Belonging
by Momma2fan
Chapter 5
After the emotional confessional dinner had become, Sam decided it was time for him and Emily to head home. Embry began clearing up the table as Alison started the dishes. Bella walked with Josh, Sam and Emily to the front porch.
“Bella, it was wonderful to meet you. I can’t wait to get to know you.” Emily pulled the younger woman in for a hug.
“You too. I don’t know anyone here, so it will be nice to have a friend.” Bella pulled away and stepped to her father’s side.
“I’ll talk to you later, Pop.” Sam slapped his dad on the shoulder and then turned to Bella. Leaning down he pulled her up into a hug, lifting her off the ground and causing her to giggle. “Welcome home, little sis.”
“Thanks, big brother.” She smiled up at him when he set her back on her feet. “Have a good night.”
Embry and Alison were just leaving the kitchen when Bella and Josh walked back in the house.
“I’m gonna head up to Jake’s for a bit.” Embry looked pointedly at their dad.
“Not too late.”
Nodding at him, he took off out the front door, leaving the three of them alone for the first time.
“Well, I’m gonna change into something comfy and go through a few photo albums.” Alison announced.
“I’ll join you.” Bella went up the stairs to her room and quickly changed, before bounding back down the stairs.
Josh smiled when his daughter reappeared, she looked exactly like her mother. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, she was wearing an oversize t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants. She plopped down on the couch next to her mother and he could feel peace settle over them for once.
“So, what’s first? Pictures or videos?” Bella asked her parents.
“I think videos. I would like to look through the photo albums at my own leisure.”
Nodding, Bella grabbed the box which contained the discs which used to be VHS tapes. Bella had taken them to a shop in Arizona which specialized in transferring old home movies to DVDs. Putting in the first of many home movies, she then walked over and sat on the couch between her parents.
“Bella? Look at mama, Bella.” Renee’s voice filled the living room as the camera focused on the squirming baby. “Who’s a pretty little baby?”
Alison sniffed as she watched her baby girl smile at the woman who had taken her away. She tried not to dwell on that, but hearing the woman’s voice made it difficult. She decided to ignore it and watched her daughter.
For the next hour, Josh and Alison watched as their daughter rolled over, crawled and took her first steps. They saw her smiles, heard her laughter and baby giggles. They watched her grow to a toddler before the video faded to black. Bella had long since fallen asleep, her head resting on her father’s shoulder.
Alison stared at the sleeping girl beside her. “She was such a beautiful baby wasn’t she?”
“Yes she was,” Josh looked down at his daughter. “She’s a beautiful young woman as well, Ali. We have her back now, honey.”
“She doesn’t need me anymore, Josh. She’s a grown woman.”
“She’s only seventeen, babe. She’ll need you for a while.”
Alison looked at her husband, “What about the pack? What if she meets one and they imprint?”
Shifting his body, Josh picked her up in his arms and moved toward the stairs. “If that happens, just remember she’ll never be far, but we’ll take that as it comes. She hasn’t even met the rest of them yet and I know her brothers will protect her.”
Nodding, she followed him up the stairs and they tucked Bella into bed for the first time. Both kissed her forehead, chuckling when she began talking in her sleep, mumbling about warmth and something soft and brown.
**B**
The sunlight streaming through her window caused Bella to blink and open her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of her mother, laying beside her sound asleep. She stared at the woman who had given birth to her and knew she was staring at an older version of herself.
“Mom?”
Alison opened her eyes at the sound of Bella’s voice. “Good morning, my daughter.”
“Did you sleep in here all night?”
“No, I went to bed, but I had a nightmare that this was all a dream. I had to see for myself you were really here, so I came up. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“It’s okay, Mom. This is new for all of us and I know it’ll take some time to adjust.”
She reached out and brushed Bella’s hair behind her ears. “I’m glad you found us, baby girl.” A knock sounded on the door, ending their conversation.
“Come in.”
Embry poked his head around the door, “Dad sent me to get you guys for breakfast.”
“We’ll be down in a minute, honey.” Alison smiled at him.
“Is there anything on the agenda today?” Bella asked as she sat up and ran a hand over her face.
“We’re going to meet with the tribal lawyer as well as the council. We need to have your birth certificate changed with your name and you need to be added to the archives as a member of the tribe.”
“Wow, busy day.” Bella smiled and got out of bed. “I’m gonna take a shower. Will you tell dad I’ll be down in a little bit?”
“Sure,” Alison hugged her on her way out the door.
Almost half an hour later, Bella walked downstairs in a pair of tight jeans, a red batwing, v-neck shirt and a pair of black boots. Her hair hung down her back in waves, the tips brushing her waist. As she hit the bottom step, her family looked over at her.
“Mom, I need to do some shopping,” she told them as she sat in the empty seat at the table.
“Okay, we can go after we’re done at the council if you want. Anything you need in particular?”
Bella smiled as Josh set a plate before her. “Thanks, Daddy.” Josh kissed her head as she turned back to Alison. “My clothes aren’t exactly geared for this area. I don’t have anything long sleeved and no jacket to speak of.”
Alison nodded, “Josh, do you mind?”
“No. Embry has school so we can get lunch and head to Port Angeles.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Man,” Embry groaned. “I always miss the fun stuff.” Bella giggled at her brother, while their parents shook their heads.
After breakfast was cleaned up, Embry left for school while the other three got ready to meet with the council.
