you need a person, Bella is your person.”

“She is,” Leah agreed. “Bella’s strong when she needs to be, but I’m glad she can finally let her guard down a little. I’m excited for her to come home, I wanna hear about all the mundane shit.”

“Mundane. I never thought I would miss listening to the same ten songs on the radio,” Charlie laughed. 

“It’ll come soon and so will Thursday night diner dinners.” Leah promised. “Bella talks about how she misses those, even with everyone in her business about school and graduating.”

“We’ll make it a little tradition. I know it won’t be weekly because of the drive, but maybe once a month you guys could come down. Cora’ll love it, she says were her favorite customers,” Charlie chuckled. “Has Bella said anything about her? Cora? It’s okay if you don’t wanna say, just figured I’d ask.” 

“She likes Cora and wishes you’d go on a date with her. She thinks Cora would be good for you, you both want the same things,” Leah said. “I agree with her. Renee didn’t know what she wanted, the way Bella talks about her, I still think that’s the case. But Cora? She loves it here and is not going anywhere.”

“She’s a good woman. I’m damn lucky,” Charlie nodded. “So’s Bella. You’re good for her, you make her happy. If it had to be anyone who imprinted on her, I’m glad it’s you. I trust you not to hurt her, Leah. And that means taking care of yourself for her. You’re both smart girls, make sure you keep up with her pace so you can go places together.”

“Eh, you’re biased. You just like that I made sure Bella didn’t injure herself too badly when we went to the beach. I’m thinking of taking her on the weekend after this is done. Take her on a hike,” Leah smiled goofy. 

“You’re gonna take Bella hiking,” Charlie scoffed. “Good thing you have supernatural strength, because you and I both know that you’ll be carrying her back down.”

“Don’t worry, I got her hiking boots, the kind where she can’t roll her ankle,” Leah snorted. “Thanks for enlisting my help in this,” she gestured with the wood. 

“Of course,” Charlie nodded. “I understand what it’s like to go stir crazy.”

“I’m really feeling it. If I didn’t need the constant check ups, I’d just stay home,” Leah sighed. “I miss my bed, but not enough right now to want to go back.”

“You’re welcome around here as long as you need. It’s nice having you around, especially with Edward still lurking,” Charlie sighed. “Still no movement on that front, but we’ll know as soon as Alice does if they start making plans.”

“If he’s smart he’ll come while I’m still healing, but he’s never been one for smart,” Leah said flatly.

“Don’t even say that,” Charlie grumbled, looking around suspiciously. “You can’t fight back right now. You just focus on healing so when he does get here you’ll be ready for him.”

“Don’t worry nothing’s gonna happen to you, Bella or Cora,” Leah promised. “Between the pack and Emmett ready to throw hands at any time, we’ll be good.” Leah looked around at the small dent they made in the wood. “When I can phase again, can I help you chop some of this? I could use the workout.”

“I wouldn’t say no to that. Sometimes chopping can get tiring.”

“I’m used to doing the same at home, dad’s back isn’t as good as it used to be,” Leah had a flash of worry come across her face. “I don’t mind.”

“Harry’s gonna be just fine. He’s getting older, but he’s still kickin’ and he will be until we’re all in our eighties,” Charlie tried to reassure her. “Your mom’s putting him on one of those heart healthy diets. Lotta salmon and Cheerios, and she threatened to make him go running with her every morning. It’ll do him some good.”

“Oh yeah, he hates it. All he wants is fried fish,” Leah laughed. 

“I’m more afraid of Sue than I am of him. I’m not gonna be the one to break the diet,” Charlie snorted. They kept moving wood until Leah looked tired, some sweat beading on her brow. “Alright, head on in. I can finish this. And don’t argue with me or I’ll tell Bella.”

“Are you sure? I can still do more.” She was looking a little too tired, despite the forced confidence in her words.

“Yeah, I’m just about done anyways,” Charlie agreed.

“Alright,” she nodded, taking a few deep breaths. “I’ll see you inside.” 

“Go actually rest! Don’t putz!” Charlie called after her, going back to moving small stacks of wood into the shed. He’d have it full by winter which was nice. That fire was sometimes the only thing that kept them from freezing in the house, the older heater not always fully working. He slowly made his way through the pile, enjoying the quiet and the peaceful air. 

No vampires. No demons. No screaming. Just birdsong and wind. His favorite things. 

⚔️

Charlie was trying to blow off some steam by doing some yard work. Normally he wasn't much for landscaping but it had been almost a full two weeks since Victoria and he was going crazy. Alice didn’t have anything for Charlie and Carlisle and Esme didn’t have anything from their wards set off. Chopping wood was helping, but only in the way that soon he would be done with this task and he would need something else to take his full attention. 

Leah was almost better, quickly recovering her strength. Everything but her ribs was healed, Carlisle giving her another five days at most for her fast acting healing powers. Meanwhile, Sam was desperately trying to keep Jacob occupied during Leah’s healing time, limiting his visits to once a week with the girls. The only benefit to all this was that Bella was finally caught up on all her school work and was back on track to graduate with no issue. She had her light back, that passion and intelligence Charlie wasn’t sure where she got but that made him confident that she could handle anything. It was nice to see it, see his Bella coming back brighter than before. Cora was also coming around once a week or so to cook for the girls or just to hang out with Charlie after work, and Charlie wasn’t taking a single second for granted. He was so grateful that Cora wanted to stay around even after all this. Bella seemed to get along with her, and Cora always went out of her way to make Bella feel as included as possible which Charlie was forever grateful for. Billy said that if he and Cora ever decided to get married that Billy might consider telling her about the pack. But it was a big ‘if’. He smiled at the thought, straightening out and stretching out his back as he took a deep breath of the fresh air.

Something was wrong.

“What-” Charlie inhaled again and caught a whiff of something he didn’t like. Sickly sweet and sulfurous, and way too close for comfort. He grabbed his shotgun, running full speed into the house.

Edward.

Chapter Text

Bella’s Birthday

“Edward,” Carlisle was standing in the doorway of his room. Now that Edward was back from making sure Bella got home, he knew this talk was coming. “Walk me through what happened.” 

Edward sometimes couldn’t stand that always patient, always calm tone that Carlisle had. Nothing ever upset him. Nothing ever bothered him. “You saw. Bella cut herself and Jasper was hungry. All the more reason I think that she shouldn’t be converted into a witch like Alice thinks.”

