Breathe Again Sideshots

Companion story to Breathe Again, written as a side to Post #61: Confessions. Charlie’s reasoning behind relaxing the rules and a peek at his talk with Jacob.

So yeah, there was a boy in my daughter’s bed, and I wasn’t entirely sure he deserved to see another day.

Charlie

There’s something about having Bella that just puts it all into perspective. On the surface, I spent the entire night chasing down fires, yelling out orders, and calling in every available man we had (and a few who’d retired) just to keep the peace. But on the inside I didn’t give a damn about any of that. I just wanted to know my little girl was safe.

I tried calling Billy’s place every chance I got, but these idiot townsfolk were all in a panic, talking up a storm, and tying up the only way I had of reaching her. Our town’s little phone system was completely overwhelmed, and there was nothing I could do.

When the blaze at Newton’s was finally under control, I almost turned left out of that parking lot, forgetting about everyone else that was counting on me, needing more than anything to just find her and make sure she was clear of the chaos. But the radio went off again. The church fire was getting out of hand, and some apparently suicidal onlookers were getting too close. So I took a deep breath, told myself Jake would take care of her, and turned right.

Of course, being the Chief of Police does have its upside, and all my men had strict orders to radio me every time one of them passed my house. And each time they told me her truck wasn’t there. I didn’t actually want her to be there. I didn’t want her to be anywhere near Forks at the moment, but my heart sunk a little further with each one of their reports. Her not being there meant I didn’t know for certain where she was. I just hoped Jake was with her. I may not have liked the serious turn those two seemed to have taken, but if I knew anything, it was that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

When all the craziness died down I called Billy’s, and just as I’d hoped, she was there. It probably should have occurred to me to ask her what she was still doing out, but my nerves were shot, and at the moment I just didn’t care. I could assume she was there for safety and nothing else.

She offered to stay at the Young girl’s house, but that wasn’t good enough. Those kids weren’t much older than my Bells, and even though they were pretty mature for their age, it just wasn’t right, not after the night I’d had. It had been fine before, but …well, this time was just different. This time I needed her to be with the only other person I really trusted: Billy. Of course, there was the not so small matter of Jacob, but I just had to count on Bella using good sense.

It’s not like I’d never worried about her before. But she lived with Renee, and as crazy as that woman was sometimes, I knew she’d die before letting anything happen to our daughter. And Bella was always so quiet anyway. I only saw her a couple times a year at most, and usually just for a short time in the summer, but I could tell long ago that she wasn’t going to be one of those kids that sought out trouble. Sure, if there was a flat surface, she’d find a way to trip over it, but aside from that, Bella wasn’t the kind to give anyone any problems.

Of course, it was a bit different when she moved in with me. No, she still wasn’t the type to go sneaking out or coming home drunk. She did what she was told, cared about how people felt and what they thought, and basically put everyone else’s kids to shame. But that didn’t stop me from worrying.

I did everything I could to keep her safe, but there was little I could do when it came to the rest of the world. I put chains on her truck when it iced, and that Crowley kid nearly ran over her instead. I let her go out with that Cullen kid, seeing as he’d never been in trouble for anything, and what happened? She got in a fight with him, ran away, and took a hell of a tumble down a flight of stairs. I wrote it off as emotional teenager stuff, and gave her another chance, only to have her become the walking dead when the Cullens moved away. And now she was dating Jacob Black.

If you’d asked me a year ago, I’d have shoved those two together. Jake was practically family anyway, and I trusted him a hell of a lot more than any other kid in town. The Cullen kid was nice, but something about him just creeped me out. He was always polite, seemed responsible, and never gave me any reason to doubt him, but it was always just a little too convenient. When I had a particular concern, he always had the right answer. When any other boy his age would have stammered and stuttered and lied about something, he had no trouble looking me in the eye and completing his sentences-too well, actually. The way he talked sometimes…it just didn’t sound like a teenage boy. It sounded like a grown man with a classic reading habit. Something about that boy was just off.

Of course, back then, Jake had been more…normal. His latest growth spurt had him looking like he was in his twenties, and his whole demeanor had changed. Yeah, he was still the same kid with the big grin most of the time, but then he’d get this hardened, serious look, and I almost didn’t recognize him. And for some reason, Billy didn’t seem to give a damn when the boy stayed out all hours of the night. From what I had heard, he wasn’t out stirring up trouble, but it just didn’t make sense for a boy his age not to have some rules.

I knew she was safe, but that didn’t take away from the relief I felt when I finally made it over to Billy’s and saw her with my own eyes. Dinner was good, as it always was when Bella cooked, and relaxing in front of the TV was a welcome distraction. The kids were all pretty nervous about the whole arson mess, but I really couldn’t blame them. That sort of thing just didn’t happen around these parts. Or so we thought.

