Belonging
by Momma2fan
Chapter 3
Bella looked at Alison, “I’ve always wanted brothers, well...siblings in general. I was a quiet child and only had imaginary friends to play with. Renee was always worried about me. I guess I know why now.”
“Did you go to public school?” Embry asked.
Bella smiled and nodded. “School was my happy place. I loved learning new things, meeting the other students, but I was painfully shy. I was more content to spend time in the library with my nose in a book.”
“Sounds like we have something in common, sis.” Embry smiled at her.
“How old are you guys?”
Sam smiled at the girl who was most likely his little sister. “I’m twenty and Em is sixteen.”
Josh and Billy sat watching the young girl converse with her brothers. Josh knew he would have to tell his daughter the whole truth about the years she was gone, especially the early years.
“Are you in college, Sam?” Bella asked her older brother, wanting to know more about him.
Sam looked at their father before lowering his eyes, “I take a couple online classes. Mostly I help out dad with some construction work and do security for the tribal council.”
“Wow,” she smiled softly. “Well, with how big you are, I’m sure it keeps the criminals at bay.” Both boys chuckled, but said nothing as Charlie returned with the fingerprint analysis of Bella’s identity.
“Here you go,” Charlie handed all the documentation to Josh. “You may want to have a DNA test done just for extra proof.”
Looking at his wife, Josh opened the envelope and read the results aloud. “Phoenix Police Department Lab has compared the lines and spaces provided from the seventeen year old girl and birth records of the missing infant. There are slight variations, most likely from where the child in question has grown, the spaces and lines have grown wider as a result. It is the finding of this lab that the fingerprints provided from the child, one Kalina Alison Uley and one, Isabella Marie Higgenbothom, to be one and the same.”
Alison turned to Bella with tears in her eyes, “Welcome home, my daughter.”
Bella swallowed past the lump in her throat, “Thank you.”
Mother and daughter embraced, Bella glad she had a place to belong and Alison happy her long lost child had been returned to her. Bella’s presence filled a place in her heart which had been empty for seventeen years.
Billy and Charlie nodded to each other and looked at Josh. “Bella’s belongings were shipped to my house. I can have Jacob bring them down, unless you don’t have anywhere to put them.”
Josh shook his head, he didn’t want the Black boy around his baby girl. “Sam and Embry will collect her things. Her room is still where it’s always been, it’s just become more of a guest room. Bella can make it her own now.”
Nodding, the three men shook hands and then the other two left the family to bond by themselves. Josh walked over to join his wife and daughter on the couch, while their sons looked on with tears in their eyes.
“Do you...” Bella started but cut off and lowered her head.
“What is it, sweetheart?” Josh gently lifted her chin up.
“Do you want me to start going by Kalina?”
“Honey, you’ve been Bella longer than you ever were Kalina. So no, your name will remain as it is. We’ll even have it officially changed on your birth certificate.”
Smiling, Bella looked at her parents. “Perhaps we can keep a piece of the familiar and mix it with what should’ve been. Perhaps Isabella Kalina Uley?”
“I love it.” Alison looked at Josh and nodded.
Sam stood and walked over to his sister, “Welcome home, little sister.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Breathing in her scent he could immediately tell she was family.
“Thank you, Sammy.” Bella grinned at him, while he chuckled at his new nickname.
Alison smiled at her children before slapping her hands on her thighs and standing. “Boys, go to Billy’s and collect your sister's things. Dad and I are going to show her around. Sam, I know you’re supposed to be home for dinner, but I would appreciate it if you called Emily and told her to come here instead. It’s time for a family dinner.”
“Yes, ma’am. Come on, Embry.”
**B**
“We don’t have much time. We need to tell the pack.” Sam told Embry as they walked out into the forest.
Both boys took off their shorts and strapped them to their ankles, before phasing, one into a massive black wolf, the other into a dark grey wolf with black spots intermittently throughout his fur.
Sam howled once and the two of them felt the others join them.
What’s up, boss? -P
Sam and Embry sat on their haunches and showed the other two everything that had happened in the last few hours. When they were done, they were greeted with stunned silence.
Wow...so she’s really her? -P
Yeah. Smells just like the family. -E
My wolf was thrilled when we inhaled her scent. -S
She’s beautiful. -J
Yeah she is. -P
Stay away from my sister, Lahote. -E
Paul barked out a laugh and smiled wolfishly when Embry growled at him. An Alpha order from Sam stopped them, and Embry relaxed.