“You and I both know it didn’t have to go that far.”

“What? Throwing her out of harm's way was taking it too far?” Edward felt his hands ball into a fist involuntarily. 

“Throwing her in a way that would injure her further. She’s a young, mortal girl and she puts too much trust in you,” Carlisle said plainly. “I know you are still young to this world, but the majority of humans are innocent. If you need to get your anger out again, I’m more than happy to take you downtown again.” 

“I don’t need to go back downtown,” Edward said with a snippy tone.

“Alright. Stay home from school tomorrow as well. It’ll give everyone time to cool off.” Carlisle said in his final tone before walking down the hall to his own room. 

Edward sat on his couch thinking about a few things he needed to consider. He was raising too much suspicion. Carlisle was the only being on this planet that could measure up to him. Normally the Volturi wouldn’t be involved in one case of a human being drained like this, but Carlisle worked with the Volturi and could make a case that he was risking exposure of demons. He had a few things he could do to try to keep Bella around. She was the single best food source he had in decades. 

There was one thing he could do that could cause her misery forever, one way he could secure her. Edward quickly got up and walked to Carlisle and Esme’s room. A gentle knock on the door and Carlisle opened it with his usual swiftness. 

“Yes, Edward?” He said politely. 

“I want to marry Bella,” Edward stated confidently. Carlisle hummed, his face going carefully neutral. “I love her and I want to keep her forever, so I want to marry her. Maybe even turn her into a vampire or a witch.”

“I see,” Carlisle nodded slowly. “Why?” Edward paused, jaw clenching. Carlisle’s mind was blank, giving him nothing. 

“I just told you why. I want to keep her with me,” Edward repeated slowly. Carlisle’s stare was unwavering, and before Edward could react there was a hand around his throat, his back slamming into the wall. He clawed at the marble flesh of Carlisle’s arm, but the older demon was stronger than him. Carlisle had centuries on him, centuries to build his power both physically and mentally. 

“Tell me the truth, Edward. Do not make me force it from you,” Carlisle said lowly, face and voice still infuriatingly calm. 

“I love her,” Edward repeated, rapidly throwing up as much of his mental shield as he could. It tore like tissue paper in a whitewater river as Carlisle forced into his mind. His face was unchanged, but his eyes suddenly grew cold. 

“Rosalie was right. You've been feeding on her,” Carlisle said with clarity. 

“What’s going on?” Alice asked, her and Jasper coming out of their room. Jasper made eye contact with Edward, and suddenly a wave of calm washed over everything. 

“Jasper, I would urge you to stop using your abilities,” Carlisle warned calmly. “You do not want to interfere with this, all you're going to do is get the both of you killed.” His hand tightened around Edward’s throat, and Edward felt the cracks starting to form. 

“I'm sorry,” Edward said quickly, backpedalling. “I'm sorry Carlisle. I didn't mean to. I couldn't help myself. She was just so potent. I couldn't stop myself. It will never happen again.”

“Youre right, it won’t,” Carlisle agreed. “Because we’re leaving. You chose the wrong target, Edward. Her father has hunter blood, a fool could mistake him for a birthright hunter. If you had managed to kill her… you risk exposing us all.” He let go, Edward dropping to his knees and trying to stifle his anger. “Everyone! Pack up. We leave the day after tomorrow. And Edward, you are not to leave the house.”

“Understood,” Edward wheezed, feeling the cracks slowly close. Damage from another demon always took longer to heal. 

“You fed on her?” Alice asked darkly, shoving Jasper away from her as he tried to reach out. “For how long?”

“Alice-”

“How long?!” She demanded, a crack of thunder ringing out with her words as her magic gathered around her hands. Edward eyed her warily, staying silent. He could probably take her one-on-one, but Carlisle was too powerful for him to even think of attacking. 

“Alice, go start packing. Make sure Jasper does as well,” Carlise told her. Alice moved Jasper, still glaring as she walked back into her room. Edward looked into her head, seeing the refrain of thoughts. 

I failed her. I failed her. I failed her I’m so so sorry Bella-

“Edward,” Carlisle called. “Pack. Now. Try to calm down tonight. You’re not thinking clearly, this was too much for you and your self-control.”

“Thank you, Carlisle, for your mercy and understanding. I meant to express it earlier, but I was still upset about the situation,” Edward ground out, hand fisting in the carpet. 

“You’re welcome. We’ll talk soon.” Carlisle nodded before closing the door. Edward rose, keeping his breathing steady and putting back his unbothered demeanor. 

No. No, I can't leave. She’s mine. 

Edward walked back to his room, waiting for everyone else to fall asleep and for Carlisle and Esme to begin their nightly reading. He needed to make sure the mental link on Bella was actually in place. He couldn’t leave without being able to still know where she was. The world around him was still and quiet in the few cloudless nights Forks had to offer. In a way, he was partially relieved that Carlisle was making him leave. This town had nothing to offer him. Even Seattle would’ve been a better choice if it wasn’t for those rogue vampires and James. 

The only sound that followed him was the crunching of the turning leaves. The route to Bella’s house was a familiar one, he came here frequently to give her nightmares and feed on her in her sleep. Bella, the naive little lamb, had even started leaving her window unlocked for him, allowing him to climb in with no issue. He crept along her bed, touching her temple. There was a strong connection, but there was nothing permanent. 

“An easy fix,” he whispered. He moved to place his hand around Bella’s neck, feeling the blood moved through her jugular. He concentrated on the motion under his palm. He felt his demon magic humming in his body, picturing it following out of him and into her. She started to groan in her sleep, he could feel the night terror starting to form. It was quickly taking hold and he could feel the link starting to form, as if a brand was forming on her skin. 

It was quick. 

He left as quickly as he came. He needed to get ready to pretend to be a heartbroken boyfriend tomorrow.

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

Exile.

He had been exiled. 

Stuck in Rio De Janeiro while the best meal he’d ever had was wasting away in Forks, Washington. 

She was his. How dare Carlisle force him away. If it weren’t for the fear of what Carlisle would do he would’ve fought the other demon the moment they made him leave. Rosalie ratted out that he went to go see Bella the day they left. Thankfully that was all anyone knew. 