After the emotional confessional dinner had become, Sam decided it was time for him and Emily to head home. Embry began clearing up the table as Alison started the dishes. Bella walked with Josh, Sam and Emily to the front porch.
“Bella, it was wonderful to meet you. I can’t wait to get to know you.” Emily pulled the younger woman in for a hug.
“You too. I don’t know anyone here, so it will be nice to have a friend.” Bella pulled away and stepped to her father’s side.
“I’ll talk to you later, Pop.” Sam slapped his dad on the shoulder and then turned to Bella. Leaning down he pulled her up into a hug, lifting her off the ground and causing her to giggle. “Welcome home, little sis.”
“Thanks, big brother.” She smiled up at him when he set her back on her feet. “Have a good night.”
Embry and Alison were just leaving the kitchen when Bella and Josh walked back in the house.
“I’m gonna head up to Jake’s for a bit.” Embry looked pointedly at their dad.
“Not too late.”
Nodding at him, he took off out the front door, leaving the three of them alone for the first time.
“Well, I’m gonna change into something comfy and go through a few photo albums.” Alison announced.
“I’ll join you.” Bella went up the stairs to her room and quickly changed, before bounding back down the stairs.
Josh smiled when his daughter reappeared, she looked exactly like her mother. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, she was wearing an oversize t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants. She plopped down on the couch next to her mother and he could feel peace settle over them for once.
“So, what’s first? Pictures or videos?” Bella asked her parents.
“I think videos. I would like to look through the photo albums at my own leisure.”
Nodding, Bella grabbed the box which contained the discs which used to be VHS tapes. Bella had taken them to a shop in Arizona which specialized in transferring old home movies to DVDs. Putting in the first of many home movies, she then walked over and sat on the couch between her parents.
“Bella? Look at mama, Bella.” Renee’s voice filled the living room as the camera focused on the squirming baby. “Who’s a pretty little baby?”
Alison sniffed as she watched her baby girl smile at the woman who had taken her away. She tried not to dwell on that, but hearing the woman’s voice made it difficult. She decided to ignore it and watched her daughter.
For the next hour, Josh and Alison watched as their daughter rolled over, crawled and took her first steps. They saw her smiles, heard her laughter and baby giggles. They watched her grow to a toddler before the video faded to black. Bella had long since fallen asleep, her head resting on her father’s shoulder.
Alison stared at the sleeping girl beside her. “She was such a beautiful baby wasn’t she?”
“Yes she was,” Josh looked down at his daughter. “She’s a beautiful young woman as well, Ali. We have her back now, honey.”
“She doesn’t need me anymore, Josh. She’s a grown woman.”
“She’s only seventeen, babe. She’ll need you for a while.”
Alison looked at her husband, “What about the pack? What if she meets one and they imprint?”
Shifting his body, Josh picked her up in his arms and moved toward the stairs. “If that happens, just remember she’ll never be far, but we’ll take that as it comes. She hasn’t even met the rest of them yet and I know her brothers will protect her.”
Nodding, she followed him up the stairs and they tucked Bella into bed for the first time. Both kissed her forehead, chuckling when she began talking in her sleep, mumbling about warmth and something soft and brown.
**B**
The sunlight streaming through her window caused Bella to blink and open her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of her mother, laying beside her sound asleep. She stared at the woman who had given birth to her and knew she was staring at an older version of herself.
“Mom?”
Alison opened her eyes at the sound of Bella’s voice. “Good morning, my daughter.”
“Did you sleep in here all night?”
“No, I went to bed, but I had a nightmare that this was all a dream. I had to see for myself you were really here, so I came up. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“It’s okay, Mom. This is new for all of us and I know it’ll take some time to adjust.”
She reached out and brushed Bella’s hair behind her ears. “I’m glad you found us, baby girl.” A knock sounded on the door, ending their conversation.
“Come in.”
Embry poked his head around the door, “Dad sent me to get you guys for breakfast.”
“We’ll be down in a minute, honey.” Alison smiled at him.
“Is there anything on the agenda today?” Bella asked as she sat up and ran a hand over her face.
“We’re going to meet with the tribal lawyer as well as the council. We need to have your birth certificate changed with your name and you need to be added to the archives as a member of the tribe.”
“Wow, busy day.” Bella smiled and got out of bed. “I’m gonna take a shower. Will you tell dad I’ll be down in a little bit?”
“Sure,” Alison hugged her on her way out the door.
Almost half an hour later, Bella walked downstairs in a pair of tight jeans, a red batwing, v-neck shirt and a pair of black boots. Her hair hung down her back in waves, the tips brushing her waist. As she hit the bottom step, her family looked over at her.
“Mom, I need to do some shopping,” she told them as she sat in the empty seat at the table.
“Okay, we can go after we’re done at the council if you want. Anything you need in particular?”
Bella smiled as Josh set a plate before her. “Thanks, Daddy.” Josh kissed her head as she turned back to Alison. “My clothes aren’t exactly geared for this area. I don’t have anything long sleeved and no jacket to speak of.”
Alison nodded, “Josh, do you mind?”
“No. Embry has school so we can get lunch and head to Port Angeles.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Man,” Embry groaned. “I always miss the fun stuff.” Bella giggled at her brother, while their parents shook their heads.
After breakfast was cleaned up, Embry left for school while the other three got ready to meet with the council.