Changing Tides
by Momma2fan
Chapter 13
Bella sat at Emily’s kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a mug of hot coffee. Paul was starting to freak out a little at her actions. She hadn’t spoken since they got back from the beach. She hadn’t moved since she sat down.
“Jake, call Charlie and get him down here. In fact, have Billy come too.” Sam ordered.
What the pack didn’t know was Bella wasn’t shutting down, she was pissed. She expected Edward and perhaps even Alice to show back up, but not the rest of them. She was not going to tolerate any bullshit from them. She knew she needed to say something, to reassure Paul she was okay, but she needed the anger. She didn’t want to be the pushover the Cullens no doubt expected her to still be.
“I’m fine, guys.” She finally looked up and met their concerned gazes. “Really, I’m fine. I’m pissed off and I’m trying to hold onto it.”
Paul watched as something flashed in her eyes and sighed in relief. “Don’t do that to me again, baby.”
“Sorry.” She stood up and walked to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“What’s the plan here, Sam?” Jake asked what the rest of the pack was wondering.
Before Sam could answer, Bella did. “The plan is, we wait. I know Edward, when he goes to our old house,” she looked at her dad. “He won’t be able to smell us, or at least it will only be faint. When he can’t track me either, he will do everything he can to find me and I’m gonna let him.”
“WHAT!?” Paul yelled and began shaking.
Bella turned around and looked at her mate, placing her hands on his cheeks. “Look at me, baby. I’m right here, Paul, look at me.” Paul’s eyes finally met hers, but she could see the ring around them indicating his wolf was still very much present. “I know you’re not happy, Silver, but I have to do this my way.”
The wolf receded and Paul glared down at her. “If you get hurt in any way, I am holding you responsible.”
“Deal.” Bella pressed her lips to his and turned to the room. “Now, here’s my plan.” For the next half hour Bella outlined her idea for how to deal with not only the Cullens, but Victoria as well.
“I don’t like this, Isabella Marie.” Charlie stared at his daughter. “Unfortunately, my analytical cop brain believes that it will work.”
“Nice to know I inherited something good from one parent.” She grinned at her dad.
“Well, it’s the only plan we have. Paul?” Sam stood before the wolf who stared at Bella with his arms crossed.
Finally, he shifted his eyes to his Alpha. “If possible, I want a wolf on her at all times. Preferably myself, or you or Jared.”
Sam nodded and looked at Jared, who nodded as well. “Done.”
“Jake, you stay with Charlie.”
“So when do we put all this into action?” Embry wanted to know.
“Tomorrow.” Bella grinned and put her hands on her hips. “I have a feeling Dad is gonna get a visitor at the station.”
“How do you figure, sis?” Jared walked over to lean on the wall next to her.
“Think about it. We live on the res and our house has been rented out. Any trace of our scent is gonna be muted, if they find it at all. I haven’t been to the high school since a week before Christmas and it’s rained...a lot. We’ve removed his venom from my wrist so he can’t find me. So what do you think he’ll do?”
Jared grinned and nodded, “He’s gonna ask daddy where his daughter is.”
“Exactly.”
***CT***
Charlie sat at his desk going over some paperwork he’d been neglecting. He sighed and looked over at Jake.
“You alright, Chief?”
“Do you think Bella is right? Do you think that redhead is turning people into vampires?”
Jake shrugged, “I don’t know, Charlie. This Bella, the confident, self assured woman we know now, isn’t who I remember. She looks at things differently than she did when she was with the leech.”
Charlie nodded and would have said more, but the phone on his desk rang. “Swan?...okay, send them back.” He replaced the phone on the cradle. “Show time.”
A light knock on the door caused Jake to rise. Opening the door, he stepped aside as Carlisle and Esme Cullen walked across the threshold.
“Dr. Cullen? I heard you left town. What can I do for you?” Charlie indicated for them to sit.
“Actually, Charlie, we’re here to offer you whatever help we can.”
Charlie looked confused and glanced up at Jake. “Help with what?”
Esme broke down, “Oh, Charlie, we heard about Bella. We’re so sorry for your loss.”
Jake had to bite his lip when Charlie took on a look of surprise, otherwise he would have cracked up. Who knew the Chief was such a good actor?
“My loss? I’m afraid I don’t follow, Mrs. Cullen.” Then he gave them a wide-eyed stare. “Wait, do you think Bella is dead?”
