The Movement of the Earth -- Chapter 13
Title: The Movement of the Earth
Author: audreyii_fic
Fandom: Twilight (Team Jacob)
Rating: T
Characters: Bella, Jacob, Charlie, and others (J/B)
Genre: Romance/Angst/Wolfpack!Humor
Warnings: Language, violence, and references to adult behavior
banner courtesy of lilabut
Summary: Jacob imprints on Bella. It changes things. A re-write of New Moon, beginning on page 242 in Chapter 10: "The Meadow." ( Link to the beginning.)
Chapter Thirteen:
The TV Series based on the Disclaimer: There are parts of this fic that are lifted directly from New Moon and other parts of the Twilight Saga. Any or all vomiting that may be induced is the fault of Stephenie Meyer -- a person who is entirely separate from me in all ways.
and every sun ascending / a lonesome moon will grow
Bat For Lashes, "Sleep Alone"
13. Visitors
I woke to the familiar smell of antiseptic.
"Bells?"
I blinked groggily. "Dad?"
Charlie's face came into my field of vision, backlit by halogen lights. "You are never leaving the house again," he said bluntly. "Not until I think you can date a boy without winding up in the hospital."
I groaned, and the sound seemed to vibrate in my skull. Everything was too bright: the white sheets, the white lights, the white walls, the white bandages around my hand--
The sight of the bandages jolted me back into reality. "Jacob," I gasped. "Where's Jacob?"
"He's fine, Bella-- hey, hey!" Charlie grabbed me by the upper arms as I tried to get out of the hospital bed, the room tilting as I moved. "Lay down," he commanded as he pushed me back onto the thin, stiff mattress.
There was no point in resisting; the sudden motions I'd undertaken had left me as dizzy as if I'd been spinning in a circle with my arms flung out. Something felt disjointed in my body. "What's wrong with me?" I asked as I settled back gingerly.
"You have a concussion." Charlie pulled the blankets back over my legs, smoothing out the creases. We were in a quiet single room with no equipment and only a single IV in my arm; at least it wasn't intensive care. "And they've given you a lot of morphine."
That explained the spinning. "For what?"
Charlie swallowed. "For your hand." I looked down. My right hand had a new cast running up to my elbow. My left hand was completely covered in loose white gauze. I tried to move my fingers, but nothing happened. I didn't feel anything. "They're going keep you 'til this afternoon, Bells. The doctors still aren't sure if you'll need skin grafts. It's... pretty bad, kiddo."
Of course. My hand had been on fire. Through the disconnect in my brain, I put together the choppy memories: the flames flying through the sky, Jacob's transformation, Victoria's game, the cold water against my face, the car crash, Paul vomiting in the bushes, Emily holding a bloody towel against Sam's side...
I was desperate to know where everyone was and if they were okay, but I couldn't ask Charlie. "What happened?" I said carefully. There would be a cover story, certainly, but I didn't know what it was. "I... don't remember much."
Charlie's expression darkened abruptly. "You fell into a bonfire," he growled. "At Emily Young's house. And then Jacob Black crashed your truck trying to take you to the emergency room. He broke your cast and gave you a concussion."
"But where's Jake?" I asked anxiously. "Is he okay?" All I could remember was the warm brush of fur against my face and screaming--
"He's just fine," Charlie snapped. "You're the only one who got hurt. He went home after he dropped you off. Some kid named Paul got the two of you off the side of the road and brought you the rest of the way." His face began to turn red. "Did anyone call an ambulance? No. Did anyone call the fire department? No. Did anyone call me? No! If I hadn't already been here I wouldn't even have known!"
"Dad--"
"The doctors tell me Harry's died, then some intern comes over and says Hey, Chief, your daughter's just come into the ER! You fell into a bonfire and destroyed your hand, and those kids decided to drive you to the hospital! And then got in a car crash! I'm surprised they didn't dump you in the driveway and run off!"
"Dad--"
"I swear to God, Isabella, you are never to step foot on the reservation again. I am going to find out what those hooligans are up to, and I'm going to put a stop to it. And I don't care if I have to wrap you in bubble wrap and lock you in your room, you are not allowed to keep getting injured, do you understand? I forbid it!"
Charlie was crying.
"Dad," I said, answering tears filling my eyes, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
He humphed, then ruffled my hair with the flat of his hand. "Well, like I said, you got the clumsiness from me," he conceded gruffly. "So I guess it's not your fault you fell into a fire." He reached up to scratch his nose, pretending like he wasn't wiping his cheeks. "But I mean it, Bella. You're going to stay away from those kids, are we clear? All of them. I don't want to see any of Sam Uley's gang within five hundred feet of you. That includes Jacob Black."
This was definitely not the time to have that argument. Instead I focused on what he'd just said. "Harry died?" I whispered, feeling my heart sink.
Charlie paused for a long moment. Then his shoulders slumped. "Yes. Late last night."
I released a long breath. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry."
"Yeah," he said heavily. "It's hard. He was too damn young."
Too young. Harry had been my father's age. Sudden fright seared through my veins, and I vowed to throw out every pork product in the house the minute I got home.
"I don't know what Sue and the kids are going to do," he continued. "And Harry was an important member of the community. It's going to be rough all around."
A movement out of the corner of my eye made me look up. I glanced over my father's shoulder and saw a familiar face peeping around the edge of the door frame, trying to catch my attention.
Hi, Embry mouthed, grinning.
My eyes widened.
After glancing at Charlie's back, Embry edged slightly further into doorway and made a series of complicated hand gestures.
"Anyway," Charlie said, obviously trying to shake off his melancholy, "I'm just happy you're going to be okay. At least you didn't break your leg this time."
"At least there's that," I said distantly, still looking over his shoulder. Embry pantomimed eating, then pointed at Charlie. Get rid of him, he mouthed emphatically.
I nodded slightly. "Hey, Dad? Will they let me eat? I'm starving." That was a lie -- the pain medication was actually making me nauseous, and the thought of food made me feel ill. I hoped my pale skin wasn't turning green.
If it did, Charlie didn't notice. "Sure, Bells. Do you want me to call the nurse?"
Embry shook his head, eyes wide.
"No!" I said quickly. "No." At Charlie's strange look, I added, "I hate hospital food. I ate so much of it in Phoenix last year... maybe you could grab me some McDonalds from across the street, or something?"
Embry nodded.
"You sure?" Charlie said.
"Yeah. I think a chocolate milkshake would really hit the spot."
And french fries, Embry mouthed.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "And french fries."
"Okay." Charlie patted my cast. "I'll be back in a little while with food, and then, well..." he rubbed the back of his neck, "you'll probably need to call your mother."
"Yeah, I guess," I said reluctantly. She would be in hysterics, no doubt. "How bad is she freaking out?"
"Well, it's Renee."
"Right."
Charlie ruffled my hair again, then left the room, digging his wallet out of his pocket as he went. I had the sneaking suspicion that even though I'd only asked for a chocolate shake and fries, he was going to come back with one of everything on the fast food menu. The shiver of fear came back -- this was the very last heart-damaging meal I would let Charlie eat. Ever.
But I'd have to deal with that later. "Psst!" I hissed in the direction of the open door. "Embry!"
In a fast, graceful motion, Embry slid into the room and shut the door behind him. I hadn't even heard his footfalls on the linoleum. He turned to face me with a wide smile. "Took you long enough to wake up, Buffy."
This time I did roll my eyes, which made me instantly dizzy. "Don't call me that," I said, leaning back against the bed.
"Why not? You're our very own little slayer girl," he said proudly. "Are you going to start wearing cheerleader outfits?"
"No!" Relief flooded through me -- if Embry was joking around, things couldn't be too bad. "So what happened? Where is everyone?" I swallowed. "Is Jacob here?"
