The Fire of the Sun -- Chapter Eleven
Title: The Fire of the Sun
Author: audreyii_fic
Fandom: Twilight (Team Jacob)
Rating: T
Characters: Full cast (Jacob/Bella, Sam/Emily)
Genre: Romance/Angst/Wolfpack!Humor
Warnings: Language, violence, and references to adult behavior. See here for more details.
banner courtesy of untilwebleedoz
Summary:
Sequel to The Movement of the Earth. Bella finds the cost of joining the supernatural world may be higher than she can pay. ( Click here to start from the beginning.)
Chapter Eleven:
A/N: Hi there again, my darlings. I am pleased to announce that, in spite of all odds, The Fire of the Sun is back and shall be completed.
No, really.
I want to be absolutely, one hundred percent clear, because she's going to try to be all shy and humble: This story would never have been finished without mera_naam_joker. I was prepared to outright hide under a rock from the entire fandom, but she saved me. (Credit for this also goes to Naranwien, who was scheduled to co-author but tragically had to move house and country in the midst of things. Love you too, sweetie.) I made the outline, and I did the editing, but Mera wrote the words. Everything good about this story is hers. (Everything bad about it is mine. Anyone who hates where the plot goes from here is to hold me, and me alone, accountable.) And you know what else Mera did, because she's crazy smarter than me? She wrote all the chapters before preparing to post, unlike how I do it, which is haphazardly writing by the seat of my pants and flouncing.
Catching the theme yet? Mera Naam Joker is an angel. Please go read her lovely stories, and if you're happy FotS is continuing, please drop her a PM. I myself plan to mail a basket of adorable kittens just as soon as I figure out the postage.
Also, I would be greatly remiss if thanks did not go to beta goddess Hoochie Mama, who waded knee-deep into the insanity and found where the words made no damn sense, even going above and beyond the call of duty to learn American idioms. Hats off, my lovely.
Update scheduling shall return to the days of yore: Sundays and Wednesdays. With a little luck, we'll be done by the end of the year.
Recap: Remember what was going on? Hell, I barely do. The clearest approach to things would probably be to go back and read both The Movement of the Earth and this fic from the beginning; that, however, is obviously both time consuming and a pain in the ass. Therefore, here's a handy-dandy little summary of what's happened so far:
Jacob imprinted on Bella. There was much angst. The Cullens came back, intending to protect Bella from the various dangerous positions she now found herself in, including being the imprint of a werewolf. There was more angst. Bella and Jacob tried to have a genuine romance within an imprint-fueled werewolf romance, to a moderate if angsty degree of success. Alice kidnapped Bella. Bella passed out too quickly for there to be angst.
Meanwhile, Sam was being driven not-so-slowly crazy by the demands of his Alpha position. There was much angst. Carlisle informed the Pack that the Volturi were on their way to kill the werewolves. This led to anger, not angst. Sam found out Bella had been kidnapped, but decided not to tell Jacob. And there was heaps of angst.
Everyone up to speed? Excellent.
we open the latch on the gate / of the hole that we call our home
Placebo, "Protect Me From What I Want"
11. Cover Your Weaknesses
(claireclaireclaire there's something wrong i can feel it) Sam, I have to go see her!
(kimkimkim no stop that's not me) Sam, can't you get Emily to do something about this?
Yeah. Emily should definitely do something about this. (so disgusting goddamn imprinting always imprinting) (sorry leah i know you don't understand) Hey, Mighty Alpha, why does Seth have to be here if he's not going to fight?
I can fight, Sam! (i think maybe not better than running away)
Sam, how long is this going to take? (no sleep so tired so worth it) [smooth breasts and giggling]
So, Sam, a bloodsucker's going to teach us how to kill bloodsuckers. No conflict of interest there. I'd take advice from Jacob's leech lover before I'd trust them. [cool hands] (you're doing good paul shutupshutup)
Maybe you should considering she's killed as many vampires as you have, Paul. (bellabellabella so fucked up going to work with the leeches so wrong touches her again and i'll) [a black empty spot and a lot of rage]
At least Jacob wasn't being a pain in my ass. For once. Quil, you have to wait. Jared, I'll talk to Emily and see what I can do. Like maybe duck really fast once I asked, because I was pretty sure Emily would chase me with a broom when I did. Leah, he's here because bigger numbers give us the psychological advantage. Seth, I'm sure you'll do fine. And because if worse came to worst he should at least be able to defend himself. Paul, let's just see what he has to say before we dismiss it. Embry, I don't know how long it will take. Jacob, don't...
Don't what?
I sighed. Nothing.
We were on our way to the clearing. It made me nervous to not have any patrols on the perimeter, but I didn't see any choice; the Pack mind couldn't transfer the knowledge of how a body moved in combat. That was something that needed to be experienced, like riding a bike instead of reading about it in a book, and Leah, Quil, and Seth had never actually fought a vampire before. And it wasn't like everyone else had done much more than rip up the black-haired bloodsucker and chase down the red-head. Everyone needed more training before we leapt into this mess.
Even if the training came from leeches.
As we drew close the stench washed over on the breeze, and all our hackles involuntarily rose in response. It grew worse when we emerged into open area and saw the Cullens standing there.
Minus the psychic.
Gee, wonder where she could be.
"Good evening," Carlisle Cullen greeted us, waiting until we all were in his view before speaking. "Edward has volunteered his services as translator tonight so you won't need to transform."
Wonderful. I trusted his 'son' even less than I did the rest of them. I directed a pointed glare at the dead thing and focused on one thought alone: Was it your idea?
He caught my expression, and a hint of discomposure -- and defensiveness -- flickered over his moody face.
I had my answer.
The others didn't. I could feel their general curiosity, but it faded into the background when the leech directed a glower at Jacob. Jacob glared back, a snarl building in his throat and his barely leashed rage filling my mind.
Jacob, cut it out. When he ignored me, I sighed and changed my request to an order. Jacob, stop staring at Edward.
At the same time, Carlisle said quietly, "Edward, we're here to work together."
"All right." With obvious reluctance, Edward looked back at me and asked, "Are you amenable to Carlisle's suggestion?"
What -- oh. Him translating. Sure, whatever.
"Sam? Are you?" Now he looked hopelessly confused.
What was his problem? I said sure. Okay. Fine. Translate away.
"How can you function like that?" the leech demanded, and to my surprise he looked at Jared, Quil, and Jacob in turn. "All of you -- your minds are completely circular, they spiral constantly -- who is 'Claire'?"
Quil snarled. (leech doesn't get to think of her doesn't get to see) [gap-toothed smile twirling skirt uncomplicated joy]
Shut up, Quil. Okay. Imprinted thoughts were hard to understand, apparently.
Advantage: The bloodsucker couldn't read my mind.
Disadvantage: The bloodsucker couldn't read my mind.
Paul? I thought.
Yeah. I'm on it.
Edward's face cleared as he looked at Paul. "That's much better. Thank you."
Paul snorted. Go fuck yourself.
Edward frowned disapprovingly, and I rolled my eyes. Paul, if you're going to be spokeswolf, play nice. Otherwise I'll give the job to Embry.
But I think he should go fuck himself too.
Great.
"Because I'm most familiar with the Volturi, I'll give you a brief synopsis of their major players and their powers," Carlisle began. I had a vague recollection of taking notes in biology class what felt like a million years ago. "First, there's Aro. He's the overall leader. Like Edward, he's a telepath, but his ability is dependent on touch. And unlike Edward, when he touches you, he can read every thought you've ever had, not just what you're thinking at the moment. Every memory, every impression, whether conscious or unconscious, is available to him."
Quil snorted. So don't let him hold your hand (claireclaireclaire) if you don't want him to find out the candy bar from the convenience store.