“Well, we...”
“Bella is fine. After your son ripped her heart out of her chest by telling her she wasn’t good enough for him, she applied for early graduation. She graduated just after Christmas and has started over.”
The Cullens looked at each other and then back at Charlie. “I’m sorry, Charlie, we’ll have to check our information more carefully from now on. We’ll let you get back to work.”
Jake held his finger up to Charlie to indicate not to say anything, he waited until he heard the whispers fade away, along with the Cullen’s car. Once he was sure, he nodded.
“So, they thought she was dead, that’s why they came back.” Charlie sat back in his chair.
“And it looks like Bella was right about the seer not being able to see the pack.”
***CT***
Carlisle and Esme walked into the house and headed straight for the dining room where everyone was waiting. Edward immediately read their thoughts and was incensed.
“How could you, Edward?” Esme was angry.
“What did you do?” Rosalie growled.
“He told Bella she wasn’t good enough for him, that he didn’t love her and he was tired of living a lie. Then he left her in the forest. She was lost for hours.” Alice told the family and then hung her head.
“What!?”
Emmett had Edward up against the wall by his throat. “You made us leave, but you broke her.”
“I wanted...to keep...her safe.” Edward gasped around Emmett’s squeezing hand.
“Let him go, Emmett.” Carlisle ordered. Emmett dropped Edward, who sat on the floor gasping. “Sit down.”
Once the family was seated once more, Carlisle looked around and stared at his two gifted children. “Alice, did you know what Edward was going to do?”
“Yes,” she kept her head down.
“Jasper, as her mate I will leave her punishment to you, however you are cut off from the Cullen funds until further notice.” He sighed.
Alice gasped. “Carlisle, you can’t...”
Jasper glared at her and shook his head.
“As for you, Edward, your punishment will be decided later, once we find Bella.”
Esme cleared her throat. “Bella is fine. She applied for early graduation and has begun college.”
“Carlisle, her scent isn’t around her house. Where is she?” Edward whined.
“I didn’t ask, Edward.”
“Well, we need to find her.” Alice commented.
“Why, Alice?” Jasper looked at her, placing his hand on her shoulder. “What have you seen?”
“Victoria...she’s creating an army.”
Bella sat at Emily’s kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a mug of hot coffee. Paul was starting to freak out a little at her actions. She hadn’t spoken since they got back from the beach. She hadn’t moved since she sat down.
“Jake, call Charlie and get him down here. In fact, have Billy come too.” Sam ordered.
What the pack didn’t know was Bella wasn’t shutting down, she was pissed. She expected Edward and perhaps even Alice to show back up, but not the rest of them. She was not going to tolerate any bullshit from them. She knew she needed to say something, to reassure Paul she was okay, but she needed the anger. She didn’t want to be the pushover the Cullens no doubt expected her to still be.
“I’m fine, guys.” She finally looked up and met their concerned gazes. “Really, I’m fine. I’m pissed off and I’m trying to hold onto it.”
Paul watched as something flashed in her eyes and sighed in relief. “Don’t do that to me again, baby.”
“Sorry.” She stood up and walked to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“What’s the plan here, Sam?” Jake asked what the rest of the pack was wondering.
Before Sam could answer, Bella did. “The plan is, we wait. I know Edward, when he goes to our old house,” she looked at her dad. “He won’t be able to smell us, or at least it will only be faint. When he can’t track me either, he will do everything he can to find me and I’m gonna let him.”
“WHAT!?” Paul yelled and began shaking.
Bella turned around and looked at her mate, placing her hands on his cheeks. “Look at me, baby. I’m right here, Paul, look at me.” Paul’s eyes finally met hers, but she could see the ring around them indicating his wolf was still very much present. “I know you’re not happy, Silver, but I have to do this my way.”
The wolf receded and Paul glared down at her. “If you get hurt in any way, I am holding you responsible.”
“Deal.” Bella pressed her lips to his and turned to the room. “Now, here’s my plan.” For the next half hour Bella outlined her idea for how to deal with not only the Cullens, but Victoria as well.
“I don’t like this, Isabella Marie.” Charlie stared at his daughter. “Unfortunately, my analytical cop brain believes that it will work.”
“Nice to know I inherited something good from one parent.” She grinned at her dad.
“Well, it’s the only plan we have. Paul?” Sam stood before the wolf who stared at Bella with his arms crossed.