His only solace, his only saving grace, was the connection he still held. Bella’s nightmare’s still fed him, though from the distance she wasn’t nearly as good. He longed for the nights of laying at her side, watching the fear on her face and tasting her pain. She had been so perfect. So, so very perfect. Broken, unsure, a loner. A young girl so desperate for love, desperate for someone to see her, that it hardly took anything from Edward to make her cling to him. All it took was a little hot and cold, a little pretending, and he was able to mold her into his favorite meal. And now she was thousands of miles away and he was craving a taste. 

His watch beeped and he smiled coldly, sitting on the ground. 

“Dinner time,” he hummed. Bella was so delightfully predictable. He knew her schedule by heart now, including when she went to bed. He waited, eyes closed and head tilted back, and focused on the bond. Any moment now she would drift off, and the nightmares he’d cursed her with would send her agony through the bond. 

Any moment now…

Nothing was happening.

“What the hell?” Edward growled out, eyes snapping open. He shifted, closing them with an angry hum. He followed the connection to her as far as he could, part of him flying halfway across the world before suddenly slamming to a stop as he hit a barrier. “La Push? What is she doing here?” He muttered. He moved as far along as he could, but the protections on this land wouldn’t budge even a little. He couldn’t see her, he couldn’t get to her, and for the first time since he’d decided she was his Edward couldn’t have his fill of pain. He waited along the only road to Forks, watching with disdain as car after car passed until he saw her. Bella was in the passenger seat of a hatchback, some woman driving her home. 

One of the natives, he thought with a sneer. He followed as best as he could, watching the woman drive Bella all the way home, even walking her to the door. She was dressed in jeans and boots and a bulky bomber jacket, a men’s shirt on and a flannel around her waist. Edward wrinkled his nose in disgust, not liking anything about her. Her kind were always so masculine already, she didn’t need to emphasize it with those clothes. 

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” Bella told her. “You were right, Cabaret was all you made it out to be.”

“See? A classic,” the woman gave his Bella a crooked smile, leaning against the wall next to her front door. “As promised, you can show me Rent next time. I’m glad you came over, it’s nice to hang out somewhere that isn’t Jake’s garage.”

“Poor Jake, he was out cold when we left.” They both laughed at Bella’s statement. Bella’s laugh was hoarse and almost out of practice, but she was doing something that made Edward’s rage swell.

She was moving on. She was healing. She wasn’t supposed to do that. 

“I’ll see you this weekend, Bells,” the woman smiled again. 

“Yeah. Good night, Leah. Drive safe,” Bella told her softly. Leah reached out, gently squeezing Bella’s hand. She stood up and Bella went inside, smiling at Leah over her shoulder. She closed the door and Leah stared at it for a long moment, letting out a breath. 

“I’m so fucked,” she sighed, shaking her head and walking towards her car. “Of all the girls to get feelings for you had to pick the least available and most vulnerable. Way to go, dumbass.”

“You,” he hissed quietly. Leah looked around, almost as if she had heard him. She shook her head again, getting her car and driving away. 

No matter how hard Edward tried that night, he couldn’t force the nightmare past the calm, happy haze of dreams filled with Leah’s smile and shining eyes on some dirty couch in a barn. He looked up at that dream catcher that Jacob gave her. It was from the Ojibwe reservation. Meaning it worked. 

“So, you have protection now,” he whispered. To call her an adversary was an insult. He could take on both Leah and Jacob, but there were many ways they could make themselves useful before he killed them. “It doesn’t matter, Isabella Swan, because I will never let you go.”

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

“Edward,” Jasper came into Edward's apartment. Edward quickly looked around him and sniffed the air. “I come alone.”

“Better get back to your ball and chain before she realizes you’re gone.” He turned back to his research. There had to be a way to get onto blessed lands, demons had done it before.

“She answers to me.” Jasper seemed offended. 

“That’s not how it looks.”

“Do you want to keep brooding or do you want to get your meal back?” Jasper said in his angry southern drawl. 

“I want my meal back,” Edward spat. “But your little witch is far too loyal to Carlisle, and if I so much as think about stepping a singular foot in the state of Washington she’ll expose my plan to him. Carlisle could rip the pair of us to shreds with one arm tied behind his back, and I am not foolhardy nor am I idiotic enough to even consider crossing him again.”

“I think between the two of us, we could figure something out. Victoria is still out there and soon she’ll be coming for Bella,” Jasper smirked. “Witches have limitations and Alice is not as strong as she thinks she is. We could go to your Volturi for help, I’m sure they’ve dealt with witches before?”

“This is what you get for not putting her in her place, you know,” Edward chided. “You let that woman have far too much autonomy and she developed all these weird ideas. You should’ve kept better control of her.”

“Trust me, if I could’ve kept her away from reading, I would’ve. I blame Rosalie, loose women like that are always trouble. Anyway, are you in or not?” Jasper crossed his arms.

“I’m in.”

 “Good. Meet me at the falls, the tourist ones. Three am. I need to feed before we leave.” Jasper said.

“Alright.” Edward nodded slowly, pinching his nose. “I’ll see you there. I have to go cause a few nightmares. Bella is involved with a few of the Quileutes, they’re making it harder for me. The sooner I can get her away from them, the better.”

“Agreed,” Jasper got an impassive look on his face. “See you then.” He quickly dipped from Edward’s apartment and Edward started to pack for a light trip. He already paid for the month so at least this place was here in case Jasper’s idiocy didn’t pan out. He just needed a chance to get back to Bella. His hallucinations were helping him regain control, but Leah and Jacob were making it extremely difficult. He was also beginning to suspect that Jacob and Leah could see him projecting. The stunt the other day when they went to the mechanic garage, he could’ve sworn that Leah looked right at him. They were probably shapeshifters, meaning it was only going to get harder for him to maintain his control after they turned. 

Jasper’s plan better work, he needed to act fast. Bella couldn’t get rid of him fully, but the less influence he had over her life, the less he could feed. 

Three am took way too long. He knew Jasper had a worse time trying to get away from Alice, but this was pushing it. 

“I got us a flight,” Jasper came around the corner holding a bag. “Private flight straight to Italy. It’ll be the last time we ride in style, figured we could enjoy it.”

“How did you manage to shake your disobedient half?” Edward asked, taking the bag from him. 

“I put extra tincture in her tea,” Jasper answered casually. 

