Arrested By You
by SparklingFae
A/N: All Characters are property of SM, I just like to play with them. A huge Thanks to my Beta NCChris, she makes everything I do all better.
Bella POV
I didn't remember much of the ride home from the hospital. I was pretty sure Paul had driven us to the Forks PD so Sam could pick his patrol car up, since we wouldn’t have a mode of transportation until he got the insurance on his totaled truck sorted out. I vaguely remembered that Sam had carried me inside and settled me into what was now dubbed "our" bedroom, but after that everything was a total blank.
My peaceful drug induced slumber was interrupted the next morning by the shrill ringing of a phone. I shifted with a groan, my muscles stiff and aching from the after effects of the accident. I looked around before falling back into my nest of blankets and pillows, wincing at the pain my simple movements brought on. I was sore as shit and was reluctant to get out of bed. I knew from the way Sam was talking on the phone that I needed to get up though. I could hear him addressing Billy Black respectfully. With a soft sigh of resignation, I carefully sat up again and limped my way to the bathroom, needing some sort of pain relief and hoping to be able to make myself feel more human with my morning ablutions.
I jumped a little, startled when Sam came in silently. I sighed softly in relief when he came up behind me and gently began to rub my stiff shoulders and neck. His heated touch helped to loosen the muscles, almost like a heating pad. He seemed to know exactly where I was in the most discomfort and focused his gentle massaging there, working his thumbs into the muscles until they loosened before moving to the next spot.
"Sorry, Baby. I didn’t mean to startle you. Billy wants to meet with us in an hour. Are you feeling up for that?" he asked quietly, concern clear in his voice.
"I think I’ll be okay, Sam…if we don’t stay too long and I take some of the medication the doctor prescribed. I’m really feeling the accident today.”
Reaching for the small orange prescription bottle on the edge of the bathroom counter and shaking out a pill, I gave him a pained grin. He nodded and kissed my cheek before heading out of the bathroom. I lingered there for a few more minutes, putting on a bit of makeup to cover a bruise on my cheek before shuffling slowly back to the bedroom. I unearthed a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt, not feeling up to wearing anything more formal. I opted to just slip on a pair of flip-flops. Once I had those on, I made my way to the kitchen. Sam was busy making some toast and eggs for us.
"What does Billy want to meet with us about, Sam?" I asked as I settled gingerly into one of the wood chairs at the table.
He glanced over his shoulder, then back to the eggs, making sure they were finished before coming to sit beside me.
"I am not sure, Baby. He didn’t elaborate much, other than to say he found something in the histories that was of great importance and he needed to speak to us about it,” he shrugged slightly before continuing, “Are you hungry, Bella?"
I could barely move my head as it was so stiff from the accident, so instead of nodding, I whispered, "Yes, thanks for making breakfast, Sam."
He just grinned and shrugged as he plated the eggs and toast for me, setting it in front of me. We ate in companionable silence. It was nice to just be able to relax and not feel the need to fill the air with meaningless chatter.
It didn't take long before we had finished our meal and were on our way to Billy's house. Once I was settled into the patrol car, I could feel my eyelids getting heavy and allowed myself to drift off into a brief catnap.
I was stirred awake by Sam murmuring in my ear, "Wake up, Honey."
I looked around and noticed we had already arrived at Billy's house. Taking a closer look, I saw that the home was in a state of disrepair. Paint was peeling off of the outside walls and the roof over the porch had started to cave in in places. I made a mental note to talk to Sam about it. I knew a lot of the guys did construction projects on the side. Billy couldn’t do this kind of work on his own, and Jake was stretched too thin to handle it on his own because of his tribal and Pack responsibilities. There was no excuse for the house to be in this state with an entire Pack of able-bodied shapeshifters available to help.
Biting my lip to keep from whimpering in pain, I slid out of the car and walked hand in hand with Sam up the porch steps, stopping once we got the front door. I watched as Sam raised his hand to knock lightly on the cracked old red door.
Billy called out, "Come in the two of you!"
Sam pushed the door open and helped me over to the couch; my voice came out softer than a whisper as I thanked him. Once I had settled onto the couch, Sam sat next to me. Billy watched us like a hawk for a few minutes without speaking. My hand was securely entwined with Sam's and I squirmed a little under Billy’s scrutiny.