Finally, he shifted his eyes to his Alpha. “If possible, I want a wolf on her at all times. Preferably myself, or you or Jared.”
Sam nodded and looked at Jared, who nodded as well. “Done.”
“Jake, you stay with Charlie.”
“So when do we put all this into action?” Embry wanted to know.
“Tomorrow.” Bella grinned and put her hands on her hips. “I have a feeling Dad is gonna get a visitor at the station.”
“How do you figure, sis?” Jared walked over to lean on the wall next to her.
“Think about it. We live on the res and our house has been rented out. Any trace of our scent is gonna be muted, if they find it at all. I haven’t been to the high school since a week before Christmas and it’s rained...a lot. We’ve removed his venom from my wrist so he can’t find me. So what do you think he’ll do?”
Jared grinned and nodded, “He’s gonna ask daddy where his daughter is.”
“Exactly.”
***CT***
Charlie sat at his desk going over some paperwork he’d been neglecting. He sighed and looked over at Jake.
“You alright, Chief?”
“Do you think Bella is right? Do you think that redhead is turning people into vampires?”
Jake shrugged, “I don’t know, Charlie. This Bella, the confident, self assured woman we know now, isn’t who I remember. She looks at things differently than she did when she was with the leech.”
Charlie nodded and would have said more, but the phone on his desk rang. “Swan?...okay, send them back.” He replaced the phone on the cradle. “Show time.”
A light knock on the door caused Jake to rise. Opening the door, he stepped aside as Carlisle and Esme Cullen walked across the threshold.
“Dr. Cullen? I heard you left town. What can I do for you?” Charlie indicated for them to sit.
“Actually, Charlie, we’re here to offer you whatever help we can.”
Charlie looked confused and glanced up at Jake. “Help with what?”
Esme broke down, “Oh, Charlie, we heard about Bella. We’re so sorry for your loss.”
Jake had to bite his lip when Charlie took on a look of surprise, otherwise he would have cracked up. Who knew the Chief was such a good actor?
“My loss? I’m afraid I don’t follow, Mrs. Cullen.” Then he gave them a wide-eyed stare. “Wait, do you think Bella is dead?”
“Well, we...”
“Bella is fine. After your son ripped her heart out of her chest by telling her she wasn’t good enough for him, she applied for early graduation. She graduated just after Christmas and has started over.”
The Cullens looked at each other and then back at Charlie. “I’m sorry, Charlie, we’ll have to check our information more carefully from now on. We’ll let you get back to work.”
Jake held his finger up to Charlie to indicate not to say anything, he waited until he heard the whispers fade away, along with the Cullen’s car. Once he was sure, he nodded.
“So, they thought she was dead, that’s why they came back.” Charlie sat back in his chair.
“And it looks like Bella was right about the seer not being able to see the pack.”
***CT***
Carlisle and Esme walked into the house and headed straight for the dining room where everyone was waiting. Edward immediately read their thoughts and was incensed.
“How could you, Edward?” Esme was angry.
“What did you do?” Rosalie growled.
“He told Bella she wasn’t good enough for him, that he didn’t love her and he was tired of living a lie. Then he left her in the forest. She was lost for hours.” Alice told the family and then hung her head.
“What!?”
Emmett had Edward up against the wall by his throat. “You made us leave, but you broke her.”
“I wanted...to keep...her safe.” Edward gasped around Emmett’s squeezing hand.
“Let him go, Emmett.” Carlisle ordered. Emmett dropped Edward, who sat on the floor gasping. “Sit down.”
Once the family was seated once more, Carlisle looked around and stared at his two gifted children. “Alice, did you know what Edward was going to do?”
“Yes,” she kept her head down.
“Jasper, as her mate I will leave her punishment to you, however you are cut off from the Cullen funds until further notice.” He sighed.
Alice gasped. “Carlisle, you can’t...”
Jasper glared at her and shook his head.
“As for you, Edward, your punishment will be decided later, once we find Bella.”
Esme cleared her throat. “Bella is fine. She applied for early graduation and has begun college.”
“Carlisle, her scent isn’t around her house. Where is she?” Edward whined.
“I didn’t ask, Edward.”
“Well, we need to find her.” Alice commented.
“Why, Alice?” Jasper looked at her, placing his hand on her shoulder. “What have you seen?”
“Victoria...she’s creating an army.”