“Someday you’ll need to get her under control, but I suppose that works for now,” Edward hummed in displeasure. Bella had been so obedient. She pretended to have a strong will, but it was all too easy to get her under his thumb and have her desperate to remain there. “We’ll need to move quickly and carefully. Carlisle cannot know that we intend to return to Forks. Should he find out…” Edward shuddered to think about it. The patriarch of the Cullen family was the only being he truly feared, the only one on this godforsaken rock that could make any other monster cower. Everyone else who stood in his way; Charlie, Jacob and Leah, were no match for him.

“I have a place for us to lay low. I found this… network of other vampires. They operate underground, try to form small vampire armies. They want to take back the world and make magical creatures superior.” 

Edward snorted, rolling his eyes. As if those inferior beings could ever manage to accomplish that. “As long as we’re out of Alice’s sight. Anything she sees, she reports. All we need to do is get Bella. If we can take her away somewhere, I have an all you can eat buffet of pain. Help me with this, and I’ll ensure your own food supply never dries up.”

“Good,” Jasper agreed. 

Between both of their super speeds, they made it to the tarmac of a small airport near where Carlisle was staying. Once they were boarded, Jasper pulled out a torn page from his pocket.

“I took this from that book Alice keeps. It talks about the last vision she had about Bella. She used those weird cards,” Edward took the paper and started to read it. Edward didn’t understand the cards modern seers used, but the only saving grace is that Alice put down detailed descriptions. 

Alice detailed pulling three cards. One representing lovers, another for her world view being destroyed and a third to show a new adventure. Alice also included some personal feelings she had that may have clouded or hid things from her.

He let out a low growl, lip curling. “She seems to be under the impression that Bella will be moving on without me. Likely with that… overly masculine native. Rest assured, these were pulled without her anticipating my interference,” he scoffed, passing the paper back. He relaxed into his seat, closing his eyes. “Let me know when we arrive, I have a human to check in on.” He didn’t give Jasper a chance to respond before astral projecting, drifting to find his lost food source. 

“Don’t break on the front wheel too fast.” Edward saw Jacob and Leah showing Bella how to use a bike. 

“Got it,” 

He made himself visible to Bella again. “Bella, get off the bike.” He watched her make eye contact and freeze. But there was no fear behind her aura like there normally was.

“You okay?” Leah pulled Bella’s attention away. 

“Yeah, just nervous, but I’m ready.”.  

Jacob stood in front of her. “Clutch, your brake and accelerator.” 

“Got it,” Bella said again, nodding. She kicked the bike to life, jaw clenching. 

“Bella. Get off the bike. You promised me,” Edward commanded firmly. Leah was looking around with a frown, confirming his suspicions that she could sense him. Bella revved the engine, letting off the brake and tearing down the road. 

She drove down the straight away and Edward followed, glowering at her. When did she get so disobedient? She whizzed past him a few times before she hit a small rock and lost control of the bike.

“Bella! The brake!” Jacob shouted after her. 

“Bella. Stop,” Edward commanded, appearing in front of her. If she was dead, she was useless.

Bella did use the brake, and Edward watched her fly through the air before slamming into the ground and skipping across it and into a rock. The helmet slammed against it hard, and Bella went limp with a dazed look. 

“You damned idiot,” Edward hissed. 

“Bella!” “Bella!” Jacob and Leah came running towards her and Edward quickly moved, making sure she was at least going to live. It was all for naught if she died. 

“Are you crazy?! I told you to slow down!” Jacob told her while Leah helped her sit up, taking off her helmet. 

“I wanna go again,” Bella blurted out. 

“No. No way,” Jacob shook his head. “No more bikes.”

“Jacob, she’s fine,” Leah said calmly before turning towards Bella with a smirk. “Nicely done, dumbass. I told you not to hit the gas too hard.”

Edward didn’t like that. He didn’t like the blush on Bella’s cheeks and the small smile on her face as she took Leah’s hand. He didn’t like the soft look on Leah’s face as she smiled down at Bella. It was inappropriate and disgusting, and he needed the woman in men’s clothes to stop pawing at his Bella. She couldn't have her. 

If he couldn’t have Bella, nobody could. 

Edward drifted back, scowling hard at the seat in front of him. This mutt was becoming an annoyance, one far too great for him to continue to tolerate. He would wipe out the entire pack for this insolence. 

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

“The Volturi will see you now,” the receptionist who was thin and sickly told them. Edward took her in, seeing the pale blotchy skin and the way her ribs and spine were visible even through her shirt. The Volturi would be disposing of her soon, she hardly had anything left to give. He brushed past her, heading into the central chamber where the heads of his kind on this realm awaited. Marcus, Aro, and Caius were the eldest of the children of Asmodeus on this earth, rivaled only by Carlisle and representing the only force that Carlisle himself feared. If anyone could block him from Alice’s sight and from Carlisle’s wrath, it was these three. 

“Elders,” he greeted, bowing before them. 

“You’re one of Carlisle’s brood,” Aro hummed. “Edward Cullen, is it? What brings you here, dear boy?”

“I need something to stop a witch from seeing me,” Edward answered. “She’s following me, vexing me in my efforts to simply feed and exist.”

“Oh, that is a pickle. That’s what the humans call it nowadays,” Aro chuckled. “How many humans are you trying to feed from?”

“Just one. A girl from a small town, no one will notice when she’s gone.”

“Yes,” Aro nodded. Edward knew that Aro had been probing his mind the whole time. “I see that Carlisle disapproves. Tell me why.”

“He believes her father is part hunter, akin to a birthright. While he does participate in regular hunting. He smells normal, and has never been suspicious of the family unit Carlisle made or the wolves that also reside near Forks.”

“I see,” Aro didn’t break eye contact. “Jane?” The short woman came over holding a small box, passing it to Aro wordlessly. “Something to block your seer. The instructions are straightforward, even your little vampire friend could do it.”

Edward carefully stepped forward to retrieve it. There was a large candle, a jar that was sealed with wax that had various herbs in it, all tied together with a scroll. “Thank you. I am eternally grateful.”

“And Edward?” 

“Yes?”

“Try not to come to us for frivolous matters again.” 