Afterward, Bella and I didn’t make it home till after ten. I’d been up for the better part of two days, and between the lack of sleep and the full stomach, I don’t even know how I made to into my bed. But exhaustion doesn’t trump worry, and even though I needed sleep more than anything, I slept fitfully, waking up every so often and having to remind myself that Bella was home and safe. A couple of times I even got up, wanting to just go in and check on her, but Bella wasn’t the soundest sleeper, either, and I would have felt bad disturbing her.

When my alarm went off, it was actually a relief. I knew I could catch a nap at the station if I really had to, and I was just too worked up to lie around in bed any longer. I got dressed, put on some coffee, and stepped outside to see the damage in the light of day.

We were lucky, I guess. I could see at the end of the street where one of the fires had burned through most of the trees in the Collins’ backyard, as well as a part of their fence. Henry was certainly going to have a fit over that. But none of the homes on our street had sustained any real damage, and we still had a nice, green patch of woods in our backyard. It looked like a branch had fallen, though.

I walked over to check it out and was surprised to see it was green. It would’ve made sense if the tree was dying off, and I just hadn’t noticed in time, but this was living wood, and everything around it was undisturbed. There was no way that could’ve fallen on its own. I looked up the side of the house to see if it had caused any damage on its way down. Nope, everything looked fine. Shingles were in place, siding was unscathed, and Bella’s window was…open? Well, it had been a little cool out. Maybe she just wanted some fresh air. Unless…

I was up the stairs before the thoughts pieced themselves together in my head. I paused outside her bedroom door, second guessing myself. What if I was wrong? Surely I didn’t want to just go accusing her. And she was a good, responsible kid for the most part. Hell, she told me she and Jake weren’t sleeping together. Then again, that Sotterman girl had probably told her parents the same thing, and now they were stuck raising her twins. No, no, Bella wasn’t like that. She was smart and good and responsible. I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to just crack the door open, make sure she was okay…

That worthless little piece of-! What the hell did he think he was doing in my daughter’s bed? I took one quick step forward, ready to rip his damn head off, and then stopped short when Bella rolled over. She looked peaceful and even a little…happy. How long had it been since I’d seen her like that?

Until recently, she’d been sleeping fitfully. She would have nightmares, waking up screaming bloody murder, with her eyes wide and empty. I’d sit in the rocker, just watching her sleep, dreading that moment when her breaths became labored and she began to toss and turn. Waking her up before the screaming started never worked. She’d just fall back asleep and it would start all over again. Unless I planned on sitting up all night every night, waking her every half hour or so, the nightmares were just something I was going to have to get used to. But lately…

Come to think of it, she hadn’t been having nightmares for a while now. It had probably been a couple of weeks since I’d heard her scream. And the only thing that had really changed in that time was her relationship with Jacob. Had he been here every night? No, that couldn’t be. Some of my guys had seen him out at night with his friends, never causing any trouble, and miles away from our house. I didn’t even want to know what he was doing here now.

I stood there, a little stunned at both the sight of him in her bed and the thought that maybe he had something to do with her getting better. I watched as her brow wrinkled and she twitched a little in her sleep, usually the first sign that a nightmare was beginning. But in an instant, Jacob’s arm wrapped tightly around her, and she sort of curled back into him, relaxing with a small sigh. It was a little too intimate for my liking, but it wasn’t exactly inappropriate. Maybe he was more use to me alive.

And that’s when I started noticing other little details. That boy couldn’t seem to figure out what shirts were for, but at least his shorts were on. And all the covers were wrapped around Bella while Jake was just sort of lying on top of everything. A quick look at the floor didn’t reveal any discarded clothing or…wrappers of any kind, thank God. And Bella’s foot was hanging off the side of the bed, sweatpants clearly visible.

So yeah, there was a boy in my daughter’s bed, and I wasn’t entirely sure he deserved to see another day. But now that I saw everything, it didn’t look like they’d been doing anything but sleeping. And it had been too long since Bella had done that with any success. As much as I wanted to kill him, I just couldn’t bring myself to wake her up. I’d have to deal with this later.

I was pouring myself another cup of coffee when I heard him walk into the kitchen behind me. Without turning around, I just pointed in the general direction of the table and said, “Sit.”

I was already at work when I realized I’d forgotten my checkbook. It wasn’t something I usually carried with me, but I needed it today. Bella’s graduation present had finally come in, and I was planning on picking it up and paying for it at lunch. What I didn’t expect was to find the two of them mauling each other on the bathroom floor when I got home.

“Charlie-” he began.

“Chief Swan,” I corrected him. “And you don’t get to talk.”

He looked a little surprised, but he closed his mouth and waited while I tried to figure out exactly what I was supposed to say. Bella was eighteen, and she was about to graduate high school. In a few months she’d be leaving for college, where…well, I didn’t even want to think about what she’d be doing there. But she was still a kid, still living at home, and there definitely needed to be some restrictions in place.

I paced back and forth slowly, wishing I had the advantage of the harsh lights and uncomfortable chairs in the station’s interrogation room. Instead, I had my teenage daughter’s idiot boyfriend just staring at me from my kitchen table. The least he could have done was act a little scared.