"Naw, he's at Emily's." Embry shook his head at my crestfallen expression. "Oh, come on, don't be paranoid. Paul practically had to dislocate Jake's arm to drag him out of here."
A warming hope tickled around the edges of my heart. "So... he wanted to stay?"
Embry snorted. "Paul said he thought Jake was going to phase right in the emergency room. Yeah. He wanted to stay. Sam's got him at Emily's 'til he calms down. I guess the Alpha can't directly order someone away from their imprint, but Sam's getting around it by giving Jake other orders to keep him busy. Emily's kitchen is gonna be spotless."
"Sam!" I tried to sit up again, but I failed; the action made me too woozy. "How is he? Is he okay?"
"Okay-ish." Embry winced, and I knew he'd seen Sam's injury too. "Healing's not too tough, but we can't regenerate. That bloodsucker used her hand like a damn melon-baller when she hit him. It'll take him awhile to fix up the missing bits."
"But he'll be live?" I pressed. I thought of how he'd called for Emily, and the sound of her fists beating against the door. The idea of them being parted made my chest hurt.
"Oh, yeah. He'll be fine after awhile, but the scar's gonna be nasty. He seems pretty happy about that part, though." Embry shrugged, clearly mystified. "Something about 'matching'. You imprint people are weird."
That was certainly true. "What about Leah and Seth? And Victoria, is she dead? What happened out there?"
"An epic clusterfuck, that's what." Embry snickered at my shocked expression and settled into the uncomfortable-looking chair. "Trust me, Bella, there's no other word for it. We finally caught up to the bloodsucker, and Sam was closing his teeth when all of the sudden all we could hear was screaming. Sam would've been able to handle it, but then the leech ripped him open and ran like hell. Jacob and Jared and I took off after her, and Paul stayed behind. And the whole time there were these voices in our heads freaking out..."
"The Clearwaters," I murmured.
"It was awful." He shuddered. "I mean, I heard it happen with Jacob, but Jake was at least a little prepared. His dad had been dropping hints and stuff. But this was two of them, and Leah and Seth had no idea what was coming, plus they'd just seen Harry collapse... Man. I've never heard anything so loud in my life."
"Why did no one realize they were about to phase? You know about Quil, and Jake--"
"Seth's just a kid," Embry explained. "I mean, yeah, the bloodline is there, it was possible. But not for a couple years. And girls aren't supposed to phase. There was no reason to think it would happen to Leah." His face grew somber. "We're pretty sure that's what caused Harry's heart attack. He didn't see it coming, either."
"Oh, no." Poor Seth and Leah -- not only were they werewolves, not only was their father dead, but being werewolves had caused their father's death. I couldn't even imagine. I didn't want to imagine.
Not just the pork products. I was throwing away all the cheese, too.
"Yeah. They're having a hard time of it. They still haven't figured out how to phase back, so they can't even go home to their mom yet."
"Is someone with them?" I asked.
Embry nodded. "Paul's got Leah -- she keeps attacking him 'cause she doesn't seem to know what else to do. Seth's hiding in a cave crying and Jared's trying to talk him out. Once Sam can phase it'll be better."
I thought of Leah and Sam's history and doubted that.
"So, yeah. The leech was still fast, even with a chunk missing out of her, but we were able to keep on her tail. Then we heard Paul yelling at us to go find Leah and Seth. Jared and I listened, but, well, Jake... I dunno. I couldn't hear what he was thinking exactly, but it was mostly about being pissed at the bloodsucker for hunting you."
I swallowed.
"Anyhow, Jared and I went off to get the newbies." Embry sighed in a very put-upon fashion. "Jared took the easy job, Seth hadn't gone far. I had to chase Leah almost to Oregon and then herd her back. She can put up one hell of a fight, let me tell you.
"Then in the middle of that, Jacob disappeared."
Even though I knew it was going to turn out okay, I felt my stomach drop. "Victoria stopped my truck. I don't know what happened exactly, but I guess Jacob caught up with her after she grabbed me. I know she was keeping him at a distance by threatening to kill me if he phased."
"What a bitch," Embry grumbled. "She's been such a pain in the ass."
"No kidding."
"Jared and I were pretty freaked," he continued, "but there wasn't anything we could do about it. So we're still after Seth and Leah, when Paul comes back on the line and says you've vanished, that Sam's dying on Emily's couch and Harry Clearwater's had a damn heart attack, and that Billy's on his way to help with Sam but he's going to look for you." As I shook my head, Embry added, "See? Told you 'clusterfuck' was the only word."
I couldn't argue with that at all. "At least Billy made it over."
"Yeah. I guess he got your message and called." Embry rubbed his eyes. He looked exhausted, but his leg was jiggling restlessly. When I glanced down at it he shrugged. "I've had about six liters of Mountain Dew. Anyway, Paul finds your truck and starts to flip out--"
"My truck," I interrupted, almost too afraid to ask. "Is it..."
Embry shook his head somberly -- then his face turned panicked when I let out a sob. "Oh, jeez, don't cry, Bella. It's not in great shape, but Jake still might be able to fix it."
"You think so?" I said, holding back a sniffle. I loved my truck.
"Yeah! I mean, Jake's been talking for awhile about how he's been wanting to practice his body work, so this is a great chance." Embry blinked, then bit his lip and looked down. He remained silent even as his shoulders started to vibrate slightly.
I sighed. "Say it, Embry, before you explode."
"And he'll love to practice his body work with you." The words came out in a rush. Then he grinned. "Thanks."
"It would've been a shame for you to die of suppressed innuendo after all this," I said dryly.
"True. So, not long after Paul finds the truck we hear Jacob again, and was that ever a nightmare. Dude's head was as messed up as Leah's and Seth's. Paul was close, and when he got there you were passed out by the water and Jake was tearing up bits of flaming leech." He shook his head. "You know you're supposed to rip the vampire up then burn it, not the other way around, right?"
"I'll remember that for next time."
"Good. Anyway, according to Paul he tried to get Jacob's attention but Jake was way gone, so he figured he better go ahead and take you to the hospital, since the bloodsucker was definitely dead and Jake was just ripping her into confetti at that point. 'Cept he'd only gotten about a half-mile away when Jake realized you'd disappeared, and he takes off after Paul like a bat out of hell. Paul gets you here and makes up some story about a bonfire, then Jacob bursts into the ER a minute later all naked and burned up and trying to get at you--"
"How are his burns?" I asked anxiously.
"They're fine, they healed up easy... right in front of the doctors, no less. So Paul has to wrangle Jake out of the place before someone tries to sedate him, then manages to drag him back to Emily's -- how, I have no idea, the man's a beast -- and thank God Sam was conscious by then so he could give orders, that's all I'm sayin'. Sam was doing better so Billy went to Sue's, then I guess Paul fell asleep for awhile, the lucky bastard.
"I got back with Leah around three in the morning and I was totally ready to crash, but Jake begged me to come here and keep an eye on you, since Sam won't let him out of the house for fear he'll lose it again." Embry shook his head. "So Paul woke up and took over with Leah, Jared stuck with Seth, Sam's babysitting Jacob, Emily's babysitting Sam, you're here healing up, and I've been sneaking around drinking soda and waiting for your dad to leave." He threw up his hands. "And that's the whole pack accounted for. Everyone's present, everyone's alive, everyone's exhausted -- except for Kim, who apparently watched some TV and went to bed early."
I was struck by my inclusion on the list. "I... I count as part of the pack?"
Embry gave me a disbelieving look. "Uh, yeah. Not only are you Jacob's imprint, you just wasted a vampire. That pretty much fulfills your membership requirements."
I felt a strange swelling of pride, even as I corrected him. "Jacob killed Victoria. I just... distracted her."