“I understand. Thank you,” he bowed again, quickly retreating. He’d need to be careful from here on out, but at least he had something to block Alice. If she couldn’t see him, she couldn’t stop him. Now he just had to bide his time and find his opportunity to make a move.

◯ ☽ ◑ ● ◐ ❨ ◯

“I’ve never understood this witchcraft stuff,” Jasper said as Edward had set up the spell. The way he said ‘witchcraft’ was foreign to Jasper's tongue, the word not sitting right as he chewed on it.

“Of course not, you’re from a godless land. The creature that took over the void doesn’t like things that can overpower him and magic is a slippery slope.” Edward looked at the candle he carved, covered in herbs and a really strong oil mixture. “We have to sit inside this circle until the candle burns itself out, then we’ll be undetectable from Alice’s visions.”

“How does all this mumbo jumbo help us?” Jasper reluctantly sat down across from him. 

“Magic is manipulating energy. When Alice sees things, she's using energy she doesn’t have to see likely outcomes. That’s the simple version. If you want a history lesson, talk to a coven. We are simply manipulating energy in our favor.”

“Do I have to stare at it?” 

“Well you have to remain focused on the task at hand,” Edward chided. 

“Alright,” Jasper didn’t look too happy about this, but that wasn’t his concern. Right now his meal was cozied up to a perversion while they pretended to be together. Edward lit the candle, picturing a brick wall being built around his decisions as the scroll instructed. 

The air hung silent around them for a few minutes before Edward asked: “What’s the point of being gay when you date someone who's similar enough to a man anyways?”

“No clue,” Jasper snorted and Edward saw the first genuine smile Jasper had in a while. “I don’t understand it and I don’t care to. Nothing about that- that- alphabet soup makes sense.”

“You’re right about that.” Edward chuckled with him. 

They both watched the candle slowly burning and for Edward, he found it really easy to stay focused. There was something hypnotizing about the flame that kept bringing him to his point of focus. Jasper seemed to also be in the same spot, his gaze watching the flame dance.

When the flame finally went out on the small plate the candle remained, they both blinked a few times. “How do we know if it actually worked?” Jasper asked, both of them shaking out their legs from sitting for two hours on the hard ground.

“I guess we’ll just have to test it here and there. Make small decisions and if Carlisle finds us… but if not then we head to Forks.”

“Then I decide we take the first flight to Maine,” Jasper said.

“Alright then.” They picked up their carry-ons and made their way to the airport. Carlisle would never risk making a scene in such a public place and that would buy them some time when they landed. 

Bella was finally in his grasp again and Edward was ready to kill everyone she ever cared about to get her back.

Chapter Text

Charlie

As Charlie barged into the house, he found Leah and Bella already in a defensive stance. Leah had her fists up while Bella had her taser.

“You smell that too?” Leah asked. 

“Yeah. Bella, call Alice. Get them down here,” Charlie ordered, turning off the safety of his shotgun and moving in front of the two of them. “Leah. Call the pack.”

“I can’t shift to reach them,” she whispered, looking around. 

“How unfortunate for you.” Charlie barely processed the voice before Leah was flying away from them, slamming into the wall hard enough to leave an indent before dropping to the ground. 

“Leah!” Bella and Charlie both lunged, freezing when Edward stepped on Leah’s back. 

Bella had made it closer to Leah. Charlie didn’t know if he had back up and needed to make sure that no one else could get the jump on him. When Bella tried to move forward, Edward pressed harder. 

“I warned you, Isabella. It didn’t have to be like this,” Edward said softly, giving Bella a sad look. “I love you, so I’ll give you one more chance. Come with me.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Charlie spat, gun still aimed at Edward. Edward gave him a sardonic smile. 

“You know that gun won’t work on me, Chief Swan,” Edward chuckled. Charlie felt something prickle at the nape of his neck, his spine stiffening. 

“It’s not enough to see and hear,” Andy told him while they were training. “These creatures can move faster than your eyes can track, and they’re quieter than your ears can pick up. Trust your instincts, feel with your gut. It’ll save your life.”

He quickly spun, managing to get the barrel of his shotgun right under Jasper’s jaw before pulling the trigger. He heard Bella let out a small scream as Jasper went flying back, landing headless and motionless on the hardwood floor. Charlie quickly aimed the gun back at Edward, cocking it again. 

“This isn’t a regular shotgun,” he replied flatly, firing again. Edward managed to move out of the way, hissing angrily as the slug caught him in the arm. Leah, no longer pinned, rolled to her feet. Charlie watched her form starting to shift before she cried out, holding her ribs. Charlie watched as Bella was looking between Leah and Edward. He was going to have to figure out how to get between them and Edward if Bella took a dive for it.

“Bella, be smart about it,” he warned, mentally counting his shots. He had four left before he’d need to reload, and at that point he might as well swing it like a bat. 

“I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting you to dispatch Jasper so quickly,” Edward said calmly. “But Charlie’s right, Bella. Be smart. Don’t risk her life… don’t risk your father’s life over this pointless resistance. Just come with me.”

“And what? I would sit, like a bird in a cage?” Bella retorted. “There’s no way this ends well for me.”

“But it will end well for your father.” Leah let out a yelp as she tried to shift again, dropping to the ground and shaking. Edward sneered at her, his compassionate mask falling. “I’m afraid there’s nothing to be done for the dog. Think of it as a mercy, euthanizing a beast with no control and no hope.”

“Touch her and I’ll make sure there’s barely enough left of you to fit in the fireplace,” Charlie warned, not taking his gun off Edward for even a second.

“Leah, stop trying to shift,” Bella said softly.

“I can’t-” she let out another pained yell.  

“Poor little mutt,” Edward chuckled. “Its instincts are overriding its senses. It can’t stop the shift.”

“I’m a person, you fucking belligerent, geriatric jackass,” Leah snapped before whimpering, he could see the slight changes trying to happen: fur would rapidly appear and dis appear, her spine would shutter before snapping back. 

Charlie really needed reinforcements to get here faster. Edward lunged again, faster than he could track, and Bella rushed forward with her taser. Charlie watched, heart hammering in his chest, as Bella slammed into Edward. She was trying to get him further away from Leah and was almost successful. He caught her wrist, moving to hold her up by it, but she managed to wriggle out of it.

“Bella! Use your magic!” Charlie coached. 