“Bella’s a good kid,” I began.

Jake opened his mouth to respond, and I just shook my head in warning. But the truth was that I didn’t know what to say. “How’d she hurt herself?” I asked.

“She fell on the stairs,” he replied.

“She’s okay, though?”

“Yeah, just bruised a little, really. Look, Char-Chief, I-”

“Shut up.”

What I wanted to do was tell him to get the hell out of my house and stay away from my daughter. But I couldn’t deny that she was happy with Jacob, as much as I didn’t like him right now, and the last thing I wanted was to watch her regress again. Or worse. She was normally such a sensible girl, but when it came to these boys…

I glanced toward the hall and realized that Bella, whose general lack of grace normally caused her to make at least some noise, was suspiciously quiet upstairs. I shot Jake a look, silently telling him to stay put, and stepped over to the stairs, just in time to catch her.

“Back upstairs,” I said, pointing up toward her room. This conversation was going to be hard enough. I certainly didn’t need her eavesdropping or interrupting. And if I changed my mind and shot the boy, she didn’t need to see that either. Once I heard her door shut-and looked up to see that she was in fact no longer in the hallway, I turned back to the kitchen to resume my pacing.

“She ran away, you know,” I said.

“Chief-”

This time I just had to look at him, and his mouth snapped back shut.

“That Cullen boy…Phoenix…I can’t have that happening again,” I mumbled, more to myself than to him. Jake nodded, but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut this time. Only now he was looking at me like I was crazy, and I probably sounded like I was.

I was in an impossible spot. I could lay down the law, forbid her from seeing him, and risk Bella falling apart again…or running away. She looked at him the way she used to look at that Cullen boy, the way Renee used to look at me. Cullen ran off. Well, maybe it was because his parents moved, but he was still gone. And Renee…she certainly ran off. She ran off and took my kid and left me behind and… I wasn’t blind. I knew what that look was. And Bella was too young for it, too young to wrap her life up in someone who…well, Jake wasn’t a bad kid, but he was still a kid.

They could run off and live together…or get married…or she could get pregnant. She’d never finish college, and she’d never accomplish all the things I knew she was capable of. Okay, maybe that was taking it a little far. After all, Bella was smarter than all that-I hoped. And Jake…well, he did tell her to get dressed.

I glanced up at Jake again, only to see the oddest expression on his face. Shit. “How much of that did you hear?” I asked as I realized I’d been talking out loud.

“Ummm…well, enough?” he replied unsurely.

“Wear a shirt,” I said, waiting until he nodded to continue. “And no climbing trees.”

He nodded again.

“Look, son, I know you care about her, and I’m gonna assume you respect her-and me—enough to…well, you told her to get dressed and…” Shit! This wasn’t going well at all. I needed to just start over. I walked over and dumped my coffee in the sink and turned back around.

“I know it’s serious between you two, and I can’t say that doesn’t bother me. And Bella isn’t exactly rational when it comes to boys. I watched her come apart for months after that prick Cullen left, and I don’t think I can do that again. It’s bad enough she’s leaving for college, but if she runs off again…” I didn’t even want to think about that anymore.

“I’m gonna be straight with you, Jake. You need to respect my daughter, and you need to respect me. If I think for one second that…You swear to me you were just sleeping?”

“I swear, Char-Chief Swan.”

I saw a flash of guilt and honed in on it. “Jacob…” I warned, narrowing my eyes at him.

“We just kiss, Chief. I don’t…I mean it’s kinda weird telling you about it, but that’s all. Really.”

“I guess I don’t have any choice, then,” I sighed. “She’s just now sleeping through the night, and I can’t lose her again.” I paused, second-guessing myself, wondering if maybe I was losing my mind. As a father, I had to say it. And as a father, it was one of the last things I ever thought I would say. “Fine,” I said, leveling my eyes on him in warning. “You wear a shirt, you come in through the door, and you make damn sure I know you’re here. And her door stays open. If I even suspect you’re…”

“We won’t,” he replied quickly.

“And not every night. I can only put up with so much.”

“You mean…it’s okay if I stay over?” he asked, his surprise evident.

“No, it’s not okay, but that doesn’t seem to matter to either one of you.” I paused for a second, wondering if I was making a mistake. Well, knowing nothing was going on under my roof was a hell of a lot better than knowing nothing at all. “I’m trusting her,” I sighed, “and I guess I’m trusting you. Don’t make me regret it.”

For once, it seemed I’d shocked the boy into silence. And if I was being honest, I think I was a little shocked myself. Had I really just given my daughter’s boyfriend permission to spend the night? I shook my head and grabbed my checkbook and keys off the counter, turning to leave before I made any other potentially stupid decisions.

Companion story for Breathe Again. Written as a side to Posts 39-54. Rachel’s having a tough time adjusting, and she’s been taking it out on Bella. One-shot.

~ So I was jealous. I could admit that. I just couldn’t admit it to her. ~

Companion story for Breathe Again. Written as a side to upcoming Chapter Twenty-Seven: Nuisance. Jessica is convinced that she and Embry are destined to be together. One-shot. 