"Yeah, burning alive is a bit of a distraction," Embry said sardonically. "You set her insides on fire, Bella. I'm pretty sure that would have done the trick no matter what. Jake just made sure of it." Then he grinned at me. "You did good."
"I didn't," I insisted. "I was confused, and scared, and it was the only thing I could think of--"
He rolled his eyes. "But you did think of it, and you pulled it off. So quit acting like you can't do anything, Buffy." His tone was teasing, but his expression was serious.
He meant it. They really thought I'd done it, that I'd killed Victoria.
I thought about the bright light as I'd clicked on the lighter.
Maybe... I had.
I felt a little smile creep onto my face.
"How's your hand?" Embry asked, nodding at the bandages. "You know, the other one."
I glanced down at it. "Don't know. I'm pretty woozy from the meds and can't feel much. Charlie says it's bad." I raised my casted right arm and pinched my thumb and forefinger together -- the only fingers I had that weren't wrapped in plaster or gauze. "I'm not going to be doing much writing for awhile."
"Guess not. Jeez. Emily's gonna be fussing like you wouldn't believe. She'll probably spoon feed you."
I sighed deeply. "I can't go to Emily's, or anywhere near the reservation... and I can't see any of you. Charlie's on the warpath."
Embry's eyebrows shot up. "Oh crap, you didn't tell him what happened, did you?"
"Of course not," I assured him. "But he doesn't like the cover story either. I'm banned from any contact with 'Sam Uley's gang'--" I made the air quotes with my right index finger "--for the foreseeable future."
"I'd like to see him keep Jacob away," Embry said, smirking.
My insides warmed a little more at that. "Well, tell Jake he better come through my window unless he wants to get shot. Charlie's pretty wound up right now. He'll calm down in a few days, though." Or so I hoped. Charlie seemed to be really upset, but it had also been a terrible night; once he got some rest and watched a few ballgames, he'd probably relax. At least about Jacob. I couldn't imagine Charlie holding a grudge against Jacob for any significant length of time.
Embry hummed thoughtfully. "Well, that sucks. But you won't be missing much, at least. Between Leah and Seth -- and Quil's still gonna phase any minute now -- we'll all be pretty busy. It's a pain in the ass breaking one person in, but three at once..." He gave a low whistle. "It'll be rough, I won't lie. Especially until Sam's healed."
"I imagine." The sooner Sam recovered, the better.
Embry stood up, stretching his back with a series of sickening cracks. "Anyhow, I'd better call Jake and let him know you're awake and in one piece, or he'll kick my ass. Can I borrow your cell?"
I shook my head. "It's washed out to sea by now."
"Oh. Damn. Well, there's a pay phone in the hall, at least."
He turned to go, but before he could leave, I called out, "Uh, Embry? Could you... you know... tell Jake I get out of the hospital this afternoon?" When he raised his eyebrows, I blushed in spite of myself. "If he'd like to come see me tonight or anything. I mean, he doesn't have to, tell him he doesn't have to, but if he wants to, then, well... I'll be there."
Embry's eyebrows were almost in his hair. "Wow," he said finally. "You two are kind of hopeless." I tried not to die of embarrassment as Embry opened the door...
...and then slammed it instantly shut. "Shit!"
I sat up in alarm, trying to ignore how the room seemed to wobble as I did. "What? What's wrong?"
Embry looked like he'd been punched in the gut. One of his hands still rested on the door, which had a broken hinge dangling uselessly. "Vampire," he managed to say, his whole body shaking. "And it's close."
My blood turned cold.
Embry looked wildly around the room, then ran to the window and threw back the curtains. The dim light of a cloudy morning filtered through the glass. "Damn it," he ground out through gritted teeth. "Three stories is way too high for you."
I was already reaching for my IV, trying to pull off the tape that held the needle in my arm. My two fingers couldn't get a good enough grip around the edges. "What do we do?" Who could it be? James, Laurent, and Victoria were all dead. Did she have more friends I didn't know about? Was this ever going to end?
"I don't know. I can't phase in here. Maybe," he said, frantic as he turned to look me over, "maybe if I held onto you we could jump without hurting you too bad--"
"But what about my dad?" I said desperately, fear clawing at my insides. "He's going to be back any minute!"
He cursed again. "We'll have to--"
The door burst open with a bang, and like something out of a nearly-forgotten dream, a figure with huge golden eyes and impeccable clothing ran into the room. A tiny, graceful figure I'd been sure I would never see again. "Bella!"
My heart stopped. "Alice?" I squeaked, disbelieving.
"Oh, Bella!" she cried out again with her tinkling voice, just before she threw her stone-cold arms around my shoulders and pulled me into her embrace. My eyes widened in shock as my face bumped against her concrete shoulder. "Bella, I can't believe it, you're alive, I thought you were dead!" she gushed, her perfect, bell-like tones ringing in my ears. I stiffened, shocked beyond all imagining, trying to adjust, to understand what was happening.
Then the scent of her skin wafted into my nose -- a scent that couldn't compare to any perfume in the world -- and I felt myself begin to relax. It was Alice, returned from oblivion. Alice still existed. I wasn't crazy after all; I hadn't imagined that part of my life. Alice was back and everything would be okay now...
... but a growl from the other side of the room interrupted my reviere. I lifted my eyes to see Embry vibrating uncontrollably, his breath coming in sharp, quick pants.
The size of the room didn't matter. That dozens of people were within a hundred feet didn't matter. There was a vampire in the room, and like it or not, Embry was about to phase.
"Alice," I gasped. "Alice, get off of me. Quick."
Alice pulled back, her unnaturally beautiful face surprised. "What? Why?"
"Just do it!" I brought my casted hand up to push at her shoulder, which of course did nothing. My senses rebelled -- why was I shoving her away? Hadn't I desired this moment for so long -- or something like this moment, at least? I didn't want her to go! Alice wasn't him, but she was a Cullen, and my best friend, and my sister... except Embry was going to explode. So I pushed.
After a moment, Alice realized that I meant it, and released me from her embrace. "Okay, okay." I felt a horrifying pang of loss when she backed up. Her eyes flicked to Embry as she seemed to realize for the first time that we weren't alone -- and her nose wrinkled in disgust.
My head cleared a bit as she distanced herself from me... and I abruptly froze as a realization hit me like a slap to the face.
Alice's smell was the same as Victoria's.
Dark, sick horror started to uncurl in my stomach.
I couldn't deal with that now, though. I would worry about what that might mean later, after I no longer had to worry about a werewolf-vampire battle in my hospital room. "Embry," I said in what I hoped was an Emily-like tone, "this is Alice Cullen."
Embry's shuddering had lessened as Alice moved to stand against the opposite wall, but it hadn't stopped. For the first time, I was glad Jacob wasn't here. I didn't think he would have taken well to the sight of yet another vampire embracing me. "A Cullen," he repeated, seeming to have trouble forming words. "Wait, those Cullens?"
"Yes," I said, relieved that he knew who I was talking about. "They're, you know... the good ones."
Embry let out a barking laugh. "A good bloodsucker. Right."
Alice sniffed delicately, then narrowed her large, butterscotch-colored eyes to slits. "What are you?" she demanded of Embry.
I was getting very nervous about where this conversation was going. "Alice," I interrupted quickly, "what... what are you doing here?"
Alice turned to look at me again, and her beautiful face smoothed into an expression of relief. "I saw you," she said in lovely ringing tones. "I saw you in a car crash. I saw Victoria. I thought you were dead! How are you not dead?"
Embry's shaking worsened again. "You were there? What, you're in league with that red-haired leech, too?"
"No, no, she can see the future," I explained. "She didn't have to be there to know what happened."
Embry looked at me incredulously. "She sees the future. Oh, fantastic."