“Oh right,” Charlie heard her mumble. Bella shoved the taser into his neck as he saw her shield go up. “Got you. You are going to die. Painfully.” Whatever she was doing was keeping Edward paralyzed. “Leah. Go outside.”

“No chance,” Leah shot back. Charlie raised his gun, squeezing the trigger and watching the shell catch Edward right in the head. Edward’s head snapped to the side and he let out an enraged cry, throwing Bella hard across the house.

“Bella!” Charlie cocked the gun and went to fire again before getting slammed into hard, Edward launching him. He felt himself hit the couch, twisting and pushing past the pain to catch the demon as he tried to follow. Charlie managed to crack a good hit right across the temple, and he wasn’t sure if it was shock or the impact that stunned Edward, but whatever it was let him pull out his handgun and unload it into Edward’s chest. Bits of stone flew off of him, Edward’s face twisting with rage as he grabbed for Charlie again. He froze in place, getting lifted off his feet and slammed into the ground.

“You stupid, hateful, controlling, narcissistic, lying, cowardly, piece of shit!” Bella shouted angrily, each word punctuated with her picking Edward up and slamming him down again over and over until there was a crater in the floor. She lifted him again, her magic yanking at his limbs until Charlie saw cracks starting to form.

“Bella-” Edward choked out.

“You lied to me! You abused and manipulated me and made me feel fucking worthless!” Bella screamed. Charlie flinched, the magic rolling off of her in waves. “You tampered with my truck, you isolated me and ruined my fucking life! And now you’re here trying to do it all over again! You fucking scumbag!” Charlie scrambled for his shotgun, aiming and firing at the fracturing points Bella created. He cocked it again, unloading the gun into the demon’s body until it was in pieces across his living room. 

“Leah. Take Bella outside,” he ordered. He walked over to Edward’s body, starting to rip him further to pieces. It was easier than anticipated, the limbs breaking apart like chalk. “Bella, start a fire, I can already see him trying to put himself together.”

“Come on,” Bella grabbed Leah with one arm and started taking her back through the house and into the backyard. 

“This is not a crime you can commit without repercussions. Creatures stronger than me will be after you,” Edward threatened. 

“Then I’ll kill them, too,” Charlie snapped. “I’m a hunter. It’s in my blood. And I’ve got a whole slew of people backing me up that’ll happily fight the Volturi.” Edward’s eyes widened. “Yeah. I know about them. I also know that they're not going to be very happy that you drew the hunter’s attention to them. Matter of fact, from what I hear they’ll probably just let it slide.” Charlie saw something twitching, quickly pulling the trigger on the hand moving to grab for him. “That shit’s creepy as hell.”

Charlie could hear the pack coming in. “Paul! Jacob! Take him outside and finish separating him.” Sam came in barking orders. “Quil! Take Jasper outside.”

“Edward,” Carlisle’s voice came in through the back side of the house. “I see you were foolish enough to come back. Sorry we took so long Charlie.”

“No problem. I had it under control. Bella got to tear into him, literally,” Charlie nodded as Carlisle picked up Edward’s head. Charlie took a quick moment to reload his gun just in case.

“No! No! You can't do this!” Edward roared, dismembered limbs thrashing. “She’s mine! You cannot take her from me! Carlisle! I love her!”

“Put him in the fire before I take his jaw off,” Charlie spat. Between the boys and Carlisle they were able to get the two bodies out of the house. A few of the other boys were still in their human form, helping the fire catch. The bonfire was quickly, the flames going higher as Bella added more wood. 

 Charlie watched as Jacob and Quil tossed Jasper into the fire first. Carlisle had moved to be the one holding Edward. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Edward just glowered at him, eyes full of hate. “Bella? Would you like to do the honors?” 

Charlie watched as Bella grabbed Edward with Carlisle. Between the two of them they were able to shove him into the fire and Bella was able to keep him in there with her shield up as Carlisle stepped back. 

“When the Volturi come, I’ll explain everything,” Carlisle stood next to Charlie. 

“Let them know we have a deal: I’ll keep to myself and won’t go hunting anything, but if anything comes after my family…” Charlie watched as the pieces of Edward went up in a cloying black smoke. “Nothing will ever hurt Bella again.”

“Don’t worry,” Carlisle said. “I have standing with them, they won’t bother you and Bella.” 

Charlie watched as Bella walked back to Leah, holding her close. Tears streamed down her face as Leah gently touched her hair. She’d been through so much, too much for someone as young as she was. Charlie almost wished he could pull Edward out of the fire and toss him in again for the pain he caused. 

“Leah,” Charlie said softly. “Take Bella inside. You two rest up, I’ll come get you for dinner.”

“Got it,” Leah nodded. “Come on, Bells.” She kept Bella close, gently guiding her into the house. Charlie watched them go, heart breaking for his daughter. He should’ve done more to keep her safe. 

“If we all had fathers like you, I think the world would be a much better place,” Rosalie told him, walking up with her arms crossed. “Edward’s dead, so we’re leaving. Just wanted to say goodbye.”

“Take care of yourselves out there,” Charlie nodded. “And thank you. For speaking out when nobody else would.”

“Nobody advocated for me until it was too late. I wasn’t gonna let it happen to her,” Rosalie shrugged. “Next time though Carlisle, I’m killing the next one that goes rogue,” she threatened. Carlisle could only nod. “Emmett and I will see you for the holidays.” 

“I’ll check in later with Bella,” Emmett told Charlie and the two of them split. 

“The pack will stay here for tonight,” Sam said. “Make sure you guys don’t get attacked by anything else tonight. I don’t know anything about this Volturi, so we’ll be prepared for them.” 

“We’ll be ready if they try anything,” Charlie agreed. 

“They won’t, but I can appreciate the caution,” Carlisle spoke up. “Edward drew far too much attention to our kind here. The moment the monster hunters got involved, the Volturi would’ve executed him anyway. My kind are incredibly powerful, but we don’t have the numbers to start that war. We’re going to head out now. Chief Swan.” He stuck his hand out and Charlie took it, giving it a firm shake. 

“Dr. Cullen. If you ever want to come back, you’re welcome here. Seems like the rest of your family is decent enough.”

Carlisle nodded, looking to Esme. “I’ll be able to see when the Volturi come for investigation. They’ll be visiting us first but I anticipate that they will not pay you a visit once I explain what happened. You all stay safe and let me know where to send Bella’s college check.”