--what a joke--
--I could be with Kim (kimkimkim) now instead of listening to this crap--
--rip his head off, see if you can read his mind then--
At least pretend you're paying attention.
Silence. Internally, anyway. Carlisle was still talking. "...So Caius will ensure that the elements do whatever is favorable for the Volturi's plans, especially given his hatred for your kind.
"Marcus can sense relationships."
I hadn't been specific enough. Instantly the mental commentary erupted again.
Relationships? (bellabellabella) Really?
(kimkimkim) How does that do anything?
So basically he can read your diary and tell everyone who you've been crushing on. Watch out, world. (sorry leah i know you don't understand) Hey, Embry, maybe he can tell you--
Leah, you're so pathetic, you think I don't know [face in a mirror same chin or nose?] what you're trying to do?
(claireclaireclaire) (old quil lecturing responsibility heritage all the time all the time)
Stop talking to each other and listen.
"Next we have the twins, Alec and Jane. Do not be fooled by their youthful appearance; they're both very old and very powerful. Alec can cause his opponents to exist in a state of total sensory deprivation."
Why the hell can't he talk like a normal person? What does that even mean?
For God's sake, Jared, it's not so damn hard to understand. I know we had to drop out of school but that doesn't mean that we get to be morons.
Shut up, Paul.
Bickering counts as talking!
"It means you can't see, hear, smell, taste, or feel anything," Edward explained directly to Jared, a smug smile on his face.
For once, we were united in one thought: Fucking prick.
The smile disappeared.
"Jane, on the other hand, can manipulate a person's mind to believe he or she is experiencing terrible pain. No physical damage is sustained, but the experience is excruciating, from what I've witnessed."
I reflected for a moment on what a truly wonderful doctor Carlisle Cullen was. 'Do no harm' apparently meant 'ignore it if someone else is doing the harm.'
"Demetri is a tracker. He can find anyone in the world once he's been in close proximity with his or her mind. Renata is a shield for Aro. She stays close to him at all times so that she can protect him by confusing the attacker with her powers, who ends up redirected and forgets he was attacking in the first place."
Now that actually sounded threatening.
I tuned into the others more purposefully and got their impressions: the vampires sounded ridiculous. Whatever; we'd taken out the nomad with no problem, right? Maybe these Volturi seemed scary to their own kind, but they were nothing but cold, animated stone, made to be torn apart by us. I sensed the Pack's agreement with that sentiment wash over me, a feeling of certainty and smugness--
--and then the one called Jasper stepped forward. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here, but he also looked pretty pissed off. "From what I understand," he said crisply, as though he were giving a speech to troops, "one nomadic vampire with a grudge tied y'all in knots for weeks. So if I were you and I wanted to keep my fur on my bones, I'd listen to what I have to say."
The scar in my side ached suddenly, and the smug feeling in the Pack died down. He had a point.
Jasper took over the presentation, keeping his comments short and to the point, describing the most vulnerable sides and angles of attack ("and by vulnerable, I mean the most assailable, not 'easy'"). Then he motioned Edward forward to demonstrate, and a couple of times I could've sworn their faked combat looked real.
A satisfied noise came from Jacob as Edward hit the ground for the third time. Hey Sam, can I--
No.
After Jasper was done pretending to wipe the floor with Edward, he split everyone up into groups to practice -- making an obvious point to pair Jacob with the doctor's wife and Edward with Leah. Satisfied that nothing horrible was about to happen in the next three minutes, I phased back to human form, pulled on my cutoffs, and found the doctor.
"Sam," he said with a welcoming smile.
"Can I speak to you privately?" I asked, trying not to growl. Filthy two-faced leech.
"Of course."
The instant we stepped out of earshot of the others, I had him by the collar of his stupid sweater, slammed up against a tree. "Where... is... Bella... Swan?" I snarled, with a shake of his clothes to go with every word.
He held up his too-smooth hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm sorry. I'm as unhappy about this as you."
"The hell you are!"
"I truly apologize, Sam. For what it's worth, I was not part of this plan." He seemed pretty uncomfortable with admitting that, too. "I don't know where Bella is, exactly, but she's with Alice, who loves her like a sister. I have no doubt she'll be perfectly safe."
"Bullshit." I got as close to his face as I could stand. "Give her back, now, before Jacob finds out and all hell breaks loose."
"I hope it won't come to that." Carlisle looked intrigued. "I must confess, I'm surprised you're keeping it from him."
I let go of his sweater and backed off a little so I could avoid his eyes. "I have to think of the greater good," I said. I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt. "When one of us is freaked out, it has the same effect on all the rest. If he loses control, everyone else will too. They won't be able to help it."
Bella fucking Swan. Everything that made my life hard started and ended with her.
When I glanced back at the doctor, he looked pleased. "See?" he said, nodding. "You understand my position perfectly. Edward is the same way. My son cannot function if Bella Swan is in danger."
"My brother can't function if Bella Swan is missing."
Carlisle shook his head. I could hear the stone of his vertebrae grinding together. "And who is more important to surviving the next few days?" His tone was reasonable. "Jacob seems to be very talented, but he can't read minds. Edward can. We have to be honest with ourselves -- who do we need more in this coming battle?"
I had no intention of listening to what he was saying. Even if there was logic behind it.
He went on, "Bella must be kept far from the Volturi. They do not accept humans knowing about vampires and they would kill her instantly. Had she been in town, Edward would have been too fearful for her safety to focus."
Uh-huh. I was real worried about his fake son and his focus problems. They had no idea what being separated from an imprint could do to one of us. "Jacob is going to lose his mind, do you understand?" I managed between gritted teeth. "And I'm not just throwing those words around, you son of a bitch. He is going to lose his mind, just because your 'son' has anxiety issues."
Carlisle smiled sadly. "If you had children," he said, "you would understand."
Emily's face flashed in my mind and cold flooded through my body. I didn't know I was going to say it till I heard the words come out of my mouth with total conviction: "When this is all over, I'm going to kill you."
"I can certainly understand your position," he replied graciously.
I walked away before I could phase and take his head off. Somehow I didn't think that would help matters -- but it would've felt really good.
Note to self: when killing the doctor, don't bother being in a hurry about it.
***
We trained until I knew we would all be repeating the drills in our sleep. By the end of the session, the overall mood had turned grim. Jasper had been able to make clear what Carlisle couldn't: vampires weren't exactly an easy target. We had been designed to take down the occasional nomad as a group, not to enter into an actual battle against several at once. Even with the doctor's coven on our side, this could go really badly.
At least the others waited until we were sure Edward was out of range before they started throwing questions at me.
Sam, this is going to be way worse than we thought, isn't it? Worse than the redhead. [smell of blood acid in throat cool hands on neck] (you're doing good shut up shutup)
(claireclaireclaire keep her safe what's wrong gotta check) We can take them, right? [tiny girl sick listless fever cold]
(kimkimkim keep her safe) How long did he say we have again?
[a body hitting the floor] (not seth not mom not seth) [a toddler in a crib]
(bellabellabella keep her safe) The advantage is to us... probably... except for the twins. (i'm good with weird)
(wish i was bigger stronger taller hadn't had this happen) [a body hitting the floor]
(i could die not knowing) How bad do you think this is gonna get? [image in the mirror at a new angle]
It's going to be all right, I reassured them all, thankful for the seven thousandth time that none of them could read what was under my words. We're stronger than they know, and now we've been trained by their own. Advantage is to us, every time. They're just a bunch of dead people. We're here to finish the job. That seemed to help; a sense of calm, if not confidence, settled through the group. Jacob, Quil, Jared, Embry, you're on patrol. Seth, do your history paper. The rest of you, get some sleep.