"It usually is," Alice snapped at him. "Except when it gets confused." Her eyes came back to mine, and I couldn't stop staring. I just soaked in the beauty that seemed so strange and out of place in these drab surroundings. "I wasn't keeping tabs on you, I swear, Bella. It's just that I'm already attuned to you... when I saw the car crash, I didn't think. I just got on a plane. I knew I would be too late, but I couldn't do nothing, and we had to avenge you, we couldn't let her get away with it..." Her breath caught as her face crumpled, and I knew that if she was capable of crying, she would be. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry! I knew Victoria wanted Edward but I had no idea she was coming for you, I didn't see a thing, don't know why but I didn't--"
"It's okay, it's okay," I said reassuringly, even as I became more confused. "I'm not dead, see? But Victoria is. You don't have to worry. There's nothing to avenge."
"And even if there was it wouldn't be your problem, leech," Embry growled. "We can take care of our own, thanks."
Alice frowned deeply, then sniffed the air again. "You smell awful," she said to Embry, sounding disgusted. "You smell like a dog."
"You're no basket of roses either, princess."
I groaned and leaned further back on the bed. This was sapping my energy, and the pain medication was beginning to wear off; I could feel a terrible throbbing coming from my left hand.
"But if you're alive," Alice said to me, though she kept her suspicious gaze on Embry, "why didn't I see it? I should have seen it. I thought you were dead, and if I hadn't happened to see the cruiser out front as I passed... how did you escape from Victoria?"
"Our little Buffy here killed her," Embry said, raising his chin. "So you'd better get lost or she'll stake your ass, too."
Alice laughed, and the sound was like wind chimes in a light breeze. "Be serious." She turned back to me with an amused smile. "What really happened?"
I shrugged slightly, though that tiny bit of pride began to well up inside me again. "Well... that kind of is what really happened."
Alice blinked in astonishment. "But... how?"
"It's a long story."
"But that doesn't make any sense at all," Alice insisted. "How could you have--"
"Hold up," Embry interrupted, raising a hand sarcastically. "I think it's my turn to ask a question. What's this whole 'we have to avenge her' crap? Who's 'we'?"
"'We'," Alice said crisply, "means my family."
My breath stopped in my throat.
"Are you all coming back?" he asked, his face a bitter, hard mask. This was the wolf gathering information to take back to his pack.
"What business is it of yours?"
"Well, it's my business... isn't it?" I said faintly. My head was starting to spin even though I wasn't moving. "Are you all coming back?"
Alice regarded me for a long moment, clearly deliberating on her next words. "Yes," she said finally. "All of us. Jasper's opening up the house right now. I let everyone know as soon as I had the vision. They will all have arrived in..." she trailed off, and her eyes went unfocused for a moment before declaring decisively, "...sixteen hours. We were coming to kill Victoria."
My vision started to tunnel. Everyone. "But they don't have to," I gasped. Part of me was elated... and other parts were terrified. I had no idea what to do with this information, none. It felt like the world was realigning underneath me. "She's already dead."
"They're already on their way; everyone will arrive," Alice said with certainty. "I'm positive. We'll figure out what to do after that."
Embry glared at her. "Keep to the treaty, then," he snarled. "If you step one sparkly little foot on our lands we'll rip you into pieces."
Alice frowned again... then her angel's face lit up with recognition. "Werewolves," she breathed. "You're the werewolves from Carlisle's treaty. I wasn't there then, but..." She turned back to me, shaking her head in exasperation. "You're friends with werewolves? Leave it to you, Bella. Anyone else would be better off when the vampires left town -- but you have to start hanging out with the first monsters you find."
"There's nothing wrong with werewolves," I snapped, a familiar anger rising at her critical tone.
"Damn right there's not," Embry said just as furiously. "Watch who you call a monster, you sorry excuse for a mosquito."
"This has nothing to do with--" Alice stopped speaking before she finished her sentence, then cocked her head toward the door. "Someone's coming."
Embry perked up, taking a few sniffs. He grinned. "Ooh. French fries."
This was about to get very bad.
I squeezed my eyes shut as I heard the door open. "Sorry, Bells, they were out of chocolate syrup so I..." Charlie's voice faded away. I kept my eyes tightly closed, but I could almost see his face turning purple. Sudden, irrational fear clenched in my chest -- what if Charlie had a heart attack, like Harry? This could certainly do it--
"Hi, Charlie," I heard Alice's melodic voice say. Then I heard a crinkling thud -- Charlie must have dropped the bag of food.
I dared to open my eyes.
Charlie's face had indeed turned purple. "You," he growled, pointing at Embry. "You're one of Sam Uley's." Then he turned to Alice, looking stunned. "And what are you doing here, Alice?" Before she could answer, his expression turned murderous again. "You know what? I don't care. Get out. No Cullens or Uley gang members are welcome here."
Alice smiled winsomely. I remembered how she'd always been my father's favorite. "But Charlie--"
"But nothing," he said sharply, cutting her off. He stepped out of the doorway and pointed at the hall. "Both of you leave, or I'll arrest you for trespassing." Both Embry and Alice looked vaguely mutinous, but then Charlie brushed back the side of his jacket, showing his gun. I wasn't sure it was an empty threat. "Out. Now."
Embry glanced at me, then let out a small snort before stepping forward and holding open the door. "Ladies first," he said to Alice mockingly, and I realized he wasn't going to leave until he was sure the vampire was gone as well.
Alice glared at him before darting over and giving me a quick, heartfelt hug. Her skin didn't give against mine. "I'll call you later," she whispered in her sweet voice, then released me and strode out of the room before I got the chance to tell her my cell phone was gone.
"Later, Buffy." Embry flashed me a quick grin, then flinched under Charlie's glare and escaped as well.
The room suddenly felt a lot quieter.
Charlie turned to me with a dark look. "I leave for twenty minutes--"
"They just showed up, Dad," I said, strangely relieved that my friends were gone. Exhaustion was setting in rapidly. There was just so much to deal with, and I didn't have the reserves to handle it. "Sorry about that."
He humphed as he picked up the bags of food. Embry would have to do without his french fries. "I mean it, Bells. I don't want them anywhere near you." He frowned, and his eyes became wary. "And yes, that includes Alice. Is... I mean, are any of the others coming back?"
I knew what he was asking. "I think so," I whispered. I didn't know what to think about that, or what to feel.
Cold ran through my body, and I started to shiver.
Charlie noticed, and pulled the blankets further up my body. "They were out of chocolate," he apologized, looking very sad all of the sudden. "All I could get was strawberry."
In spite of my earlier nausea, a strawberry milkshake sounded surprisingly good. "That'll be fine," I assured him. When he pulled the cup out of the bag, I reached for it automatically -- then scowled at my cast. "I can't--"
Wordlessly, Charlie stuck a straw into the cup and held the milkshake up to my mouth. It tasted fantastic.
"Thanks, Dad," I said once I'd stopped for breath.
"You're welcome, Bells."
***
In my dream, the forest was silent; not a single breeze rustled the trees or stirred the dead leaves on the ground.
I stood in front of my dead oak and marveled. Green, slippery moss had climbed right off the ground and covered every inch of bark and branch. The death had nourished the new growth, and the moss thrived. I smiled as the sun rose behind my back and highlighted the dew that clung to the emerald fuzz, allowing it to sparkle in the light.
Except the light flickered strangely.
I turned towards the sun, but I didn't see the expected rosiness of dawn.
The horizon was glowing orange with the flames of an approaching forest fire.
***
Chapter Fourteen: Surrender
Sanity Update: *claws... toward... finish... line...* The latest side effect of this fic has been a dramatic increase in both anxiety and paranoia. I am not kidding, I had a nightmare about being crushed under a collapsed bookshelf full of Twilight books. My doctor is SO happy with me right now, I can't even tell you. Also, made my Wednesday update by 9 whole minutes!