“I will.” Charlie nodded.

He watched as everyone either took their positions or left his yard entirely. Charlie made sure that fire burned hot for at least a half hour to make sure that there was nothing left of either of them. After a little bit, Sam came over and silently joined him as they watched the fire burn itself out along with the bodies. 

The sigh he let out almost made him cry. “I can’t believe this is over,” Charlie said, sniffling. 

“Me either. I can feel it in my gut, it's finally calm,” Sam nodded. “The air feels calmer, I feel calmer.” 

“I know this wasn’t how it was supposed to go, with me finding out about the pack and everything. I appreciate you all trusting me.”

“Once you shot me in the ass I knew you were cool,” Sam laughed.  

“Glad you walked it off,” Charlie chuckled with him. “You know, I could use a special consultant at the sheriffs department. Nothing crazy, but someone who could help me keep an eye on the crimes in the area to see what’s supernatural. You don’t have to join the force or nothin’, but maybe I could bring by a few cases that make me get that little inkling.”

“I’ll think about it,” Sam said. “Training the pups is a full time job on its own. Normally me and cops don’t get along, you being the exception.”

“It could be anyone from the pack, too. Just wanna know if you want me to set up the fake title so we can bust supernatural crime together.”

“Maybe a freelance aid would be good,” Sam chuckled. 

“I’m gonna make-“ Charlie looked at the smoldering remains of the fire. “Uh- you know, burgers don’t sound so good right now. Spaghetti with meat sauce good for you all? I’ll make a big batch of it.”

“Carbs are always good. I’ll help, the pack will just be running circles.” Sam stood up and helped Charlie up. Charlie’s knees clicked and he cringed, stretching himself out. 

“Tomorrow I’m going to sit in my recliner and drink beer while watching the basketball game, and I will not be moving until I finish my six pack,” Charlie mumbled. He walked inside, giving Sam some money to go get a few more boxes of noodles and some jars of pasta sauce. He got the meat defrosting, grabbing the phone and calling Cora’s place. 

“Hello?” She answered just before it went to voicemail. 

“Hey, Cora. It’s Charlie,” Charlie told her, smiling slightly at the sound of her voice. 

“Charlie hi, is everything okay?” 

“Yeah. Yeah- it-” Charlie inhaled shakily. “Its over. The fighting. Edward showed up here and we got him. Bella’s safe.”

“Oh thank god,” Cors laughed in relief. “That’s- oh gosh. Do you need anything? I get off at seven tonight? I could come by?” 

“I want you to come by just because I want you here. Bella wants to see you more, too. Figure she should probably get to spend some time with her stepmother before she goes to college,” Charlie joked, resting his head on the counter. 

“Step-mother huh?” She chuckled. “You wanna marry me still?” 

“I really do. And I know I needed us to take a step back while Bella was living here, but maybe if you come over after work we could talk about getting back to how we were?”

“I would love to have that conversation again,” Cora said softly. 

“I’m making spaghetti. Want me to save some for ya? Bella’s friends are coming over and they’ll eat it all if I don’t hide a plate.”

“I’ll bring a pie over for us,” she chuckled. “I gotta get back to work but I’ll see you tonight.” 

“See you tonight. I love you, Cora.”

“I love you too Charlie.” Charlie let the phone disconnect, putting it back on the receiver and just resting against the wall for a moment. He headed upstairs, walking to Bella’s cracked open door and knocking on it. 

“Bella? Leah? You two okay?” He asked. He found the two girls curled up in bed, Bella was out cold and Leah was still looking worried.

“She cried a little and then went to sleep,” Leah whispered. “I’m wide awake from sleeping so much.”

“You alright? Need anything?” He asked quietly. “I’m makin food for later, but I got snacks and some of those massive painkillers Carlisle left for you.”

“Some painkillers would be good. I’ll make sure she’s awake for dinner,” Leah said. “How are you?”

“You and Bella are safe. That’s all that matters,” Charlie sighed. “It’ll take a while for all of us to feel normal again after this, but we’ll get there. I’ll be right back with those pills.” He went back downstairs, grabbing two of the pills and a glass of water before taking them up to Leah. She took both gratefully, swallowing them down.

“Thanks Charlie. And the worst is over, we just gotta get her to graduation,” Leah reminded him. 

“Get her to graduation, then you two will be off to UDubb.” Charlie looked at his daughter’s sleeping face and felt a few tears of pride well up like they always did when he thought about Bella going to college. His little girl was off to take on the world, and she was going to do amazing things. 

“We’ll come up twice a month at least,” Leah promised. “She’s safe thanks to you.”

“She saved herself, I just helped,” Charlie responded. “Let her rest, I’ll call for you when dinner's ready.”

“Sounds good,” she nodded, going back to resting herself. 

Charlie went downstairs and for the first time in months put his gun back in the safe.

Chapter Text

April; Charlie

Charlie was sitting in the diner waiting for Cora to get off work. He was finally back in the normalcy of life where his daughter wasn’t being hunted by demons and was instead safe at his house. Charlie hadn’t felt this level of ease since before Bella started dating Edward. He only had normal things to worry about, like if she was doing her homework or that she got home safe after a date, or the road trip her friends wanted to take before she went off to UDubb with Angela, Ben and Jessica. Leah was also going to be back with Bella in the fall semester and while Charlie didn’t like the idea of his little girl sharing a dorm with her girlfriend, he could rest easy knowing that Bella would be safe. 

Cora was walking over with her coat and bag and Charlie quickly stood up. “I’m all yours,” she said as she let out a heavy sigh. She worked a double today, covering for someone in the morning so she got to leave a little earlier than usual. 

“I have a roast chicken in the oven with our name on it,” he boasted as he took her arm and the two walked out. The last month of Cora coming over once a week for dinner was nice for the three of them. Cora and Bella got along much better than he expected. The two girls talked about everything from books to cooking to cleaning tips. Cora and Bella both shared reading as a hobby and Charlie had to admit he was a little jealous of their book club, their latest novel was scandalous according to the conversation he overheard the other day. 

“So graduation.” Cora started as they piled into the car.

“Graudation. Let’s hear it.”