~”Finally a guy that was worth it. And just in time for prom..” ~

Jessica

It should have been clear to me when Bella moved to Forks. All the boys noticed her. I mean, who wouldn’t? She was new, and in a town this small, fresh meat was something to fight over. Seriously, a girl would have to be truly hideous—we’re talking hunchback, warts, and maybe a suspicious rash—for guys not to sit up and take notice. Mike, of course, was no exception. He wanted her just as much as every other boy did, and the rest of us just had to sit around and wait for the newness to wear off.

It’s not like there was anything that special about her. She wasn’t all tanned and super-model gorgeous or anything. She didn’t come from money. Her dad was a cop, but that was really the only thing that stood out about her, other than the fact that she was new. We all heard about Eric and Tyler asking her to the dance, and no one really believed her story about being out of town. At least Mike had the good sense to ask me. Bella was never going to be popular if she kept acting like she was too good for this place. But that’s exactly what she did.

At first, I blamed her. You can’t just move to a new town, turn down every boy who asks you out, and expect people to like you. I mean, I tried, but Bella was a little strange. She drove a totally embarrassing truck, barely socialized except when we were at school, and even skipped the spring dance. But even though she acted like she wasn’t interested in dating, she did nothing to discourage the boys from trying. Lauren even pointed out to me how Bella talked to Mike all the time, sat with him sometimes at lunch, and basically did everything to make him think he had a chance. It wasn’t until she sat with Edward Cullen that day that I realized what she’d really been up to.

It seemed to me that she wanted Edward all along. She just didn’t want to burn any bridges if he wasn’t interested. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Edward turned her down and she immediately went after Mike. But for the first time in history, Edward Cullen actually paid attention to someone outside his freaky family. That was about the time Mike and I started dating.

I should have known from the start that Mike was all wrong for me. He tried, but he just couldn’t give me the attention I deserved. That was our problem all along. Mike would act like he liked me, but then he’d go and do something stupid—like make plans with Tyler when we were supposed to go out together. And the only time he mentioned love was when it had to do with sex. It didn’t matter, anyway. We just weren’t meant to be. He still followed Bella around all the time, pretty much ignored my feelings, and basically showed me just how much of a jerk he could be. I couldn’t really hate Bella for that. In fact, she kind of did me a favor. If it hadn’t been for her, I’d still be trying to get Mike’s attention. And I wouldn’t have met Embry.

Embry. Now there was a real man if I ever saw one. Even Lauren was jealous of me! I just hoped she didn’t go all Single White Female on me like she did Bella. She’d already tried to steal Bella’s boyfriend. Next, she’d probably stop hitting the tanning bed and go buy an ugly old truck. But what did I care about Lauren? I had Embry. He was totally hot, really funny, and he was into me! Finally a guy that was worth it. And just in time for prom.

The drive to all the way out to La Push kind of sucked, but I could deal with it. Embry hadn’t called like he said he would, but then again, there’d been all that arson stuff going on. The phone lines were probably messed up. I mean, I checked, and my line worked fine, so there must have been something wrong on his end. That made sense, right?

I took a quick look in the mirror and added some lip gloss. There. Perfect.

I was parked in front of a really tiny building that looked a lot like an old shed. It didn’t look like much of a house, at least not any that I was used to. The driveway wasn’t even paved and the yard was mostly dirt with a few weeds thrown in. The front half of an old truck was sitting to the side of the house, and I couldn’t help but stare. Why on earth would anyone have just half a truck? It was kind of creepy to think that anyone lived here, but the fading numbers on the mailbox matched what the old man at that little store said. This was where Embry Call lived. Hmmmm…Call. Jessica Call. Yeah, that could work.

I knocked on the door and waited. And waited. I could hear a TV, but the shades were pulled, so there was no way for me to know if anyone was inside. I had to assume someone was, though. It’s not like they’d have to leave the TV on to deter thieves or anything. It really didn’t look like the kind of place where there’d be anything worth stealing. I knocked again, this time a lot louder, and some flakes of paint snowed down around me. This place could definitely use an upgrade—or ten.

Finally I heard a kind of shuffling noise coming from inside. Maybe I’d woken him up. I wondered what he’d look like fresh out of bed. My guess? HOT!

“Who are you?”

She looked a little insane, and with her bad sense of style and hygeine, trying to pin down her age was impossible. And wow. She really smelled like alcohol.

“Ah…I’m Jessica. I must have the wrong house. I was looking for Embry?”

Surely this wasn’t his mom. She stood there in the doorway staring at me for what seemed like forever. Her hair was sticking out in every direction and she was wearing this really hideous dress—kind of like you see on those poor people in movies set back in the forties or something. It was all baggy and faded, and really a little dirty from the looks of it. And she had dark circles under her eyes. I couldn’t tell if it was her complexion or if that was smeared mascara, but either way she seriously needed to invest in some skin cream. She lifted a cigarette to her mouth and took a big puff, not even trying to avoid getting smoke in my face.