After a few uncomfortable moments, Billy began to speak, telling us he had discovered a legend, or prophecy if we preferred, in the oldest of the written histories of the tribe. I settled into Sam's side as Billy began to weave the tale.
"There was a time within our people that great pain and sorrow had befallen our warriors. One of the warrior's had suffered a great loss and his sadness flowed from him onto his brothers, causing grief and strife within the brotherhood the men had formed from many battles together. Time passed and the warriors drifted further apart, straining the bonds they had formed even further. The men were only connected in the loosest sense, and the village was endangered by the loss of their fierce warrior clan.
“After a time a young maiden happened upon the tribe and things began to change. She was said to have been a gift from the gods for they had seen the suffering of our people and had sent this maiden to bring peace and comfort in our time of need. The warrior's name that she was sent to assist was named Ahat Ika and the tribe called the maiden Tʼaxílit.
“It is said that they forged a bond with one another that was stronger than the strongest bond any had ever seen. The moment they found one another, they were inseparable. The warrior and the maiden never parted for any length of time during the lifetime they shared together. The spirits created Tʼaxílit to be Ahat Ika's mate, his wife and partner in all things. She was sent to heal not only her warrior, but his brothers as well. She created balance and peace within the whole tribe during her lifetime.
“The shaman of tribe during that time foretold of a prophecy related to T’axilit and Ahat Ika’s spirits. It was written that there would be another time when our warriors would again suffer a devastating loss. Tʼaxílit and Ahat Ika would return to their people during that time of sadness and despair. The shaman wrote that Tʼaxílit would return as a maiden with skin that was nearly as white as snow and Ahat Ika would return as Qwoli. They would not be strangers when they found each other once again, but would reconnect in a time of duress for them both and reforge their bond against all odds. They would stand firm against dissention from internal forces within their tribe and external forces from the world beyond it.
“Tʼaxílit would once again bring the warriors back together, and heal the wounds that they suffered with the loss of one dear to them all. A peace would settle within them, renewing the bonds of brotherhood and family that they had once shared. By healing the warriors, the whole tribe would again know peace and prosperity by her efforts.
“The shaman cautioned that the true healing would not begin this time until Ahat Ika, the Qwoli, marked Tʼaxílit as his.”
Billy looked directly at them both, his tone turning grave.
“I believe the time of the prophecy has come. You, Bella, are Tʼaxílit and Sam, you are Ahat Ika."
I drew in a breath as I listened to his final words, my fingers drifting unconsciously up to stroke the mark Sam had left on my skin. I was entranced by the legend and the fact that he felt Sam and I could be the two from the prophecy.
"Bella, may I see the marking?" Billy asked shrewdly and I blushed.
His eyes never missed much. I rose stiffly from the couch, my muscles fighting the movement, then made my way to Billy, kneeling in front of him much to Sam's irritation. I heard my protective Qwoli growl when I heeded Billy's request and swept my hair aside, affording him a clear view of the mating mark I bore proudly from Sam.
"Thank you, Bella."
I nodded softly and made my way back to sit next to Sam, curling my fingers in his.
I was grateful for what Billy had discovered for us. While he and Sam were discussing Charlie, I decided I was going to make some lunch, as a way to thank him. I slipped away quietly and started going through his cabinets, wanting to find something easy.
I quickly settled on chicken noodle soup after finding egg noodles, carrots, broth, and chicken breasts. I put the broth and water on to boil, then began chopping the carrots and chicken, adding the chunks of vegetable and meat to the pot along with a handful of herbs from the spice cabinet.
While that cooked, I set about making some grilled cheese sandwiches for the three of us. By the time I’d finished those and stacked them neatly on a plate in the middle of the small kitchen table, the soup was ready.
I called out softly, knowing Sam would hear me and tell Billy. "Lunch is ready!"
I smiled at Billy when he wheeled into the kitchen and over to the table, just as I set his soup and sandwich at his place. I knew Sam would get his own, so I went to start on dessert, deciding on some brownies. I took a few bites of my soup while I mixed the brownies together. I bit my lip for a moment before asking a question I had been yearning to ask. It seemed like as good a time as any to broach the subject.