Author: audreyii_fic
Fandom: Twilight (Team Jacob)
Rating: T
Characters: Bella, Jacob, Charlie, and others (J/B)
Genre: Romance/Angst/Wolfpack!Humor
Warnings: Language, violence, and references to adult behavior
banner courtesy of lilabut
Summary: Jacob imprints on Bella. It changes things. A re-write of New Moon, beginning on page 242 in Chapter 10: "The Meadow." ( Link to the beginning.)
Chapter Thirteen:
The TV Series based on the Disclaimer: There are parts of this fic that are lifted directly from New Moon and other parts of the Twilight Saga. Any or all vomiting that may be induced is the fault of Stephenie Meyer -- a person who is entirely separate from me in all ways.
and every sun ascending / a lonesome moon will grow
Bat For Lashes, "Sleep Alone"
13. Visitors
I woke to the familiar smell of antiseptic.
"Bells?"
I blinked groggily. "Dad?"
Charlie's face came into my field of vision, backlit by halogen lights. "You are never leaving the house again," he said bluntly. "Not until I think you can date a boy without winding up in the hospital."
I groaned, and the sound seemed to vibrate in my skull. Everything was too bright: the white sheets, the white lights, the white walls, the white bandages around my hand--
The sight of the bandages jolted me back into reality. "Jacob," I gasped. "Where's Jacob?"
"He's fine, Bella-- hey, hey!" Charlie grabbed me by the upper arms as I tried to get out of the hospital bed, the room tilting as I moved. "Lay down," he commanded as he pushed me back onto the thin, stiff mattress.
There was no point in resisting; the sudden motions I'd undertaken had left me as dizzy as if I'd been spinning in a circle with my arms flung out. Something felt disjointed in my body. "What's wrong with me?" I asked as I settled back gingerly.
"You have a concussion." Charlie pulled the blankets back over my legs, smoothing out the creases. We were in a quiet single room with no equipment and only a single IV in my arm; at least it wasn't intensive care. "And they've given you a lot of morphine."
That explained the spinning. "For what?"
Charlie swallowed. "For your hand." I looked down. My right hand had a new cast running up to my elbow. My left hand was completely covered in loose white gauze. I tried to move my fingers, but nothing happened. I didn't feel anything. "They're going keep you 'til this afternoon, Bells. The doctors still aren't sure if you'll need skin grafts. It's... pretty bad, kiddo."
Of course. My hand had been on fire. Through the disconnect in my brain, I put together the choppy memories: the flames flying through the sky, Jacob's transformation, Victoria's game, the cold water against my face, the car crash, Paul vomiting in the bushes, Emily holding a bloody towel against Sam's side...
I was desperate to know where everyone was and if they were okay, but I couldn't ask Charlie. "What happened?" I said carefully. There would be a cover story, certainly, but I didn't know what it was. "I... don't remember much."
Charlie's expression darkened abruptly. "You fell into a bonfire," he growled. "At Emily Young's house. And then Jacob Black crashed your truck trying to take you to the emergency room. He broke your cast and gave you a concussion."
"But where's Jake?" I asked anxiously. "Is he okay?" All I could remember was the warm brush of fur against my face and screaming--
"He's just fine," Charlie snapped. "You're the only one who got hurt. He went home after he dropped you off. Some kid named Paul got the two of you off the side of the road and brought you the rest of the way." His face began to turn red. "Did anyone call an ambulance? No. Did anyone call the fire department? No. Did anyone call me? No! If I hadn't already been here I wouldn't even have known!"
"Dad--"
"The doctors tell me Harry's died, then some intern comes over and says Hey, Chief, your daughter's just come into the ER! You fell into a bonfire and destroyed your hand, and those kids decided to drive you to the hospital! And then got in a car crash! I'm surprised they didn't dump you in the driveway and run off!"
"Dad--"
"I swear to God, Isabella, you are never to step foot on the reservation again. I am going to find out what those hooligans are up to, and I'm going to put a stop to it. And I don't care if I have to wrap you in bubble wrap and lock you in your room, you are not allowed to keep getting injured, do you understand? I forbid it!"
Charlie was crying.
"Dad," I said, answering tears filling my eyes, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
He humphed, then ruffled my hair with the flat of his hand. "Well, like I said, you got the clumsiness from me," he conceded gruffly. "So I guess it's not your fault you fell into a fire." He reached up to scratch his nose, pretending like he wasn't wiping his cheeks. "But I mean it, Bella. You're going to stay away from those kids, are we clear? All of them. I don't want to see any of Sam Uley's gang within five hundred feet of you. That includes Jacob Black."
This was definitely not the time to have that argument. Instead I focused on what he'd just said. "Harry died?" I whispered, feeling my heart sink.
Charlie paused for a long moment. Then his shoulders slumped. "Yes. Late last night."
I released a long breath. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry."
"Yeah," he said heavily. "It's hard. He was too damn young."
Too young. Harry had been my father's age. Sudden fright seared through my veins, and I vowed to throw out every pork product in the house the minute I got home.
"I don't know what Sue and the kids are going to do," he continued. "And Harry was an important member of the community. It's going to be rough all around."
A movement out of the corner of my eye made me look up. I glanced over my father's shoulder and saw a familiar face peeping around the edge of the door frame, trying to catch my attention.
Hi, Embry mouthed, grinning.
My eyes widened.
After glancing at Charlie's back, Embry edged slightly further into doorway and made a series of complicated hand gestures.
"Anyway," Charlie said, obviously trying to shake off his melancholy, "I'm just happy you're going to be okay. At least you didn't break your leg this time."
"At least there's that," I said distantly, still looking over his shoulder. Embry pantomimed eating, then pointed at Charlie. Get rid of him, he mouthed emphatically.
I nodded slightly. "Hey, Dad? Will they let me eat? I'm starving." That was a lie -- the pain medication was actually making me nauseous, and the thought of food made me feel ill. I hoped my pale skin wasn't turning green.
If it did, Charlie didn't notice. "Sure, Bells. Do you want me to call the nurse?"
Embry shook his head, eyes wide.
"No!" I said quickly. "No." At Charlie's strange look, I added, "I hate hospital food. I ate so much of it in Phoenix last year... maybe you could grab me some McDonalds from across the street, or something?"
Embry nodded.
"You sure?" Charlie said.
"Yeah. I think a chocolate milkshake would really hit the spot."
And french fries, Embry mouthed.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "And french fries."
"Okay." Charlie patted my cast. "I'll be back in a little while with food, and then, well..." he rubbed the back of his neck, "you'll probably need to call your mother."
"Yeah, I guess," I said reluctantly. She would be in hysterics, no doubt. "How bad is she freaking out?"
"Well, it's Renee."
"Right."
Charlie ruffled my hair again, then left the room, digging his wallet out of his pocket as he went. I had the sneaking suspicion that even though I'd only asked for a chocolate shake and fries, he was going to come back with one of everything on the fast food menu. The shiver of fear came back -- this was the very last heart-damaging meal I would let Charlie eat. Ever.
But I'd have to deal with that later. "Psst!" I hissed in the direction of the open door. "Embry!"
In a fast, graceful motion, Embry slid into the room and shut the door behind him. I hadn't even heard his footfalls on the linoleum. He turned to face me with a wide smile. "Took you long enough to wake up, Buffy."
This time I did roll my eyes, which made me instantly dizzy. "Don't call me that," I said, leaning back against the bed.
"Why not? You're our very own little slayer girl," he said proudly. "Are you going to start wearing cheerleader outfits?"
"No!" Relief flooded through me -- if Embry was joking around, things couldn't be too bad. "So what happened? Where is everyone?" I swallowed. "Is Jacob here?"