“He’s not here,” she said. “Usually isn’t. Try Jake’s. “

“Ah…where’s that?” I asked.

She pointed at the road and hooked her finger to the left. And with that she just shut the door in my face. Could that really have been his mom? Clearly the looks didn’t run in her side of the family.

I had no idea where I was going, but I drove down the badly paved road in the direction she’d pointed. Every so often, I’d see a couple of houses, some of them looking abandoned, and none of them much bigger than the crazy lady’s house. Boy, when Lauren said the people out here were poor, she was right.

I was about to give up and turn around when I spotted Bella’s funny old truck. It was parked in front of another little house, this one looking a bit more lived in, and so I pulled in beside it. There was a lot of noise coming from inside, like they were having a party or something.

Again I knocked, and again there was no answer. So I banged a little louder, and finally someone came to the door. She was really pretty, and for a second I thought it might have been that psycho that threatened Lauren, but this one had longer hair.

“Who the hell are you?”

Clearly etiquette was not a high priority in La Push. In any case, I thought it would be smart to show her my best side. After all, if Embry and I were going to be together, I needed to make friends with these people. I would just have to pretend she wasn’t being so rude and get what I came for.

“Is Embry here?” I asked cheerfully.

“Why?”

“Ummmm…” That really wasn’t the response I was expecting, and I was shocked into silence for a second. “I’m Jessica,” I said. “I was just…around…so I thought I’d drop by and see him.”

Her expression changed, but I couldn’t quite make out what she was thinking.

“You’re Jessica? From last night?”

“Yep, that’s me!” I was thrilled. It bode well for us that he’d already told everyone about me.

“Hey, Embry! Your woman’s here!” she yelled over her shoulder. She had a bright smile on her face now, and I couldn’t have been happier.

“My what?” I heard him ask. He sounded surprised and annoyed, probably because she’d called me his “woman.” I was willing to bet he’d have a much sweeter title for me.

She walked away just as the door opened wider.

“Hi!” I said excitedly, settling in his lap. He was a strong guy. He could handle it.

And he was definitely surprised. This was such a good idea!

“Uh, hi,” he said hesitantly. Awwww, he’s shy!

He was even better looking than he was the night before. His choice of outfit wasn’t anything to brag about—a plain white t-shirt and cut off sweats, but I could help him with that.

Embry’s friends didn’t stick around long, and honestly, I was hoping we wouldn’t either. He’d been so sweet last night when it was just us out by the Timber Museum, and I had the feeling he wanted to be alone just as much as I did. Unfortunately, we were at Jake’s house, and he and Bella weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. I thought about asking if he wanted to go to his place, but then I remembered the crazy woman and the half-truck. Plus, Bella asked me to help her with the dishes.

“So, Bella…Do you guys do this breakfast thing often?” I asked. It seemed like fun, even if it was a little too domestic for me.

“Ah…well, since school was canceled we just…it seemed…you know how I like to cook,” she said nervously.

I didn’t know what she had to be nervous about, though. It’s not like she’d spent the night or anything. Bella was way too much of a prude for anything like that.

“Really? I didn’t know that. That’s cool, though,” I said. Then I had the best idea. “Oooooh! I should make dinner for Embry! What should I make? Do you know what he likes?” After all, the way to a man’s stomach…

“He likes pizza!” Jake yelled helpfully.

Great. I should have known it wouldn’t have been that easy. I mean, how do you make pizza? I could do one of those mixes that comes with the crust, but that just seemed like too much work. And for someone who liked to cook, Bella sure wasn’t any help.

Embry and I ended up hanging out with Jake and Bella all morning. I suggested a few things we could go do together, but Embry always had a reason not to. He wasn’t interested in any movies that were out, the waves were bad for surfing, the water was cold for swimming, and the drive to Port Angeles was too long to go find anything else cool to do. And he kept pulling Bella into our conversation.

I almost got upset about it, thinking this was Mike all over again. I mean, he had acted awfully friendly with her when he’d dropped by our school. But then I realized he was really just trying to be nice. He probably felt sorry for her after that whole Lauren thing, and as Jake’s friend, it was kind of his job. I guess as Embry’s girlfriend that was my job now, too.

Still, I was relieved when we finally left. Jake and Bella were fighting about something, so they needed to be alone and work it out. Bella probably just didn’t want anyone knowing that her relationship was in trouble, and I felt bad for her. But at least Embry and I were good. Now I just needed to get him to change into some decent clothes so I could take him to meet my mom. I knew she was going to love him just as much as I did.

Companion story for Breathe Again. Written as a side to Chapter Twenty Two: Waiting. Victoria pieces togetherthe circumstances behind James’s disappearance and plans her revenge. One-shot.  