We’re heading to get her things from the Black’s and then having a family dinner. One of you needs to patrol. -S
You got it boss. -J
The two wolves ran off, while Sam and Embry phased back before running to Sam’s truck and heading to Billy’s.
**B**
Alison looked at Bella and stood up, “Let me show you around.”
Bella smiled and followed her mother, while Josh went to make a phone call. Alison knew he was calling the tribal attorney, since they would need to make some changes to Bella’s birth certificate and probably get a DNA test done, unless her fingerprints would suffice. Neither of them doubted who Bella was, but if they needed to have legal proof, they would get it.
The final room Alison showed her, was the bedroom she would have used had she grown up with them. “We painted it a lavender color once we found out you were a girl. Our tribe is said to have descended from wolves, so you had black, silver and brown wolves protecting you from the demons.”
Bella smiled as she walked forward and ran her hand over the wall where the mural was painted. “It’s beautiful.” She looked around the room, seeing they had kept it the same color. “Purple has always been one of my favorite colors.”
“I’m glad you like it, sweetheart.” Alison walked forward and sat gently on the queen sized bed in the center of the room. “This is still your room, Bella, you can decorate it however you want.”
Turning, she walked over to sit beside Alison, “Thank you. For taking me in and believing me.”
“Oh, my sweet girl,” Alison placed a hand on her cheek. “All I had to do was look at you and I knew you were my daughter. You look so much like I did when I was your age. You have your father’s eyes, though. I don’t need a DNA test to know you came from me, Bella. You’re my daughter, the same as Sam is my son.” She caught Bella’s look of confusion, “Embry isn’t mine biologically, but that’s a story for your dad to tell.”
“Alison?” Josh hollered up the stairs. “The boys are back.”
Bella smiled, “There’s a special box for you and Josh...I mean dad.”
“Bella, we know it will be a while before you call us mom and dad. Take your time and get to know us.”
“Renee took a lot of pictures and videos of me as I grew up. I made sure they were all packed together so you could see them.”
Alison nodded, “That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to see.”
The pair of them walked downstairs where they saw Sam and Embry, as well as a girl with scars running down her face. Despite them, she was still a beautiful woman.
“Bella,” Sam put his palm on the back of the girl with him. “I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Emily. Em, this is my sister, Bella.”
Emily stepped forward and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Welcome home.”
Bella looked at Alison, “I’ve always wanted brothers, well...siblings in general. I was a quiet child and only had imaginary friends to play with. Renee was always worried about me. I guess I know why now.”
“Did you go to public school?” Embry asked.
Bella smiled and nodded. “School was my happy place. I loved learning new things, meeting the other students, but I was painfully shy. I was more content to spend time in the library with my nose in a book.”
“Sounds like we have something in common, sis.” Embry smiled at her.
“How old are you guys?”
Sam smiled at the girl who was most likely his little sister. “I’m twenty and Em is sixteen.”
Josh and Billy sat watching the young girl converse with her brothers. Josh knew he would have to tell his daughter the whole truth about the years she was gone, especially the early years.
“Are you in college, Sam?” Bella asked her older brother, wanting to know more about him.
Sam looked at their father before lowering his eyes, “I take a couple online classes. Mostly I help out dad with some construction work and do security for the tribal council.”
“Wow,” she smiled softly. “Well, with how big you are, I’m sure it keeps the criminals at bay.” Both boys chuckled, but said nothing as Charlie returned with the fingerprint analysis of Bella’s identity.
“Here you go,” Charlie handed all the documentation to Josh. “You may want to have a DNA test done just for extra proof.”
Looking at his wife, Josh opened the envelope and read the results aloud. “Phoenix Police Department Lab has compared the lines and spaces provided from the seventeen year old girl and birth records of the missing infant. There are slight variations, most likely from where the child in question has grown, the spaces and lines have grown wider as a result. It is the finding of this lab that the fingerprints provided from the child, one Kalina Alison Uley and one, Isabella Marie Higgenbothom, to be one and the same.”
Alison turned to Bella with tears in her eyes, “Welcome home, my daughter.”
Bella swallowed past the lump in her throat, “Thank you.”
Mother and daughter embraced, Bella glad she had a place to belong and Alison happy her long lost child had been returned to her. Bella’s presence filled a place in her heart which had been empty for seventeen years.
Billy and Charlie nodded to each other and looked at Josh. “Bella’s belongings were shipped to my house. I can have Jacob bring them down, unless you don’t have anywhere to put them.”