"Naw, he's at Emily's." Embry shook his head at my crestfallen expression. "Oh, come on, don't be paranoid. Paul practically had to dislocate Jake's arm to drag him out of here."
A warming hope tickled around the edges of my heart. "So... he wanted to stay?"
Embry snorted. "Paul said he thought Jake was going to phase right in the emergency room. Yeah. He wanted to stay. Sam's got him at Emily's 'til he calms down. I guess the Alpha can't directly order someone away from their imprint, but Sam's getting around it by giving Jake other orders to keep him busy. Emily's kitchen is gonna be spotless."
"Sam!" I tried to sit up again, but I failed; the action made me too woozy. "How is he? Is he okay?"
"Okay-ish." Embry winced, and I knew he'd seen Sam's injury too. "Healing's not too tough, but we can't regenerate. That bloodsucker used her hand like a damn melon-baller when she hit him. It'll take him awhile to fix up the missing bits."
"But he'll be live?" I pressed. I thought of how he'd called for Emily, and the sound of her fists beating against the door. The idea of them being parted made my chest hurt.
"Oh, yeah. He'll be fine after awhile, but the scar's gonna be nasty. He seems pretty happy about that part, though." Embry shrugged, clearly mystified. "Something about 'matching'. You imprint people are weird."
That was certainly true. "What about Leah and Seth? And Victoria, is she dead? What happened out there?"
"An epic clusterfuck, that's what." Embry snickered at my shocked expression and settled into the uncomfortable-looking chair. "Trust me, Bella, there's no other word for it. We finally caught up to the bloodsucker, and Sam was closing his teeth when all of the sudden all we could hear was screaming. Sam would've been able to handle it, but then the leech ripped him open and ran like hell. Jacob and Jared and I took off after her, and Paul stayed behind. And the whole time there were these voices in our heads freaking out..."
"The Clearwaters," I murmured.
"It was awful." He shuddered. "I mean, I heard it happen with Jacob, but Jake was at least a little prepared. His dad had been dropping hints and stuff. But this was two of them, and Leah and Seth had no idea what was coming, plus they'd just seen Harry collapse... Man. I've never heard anything so loud in my life."
"Why did no one realize they were about to phase? You know about Quil, and Jake--"
"Seth's just a kid," Embry explained. "I mean, yeah, the bloodline is there, it was possible. But not for a couple years. And girls aren't supposed to phase. There was no reason to think it would happen to Leah." His face grew somber. "We're pretty sure that's what caused Harry's heart attack. He didn't see it coming, either."
"Oh, no." Poor Seth and Leah -- not only were they werewolves, not only was their father dead, but being werewolves had caused their father's death. I couldn't even imagine. I didn't want to imagine.
Not just the pork products. I was throwing away all the cheese, too.
"Yeah. They're having a hard time of it. They still haven't figured out how to phase back, so they can't even go home to their mom yet."
"Is someone with them?" I asked.
Embry nodded. "Paul's got Leah -- she keeps attacking him 'cause she doesn't seem to know what else to do. Seth's hiding in a cave crying and Jared's trying to talk him out. Once Sam can phase it'll be better."
I thought of Leah and Sam's history and doubted that.
"So, yeah. The leech was still fast, even with a chunk missing out of her, but we were able to keep on her tail. Then we heard Paul yelling at us to go find Leah and Seth. Jared and I listened, but, well, Jake... I dunno. I couldn't hear what he was thinking exactly, but it was mostly about being pissed at the bloodsucker for hunting you."
I swallowed.
"Anyhow, Jared and I went off to get the newbies." Embry sighed in a very put-upon fashion. "Jared took the easy job, Seth hadn't gone far. I had to chase Leah almost to Oregon and then herd her back. She can put up one hell of a fight, let me tell you.
"Then in the middle of that, Jacob disappeared."
Even though I knew it was going to turn out okay, I felt my stomach drop. "Victoria stopped my truck. I don't know what happened exactly, but I guess Jacob caught up with her after she grabbed me. I know she was keeping him at a distance by threatening to kill me if he phased."
"What a bitch," Embry grumbled. "She's been such a pain in the ass."
"No kidding."
"Jared and I were pretty freaked," he continued, "but there wasn't anything we could do about it. So we're still after Seth and Leah, when Paul comes back on the line and says you've vanished, that Sam's dying on Emily's couch and Harry Clearwater's had a damn heart attack, and that Billy's on his way to help with Sam but he's going to look for you." As I shook my head, Embry added, "See? Told you 'clusterfuck' was the only word."
I couldn't argue with that at all. "At least Billy made it over."
"Yeah. I guess he got your message and called." Embry rubbed his eyes. He looked exhausted, but his leg was jiggling restlessly. When I glanced down at it he shrugged. "I've had about six liters of Mountain Dew. Anyway, Paul finds your truck and starts to flip out--"
"My truck," I interrupted, almost too afraid to ask. "Is it..."
Embry shook his head somberly -- then his face turned panicked when I let out a sob. "Oh, jeez, don't cry, Bella. It's not in great shape, but Jake still might be able to fix it."
"You think so?" I said, holding back a sniffle. I loved my truck.
"Yeah! I mean, Jake's been talking for awhile about how he's been wanting to practice his body work, so this is a great chance." Embry blinked, then bit his lip and looked down. He remained silent even as his shoulders started to vibrate slightly.
I sighed. "Say it, Embry, before you explode."
"And he'll love to practice his body work with you." The words came out in a rush. Then he grinned. "Thanks."
"It would've been a shame for you to die of suppressed innuendo after all this," I said dryly.
"True. So, not long after Paul finds the truck we hear Jacob again, and was that ever a nightmare. Dude's head was as messed up as Leah's and Seth's. Paul was close, and when he got there you were passed out by the water and Jake was tearing up bits of flaming leech." He shook his head. "You know you're supposed to rip the vampire up then burn it, not the other way around, right?"
"I'll remember that for next time."
"Good. Anyway, according to Paul he tried to get Jacob's attention but Jake was way gone, so he figured he better go ahead and take you to the hospital, since the bloodsucker was definitely dead and Jake was just ripping her into confetti at that point. 'Cept he'd only gotten about a half-mile away when Jake realized you'd disappeared, and he takes off after Paul like a bat out of hell. Paul gets you here and makes up some story about a bonfire, then Jacob bursts into the ER a minute later all naked and burned up and trying to get at you--"
"How are his burns?" I asked anxiously.
"They're fine, they healed up easy... right in front of the doctors, no less. So Paul has to wrangle Jake out of the place before someone tries to sedate him, then manages to drag him back to Emily's -- how, I have no idea, the man's a beast -- and thank God Sam was conscious by then so he could give orders, that's all I'm sayin'. Sam was doing better so Billy went to Sue's, then I guess Paul fell asleep for awhile, the lucky bastard.
"I got back with Leah around three in the morning and I was totally ready to crash, but Jake begged me to come here and keep an eye on you, since Sam won't let him out of the house for fear he'll lose it again." Embry shook his head. "So Paul woke up and took over with Leah, Jared stuck with Seth, Sam's babysitting Jacob, Emily's babysitting Sam, you're here healing up, and I've been sneaking around drinking soda and waiting for your dad to leave." He threw up his hands. "And that's the whole pack accounted for. Everyone's present, everyone's alive, everyone's exhausted -- except for Kim, who apparently watched some TV and went to bed early."
I was struck by my inclusion on the list. "I... I count as part of the pack?"
Embry gave me a disbelieving look. "Uh, yeah. Not only are you Jacob's imprint, you just wasted a vampire. That pretty much fulfills your membership requirements."
I felt a strange swelling of pride, even as I corrected him. "Jacob killed Victoria. I just... distracted her."