I had to give Leah some credit; at least she waited till the others phased out to do the same and speak to me. "Let me talk to you alone."
I phased back too, pulling up my shorts, though she hadn't gotten dressed and didn't look away. It felt like an insult. I knew it was an insult.
She shook her head at me, smirking with disdain. "You're full of shit, Sam Uley. You don't have the slightest idea what you're doing."
"Leah, it's like I said--"
"Please. I know you. Don't think I don't know you."
I never thought that.
"Listen. I don't want Seth within a mile of this Volturi thing." She stepped closer. Her expression was serious now. "Put me on the front lines; l can fight enough for both of us. I don't care. Just don't make him go."
The only thing I could do to make Leah happy was to relieve Seth of as much wolf-related responsibility as I could. Still, we might need numbers more than anything. "I'll do what I can, Leah."
"That's not good enough," she snapped. "He's just a kid. He's all my mom has left."
"She has you," I tried, but she gave me a look so heavy with contempt that I shut down that line of conversation. "Leah, it's not my fault he's one of us."
"Right. Nothing's ever your fault, is it, Sam?"
I wanted Emily so badly my whole body ached, and it wasn't just Quil who was making me feel that way. "Yeah, Leah. Nothing's ever my fault. We done here?"
"Oh, I'd say we've been done for a while now, wouldn't you?"
I let her have the last word, because it seemed like I had everything else.
--emilyemilyemily--
I got home and crept to the bedroom, avoiding the squeaky boards as I went. Emily was already asleep. When I crawled in next to her she moved closer without waking, but her hand went to her belly instead of to me.
I'd expected to pass out the moment my head hit the pillow, but for once I couldn't. Too many voices wanting too many people they couldn't have.
***
In the morning, as I sat down to eat the pot of oatmeal Emily had ready, a knock at the door interrupted me. Emily opened the door and stood aside to let Jacob duck in.
"Hey, Emily. Hey, Sam." He smiled, but it wasn't at all genuine. He sat down for a second, and almost instantly got back up and paced around the kitchen. His fingers drummed restlessly over everything he touched.
Emily murmured some excuse about checking the garden. As soon as the door closed behind her, Jacob begged, "Please let him go see her."
No need to specify who he meant. I could hear it as clearly as if Quil stood next to me jabbering "Claire Claire Claire" right in my ear.
Jacob did another turn around the kitchen, then stood next to the counter, picking things up and putting them down again as if he didn't even feel them in his hands. "It's driving me nuts," he said. "It's making me worry about Bella all the time. I can't think about anything else and it's because he wants Claire so bad."
At least he still thought it was because of Quil. "Go back on patrol," I told him, shoveling the last of the oatmeal into my mouth so I wouldn't have to look him in the face.
"Can I go see Bella, then?"
"No," I said quickly. Jacob gave me a strange look, and I added, "Someone's got to keep things in line while I go check with the Council about this Volturi stuff. And I'll ask them about Quil, all right?"
"You just want to go to my dad's and see if he's got any coffee," Jake retorted, but he sort of smiled when he said it.
Better than nothing.
***
Billy didn't have to hear much before he called Old Quil and Sue Clearwater to come over -- and then he actually did give me some coffee as he dialed. It was weak and bitter but that was better than nothing, too.
Once he hung up with Sue, Billy wheeled over to the table and gave me one of his looks -- the kind that was meant to make you start talking freely and randomly until you ran out of words. I resisted the urge to bite my tongue. "How are things going, Sam? I know you've got a lot on your plate right now."
I wanted to laugh in his face but instead I shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle."
"The new additions to the Pack making shifts easier?"
Now I did laugh. "Not really, no."
"Is Jacob still holding up?"
"Kind of. For now."
There was a beat, then: "How's Embry?"
Lifting my head, I saw that he was examining me with a kind of painful intensity. "Embry? He's okay, I guess." When his mom wasn't screaming her head off at him and Leah wasn't giving him shit about who his real dad might be.
"You're sure?" Billy persisted.
"Yeah, he's..." I frowned, confused, but then the real dad thing and the look on Billy's face converged into one thought and--
--well, great. I filed that in the "Shit I Don't Have Time to Deal With Right Now" folder and closed the drawer.
A few seconds later, Old Quil came straight in without bothering to knock. "Billy," he grumbled, settling heavily into the most padded of the mismatched chairs. Everything Old Quil said, from "Pass the salt" to "this is the tale of Dokibatt the Transformer," sounded like grumbling. He was ancient, though, so he had earned the right.
Sue followed hard on his heels, shutting the door after she came in. "Hi," she told us all, giving a general nod before she sat next to Billy. He fixed her coffee without asking how she took it -- they'd been friends since they were born -- and then gave Old Quil some tea.
Billy broke the silence. "Charlie's tearing Forks apart looking for Bella, and he keeps calling, threatening to come down here and do the same. We're just lucky that he's focused on the vampires -- for now, anyway. At the moment they seem to be higher on his list of suspects."
I found myself hoping that the chief would somehow bust into the Cullen basement and find his daughter bound and gagged down there. Hey, a guy could dream.
"Let him come," Old Quil said, scowling. "He can drive around until he turns blue in the face for all I care, but there's not a damn thing he can do. He has no jurisdiction here."
"The mood he's in, I can see him hauling Sam here off to jail," Billy warned. "Jurisdiction or not."
"Bella Swan is more trouble than she's worth." Old Quil's scowl grew even more impressive. "This whole thing has been suspicious from the very beginning. She's not one of us. Billy, are you sure your boy really imprinted on a white girl?"
Billy sighed, burying his face in his hands. Sue rolled her eyes. Clearly this had come up before, and often.
I decided to take the question. "I'm sure. I can see inside his head. It's exactly the same as Jared's and mine." Exactly the same as your grandson's on a toddler, I wanted to add, but it seemed petty. Not to mention I agreed with him about Bella ninety percent of the time.
He subsided, muttering about tribal leaders and losing our heritage, but Sue said, "That's a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. What I'm worried about is that Charlie might come here and do something stupid when we need the Pack focused."
"And believe me, we need them focused right now." I saw my opportunity and dived into the explanation of the Volturi. They all looked surprised, then concerned, then grave as I ran through the list of the bloodsuckers' powers. I wrapped up with, "So do any of you have some advice?" Please for the love of God have some advice. I was so sick of pretending I knew what to do.
They stared at me. Finally Old Quil spoke, and in a tone that brooked no argument. "You are Alpha, Sam Uley. It is your job to lead."
I hoped my frustration wasn't too obvious in my expression, given that it was eating me from the inside out. "Do you have an opinion, then," I said, keeping my voice controlled, "on whether I should tell Jacob that Bella's gone?"
"You've got to keep it from him," Billy replied instantly.
Sue nodded, reluctance clear on her face. "I know it's hard, and dishonest, but we can't afford to lose Jake right now."
"It'd be better if the girl never came back," Old Quil said in that supposed-to-be-but-not-really undertone he used when he wanted everyone to know he disapproved of something. "If she had never come here in the first place half our problems would be gone."
"Excuse us." Billy directed a pointed glare at Old Quil and motioned towards the kitchen. Sue and I got out of the way quickly as the two men left the room; I could hear the arguing starting before the door swung closed. We looked at each other awkwardly.
Sue had liked me,once upon a time, before I dumped her daughter for no good reason. But now she was on the Council and knew about imprinting; that had cut down on the hostile glares whenever we crossed paths, but it was still... uncomfortable. "So," she said in the tones of someone searching for a safe topic, "how is Emily these days?"