Josh shook his head, he didn’t want the Black boy around his baby girl. “Sam and Embry will collect her things. Her room is still where it’s always been, it’s just become more of a guest room. Bella can make it her own now.”
Nodding, the three men shook hands and then the other two left the family to bond by themselves. Josh walked over to join his wife and daughter on the couch, while their sons looked on with tears in their eyes.
“Do you...” Bella started but cut off and lowered her head.
“What is it, sweetheart?” Josh gently lifted her chin up.
“Do you want me to start going by Kalina?”
“Honey, you’ve been Bella longer than you ever were Kalina. So no, your name will remain as it is. We’ll even have it officially changed on your birth certificate.”
Smiling, Bella looked at her parents. “Perhaps we can keep a piece of the familiar and mix it with what should’ve been. Perhaps Isabella Kalina Uley?”
“I love it.” Alison looked at Josh and nodded.
Sam stood and walked over to his sister, “Welcome home, little sister.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Breathing in her scent he could immediately tell she was family.
“Thank you, Sammy.” Bella grinned at him, while he chuckled at his new nickname.
Alison smiled at her children before slapping her hands on her thighs and standing. “Boys, go to Billy’s and collect your sister's things. Dad and I are going to show her around. Sam, I know you’re supposed to be home for dinner, but I would appreciate it if you called Emily and told her to come here instead. It’s time for a family dinner.”
“Yes, ma’am. Come on, Embry.”
**B**
“We don’t have much time. We need to tell the pack.” Sam told Embry as they walked out into the forest.
Both boys took off their shorts and strapped them to their ankles, before phasing, one into a massive black wolf, the other into a dark grey wolf with black spots intermittently throughout his fur.
Sam howled once and the two of them felt the others join them.
What’s up, boss? -P
Sam and Embry sat on their haunches and showed the other two everything that had happened in the last few hours. When they were done, they were greeted with stunned silence.
Wow...so she’s really her? -P
Yeah. Smells just like the family. -E
My wolf was thrilled when we inhaled her scent. -S
She’s beautiful. -J
Yeah she is. -P
Stay away from my sister, Lahote. -E
Paul barked out a laugh and smiled wolfishly when Embry growled at him. An Alpha order from Sam stopped them, and Embry relaxed.
We’re heading to get her things from the Black’s and then having a family dinner. One of you needs to patrol. -S
You got it boss. -J
The two wolves ran off, while Sam and Embry phased back before running to Sam’s truck and heading to Billy’s.
**B**
Alison looked at Bella and stood up, “Let me show you around.”
Bella smiled and followed her mother, while Josh went to make a phone call. Alison knew he was calling the tribal attorney, since they would need to make some changes to Bella’s birth certificate and probably get a DNA test done, unless her fingerprints would suffice. Neither of them doubted who Bella was, but if they needed to have legal proof, they would get it.
The final room Alison showed her, was the bedroom she would have used had she grown up with them. “We painted it a lavender color once we found out you were a girl. Our tribe is said to have descended from wolves, so you had black, silver and brown wolves protecting you from the demons.”
Bella smiled as she walked forward and ran her hand over the wall where the mural was painted. “It’s beautiful.” She looked around the room, seeing they had kept it the same color. “Purple has always been one of my favorite colors.”
“I’m glad you like it, sweetheart.” Alison walked forward and sat gently on the queen sized bed in the center of the room. “This is still your room, Bella, you can decorate it however you want.”
Turning, she walked over to sit beside Alison, “Thank you. For taking me in and believing me.”
“Oh, my sweet girl,” Alison placed a hand on her cheek. “All I had to do was look at you and I knew you were my daughter. You look so much like I did when I was your age. You have your father’s eyes, though. I don’t need a DNA test to know you came from me, Bella. You’re my daughter, the same as Sam is my son.” She caught Bella’s look of confusion, “Embry isn’t mine biologically, but that’s a story for your dad to tell.”
“Alison?” Josh hollered up the stairs. “The boys are back.”
Bella smiled, “There’s a special box for you and Josh...I mean dad.”
“Bella, we know it will be a while before you call us mom and dad. Take your time and get to know us.”
“Renee took a lot of pictures and videos of me as I grew up. I made sure they were all packed together so you could see them.”
Alison nodded, “That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to see.”
The pair of them walked downstairs where they saw Sam and Embry, as well as a girl with scars running down her face. Despite them, she was still a beautiful woman.
“Bella,” Sam put his palm on the back of the girl with him. “I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Emily. Em, this is my sister, Bella.”
Emily stepped forward and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Welcome home.”