"Yeah, burning alive is a bit of a distraction," Embry said sardonically. "You set her insides on fire, Bella. I'm pretty sure that would have done the trick no matter what. Jake just made sure of it." Then he grinned at me. "You did good."
"I didn't," I insisted. "I was confused, and scared, and it was the only thing I could think of--"
He rolled his eyes. "But you did think of it, and you pulled it off. So quit acting like you can't do anything, Buffy." His tone was teasing, but his expression was serious.
He meant it. They really thought I'd done it, that I'd killed Victoria.
I thought about the bright light as I'd clicked on the lighter.
Maybe... I had.
I felt a little smile creep onto my face.
"How's your hand?" Embry asked, nodding at the bandages. "You know, the other one."
I glanced down at it. "Don't know. I'm pretty woozy from the meds and can't feel much. Charlie says it's bad." I raised my casted right arm and pinched my thumb and forefinger together -- the only fingers I had that weren't wrapped in plaster or gauze. "I'm not going to be doing much writing for awhile."
"Guess not. Jeez. Emily's gonna be fussing like you wouldn't believe. She'll probably spoon feed you."
I sighed deeply. "I can't go to Emily's, or anywhere near the reservation... and I can't see any of you. Charlie's on the warpath."
Embry's eyebrows shot up. "Oh crap, you didn't tell him what happened, did you?"
"Of course not," I assured him. "But he doesn't like the cover story either. I'm banned from any contact with 'Sam Uley's gang'--" I made the air quotes with my right index finger "--for the foreseeable future."
"I'd like to see him keep Jacob away," Embry said, smirking.
My insides warmed a little more at that. "Well, tell Jake he better come through my window unless he wants to get shot. Charlie's pretty wound up right now. He'll calm down in a few days, though." Or so I hoped. Charlie seemed to be really upset, but it had also been a terrible night; once he got some rest and watched a few ballgames, he'd probably relax. At least about Jacob. I couldn't imagine Charlie holding a grudge against Jacob for any significant length of time.
Embry hummed thoughtfully. "Well, that sucks. But you won't be missing much, at least. Between Leah and Seth -- and Quil's still gonna phase any minute now -- we'll all be pretty busy. It's a pain in the ass breaking one person in, but three at once..." He gave a low whistle. "It'll be rough, I won't lie. Especially until Sam's healed."
"I imagine." The sooner Sam recovered, the better.
Embry stood up, stretching his back with a series of sickening cracks. "Anyhow, I'd better call Jake and let him know you're awake and in one piece, or he'll kick my ass. Can I borrow your cell?"
I shook my head. "It's washed out to sea by now."
"Oh. Damn. Well, there's a pay phone in the hall, at least."
He turned to go, but before he could leave, I called out, "Uh, Embry? Could you... you know... tell Jake I get out of the hospital this afternoon?" When he raised his eyebrows, I blushed in spite of myself. "If he'd like to come see me tonight or anything. I mean, he doesn't have to, tell him he doesn't have to, but if he wants to, then, well... I'll be there."
Embry's eyebrows were almost in his hair. "Wow," he said finally. "You two are kind of hopeless." I tried not to die of embarrassment as Embry opened the door...
...and then slammed it instantly shut. "Shit!"
I sat up in alarm, trying to ignore how the room seemed to wobble as I did. "What? What's wrong?"
Embry looked like he'd been punched in the gut. One of his hands still rested on the door, which had a broken hinge dangling uselessly. "Vampire," he managed to say, his whole body shaking. "And it's close."
My blood turned cold.
Embry looked wildly around the room, then ran to the window and threw back the curtains. The dim light of a cloudy morning filtered through the glass. "Damn it," he ground out through gritted teeth. "Three stories is way too high for you."
I was already reaching for my IV, trying to pull off the tape that held the needle in my arm. My two fingers couldn't get a good enough grip around the edges. "What do we do?" Who could it be? James, Laurent, and Victoria were all dead. Did she have more friends I didn't know about? Was this ever going to end?
"I don't know. I can't phase in here. Maybe," he said, frantic as he turned to look me over, "maybe if I held onto you we could jump without hurting you too bad--"
"But what about my dad?" I said desperately, fear clawing at my insides. "He's going to be back any minute!"
He cursed again. "We'll have to--"
The door burst open with a bang, and like something out of a nearly-forgotten dream, a figure with huge golden eyes and impeccable clothing ran into the room. A tiny, graceful figure I'd been sure I would never see again. "Bella!"
My heart stopped. "Alice?" I squeaked, disbelieving.
"Oh, Bella!" she cried out again with her tinkling voice, just before she threw her stone-cold arms around my shoulders and pulled me into her embrace. My eyes widened in shock as my face bumped against her concrete shoulder. "Bella, I can't believe it, you're alive, I thought you were dead!" she gushed, her perfect, bell-like tones ringing in my ears. I stiffened, shocked beyond all imagining, trying to adjust, to understand what was happening.
Then the scent of her skin wafted into my nose -- a scent that couldn't compare to any perfume in the world -- and I felt myself begin to relax. It was Alice, returned from oblivion. Alice still existed. I wasn't crazy after all; I hadn't imagined that part of my life. Alice was back and everything would be okay now...
... but a growl from the other side of the room interrupted my reviere. I lifted my eyes to see Embry vibrating uncontrollably, his breath coming in sharp, quick pants.
The size of the room didn't matter. That dozens of people were within a hundred feet didn't matter. There was a vampire in the room, and like it or not, Embry was about to phase.
"Alice," I gasped. "Alice, get off of me. Quick."
Alice pulled back, her unnaturally beautiful face surprised. "What? Why?"
"Just do it!" I brought my casted hand up to push at her shoulder, which of course did nothing. My senses rebelled -- why was I shoving her away? Hadn't I desired this moment for so long -- or something like this moment, at least? I didn't want her to go! Alice wasn't him, but she was a Cullen, and my best friend, and my sister... except Embry was going to explode. So I pushed.
After a moment, Alice realized that I meant it, and released me from her embrace. "Okay, okay." I felt a horrifying pang of loss when she backed up. Her eyes flicked to Embry as she seemed to realize for the first time that we weren't alone -- and her nose wrinkled in disgust.
My head cleared a bit as she distanced herself from me... and I abruptly froze as a realization hit me like a slap to the face.
Alice's smell was the same as Victoria's.
Dark, sick horror started to uncurl in my stomach.
I couldn't deal with that now, though. I would worry about what that might mean later, after I no longer had to worry about a werewolf-vampire battle in my hospital room. "Embry," I said in what I hoped was an Emily-like tone, "this is Alice Cullen."
Embry's shuddering had lessened as Alice moved to stand against the opposite wall, but it hadn't stopped. For the first time, I was glad Jacob wasn't here. I didn't think he would have taken well to the sight of yet another vampire embracing me. "A Cullen," he repeated, seeming to have trouble forming words. "Wait, those Cullens?"
"Yes," I said, relieved that he knew who I was talking about. "They're, you know... the good ones."
Embry let out a barking laugh. "A good bloodsucker. Right."
Alice sniffed delicately, then narrowed her large, butterscotch-colored eyes to slits. "What are you?" she demanded of Embry.
I was getting very nervous about where this conversation was going. "Alice," I interrupted quickly, "what... what are you doing here?"
Alice turned to look at me again, and her beautiful face smoothed into an expression of relief. "I saw you," she said in lovely ringing tones. "I saw you in a car crash. I saw Victoria. I thought you were dead! How are you not dead?"
Embry's shaking worsened again. "You were there? What, you're in league with that red-haired leech, too?"
"No, no, she can see the future," I explained. "She didn't have to be there to know what happened."
Embry looked at me incredulously. "She sees the future. Oh, fantastic."