"Billy, I’m looking for work. Do you know of anything in La Push that might be a good fit for me?"
He looked up from whatever had him lost in thought, then rubbed his chin with his fingertips before answering.
"I do believe the cultural center is hiring for a new curator. If you’re interested, I can speak to the council about it and pass on your resume to review. I think it would probably be perfect for you, Bella."
I forgot myself momentarily and nodded enthusiastically before wincing in pain and drawing in a sharp breath. Sam looked at me worriedly, then pulled out a bottle of Tylenol from his pocket.
"Here, Bella. I thought you might need these, Honey."
I quickly downed two of the pills with a glass of water. Sam was watching me with a frown, so I knew that he wanted me to sit down and relax. After I put the brownies in the oven and set the timer, I sat down next to him and finished eating my soup. I wasn’t really hungry for the grilled cheese I had made, which I gave to him. It wasn't long before the brownies had finished cooking. I smiled as I teasingly warned Billy while Sam cut them into generous squares.
"Now, I know that meal was good for your heart and diabetes, but these, Mister, you will have to watch! Too many of these and you’ll be in trouble. Don't want your sugar going up!”
Billy chuckled and gave me a mock salute. Even Sam chuckled as he wrapped up half the batch in foil to take home with us, then covered the other half to leave here with Billy. I had missed this, just spending time with the man who had been like a second father to me. I missed the sense of family I had always had here in the Black home. Sam moved on from taking care of the brownies and washed the dishes while I sorted out the leftovers.
"Okay, Billy. I put half of the soup in the fridge so you can reheat it later, and the rest of it is in the freezer. All you have to do is defrost it overnight in the fridge, then heat it up whenever you want to eat it." I told Billy. My Tylenol was already starting to wear off. I knew Sam could tell that my pain was coming back because he kept throwing these furtive, yet concerned, looks my way.
Finally, we wished Billy well, told him we would see him soon, and made him promise to call us if he needed anything. With the final goodbye, Sam led me out to his patrol car, helped me in, and we headed home.
A/N T’axilit is the Quileute word for personal guardian spirit power.
Bella POV
I didn't remember much of the ride home from the hospital. I was pretty sure Paul had driven us to the Forks PD so Sam could pick his patrol car up, since we wouldn’t have a mode of transportation until he got the insurance on his totaled truck sorted out. I vaguely remembered that Sam had carried me inside and settled me into what was now dubbed "our" bedroom, but after that everything was a total blank.
My peaceful drug induced slumber was interrupted the next morning by the shrill ringing of a phone. I shifted with a groan, my muscles stiff and aching from the after effects of the accident. I looked around before falling back into my nest of blankets and pillows, wincing at the pain my simple movements brought on. I was sore as shit and was reluctant to get out of bed. I knew from the way Sam was talking on the phone that I needed to get up though. I could hear him addressing Billy Black respectfully. With a soft sigh of resignation, I carefully sat up again and limped my way to the bathroom, needing some sort of pain relief and hoping to be able to make myself feel more human with my morning ablutions.
I jumped a little, startled when Sam came in silently. I sighed softly in relief when he came up behind me and gently began to rub my stiff shoulders and neck. His heated touch helped to loosen the muscles, almost like a heating pad. He seemed to know exactly where I was in the most discomfort and focused his gentle massaging there, working his thumbs into the muscles until they loosened before moving to the next spot.
"Sorry, Baby. I didn’t mean to startle you. Billy wants to meet with us in an hour. Are you feeling up for that?" he asked quietly, concern clear in his voice.
"I think I’ll be okay, Sam…if we don’t stay too long and I take some of the medication the doctor prescribed. I’m really feeling the accident today.”
Reaching for the small orange prescription bottle on the edge of the bathroom counter and shaking out a pill, I gave him a pained grin. He nodded and kissed my cheek before heading out of the bathroom. I lingered there for a few more minutes, putting on a bit of makeup to cover a bruise on my cheek before shuffling slowly back to the bedroom. I unearthed a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt, not feeling up to wearing anything more formal. I opted to just slip on a pair of flip-flops. Once I had those on, I made my way to the kitchen. Sam was busy making some toast and eggs for us.