~ He was my killer and my savior. And now he was nothing. ~

~ A part of me was gone.  I could still see his soft red eyes and feel the gentle curtain of his blond hair brushing against my cheek.  When I breathed deeply enough I could imagine his sweet scent filling my lungs.  I had to find him. ~

 

Victoria

He was everything. He was my friend, making me laugh when this life we led was anything but funny. He was my companion, saving me from the mind-numbing solitude our kind so often faced. He was my lover, offering me his arms, his heart, his soul for eternity. He was my killer and my maker and my savior. And now he was nothing.

Before he left, we’d agreed to meet up again at an old mining museum outside Vancouver. It was our usual arrangement. He’d go off in search of some delectable prey, and then we’d come together again in a day or two. This particular chase was more of a challenge, which was a big part of the draw, and we both knew it would take a little longer than usual.

I waited for two weeks, but there was no sign of him. I tried telling myself he was distracted, still on the hunt, but in my silent heart I knew better. 

After the first few days, the agony set in. I couldn’t hunt. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t live without him. The hours became days became weeks…until finally something took over me. At first I thought it was just my thirst. I’d gone so long without blood that I was weak and disoriented. I pounced on the first human that strayed in my direction, with no regard for witnesses or secrecy. Too late I noticed he wasn’t alone, and I had to drain his companion as well. I relished a certain degree of satisfaction in my kill. I was doing a good deed, a kind service to them. I was guaranteeing that neither would remain without the other. If only fate had shown me the same kindness.

The fire in my throat was quenched, but the flames in my soul still raged. A part of me was gone. I could still see his soft red eyes and feel the gentle curtain of his blond hair brushing against my cheek. When I breathed deeply enough I could imagine his sweet scent filling my lungs. I had to find him.

I followed the same directions I’d given him, racing south to Phoenix, refusing to rest until I found it, the address I’d discovered for him. A car was in the driveway and lights were on, but the house was empty. I paused and listened carefully, but the only heartbeat I heard was too small, too fast to be human. A cat darted from the shadows, hissing and baring its teeth at me before it regained its wits and disappeared into a storm drain.

His scent was everywhere, but it was weak. I rounded the house and entered through the back, tearing the door from its hinges as I hurried in my search for clues. It was the perfect little human domicile, everything appearing ordinary to the unschooled eye. But I was searching for something no one could see.

I followed the same path he’d taken so recently. His scent was strongest wherever remnants of her life here were displayed…her old room, her photos displayed neatly in cheap frames, and the video cases beneath the television. But that’s where the clues ended. There was nothing to tell me where he had gone, what he had done, who had taken him from me. Conceding defeat, I left, intent on wandering the streets until I found him.

I happened upon his scent again outside. It was faint, but it had direction. I followed it through the night until I reached a small dance studio, and that’s when my worst fear was realized.

Everything smelled new. New paint, new flooring, new glass. The chemical stench was nearly overwhelming as I disabled the recently added alarm system and let myself in. But it couldn’t hide the smell of death. Mildew, still undetectable by humans, was growing behind the freshly painted walls. Faint traces of soot lingered on the ceiling. And the unique scent of burned vampire permeated everything. There was only one thing left to do: find her.

There was a reason James was a tracker and I was not. While I thrilled in the kill and enjoyed the hunt, I always overlooked important details. This time was no exception. In my haste to find my mate, I’d failed to look for clues in the most likely place…that sleepy little town where the nightmare had begun.

I headed north again, leaving the desolate landscape of Arizona behind me, and I soon found myself in the same lush clearing where we’d met them, the strange vampires with golden eyes. I didn’t know where else to look. That had always been James’s specialty.

I tried to remember what he’d taught me, straining to recall little details about this odd coven. I knew they had a permanent home here, one where they lived among and interacted with humans, but I knew nothing else. And I needed to hunt.

The woods around the town were filled with prey. Wandering hikers, nature lovers, ignorant tourists taking in the scenery. Before long I’d quenched my thirst, and I was eager to descend into the small community. But just as quickly, I caught the scent of something putrid, something rotten, something…canine?

I’d heard stories of these wolves, our only natural enemies. They changed by the full moon and wandered the night, occasionally killing vampires in their changed forms. But I’d never seen them, and I’d certainly never expected so many. They were enormous, fast, and not the least bit afraid of me. It was unnerving how quickly they took up chase, and I was forced to leave my last meal unfinished as I ran for my life.

It became the norm. No matter what path I took, no matter what time of day or night, they were always there, always waiting for me. The second I neared civilization, they were on my heels. They were worse than the legends. They ran in a pack, and they changed whenever they wished. In broad daylight, when the moon was waning, any time I was close. They refused to give up. And so did I.

Realizing I needed help, I tracked Laurent north into the mountains and snow, finally reaching him outside a small village in what I thought might be Alaska. I nearly attacked him on sight, a raging fury overtaking me at the sight of his golden eyes. But he held me off long enough that the small ring of red in his irises finally caught my attention, and in the end, he agreed to help me.