“I have the cake and extra desserts planned. I can get a discount for catering from the diner if you want to go that route. Leah and Jacob said they would handle the decorations and then all there’s left to do is watch her across the stage.” Cora said. “While you’re at the graduation I’ll get everything set up so you can walk in with her and then we can party.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Charlie agreed. Cora was in for a little surprise herself. Bella had managed to score a third ticket for Cora to come and Bella was planning on giving it to her tonight. He carefully navigated the rain slicked roads, pulling into his driveway. Charlie hopped out, rushing around to get the door for Cora. He almost slipped on the wet gravel, but Cora’s sweet smile and the way she squeezed his arm would’ve made falling worth it. They walked into the house and Charlie paused, immediately feeling that something was wrong. “Bella?”

“In the kitchen!” Bella called back, voice sounding tight. He walked in with Cora following, seeing her on the phone. “Yeah. No- no I get it. Okay. Yeah. Love you too, mom. Bye.” She hung up, looking at the ground. “Mom isn’t coming to graduation. I guess Phil broke his leg and she doesn’t wanna leave him alone.”

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” Charlie said gently, moving to give her a hug. That was a weak excuse, honestly. Her thirty-something year old boyfriend couldn’t survive three days in their one story house with all of his baseball buddies around him so Renee could come to one of the biggest milestones in Bella’s life. 

“I mean,” Bella just shrugged. “She couldn’t come for my birthday, or when I was sick, or… well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“It still sucks,” Charlie told her. “Hey. Why don’t you and Cora go find something to put on? Whatever you two want. I’ll get dinner finished up and bring it over when it’s ready.”

“Alright,” Bella nodded. Charlie could see that she was trying to act nonchalant about it but he knew that stuff like this really got to her. “Hey Cora.”

As Charlie finished up dinner he could hear Cora trying to distract Bella a little, asking her questions and keeping her mind occupied a little through the show they ended up picking to put on. As he looked at the picture in front of him, Charlie was still having difficulty remembering that the last few months actually happened. It’s easy for him to forget most days that everything did. Bella was healing, Cora was back to being around, and everything felt right where it was supposed to be. Like it had all been a really weird dream. 

“Alright, foods ready. Cora, I got it all in the warmer so you can shower if you want first.”

“That would be amazing, thank you,” Cora agreed, getting up. She kissed his cheek as she passed, making Charlie blush and smile as she went up the stairs. Bella was smirking when he passed her a TV tray. 

“Don’t give me that look,” he told her gruffly.

“What? You look happy is all,” she shrugged. 

“I am. It’s… it’s nice. I got both my girls in the same place,” Charlie smiled. “I know it sucks that Renee isn’t coming, but hey you’ve got an extra ticket and a girlfriend that I know would love to see you walk.”

“Yeah. Leah’s gonna be psyched that she gets to come. It’ll be nice to have Cora there, too. She helped me with my math,” Bella agreed.

“She’s better at it than I am,” Charlie nodded. “I’m glad you two are getting along. And you’re sure you're okay with all of this? Cora and I, her being over, is getting…” Charlie bobbed his head. “You know, serious? Like, maybe even marriage serious?”

“Really?” Bella asked, looking a little surprised. “When do you think you might wanna do that?”

“I dunno. Soon. It’s been three years now, I figure that’s pretty slow and steady,” he chuckled. “You don’t think it’s a bad idea, do you? Your old man getting married again?”

“It’s not, I- I guess I just wasn’t sure it was something you wanted,” Bella said softly. “But it’s not up to me.” 

“It may not be up to you, but you still get to have an opinion,” Charlie told her. “This is our family first and foremost, whoever I bring in needs to be someone we both want to have around. No matter what or who comes in, you’re my kid. I just got you back, Bells. Nothing is gonna make me give ya up now.”

Bella blinked, looking away for a moment. “Sorry I’m trying to figure out how to explain how I feel. Sam told a few things that help but I’m still getting used to it. I guess I feel… surprised you want to include me in the decision, and I feel like I’m still getting used to you and Cora being together. But I like Cora. Phil- he didn’t seem to think that I also came with mom?” Bella said slowly, thinking about her words. 

“What makes you say that?” Charlie asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. He’d seen how Renee and Phil treated Bella.

“Phil always treated me like I was furniture. When mom emptied out my room, Phil helped her like he was cleaning out the garage. When they first started dating and mom would leave me alone with him, he just ignored me. A year later they got married.”

“That’s not gonna happen here,” Charlie promised. “You’re always going to be my priority, I’m never gonna leave you behind. And Cora knows that, too. She knows having me means having you, and between you and me she really enjoys that you’re gonna be around.”

“I like Cora, she’s nice and Phil would never read a book so she's already better.” Charlie let out a snicker, quickly trying to stifle it. 

“Cora reads a lot. It’ll be good for you to have someone smart around.”

“You’re smart too. You taught me how to yell at someone being stupid,” Bella snickered. “I like you two together, I just think I just need time to get used to the idea. But don’t let me cramp your style.”

“Hey, take all the time you need,” Charlie smiled. “It’s not gonna be any time in the next year. I just wanted to make sure you liked her before I made any further plans.”

“I like her enough to keep her around. Hopefully she can watch the Big Lebowsky eight nights in a row.” 

“She can. She loves that movie,” Charlie nodded. They both looked up as Cora came back down, her hair wrapped in a silk cap and her comfortable clothes on. 

“What movie do I love?” She asked. 

“The Big Lebowski,” Charlie responded. 

“Ah. Charlie’s favorite,” Cora nodded. “I watch it for him without any complaints because he never complains about watching Harlem Nights.”

“Here, you two get settled,” Charlie said, hopping up to guide Cora to sit down. 

“I can get my own food,” Cora joked. 

“You’ve been serving people all day, lemme give you a break,” Charlie smiled, going to the kitchen to pull out the plates of food from the oven. He carefully brought them over, setting them in front of Bella and Cora before going to grab his own.  

“Thanks dad,” Bella curled up on the couch and started digging in. Charlie nodded, sitting down as well with a small smile. He still regretted all the time he’d missed with Bella, and he hated that he couldn’t get it back. But he had her now, and he had an amazing woman with him who understood that Bella was his priority and just wanted to stand with him while his little girl grew up and spread her wings. He leaned over, ruffling Bella’s messy, shaggy haircut while she ducked away with a sound of protest. 

He had a good life. 

Nothing was ever going to take this away from him again.