"What does Billy want to meet with us about, Sam?" I asked as I settled gingerly into one of the wood chairs at the table.
He glanced over his shoulder, then back to the eggs, making sure they were finished before coming to sit beside me.
"I am not sure, Baby. He didn’t elaborate much, other than to say he found something in the histories that was of great importance and he needed to speak to us about it,” he shrugged slightly before continuing, “Are you hungry, Bella?"
I could barely move my head as it was so stiff from the accident, so instead of nodding, I whispered, "Yes, thanks for making breakfast, Sam."
He just grinned and shrugged as he plated the eggs and toast for me, setting it in front of me. We ate in companionable silence. It was nice to just be able to relax and not feel the need to fill the air with meaningless chatter.
It didn't take long before we had finished our meal and were on our way to Billy's house. Once I was settled into the patrol car, I could feel my eyelids getting heavy and allowed myself to drift off into a brief catnap.
I was stirred awake by Sam murmuring in my ear, "Wake up, Honey."
I looked around and noticed we had already arrived at Billy's house. Taking a closer look, I saw that the home was in a state of disrepair. Paint was peeling off of the outside walls and the roof over the porch had started to cave in in places. I made a mental note to talk to Sam about it. I knew a lot of the guys did construction projects on the side. Billy couldn’t do this kind of work on his own, and Jake was stretched too thin to handle it on his own because of his tribal and Pack responsibilities. There was no excuse for the house to be in this state with an entire Pack of able-bodied shapeshifters available to help.
Biting my lip to keep from whimpering in pain, I slid out of the car and walked hand in hand with Sam up the porch steps, stopping once we got the front door. I watched as Sam raised his hand to knock lightly on the cracked old red door.
Billy called out, "Come in the two of you!"
Sam pushed the door open and helped me over to the couch; my voice came out softer than a whisper as I thanked him. Once I had settled onto the couch, Sam sat next to me. Billy watched us like a hawk for a few minutes without speaking. My hand was securely entwined with Sam's and I squirmed a little under Billy’s scrutiny.
After a few uncomfortable moments, Billy began to speak, telling us he had discovered a legend, or prophecy if we preferred, in the oldest of the written histories of the tribe. I settled into Sam's side as Billy began to weave the tale.
"There was a time within our people that great pain and sorrow had befallen our warriors. One of the warrior's had suffered a great loss and his sadness flowed from him onto his brothers, causing grief and strife within the brotherhood the men had formed from many battles together. Time passed and the warriors drifted further apart, straining the bonds they had formed even further. The men were only connected in the loosest sense, and the village was endangered by the loss of their fierce warrior clan.
“After a time a young maiden happened upon the tribe and things began to change. She was said to have been a gift from the gods for they had seen the suffering of our people and had sent this maiden to bring peace and comfort in our time of need. The warrior's name that she was sent to assist was named Ahat Ika and the tribe called the maiden Tʼaxílit.
“It is said that they forged a bond with one another that was stronger than the strongest bond any had ever seen. The moment they found one another, they were inseparable. The warrior and the maiden never parted for any length of time during the lifetime they shared together. The spirits created Tʼaxílit to be Ahat Ika's mate, his wife and partner in all things. She was sent to heal not only her warrior, but his brothers as well. She created balance and peace within the whole tribe during her lifetime.
“The shaman of tribe during that time foretold of a prophecy related to T’axilit and Ahat Ika’s spirits. It was written that there would be another time when our warriors would again suffer a devastating loss. Tʼaxílit and Ahat Ika would return to their people during that time of sadness and despair. The shaman wrote that Tʼaxílit would return as a maiden with skin that was nearly as white as snow and Ahat Ika would return as Qwoli. They would not be strangers when they found each other once again, but would reconnect in a time of duress for them both and reforge their bond against all odds. They would stand firm against dissention from internal forces within their tribe and external forces from the world beyond it.
“Tʼaxílit would once again bring the warriors back together, and heal the wounds that they suffered with the loss of one dear to them all. A peace would settle within them, renewing the bonds of brotherhood and family that they had once shared. By healing the warriors, the whole tribe would again know peace and prosperity by her efforts.