He gave me some small bits of information about the coven I sought, the Cullens, and about the frail human girl who’d destroyed everything. While I’d been searching for my mate, Laurent had been holed up in a home with a similar coven. They practiced the same diet as the Cullens, and they considered themselves a “family.” They’d been welcoming and helpful, and Laurent had found himself quite taken with one of the females, but he’d left, unable to fully acclimate to their lifestyle. It made me resent him all the more.

We agreed that he would go back first, survey the area, and return to me with more information. He also confirmed my worst suspicion. The boy, the youngest looking Cullen had been infatuated with the human girl, and he’d vowed to protect her with his life. In doing so, he most likely took the life of my mate. I would make certain he regretted it.

Laurent had not returned. As had happened with James, he’d been gone for too long. Only this time I didn’t grieve. In fact, a small part of me celebrated, hoping fate had led him straight into the jaws of those monstrous wolves. It would have been what he deserved after turning away from us and going to the Cullens with his warnings. And it gave me an idea.

The Cullens had only succeeded because there had been so many of them. One on one, or even two on one, James would have defeated them easily. But seven vampires had a decided advantage, even against such a fighter as James. And I was facing similar odds with the wolves. I needed back-up.

I would assemble a new coven, a miniature army, a group of vampires who would rage to the death by my side. But not just any vampires. Newborns. They would be disposable, easy to lead, looking to me for guidance. And I would tell them of the sweet blood of the little human girl, of her threat to us. They would yearn for her blood as I yearned for revenge, and our numbers would guarantee our success.

If fate was kind, I would not survive the attack, but I would achieve my goal. The Cullen boy would suffer as I had. He would lose his mate and rue his existence. He would live out eternity in a hellish solitude. And he would pay for taking my James from me.

Companion story to Breathe Again, written as a side to Chapter Nineteen: Questions.  Charlie receives a call from one meddling Mrs. Newton, and Jacob’s reaction leaves his head spinning. One-shot.

~ Well…crap. Bella had told me that I didn’t need to worry about…that. And Miranda Newton was certainly not the best source for unembellished facts, but half-dressed and making out in a parking lot?
I was in my car and headed to La Push within seconds. ~

Food, beer, and sports. That’s all anyone really needed to be happy, I was sure. I flipped through the channels with the remote for a while. Infomercial…sitcom…horror movie…Steel Magnolias? …ah, ESPN News.

I took another bite of pizza and listened to the latest steroid scandal news. One of these days, those idiots were going to realize that true talent takes hard work, determination, and some good old fashioned skill—not a syringe. But apparently it was going to take government hearings and jail sentences to get it through their oversized heads.

I glanced up at the clock. 9:08. Bella would be home soon. I’d made sure to order enough pizza for her, and I even went so far as to let them put pineapples on half of it, just the way she liked it. God only knows how she could eat that crap. Fruit on pizza? Seriously? Probably something Renee taught her. Damn that crazy woman. And damn me for still loving her. Who the hell’s calling this late?

I set down my dinner on the arm of the recliner and went to answer the phone.

“Hello?” I said, making sure to sound official (in case it was the station) and also put out (in case it was one of those damned telemarketers).

“Chief Swan?” a shrill female voice replied. “Chief Swan, it’s Miranda Newton. I’m so glad you’re home. It’s not too late, is it? Good. I was just thinking that as a parent, well, as a responsible parent, I should let you know what’s going on…”

I tuned her out for a while and focused on the TV, wishing I’d thought to bring the remote with me. It was hard to hear over her babbling. Maybe I should just break down and buy a cordless phone. Bella always complains about the cord on this one…

“ — they just think they’re all grown up—except my Mikey. You know, he’s very mature, to tell you the truth. I’ll bet he’d be a wonderful influence on Bella—“

“Miranda!”“ I finally interrupted. She was verbally barging in on my evening just to talk my ear off. “Is everything okay with Bella?”

“Oh…well, yes, thanks to me. If I hadn’t interrupted those two…well, let’s just say you’re far too young to be a grandfather.”

“Uh-huh. Wait…WHAT?!”

“Oh, now, don’t be too upset. I stopped them in time. But really, Chief Swan, that man is just too old for her, if you ask me.”

“What man?” I asked, grabbing my gun belt off the wall. Bella was supposed to be dating Jake, and he was only a kid. She wasn’t one of those girls that sneaks off with college guys, was she? Unless…well, Jake was over six feet tall, and he could probably buy beer without being carded. I’d have to talk to Billy about that. But first I was going to have to see about this whole procreation thing. And the gun would send the perfect message if Jake really was pushing his luck with my little girl.

“Now, I don’t know his name, but I’m sure I could identify him in a lineup. He was really big, Chief Swan. Steroids, probably. You know that’s a problem even in these small towns. We can never get too complacent—“

“Miranda!”

Damn, that woman could talk!

“Oh. Well, he was an Indian man, really big, and he was half-dressed by the time I saw them. They were in the parking lot, for God’s sake. And I tell you, he just—“

“Thank you for the call,” I said. She was still yapping when I hung up.