--emilyemilyemily--
Pissed off at me. Pregnant. Depressed. "She's fine. Fine." I wasn't sure if the pregnancy thing was something I should announce, or if we were supposed to send out cards -- didn't people send cards? -- or something else "special" and complicated, but right now I didn't feel like telling my ex-girlfriend's mom that I had knocked up her niece.
Which reminded me that I was going to have to tell my mom. I didn't even want to consider what she'd say, except I was pretty sure I already knew. For that matter, I needed to stop in and make sure her electricity hadn't been cut off yet. And get some groceries for her and Emily, and mow the lawn, and--
"Are you two doing something special next weekend? Any big plans?"
I blinked. "Huh? What's next weekend?"
There was a beat, then pity and dismay warred for control of Sue's expression. "Your birthday, Sam. Twenty-one is kind of a milestone. You should do something nice for yourself."
I was so tired. "What day is today again?"
Before Sue could answer, loud, insistent thumping started up at the front door. I reached over and swung it open -- and looked down. Way down. On the porch stood a short, curly-headed white girl.
The white girl's eyes got big as she stared at me. "Is this Jacob Black's house?" she demanded. "I checked in at the store and they said I wanted the place with the big garage."
"Yes..."
"Are you one of Jacob's brothers?"
"In a manner of speaking," I answered slowly. What was this?
"Whoa. Bella wasn't lying. I so want to come to one of your parties." She stepped across the threshold without waiting for an invitation and said bluntly: "I'm Jessica. I just stopped by to find out if Bella's here or if she and Jacob, like, ran off to Vegas or something stupid like that."
"Why would you think she was here?" Billy demanded from the kitchen table.
"Oh, please," she scoffed. "Look, I know she was with Jacob the other night 'watching movies' and... and, um, I guess you didn't know that, did you," she added as Billy's face darkened. "Oops."
Billy muttered something that made Sue glare at him and say, "Don't come looking to me for sympathy. I had to deal with Leah."
I scratched the back of my neck and avoided her eyes.
"Well, anyway," said Jessica, apparently annoyed to have lost the attention of the room, "Chief Swan's all over the place looking for Bella 'cause no one's seen her. So, seriously, is she hiding out here with Jacob? She was all shmoopy and stuff when I dropped her off, so I was thinking she might have--"
"No," I said. "She hasn't been here, and she's not here now."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Oh, crap." Jessica gnawed on her lower lip. "I already told her dad that she was with me on prom night. I didn't want to rat her out or anything... so she's actually missing?"
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Looks that way," I said reluctantly, wishing not for the first time -- nor, I imagined, the last -- that I was leading a different, less complicated life.
The girl looked genuinely worried now. "Well, in that case, I better call the police station and tell them the truth. There's kind of a fine line between estrogen solidarity and obstruction of justice... can I borrow a phone? Cell reception is crap out here, I don't know how you all survive."
"No," I interposed, fast. "Listen, I'll handle it. There's no need for you to get involved. It's not going to make any difference anyway."
She drew back, suspicion making her nose scrunch up and forehead wrinkle. "Right. It's totally no big deal that she disappeared right after she spent the night with your brother. Look, just because Bella and I haven't always been BFFs doesn't mean I'm not gonna care that she's been kidnapped or black bagged or whatever--"
"What?"
Shit.
We hadn't closed the door, but really, it wouldn't have made any difference. Jacob and Embry were already nearly on the steps. "Whoa," I heard Jessica whisper, and she flashed an appreciative smile at Embry -- which he definitely noticed.
That didn't matter. My attention was on the powder keg about to explode in the front yard. "Jacob," I tried to order, "calm down and come inside."
It was no use. I could feel Jacob's mind as clearly as if it was my own, reaching down the imprint tether to tug on his awareness of Bella, then the shockwave of realization that the silence he'd been hearing wasn't because she was okay, it was because she wasn't there--
--and he phased, right in front of everyone. Scraps of his clothes raining down all around us as Jessica screamed, Sue and Billy shouted, and Embry swore loudly.
Then Jacob was sprinting flat-out in the direction of Forks. I just had the presence of mind to remove my shoes and shorts while I yelled, "Embry, handle the girl!" before leaping off the porch. I transformed as I hit the ground running.
Chaos instantly surrounded me.
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
(kimkimkim) Jacob, what happened? (kimkimBELLABELLABELLA)
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
(claireclaireclaire gotta see her something's wrong BELLABELLABELLA)
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
Christ, what did the stupid little (BELLABELLABELLA) What in--
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
Do something, Sam, before I (BELLABELLABELLA)--
Everyone was reeling, unable to think anything else but Jacob's thoughts. His voice was always the loudest, and he was beyond reason. Everyone else phase out, I ordered, now!
The other panicked voices dropped out of my head. With a massive effort, I managed to focus through Jacob's eyes, avoiding trees around me through pure instinct, and saw with a chill that he was way too close to the boundary line.
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
Jacob, I called, you have to stop, you're too close, you're--
--emilyemilyBELLABELLA--
Goddammit. I pulled on every bit of willpower I had. Stay inside the boundary line, Jacob!
The rebound headache hit me like a railroad spike between the eyes, and I heard a keening animal noise in my throat as I stumbled over my own paws.
It worked, though; I felt him pull up short just before leaving our lands. It wasn't technically an order to stay away from his imprint, and he couldn't concentrate enough to fight me. I continued to head in his direction, trying to think around the pain in my skull.
Positives: There was no further need to hide Bella's disappearance from him. He might fight all the harder if he thought it would help get her back.
Negatives: Too many to list.
Finally, I caught up to him. He was pacing along the exact edge of the boundary line, whining and pawing at the dirt. Sam, I can't feel her. I can't find her! (BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
I had to be impressed with the little self-control Jacob was holding on to. Trotting up next to him, I bumped him with my muzzle. For once, he crouched down, ears flattened; my brother was lost, and he needed reassurance from someone older and in charge. And I would give it to him. That was my job. Listen, Jake, it's okay. Bella's fine. You'd know if she wasn't.
But what happened to her? Jessica said-- Bells wouldn't-- Charlie is-- The wolf's sides were heaving for breath. She wouldn't just leave!
Jacob, listen to me--
You heard Jessica, same as I did! (BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!) Kidnapped or black bagged or whatever--
Jacob, stop. I tried to hide my relief; Jacob still didn't realize anyone else had known about Bella. He thought Jessica had told me. Thank God, because him realizing the truth was the last thing I needed. Listen. We're going to figure this out. I promise we're going to figure this out. But you've got to stay inside the boundary line and hold yourself together, or all hell will break loose. Think of the Pack, Jake. They need you. And... I tried to think up something else, something comforting... And after all, you never felt her get upset, right? Maybe she just decided to go off on her own for some weird reason.
It could've happened. The little psychic could've convinced her to hide out till the whole Volturi thing blew over.
And then Bella just decided to leave a backpack full of condoms in her front yard as a joke.
Sure.
(BELLA!BELLABELLAbella) Okay. Okay. The red wolf continued to pace, staring out into the woods fretfully, but at least he seemed to be breathing again. You're right. She's okay. (bellabellabella) She has to be okay, I would-- I'd know if-- (bellabellabella) and it's-- you and me, we're going to get her back, right?
That's right.
I was going to just keep on making this up until it got easier.
***
Chapter Twelve: Be Yourself
Sanity Update, Mera Edition: Hi. *awkward wave* Audrey said I have to do these, so I'd like to take this opportunity to state that her Sam is about ten times more depressing than my Sam, which prior to writing this I wouldn't have thought possible, and that after writing this chapter I OD'd on Nikita episodes on Instant Viewing so I wouldn't have to keep thinking about him. That is all.
All the hugs to HoochieMomma for beta'ing this and keeping me from throwing myself off the nearest cliff.