“The shaman cautioned that the true healing would not begin this time until Ahat Ika, the Qwoli, marked Tʼaxílit as his.”
Billy looked directly at them both, his tone turning grave.
“I believe the time of the prophecy has come. You, Bella, are Tʼaxílit and Sam, you are Ahat Ika."
I drew in a breath as I listened to his final words, my fingers drifting unconsciously up to stroke the mark Sam had left on my skin. I was entranced by the legend and the fact that he felt Sam and I could be the two from the prophecy.
"Bella, may I see the marking?" Billy asked shrewdly and I blushed.
His eyes never missed much. I rose stiffly from the couch, my muscles fighting the movement, then made my way to Billy, kneeling in front of him much to Sam's irritation. I heard my protective Qwoli growl when I heeded Billy's request and swept my hair aside, affording him a clear view of the mating mark I bore proudly from Sam.
"Thank you, Bella."
I nodded softly and made my way back to sit next to Sam, curling my fingers in his.
I was grateful for what Billy had discovered for us. While he and Sam were discussing Charlie, I decided I was going to make some lunch, as a way to thank him. I slipped away quietly and started going through his cabinets, wanting to find something easy.
I quickly settled on chicken noodle soup after finding egg noodles, carrots, broth, and chicken breasts. I put the broth and water on to boil, then began chopping the carrots and chicken, adding the chunks of vegetable and meat to the pot along with a handful of herbs from the spice cabinet.
While that cooked, I set about making some grilled cheese sandwiches for the three of us. By the time I’d finished those and stacked them neatly on a plate in the middle of the small kitchen table, the soup was ready.
I called out softly, knowing Sam would hear me and tell Billy. "Lunch is ready!"
I smiled at Billy when he wheeled into the kitchen and over to the table, just as I set his soup and sandwich at his place. I knew Sam would get his own, so I went to start on dessert, deciding on some brownies. I took a few bites of my soup while I mixed the brownies together. I bit my lip for a moment before asking a question I had been yearning to ask. It seemed like as good a time as any to broach the subject.
"Billy, I’m looking for work. Do you know of anything in La Push that might be a good fit for me?"
He looked up from whatever had him lost in thought, then rubbed his chin with his fingertips before answering.
"I do believe the cultural center is hiring for a new curator. If you’re interested, I can speak to the council about it and pass on your resume to review. I think it would probably be perfect for you, Bella."
I forgot myself momentarily and nodded enthusiastically before wincing in pain and drawing in a sharp breath. Sam looked at me worriedly, then pulled out a bottle of Tylenol from his pocket.
"Here, Bella. I thought you might need these, Honey."
I quickly downed two of the pills with a glass of water. Sam was watching me with a frown, so I knew that he wanted me to sit down and relax. After I put the brownies in the oven and set the timer, I sat down next to him and finished eating my soup. I wasn’t really hungry for the grilled cheese I had made, which I gave to him. It wasn't long before the brownies had finished cooking. I smiled as I teasingly warned Billy while Sam cut them into generous squares.
"Now, I know that meal was good for your heart and diabetes, but these, Mister, you will have to watch! Too many of these and you’ll be in trouble. Don't want your sugar going up!”
Billy chuckled and gave me a mock salute. Even Sam chuckled as he wrapped up half the batch in foil to take home with us, then covered the other half to leave here with Billy. I had missed this, just spending time with the man who had been like a second father to me. I missed the sense of family I had always had here in the Black home. Sam moved on from taking care of the brownies and washed the dishes while I sorted out the leftovers.
"Okay, Billy. I put half of the soup in the fridge so you can reheat it later, and the rest of it is in the freezer. All you have to do is defrost it overnight in the fridge, then heat it up whenever you want to eat it." I told Billy. My Tylenol was already starting to wear off. I knew Sam could tell that my pain was coming back because he kept throwing these furtive, yet concerned, looks my way.
Finally, we wished Billy well, told him we would see him soon, and made him promise to call us if he needed anything. With the final goodbye, Sam led me out to his patrol car, helped me in, and we headed home.
A/N T’axilit is the Quileute word for personal guardian spirit power.