Well…crap. Bella had told me that I didn’t need to worry about…that. And Miranda Newton was certainly not the best source for unembellished facts, but half-dressed and making out in a parking lot? I was in my car and headed to La Push within seconds.

Billy looked a little surprised to see me, but he just motioned me inside and made his way back to the living room. ESPN News. Great minds think alike.

“Beer’s in the fridge,” he said, gesturing toward the kitchen without taking his eyes off the TV.

“I probably shouldn’t,” I said. “I’m just here to talk to Jake.”

“He in trouble?” Billy asked.

“Well, if the call I got tonight had any truth to it, he’s not going to live to see next week.”

That got his attention. He muted the TV and turned toward me.

“Now, Charlie, you know there’s no gang activity here on the rez.”

He was talking about that Sam Uley. Bella had told me she’d been mistaken about him, but her initial reaction still bothered me. Of course, he and his fiancée had looked out for her that night when we lost power. Still… “Actually, it’s Jake’s other activities I’m here about. Namely my daughter.” My fists were clenched just thinking about that boy trying to put his hands on Bella.

For a second, it looked like he was going to laugh, but it was probably my imagination.

“She miss curfew?” he asked.

“Her boss says they were practically having…they were…well…she basically said if we don’t do something about those two, we’re both gonna be grandpas.”

Billy raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Her boss? The Newton lady?”

“Yes. She says she stopped them just in time.”

Now he was laughing. “That woman doesn’t have a lick of sense. You ask Bella about this?”

“No, she wasn’t home yet. Probably still out with your son.”

“Well, now, I raised my son to be a responsible man, and—“

“Responsible? I don’t care how responsible they are. They are too young to…to—“

I didn’t even want to say it, much less think it. Thankfully the roar of Bella’s old truck interrupted me. Now to deal with that boy…

He loved her. He loved her?

I’d stood there, ready to tell him he couldn’t see my daughter anymore, ready to cuff him or file a restraining order or whatever I needed to do to make sure they weren’t…you know… And after that cocky little bastard implied that they were, he just up and said he loved her. And damn if I didn’t believe him.

For once, he wasn’t laughing. He didn’t look like he was trying to pull the wool over my eyes, and he didn’t seem to have anything else up his giant sleeve—not that he ever actually wore a shirt. He just looked me in the eye and said he loved her.

As Bella’s father, I wanted to strangle him. Love at his age? Well, it made people do stupid things. And if stupid led to my having a pregnant daughter, there wasn’t a law I wouldn’t bend to make him pay. He got me so flustered I was just throwing random charges at him, anything to keep him from pulling Bella into his mistake. But as his dad’s friend, I was tempted to pull him aside and just try to talk some sense into him.

What was it with kids these days? Falling in love, thinking the world was theirs for the taking… I’d thought that once. With Renee. And look where that got me. Sure, I got to fish with my buddies all the time, spend my money on a big TV without anyone telling me it didn’t match the décor, and stock my fridge with fish and beer. But I was alone. For all the grand dreams Renee and I had, the only one that came true was Bella.

Bella was smart and sweet, a damn good cook, and I knew the boys thought she was pretty. But she had a future, a chance at something good. I just didn’t want to see her throw it away on a teenage crush. I may not have been present for most of her growing up, but I was still her father.

She’d been so caught up in that Cullen boy. Honestly, I didn’t know if she’d ever get over him, but Jake seemed to have the answer to that. And I knew Jake. I knew everything about that kid, probably more than he knew about himself. There wasn’t a bad bone in his body, even if he was a pain in the ass sometimes.

If five years from now they got engaged, I’d probably be on top of the world. It’s not like Jake wasn’t already family. Hell, there wouldn’t even be any tension with the new in-laws. But right now?

No, he hadn’t said a word about marrying her. Come to think of it, I wasn’t sure he’d ever taken her on a proper date. And as he so obnoxiously pointed out, he was only sixteen. But age aside, I knew that look, the one in his eye when he said he loved her.

Story Title: Wisdom By ysar
Chapter: Wisdom
Genre: Twilight – Romance / General
Characters: Emily/Sam
Details: AU
Rating: T/PG13
Post Word Count: 1220
Status: Completed
Summary: “Companion story to Breathe Again, written as a side to Chapter #5: Revelation. Sam and Emily try to figure out what’s going on with Jacob and what’s causing Bella’s volatile reactions. One-shot.”

Remember that this is just a tiny piece of the big picture. These one-shot companion stories are intended to provide a little more insight into a character or situation, and they are generally a set up for what does happen next in the main story Breathe Again. So if you feel like you’re missing something, or you really do want to know what’s next, start reading Breathe Again and stay tuned for future chapters there.

Wisdom

Story Title: Gossip By ysar
Chapter: Gossip
Genre: Twilight – Friendship / General
Characters: Angela
Details: AU
Rating: T/PG13
Status: Completed
Summary:“Companion story to Breathe Again, written as a side to Chapter #12: Comfort. Bella skips lunch, and misses out on some very interesting conversation. But Angela’s there to hear & see it all.”

Gossip