Author: audreyii_fic
Fandom: Twilight (Team Jacob)
Rating: T
Characters: Full cast (Jacob/Bella, Sam/Emily)
Genre: Romance/Angst/Wolfpack!Humor
Warnings: Language, violence, and references to adult behavior. See here for more details.
banner courtesy of untilwebleedoz
Summary:
Sequel to The Movement of the Earth. Bella finds the cost of joining the supernatural world may be higher than she can pay. ( Click here to start from the beginning.)
Chapter Eleven:
A/N: Hi there again, my darlings. I am pleased to announce that, in spite of all odds, The Fire of the Sun is back and shall be completed.
No, really.
I want to be absolutely, one hundred percent clear, because she's going to try to be all shy and humble: This story would never have been finished without mera_naam_joker. I was prepared to outright hide under a rock from the entire fandom, but she saved me. (Credit for this also goes to Naranwien, who was scheduled to co-author but tragically had to move house and country in the midst of things. Love you too, sweetie.) I made the outline, and I did the editing, but Mera wrote the words. Everything good about this story is hers. (Everything bad about it is mine. Anyone who hates where the plot goes from here is to hold me, and me alone, accountable.) And you know what else Mera did, because she's crazy smarter than me? She wrote all the chapters before preparing to post, unlike how I do it, which is haphazardly writing by the seat of my pants and flouncing.
Catching the theme yet? Mera Naam Joker is an angel. Please go read her lovely stories, and if you're happy FotS is continuing, please drop her a PM. I myself plan to mail a basket of adorable kittens just as soon as I figure out the postage.
Also, I would be greatly remiss if thanks did not go to beta goddess Hoochie Mama, who waded knee-deep into the insanity and found where the words made no damn sense, even going above and beyond the call of duty to learn American idioms. Hats off, my lovely.
Update scheduling shall return to the days of yore: Sundays and Wednesdays. With a little luck, we'll be done by the end of the year.
Recap: Remember what was going on? Hell, I barely do. The clearest approach to things would probably be to go back and read both The Movement of the Earth and this fic from the beginning; that, however, is obviously both time consuming and a pain in the ass. Therefore, here's a handy-dandy little summary of what's happened so far:
Jacob imprinted on Bella. There was much angst. The Cullens came back, intending to protect Bella from the various dangerous positions she now found herself in, including being the imprint of a werewolf. There was more angst. Bella and Jacob tried to have a genuine romance within an imprint-fueled werewolf romance, to a moderate if angsty degree of success. Alice kidnapped Bella. Bella passed out too quickly for there to be angst.
Meanwhile, Sam was being driven not-so-slowly crazy by the demands of his Alpha position. There was much angst. Carlisle informed the Pack that the Volturi were on their way to kill the werewolves. This led to anger, not angst. Sam found out Bella had been kidnapped, but decided not to tell Jacob. And there was heaps of angst.
Everyone up to speed? Excellent.
we open the latch on the gate / of the hole that we call our home
Placebo, "Protect Me From What I Want"
11. Cover Your Weaknesses
(claireclaireclaire there's something wrong i can feel it) Sam, I have to go see her!
(kimkimkim no stop that's not me) Sam, can't you get Emily to do something about this?
Yeah. Emily should definitely do something about this. (so disgusting goddamn imprinting always imprinting) (sorry leah i know you don't understand) Hey, Mighty Alpha, why does Seth have to be here if he's not going to fight?
I can fight, Sam! (i think maybe not better than running away)
Sam, how long is this going to take? (no sleep so tired so worth it) [smooth breasts and giggling]
So, Sam, a bloodsucker's going to teach us how to kill bloodsuckers. No conflict of interest there. I'd take advice from Jacob's leech lover before I'd trust them. [cool hands] (you're doing good paul shutupshutup)
Maybe you should considering she's killed as many vampires as you have, Paul. (bellabellabella so fucked up going to work with the leeches so wrong touches her again and i'll) [a black empty spot and a lot of rage]
At least Jacob wasn't being a pain in my ass. For once. Quil, you have to wait. Jared, I'll talk to Emily and see what I can do. Like maybe duck really fast once I asked, because I was pretty sure Emily would chase me with a broom when I did. Leah, he's here because bigger numbers give us the psychological advantage. Seth, I'm sure you'll do fine. And because if worse came to worst he should at least be able to defend himself. Paul, let's just see what he has to say before we dismiss it. Embry, I don't know how long it will take. Jacob, don't...
Don't what?
I sighed. Nothing.
We were on our way to the clearing. It made me nervous to not have any patrols on the perimeter, but I didn't see any choice; the Pack mind couldn't transfer the knowledge of how a body moved in combat. That was something that needed to be experienced, like riding a bike instead of reading about it in a book, and Leah, Quil, and Seth had never actually fought a vampire before. And it wasn't like everyone else had done much more than rip up the black-haired bloodsucker and chase down the red-head. Everyone needed more training before we leapt into this mess.
Even if the training came from leeches.
As we drew close the stench washed over on the breeze, and all our hackles involuntarily rose in response. It grew worse when we emerged into open area and saw the Cullens standing there.
Minus the psychic.
Gee, wonder where she could be.
"Good evening," Carlisle Cullen greeted us, waiting until we all were in his view before speaking. "Edward has volunteered his services as translator tonight so you won't need to transform."
Wonderful. I trusted his 'son' even less than I did the rest of them. I directed a pointed glare at the dead thing and focused on one thought alone: Was it your idea?
He caught my expression, and a hint of discomposure -- and defensiveness -- flickered over his moody face.
I had my answer.
The others didn't. I could feel their general curiosity, but it faded into the background when the leech directed a glower at Jacob. Jacob glared back, a snarl building in his throat and his barely leashed rage filling my mind.
Jacob, cut it out. When he ignored me, I sighed and changed my request to an order. Jacob, stop staring at Edward.
At the same time, Carlisle said quietly, "Edward, we're here to work together."
"All right." With obvious reluctance, Edward looked back at me and asked, "Are you amenable to Carlisle's suggestion?"
What -- oh. Him translating. Sure, whatever.
"Sam? Are you?" Now he looked hopelessly confused.
What was his problem? I said sure. Okay. Fine. Translate away.
"How can you function like that?" the leech demanded, and to my surprise he looked at Jared, Quil, and Jacob in turn. "All of you -- your minds are completely circular, they spiral constantly -- who is 'Claire'?"
Quil snarled. (leech doesn't get to think of her doesn't get to see) [gap-toothed smile twirling skirt uncomplicated joy]
Shut up, Quil. Okay. Imprinted thoughts were hard to understand, apparently.
Advantage: The bloodsucker couldn't read my mind.
Disadvantage: The bloodsucker couldn't read my mind.
Paul? I thought.
Yeah. I'm on it.
Edward's face cleared as he looked at Paul. "That's much better. Thank you."
Paul snorted. Go fuck yourself.
Edward frowned disapprovingly, and I rolled my eyes. Paul, if you're going to be spokeswolf, play nice. Otherwise I'll give the job to Embry.
But I think he should go fuck himself too.
Great.
"Because I'm most familiar with the Volturi, I'll give you a brief synopsis of their major players and their powers," Carlisle began. I had a vague recollection of taking notes in biology class what felt like a million years ago. "First, there's Aro. He's the overall leader. Like Edward, he's a telepath, but his ability is dependent on touch. And unlike Edward, when he touches you, he can read every thought you've ever had, not just what you're thinking at the moment. Every memory, every impression, whether conscious or unconscious, is available to him."
Quil snorted. So don't let him hold your hand (claireclaireclaire) if you don't want him to find out the candy bar from the convenience store.