"It usually is," Alice snapped at him. "Except when it gets confused." Her eyes came back to mine, and I couldn't stop staring. I just soaked in the beauty that seemed so strange and out of place in these drab surroundings. "I wasn't keeping tabs on you, I swear, Bella. It's just that I'm already attuned to you... when I saw the car crash, I didn't think. I just got on a plane. I knew I would be too late, but I couldn't do nothing, and we had to avenge you, we couldn't let her get away with it..." Her breath caught as her face crumpled, and I knew that if she was capable of crying, she would be. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry! I knew Victoria wanted Edward but I had no idea she was coming for you, I didn't see a thing, don't know why but I didn't--"
"It's okay, it's okay," I said reassuringly, even as I became more confused. "I'm not dead, see? But Victoria is. You don't have to worry. There's nothing to avenge."
"And even if there was it wouldn't be your problem, leech," Embry growled. "We can take care of our own, thanks."
Alice frowned deeply, then sniffed the air again. "You smell awful," she said to Embry, sounding disgusted. "You smell like a dog."
"You're no basket of roses either, princess."
I groaned and leaned further back on the bed. This was sapping my energy, and the pain medication was beginning to wear off; I could feel a terrible throbbing coming from my left hand.
"But if you're alive," Alice said to me, though she kept her suspicious gaze on Embry, "why didn't I see it? I should have seen it. I thought you were dead, and if I hadn't happened to see the cruiser out front as I passed... how did you escape from Victoria?"
"Our little Buffy here killed her," Embry said, raising his chin. "So you'd better get lost or she'll stake your ass, too."
Alice laughed, and the sound was like wind chimes in a light breeze. "Be serious." She turned back to me with an amused smile. "What really happened?"
I shrugged slightly, though that tiny bit of pride began to well up inside me again. "Well... that kind of is what really happened."
Alice blinked in astonishment. "But... how?"
"It's a long story."
"But that doesn't make any sense at all," Alice insisted. "How could you have--"
"Hold up," Embry interrupted, raising a hand sarcastically. "I think it's my turn to ask a question. What's this whole 'we have to avenge her' crap? Who's 'we'?"
"'We'," Alice said crisply, "means my family."
My breath stopped in my throat.
"Are you all coming back?" he asked, his face a bitter, hard mask. This was the wolf gathering information to take back to his pack.
"What business is it of yours?"
"Well, it's my business... isn't it?" I said faintly. My head was starting to spin even though I wasn't moving. "Are you all coming back?"
Alice regarded me for a long moment, clearly deliberating on her next words. "Yes," she said finally. "All of us. Jasper's opening up the house right now. I let everyone know as soon as I had the vision. They will all have arrived in..." she trailed off, and her eyes went unfocused for a moment before declaring decisively, "...sixteen hours. We were coming to kill Victoria."
My vision started to tunnel. Everyone. "But they don't have to," I gasped. Part of me was elated... and other parts were terrified. I had no idea what to do with this information, none. It felt like the world was realigning underneath me. "She's already dead."
"They're already on their way; everyone will arrive," Alice said with certainty. "I'm positive. We'll figure out what to do after that."
Embry glared at her. "Keep to the treaty, then," he snarled. "If you step one sparkly little foot on our lands we'll rip you into pieces."
Alice frowned again... then her angel's face lit up with recognition. "Werewolves," she breathed. "You're the werewolves from Carlisle's treaty. I wasn't there then, but..." She turned back to me, shaking her head in exasperation. "You're friends with werewolves? Leave it to you, Bella. Anyone else would be better off when the vampires left town -- but you have to start hanging out with the first monsters you find."
"There's nothing wrong with werewolves," I snapped, a familiar anger rising at her critical tone.
"Damn right there's not," Embry said just as furiously. "Watch who you call a monster, you sorry excuse for a mosquito."
"This has nothing to do with--" Alice stopped speaking before she finished her sentence, then cocked her head toward the door. "Someone's coming."
Embry perked up, taking a few sniffs. He grinned. "Ooh. French fries."
This was about to get very bad.
I squeezed my eyes shut as I heard the door open. "Sorry, Bells, they were out of chocolate syrup so I..." Charlie's voice faded away. I kept my eyes tightly closed, but I could almost see his face turning purple. Sudden, irrational fear clenched in my chest -- what if Charlie had a heart attack, like Harry? This could certainly do it--
"Hi, Charlie," I heard Alice's melodic voice say. Then I heard a crinkling thud -- Charlie must have dropped the bag of food.
I dared to open my eyes.
Charlie's face had indeed turned purple. "You," he growled, pointing at Embry. "You're one of Sam Uley's." Then he turned to Alice, looking stunned. "And what are you doing here, Alice?" Before she could answer, his expression turned murderous again. "You know what? I don't care. Get out. No Cullens or Uley gang members are welcome here."
Alice smiled winsomely. I remembered how she'd always been my father's favorite. "But Charlie--"
"But nothing," he said sharply, cutting her off. He stepped out of the doorway and pointed at the hall. "Both of you leave, or I'll arrest you for trespassing." Both Embry and Alice looked vaguely mutinous, but then Charlie brushed back the side of his jacket, showing his gun. I wasn't sure it was an empty threat. "Out. Now."
Embry glanced at me, then let out a small snort before stepping forward and holding open the door. "Ladies first," he said to Alice mockingly, and I realized he wasn't going to leave until he was sure the vampire was gone as well.
Alice glared at him before darting over and giving me a quick, heartfelt hug. Her skin didn't give against mine. "I'll call you later," she whispered in her sweet voice, then released me and strode out of the room before I got the chance to tell her my cell phone was gone.
"Later, Buffy." Embry flashed me a quick grin, then flinched under Charlie's glare and escaped as well.
The room suddenly felt a lot quieter.
Charlie turned to me with a dark look. "I leave for twenty minutes--"
"They just showed up, Dad," I said, strangely relieved that my friends were gone. Exhaustion was setting in rapidly. There was just so much to deal with, and I didn't have the reserves to handle it. "Sorry about that."
He humphed as he picked up the bags of food. Embry would have to do without his french fries. "I mean it, Bells. I don't want them anywhere near you." He frowned, and his eyes became wary. "And yes, that includes Alice. Is... I mean, are any of the others coming back?"
I knew what he was asking. "I think so," I whispered. I didn't know what to think about that, or what to feel.
Cold ran through my body, and I started to shiver.
Charlie noticed, and pulled the blankets further up my body. "They were out of chocolate," he apologized, looking very sad all of the sudden. "All I could get was strawberry."
In spite of my earlier nausea, a strawberry milkshake sounded surprisingly good. "That'll be fine," I assured him. When he pulled the cup out of the bag, I reached for it automatically -- then scowled at my cast. "I can't--"
Wordlessly, Charlie stuck a straw into the cup and held the milkshake up to my mouth. It tasted fantastic.
"Thanks, Dad," I said once I'd stopped for breath.
"You're welcome, Bells."
***
In my dream, the forest was silent; not a single breeze rustled the trees or stirred the dead leaves on the ground.
I stood in front of my dead oak and marveled. Green, slippery moss had climbed right off the ground and covered every inch of bark and branch. The death had nourished the new growth, and the moss thrived. I smiled as the sun rose behind my back and highlighted the dew that clung to the emerald fuzz, allowing it to sparkle in the light.
Except the light flickered strangely.
I turned towards the sun, but I didn't see the expected rosiness of dawn.
The horizon was glowing orange with the flames of an approaching forest fire.
***
Chapter Fourteen: Surrender
Sanity Update: *claws... toward... finish... line...* The latest side effect of this fic has been a dramatic increase in both anxiety and paranoia. I am not kidding, I had a nightmare about being crushed under a collapsed bookshelf full of Twilight books. My doctor is SO happy with me right now, I can't even tell you. Also, made my Wednesday update by 9 whole minutes!