--what a joke--
--I could be with Kim (kimkimkim) now instead of listening to this crap--
--rip his head off, see if you can read his mind then--
At least pretend you're paying attention.
Silence. Internally, anyway. Carlisle was still talking. "...So Caius will ensure that the elements do whatever is favorable for the Volturi's plans, especially given his hatred for your kind.
"Marcus can sense relationships."
I hadn't been specific enough. Instantly the mental commentary erupted again.
Relationships? (bellabellabella) Really?
(kimkimkim) How does that do anything?
So basically he can read your diary and tell everyone who you've been crushing on. Watch out, world. (sorry leah i know you don't understand) Hey, Embry, maybe he can tell you--
Leah, you're so pathetic, you think I don't know [face in a mirror same chin or nose?] what you're trying to do?
(claireclaireclaire) (old quil lecturing responsibility heritage all the time all the time)
Stop talking to each other and listen.
"Next we have the twins, Alec and Jane. Do not be fooled by their youthful appearance; they're both very old and very powerful. Alec can cause his opponents to exist in a state of total sensory deprivation."
Why the hell can't he talk like a normal person? What does that even mean?
For God's sake, Jared, it's not so damn hard to understand. I know we had to drop out of school but that doesn't mean that we get to be morons.
Shut up, Paul.
Bickering counts as talking!
"It means you can't see, hear, smell, taste, or feel anything," Edward explained directly to Jared, a smug smile on his face.
For once, we were united in one thought: Fucking prick.
The smile disappeared.
"Jane, on the other hand, can manipulate a person's mind to believe he or she is experiencing terrible pain. No physical damage is sustained, but the experience is excruciating, from what I've witnessed."
I reflected for a moment on what a truly wonderful doctor Carlisle Cullen was. 'Do no harm' apparently meant 'ignore it if someone else is doing the harm.'
"Demetri is a tracker. He can find anyone in the world once he's been in close proximity with his or her mind. Renata is a shield for Aro. She stays close to him at all times so that she can protect him by confusing the attacker with her powers, who ends up redirected and forgets he was attacking in the first place."
Now that actually sounded threatening.
I tuned into the others more purposefully and got their impressions: the vampires sounded ridiculous. Whatever; we'd taken out the nomad with no problem, right? Maybe these Volturi seemed scary to their own kind, but they were nothing but cold, animated stone, made to be torn apart by us. I sensed the Pack's agreement with that sentiment wash over me, a feeling of certainty and smugness--
--and then the one called Jasper stepped forward. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here, but he also looked pretty pissed off. "From what I understand," he said crisply, as though he were giving a speech to troops, "one nomadic vampire with a grudge tied y'all in knots for weeks. So if I were you and I wanted to keep my fur on my bones, I'd listen to what I have to say."
The scar in my side ached suddenly, and the smug feeling in the Pack died down. He had a point.
Jasper took over the presentation, keeping his comments short and to the point, describing the most vulnerable sides and angles of attack ("and by vulnerable, I mean the most assailable, not 'easy'"). Then he motioned Edward forward to demonstrate, and a couple of times I could've sworn their faked combat looked real.
A satisfied noise came from Jacob as Edward hit the ground for the third time. Hey Sam, can I--
No.
After Jasper was done pretending to wipe the floor with Edward, he split everyone up into groups to practice -- making an obvious point to pair Jacob with the doctor's wife and Edward with Leah. Satisfied that nothing horrible was about to happen in the next three minutes, I phased back to human form, pulled on my cutoffs, and found the doctor.
"Sam," he said with a welcoming smile.
"Can I speak to you privately?" I asked, trying not to growl. Filthy two-faced leech.
"Of course."
The instant we stepped out of earshot of the others, I had him by the collar of his stupid sweater, slammed up against a tree. "Where... is... Bella... Swan?" I snarled, with a shake of his clothes to go with every word.
He held up his too-smooth hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm sorry. I'm as unhappy about this as you."
"The hell you are!"
"I truly apologize, Sam. For what it's worth, I was not part of this plan." He seemed pretty uncomfortable with admitting that, too. "I don't know where Bella is, exactly, but she's with Alice, who loves her like a sister. I have no doubt she'll be perfectly safe."
"Bullshit." I got as close to his face as I could stand. "Give her back, now, before Jacob finds out and all hell breaks loose."
"I hope it won't come to that." Carlisle looked intrigued. "I must confess, I'm surprised you're keeping it from him."
I let go of his sweater and backed off a little so I could avoid his eyes. "I have to think of the greater good," I said. I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt. "When one of us is freaked out, it has the same effect on all the rest. If he loses control, everyone else will too. They won't be able to help it."
Bella fucking Swan. Everything that made my life hard started and ended with her.
When I glanced back at the doctor, he looked pleased. "See?" he said, nodding. "You understand my position perfectly. Edward is the same way. My son cannot function if Bella Swan is in danger."
"My brother can't function if Bella Swan is missing."
Carlisle shook his head. I could hear the stone of his vertebrae grinding together. "And who is more important to surviving the next few days?" His tone was reasonable. "Jacob seems to be very talented, but he can't read minds. Edward can. We have to be honest with ourselves -- who do we need more in this coming battle?"
I had no intention of listening to what he was saying. Even if there was logic behind it.
He went on, "Bella must be kept far from the Volturi. They do not accept humans knowing about vampires and they would kill her instantly. Had she been in town, Edward would have been too fearful for her safety to focus."
Uh-huh. I was real worried about his fake son and his focus problems. They had no idea what being separated from an imprint could do to one of us. "Jacob is going to lose his mind, do you understand?" I managed between gritted teeth. "And I'm not just throwing those words around, you son of a bitch. He is going to lose his mind, just because your 'son' has anxiety issues."
Carlisle smiled sadly. "If you had children," he said, "you would understand."
Emily's face flashed in my mind and cold flooded through my body. I didn't know I was going to say it till I heard the words come out of my mouth with total conviction: "When this is all over, I'm going to kill you."
"I can certainly understand your position," he replied graciously.
I walked away before I could phase and take his head off. Somehow I didn't think that would help matters -- but it would've felt really good.
Note to self: when killing the doctor, don't bother being in a hurry about it.
***
We trained until I knew we would all be repeating the drills in our sleep. By the end of the session, the overall mood had turned grim. Jasper had been able to make clear what Carlisle couldn't: vampires weren't exactly an easy target. We had been designed to take down the occasional nomad as a group, not to enter into an actual battle against several at once. Even with the doctor's coven on our side, this could go really badly.
At least the others waited until we were sure Edward was out of range before they started throwing questions at me.
Sam, this is going to be way worse than we thought, isn't it? Worse than the redhead. [smell of blood acid in throat cool hands on neck] (you're doing good shut up shutup)
(claireclaireclaire keep her safe what's wrong gotta check) We can take them, right? [tiny girl sick listless fever cold]
(kimkimkim keep her safe) How long did he say we have again?
[a body hitting the floor] (not seth not mom not seth) [a toddler in a crib]
(bellabellabella keep her safe) The advantage is to us... probably... except for the twins. (i'm good with weird)
(wish i was bigger stronger taller hadn't had this happen) [a body hitting the floor]
(i could die not knowing) How bad do you think this is gonna get? [image in the mirror at a new angle]
It's going to be all right, I reassured them all, thankful for the seven thousandth time that none of them could read what was under my words. We're stronger than they know, and now we've been trained by their own. Advantage is to us, every time. They're just a bunch of dead people. We're here to finish the job. That seemed to help; a sense of calm, if not confidence, settled through the group. Jacob, Quil, Jared, Embry, you're on patrol. Seth, do your history paper. The rest of you, get some sleep.
I had to give Leah some credit; at least she waited till the others phased out to do the same and speak to me. "Let me talk to you alone."
I phased back too, pulling up my shorts, though she hadn't gotten dressed and didn't look away. It felt like an insult. I knew it was an insult.
She shook her head at me, smirking with disdain. "You're full of shit, Sam Uley. You don't have the slightest idea what you're doing."
"Leah, it's like I said--"
"Please. I know you. Don't think I don't know you."
I never thought that.
"Listen. I don't want Seth within a mile of this Volturi thing." She stepped closer. Her expression was serious now. "Put me on the front lines; l can fight enough for both of us. I don't care. Just don't make him go."
The only thing I could do to make Leah happy was to relieve Seth of as much wolf-related responsibility as I could. Still, we might need numbers more than anything. "I'll do what I can, Leah."
"That's not good enough," she snapped. "He's just a kid. He's all my mom has left."
"She has you," I tried, but she gave me a look so heavy with contempt that I shut down that line of conversation. "Leah, it's not my fault he's one of us."
"Right. Nothing's ever your fault, is it, Sam?"
I wanted Emily so badly my whole body ached, and it wasn't just Quil who was making me feel that way. "Yeah, Leah. Nothing's ever my fault. We done here?"
"Oh, I'd say we've been done for a while now, wouldn't you?"
I let her have the last word, because it seemed like I had everything else.
--emilyemilyemily--
I got home and crept to the bedroom, avoiding the squeaky boards as I went. Emily was already asleep. When I crawled in next to her she moved closer without waking, but her hand went to her belly instead of to me.
I'd expected to pass out the moment my head hit the pillow, but for once I couldn't. Too many voices wanting too many people they couldn't have.
***
In the morning, as I sat down to eat the pot of oatmeal Emily had ready, a knock at the door interrupted me. Emily opened the door and stood aside to let Jacob duck in.
"Hey, Emily. Hey, Sam." He smiled, but it wasn't at all genuine. He sat down for a second, and almost instantly got back up and paced around the kitchen. His fingers drummed restlessly over everything he touched.
Emily murmured some excuse about checking the garden. As soon as the door closed behind her, Jacob begged, "Please let him go see her."
No need to specify who he meant. I could hear it as clearly as if Quil stood next to me jabbering "Claire Claire Claire" right in my ear.
Jacob did another turn around the kitchen, then stood next to the counter, picking things up and putting them down again as if he didn't even feel them in his hands. "It's driving me nuts," he said. "It's making me worry about Bella all the time. I can't think about anything else and it's because he wants Claire so bad."
At least he still thought it was because of Quil. "Go back on patrol," I told him, shoveling the last of the oatmeal into my mouth so I wouldn't have to look him in the face.
"Can I go see Bella, then?"
"No," I said quickly. Jacob gave me a strange look, and I added, "Someone's got to keep things in line while I go check with the Council about this Volturi stuff. And I'll ask them about Quil, all right?"
"You just want to go to my dad's and see if he's got any coffee," Jake retorted, but he sort of smiled when he said it.
Better than nothing.
***
Billy didn't have to hear much before he called Old Quil and Sue Clearwater to come over -- and then he actually did give me some coffee as he dialed. It was weak and bitter but that was better than nothing, too.
Once he hung up with Sue, Billy wheeled over to the table and gave me one of his looks -- the kind that was meant to make you start talking freely and randomly until you ran out of words. I resisted the urge to bite my tongue. "How are things going, Sam? I know you've got a lot on your plate right now."
I wanted to laugh in his face but instead I shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle."
"The new additions to the Pack making shifts easier?"
Now I did laugh. "Not really, no."
"Is Jacob still holding up?"
"Kind of. For now."
There was a beat, then: "How's Embry?"
Lifting my head, I saw that he was examining me with a kind of painful intensity. "Embry? He's okay, I guess." When his mom wasn't screaming her head off at him and Leah wasn't giving him shit about who his real dad might be.
"You're sure?" Billy persisted.
"Yeah, he's..." I frowned, confused, but then the real dad thing and the look on Billy's face converged into one thought and--
--well, great. I filed that in the "Shit I Don't Have Time to Deal With Right Now" folder and closed the drawer.
A few seconds later, Old Quil came straight in without bothering to knock. "Billy," he grumbled, settling heavily into the most padded of the mismatched chairs. Everything Old Quil said, from "Pass the salt" to "this is the tale of Dokibatt the Transformer," sounded like grumbling. He was ancient, though, so he had earned the right.
Sue followed hard on his heels, shutting the door after she came in. "Hi," she told us all, giving a general nod before she sat next to Billy. He fixed her coffee without asking how she took it -- they'd been friends since they were born -- and then gave Old Quil some tea.
Billy broke the silence. "Charlie's tearing Forks apart looking for Bella, and he keeps calling, threatening to come down here and do the same. We're just lucky that he's focused on the vampires -- for now, anyway. At the moment they seem to be higher on his list of suspects."
I found myself hoping that the chief would somehow bust into the Cullen basement and find his daughter bound and gagged down there. Hey, a guy could dream.
"Let him come," Old Quil said, scowling. "He can drive around until he turns blue in the face for all I care, but there's not a damn thing he can do. He has no jurisdiction here."
"The mood he's in, I can see him hauling Sam here off to jail," Billy warned. "Jurisdiction or not."
"Bella Swan is more trouble than she's worth." Old Quil's scowl grew even more impressive. "This whole thing has been suspicious from the very beginning. She's not one of us. Billy, are you sure your boy really imprinted on a white girl?"
Billy sighed, burying his face in his hands. Sue rolled her eyes. Clearly this had come up before, and often.
I decided to take the question. "I'm sure. I can see inside his head. It's exactly the same as Jared's and mine." Exactly the same as your grandson's on a toddler, I wanted to add, but it seemed petty. Not to mention I agreed with him about Bella ninety percent of the time.
He subsided, muttering about tribal leaders and losing our heritage, but Sue said, "That's a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. What I'm worried about is that Charlie might come here and do something stupid when we need the Pack focused."
"And believe me, we need them focused right now." I saw my opportunity and dived into the explanation of the Volturi. They all looked surprised, then concerned, then grave as I ran through the list of the bloodsuckers' powers. I wrapped up with, "So do any of you have some advice?" Please for the love of God have some advice. I was so sick of pretending I knew what to do.
They stared at me. Finally Old Quil spoke, and in a tone that brooked no argument. "You are Alpha, Sam Uley. It is your job to lead."
I hoped my frustration wasn't too obvious in my expression, given that it was eating me from the inside out. "Do you have an opinion, then," I said, keeping my voice controlled, "on whether I should tell Jacob that Bella's gone?"
"You've got to keep it from him," Billy replied instantly.
Sue nodded, reluctance clear on her face. "I know it's hard, and dishonest, but we can't afford to lose Jake right now."
"It'd be better if the girl never came back," Old Quil said in that supposed-to-be-but-not-really undertone he used when he wanted everyone to know he disapproved of something. "If she had never come here in the first place half our problems would be gone."
"Excuse us." Billy directed a pointed glare at Old Quil and motioned towards the kitchen. Sue and I got out of the way quickly as the two men left the room; I could hear the arguing starting before the door swung closed. We looked at each other awkwardly.
Sue had liked me,once upon a time, before I dumped her daughter for no good reason. But now she was on the Council and knew about imprinting; that had cut down on the hostile glares whenever we crossed paths, but it was still... uncomfortable. "So," she said in the tones of someone searching for a safe topic, "how is Emily these days?"
--emilyemilyemily--
Pissed off at me. Pregnant. Depressed. "She's fine. Fine." I wasn't sure if the pregnancy thing was something I should announce, or if we were supposed to send out cards -- didn't people send cards? -- or something else "special" and complicated, but right now I didn't feel like telling my ex-girlfriend's mom that I had knocked up her niece.
Which reminded me that I was going to have to tell my mom. I didn't even want to consider what she'd say, except I was pretty sure I already knew. For that matter, I needed to stop in and make sure her electricity hadn't been cut off yet. And get some groceries for her and Emily, and mow the lawn, and--
"Are you two doing something special next weekend? Any big plans?"
I blinked. "Huh? What's next weekend?"
There was a beat, then pity and dismay warred for control of Sue's expression. "Your birthday, Sam. Twenty-one is kind of a milestone. You should do something nice for yourself."
I was so tired. "What day is today again?"
Before Sue could answer, loud, insistent thumping started up at the front door. I reached over and swung it open -- and looked down. Way down. On the porch stood a short, curly-headed white girl.
The white girl's eyes got big as she stared at me. "Is this Jacob Black's house?" she demanded. "I checked in at the store and they said I wanted the place with the big garage."
"Yes..."
"Are you one of Jacob's brothers?"
"In a manner of speaking," I answered slowly. What was this?
"Whoa. Bella wasn't lying. I so want to come to one of your parties." She stepped across the threshold without waiting for an invitation and said bluntly: "I'm Jessica. I just stopped by to find out if Bella's here or if she and Jacob, like, ran off to Vegas or something stupid like that."
"Why would you think she was here?" Billy demanded from the kitchen table.
"Oh, please," she scoffed. "Look, I know she was with Jacob the other night 'watching movies' and... and, um, I guess you didn't know that, did you," she added as Billy's face darkened. "Oops."
Billy muttered something that made Sue glare at him and say, "Don't come looking to me for sympathy. I had to deal with Leah."
I scratched the back of my neck and avoided her eyes.
"Well, anyway," said Jessica, apparently annoyed to have lost the attention of the room, "Chief Swan's all over the place looking for Bella 'cause no one's seen her. So, seriously, is she hiding out here with Jacob? She was all shmoopy and stuff when I dropped her off, so I was thinking she might have--"
"No," I said. "She hasn't been here, and she's not here now."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Oh, crap." Jessica gnawed on her lower lip. "I already told her dad that she was with me on prom night. I didn't want to rat her out or anything... so she's actually missing?"
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Looks that way," I said reluctantly, wishing not for the first time -- nor, I imagined, the last -- that I was leading a different, less complicated life.
The girl looked genuinely worried now. "Well, in that case, I better call the police station and tell them the truth. There's kind of a fine line between estrogen solidarity and obstruction of justice... can I borrow a phone? Cell reception is crap out here, I don't know how you all survive."
"No," I interposed, fast. "Listen, I'll handle it. There's no need for you to get involved. It's not going to make any difference anyway."
She drew back, suspicion making her nose scrunch up and forehead wrinkle. "Right. It's totally no big deal that she disappeared right after she spent the night with your brother. Look, just because Bella and I haven't always been BFFs doesn't mean I'm not gonna care that she's been kidnapped or black bagged or whatever--"
"What?"
Shit.
We hadn't closed the door, but really, it wouldn't have made any difference. Jacob and Embry were already nearly on the steps. "Whoa," I heard Jessica whisper, and she flashed an appreciative smile at Embry -- which he definitely noticed.
That didn't matter. My attention was on the powder keg about to explode in the front yard. "Jacob," I tried to order, "calm down and come inside."
It was no use. I could feel Jacob's mind as clearly as if it was my own, reaching down the imprint tether to tug on his awareness of Bella, then the shockwave of realization that the silence he'd been hearing wasn't because she was okay, it was because she wasn't there--
--and he phased, right in front of everyone. Scraps of his clothes raining down all around us as Jessica screamed, Sue and Billy shouted, and Embry swore loudly.
Then Jacob was sprinting flat-out in the direction of Forks. I just had the presence of mind to remove my shoes and shorts while I yelled, "Embry, handle the girl!" before leaping off the porch. I transformed as I hit the ground running.
Chaos instantly surrounded me.
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
(kimkimkim) Jacob, what happened? (kimkimBELLABELLABELLA)
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
(claireclaireclaire gotta see her something's wrong BELLABELLABELLA)
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
Christ, what did the stupid little (BELLABELLABELLA) What in--
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
Do something, Sam, before I (BELLABELLABELLA)--
Everyone was reeling, unable to think anything else but Jacob's thoughts. His voice was always the loudest, and he was beyond reason. Everyone else phase out, I ordered, now!
The other panicked voices dropped out of my head. With a massive effort, I managed to focus through Jacob's eyes, avoiding trees around me through pure instinct, and saw with a chill that he was way too close to the boundary line.
(BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
Jacob, I called, you have to stop, you're too close, you're--
--emilyemilyBELLABELLA--
Goddammit. I pulled on every bit of willpower I had. Stay inside the boundary line, Jacob!
The rebound headache hit me like a railroad spike between the eyes, and I heard a keening animal noise in my throat as I stumbled over my own paws.
It worked, though; I felt him pull up short just before leaving our lands. It wasn't technically an order to stay away from his imprint, and he couldn't concentrate enough to fight me. I continued to head in his direction, trying to think around the pain in my skull.
Positives: There was no further need to hide Bella's disappearance from him. He might fight all the harder if he thought it would help get her back.
Negatives: Too many to list.
Finally, I caught up to him. He was pacing along the exact edge of the boundary line, whining and pawing at the dirt. Sam, I can't feel her. I can't find her! (BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!)
I had to be impressed with the little self-control Jacob was holding on to. Trotting up next to him, I bumped him with my muzzle. For once, he crouched down, ears flattened; my brother was lost, and he needed reassurance from someone older and in charge. And I would give it to him. That was my job. Listen, Jake, it's okay. Bella's fine. You'd know if she wasn't.
But what happened to her? Jessica said-- Bells wouldn't-- Charlie is-- The wolf's sides were heaving for breath. She wouldn't just leave!
Jacob, listen to me--
You heard Jessica, same as I did! (BELLA!BELLA!BELLA!) Kidnapped or black bagged or whatever--
Jacob, stop. I tried to hide my relief; Jacob still didn't realize anyone else had known about Bella. He thought Jessica had told me. Thank God, because him realizing the truth was the last thing I needed. Listen. We're going to figure this out. I promise we're going to figure this out. But you've got to stay inside the boundary line and hold yourself together, or all hell will break loose. Think of the Pack, Jake. They need you. And... I tried to think up something else, something comforting... And after all, you never felt her get upset, right? Maybe she just decided to go off on her own for some weird reason.
It could've happened. The little psychic could've convinced her to hide out till the whole Volturi thing blew over.
And then Bella just decided to leave a backpack full of condoms in her front yard as a joke.
Sure.
(BELLA!BELLABELLAbella) Okay. Okay. The red wolf continued to pace, staring out into the woods fretfully, but at least he seemed to be breathing again. You're right. She's okay. (bellabellabella) She has to be okay, I would-- I'd know if-- (bellabellabella) and it's-- you and me, we're going to get her back, right?
That's right.
I was going to just keep on making this up until it got easier.
***
Chapter Twelve: Be Yourself
Sanity Update, Mera Edition: Hi. *awkward wave* Audrey said I have to do these, so I'd like to take this opportunity to state that her Sam is about ten times more depressing than my Sam, which prior to writing this I wouldn't have thought possible, and that after writing this chapter I OD'd on Nikita episodes on Instant Viewing so I wouldn't have to keep thinking about him. That is all.
All the hugs to HoochieMomma for beta'ing this and keeping me from throwing myself off the nearest cliff.