My Path To You
by Wizardtho
Preface:
It’s amazing how your whole life can change in just a matter of a few years. You can think that your life is set and on a certain path -that you know what your future will hold- then suddenly, you find yourself on a totally different path than you thought. The path you thought your life was taking, somehow isn’t in the equation anymore. Nothing you knew is the same, so you pick up the pieces and make a new path for yourself.
Then, out of the blue, your path changes yet again… suddenly things you thought were lost to you long ago, are now making themselves attainable again.
My name is Isabella. That is what happened to me, and this is my story.
Chapter 1:
The tragedy that was my eighteenth birthday party happened, but everything seemed to fall into that slow-motion complete clarity that not many people get. Though in real-time, the whole incident happened in less than two minutes, my slow-motion clarity made it seem like ten times longer… long enough for me to fully comprehend what was actually happening.
As soon as that one single drop of my blood hit the pristine white carpet of the Cullen living room, I heard Edward growl behind me. At the same moment my head whipped up to see Jasper’s still-golden eyes, I heard Edward’s deep inhale, then saw the rest of the family tensing for Edward’s next action.
Jasper cautiously slipped down into a crouch, his eyes darkening as slowly as his crouch deepened, while in a low tone he growled something menacing to Edward. Then Edward screamed, “No!” throwing me into the glass table that held the tiered cake and crystal plates.
Jasper launched himself with a growl at Edward, then instantly Carlisle was crouched in front of me facing Edward, looking more deadly than I had ever seen him. He roared for everyone to get Edward and Jasper out -to make them hunt- then turned to me once everyone was out, scanning my body for damage.
Even though his eyes were the darkest obsidian, they held an extreme amount of tenderness, so I couldn’t find it in me to be afraid of him. There was another emotion swimming in those black pools, yet I couldn’t quite decipher what it was; my mind was consumed at that moment with how intently he was looking over me for the slightest injury.
He started calming slowly when he finished his assessment, telling me that he wanted to take me up to his study, so he could tend to my arm.
With how that night went, I wasn’t at all surprised that Edward put an end to our relationship three days later. I knew that almost every word to me was a lie from the moment they left his lips, yet I wasn’t surprised that they were all moving. It hurt that some of them didn’t say good-bye, but they were a family unit that stuck together, so I never expected that any of them would stay behind.
Instead of falling into a deep depression, I found myself working harder on school, even getting a full scholarship to more than one ivy league college.
No sooner did I get a month into classes for my degree in Architecture at Yale, did my life change drastically. The professor of my third class got a call for me to head to the dean's office. As I walked in, he looked at me sadly, telling me to go quickly because it was an emergency. I, of course, went straight to the dean's office.
He immediately rushed me into his office, where Henry was waiting. Henry was Charlie's right hand at the station, so I knew something horrible had happened. I was sure my face showed my heartbreak, just as much as my voice did, as I frantically asked, “Henry... what... tell me he's alright. Tell me, now, Henry! Please... he's got to... he has to be okay!”
He shook his head as tears filled his eyes, his voice no more than a choked whisper when he said, “I'm sorry, Bella. It... it was an animal attack. He said he'd been hearing disturbances at night near the edge of the woods at the house... I guess he went out to check and got too close without realizing it.”
I shook my head violently, not understanding. The Cullen scents would still be strong enough to deter animals from the woods around the house. No animal would venture that close to their scents and not know it. Then it hit me... Victoria. I knew I'd have to call the pack as soon as possible, to see what they knew.
The tears came quickly as I plopped down in the chair, realizing it was more than likely that I got Charlie killed. I couldn't seem to voice the pain that came with that knowledge. Henry ended up pulling me up into his arms to hug me tightly, letting me ruin his shirt with my tears until I calmed.
When I did, we both sat down in the chairs. The concerned dean said right away, “Don't worry about your classes, Miss Swan. You're an exceptional student, in the top 3 of all of your classes. You can make up the work as soon as you get back. I've cleared you for two weeks to go back to Washington and settle your father's affairs, but if you need more time, please call to let me know.”
I nodded while wiping my eyes, giving him a choked, “Thank you, Dean Harper. I don't think it will take that long, but I'll call if the situation changes. I... I need to go pack, if it's alright for me to go.”
He nodded, “Of course, Miss Swan. You can take Deputy Chief Williams with you, if you wish. I know you'll be leaving as soon as you pack.”
Forty-five minutes later, we were in Henry's rental car heading toward the airport. The questions started swirling. I needed to know. “Henry, I... I need to know.”
He nodded solemnly, then said softly, “He was found not far inside the trail from your house into the woods. It was... it was horrible, Bella. Please make sure you don't go into the woods alone until we take down the animal that did this. We've had to put a notice out to the townspeople to steer clear, too.”
I nodded, then asked, “Can you show me on a map, Henry? I just... I want to be able to place flowers there once it’s safe, on my visits from college. I need him to know that my time with him meant a lot to me.”
Henry nodded seriously, and soon we were at the airport. Once we were checked in and waiting for our flight, Henry asked me if I needed anything. I shook my head, “No... I should probably eat something, though. I think I'll hit the McDonald's and bring it back here. I need to try calling my mom while I'm at it. You want me to get you anything?”
He shook his head, then told me he'd be waiting right here for me.
I nodded as I made sure my phone was in my back pocket, then stood and walked toward the McDonald's line. I pulled out my phone when I was sure I was out of earshot, dialing Sam's house number quickly.
When I heard a man's voice answer, I said softly, “I'd like to speak with Sam, please. Tell him it's Bella Swan, and it's an emergency.”
He agreed, then seconds later, I heard, “Bella? Did Henry get to you?”
I let out a breath, then said softly, “Yeah, Sam. I need your special brand of help. I think it was one of them, not an animal attack. I need you to check the woods and let me know. I'm at the airport now. I have a little over an hour until the plane is supposed to board.”
Sam let out a breath, then said, “Jesus, Bella. Are you sure?”
I choked out, “It's too much of a coincidence, Sam. Where he was found... the way Henry said it made me think of the exact spot where Pussward broke up with me. This doesn’t feel right… not when Jake said my back woods still reeked of Cullen just 2 months ago. Please, Sam. Please check for me, then let me know.”
He agreed quickly, telling me he'd call me back within 30 minutes. I thanked him before hanging up. I went to get my food quickly after that. I had to leave a message for Renee on my way back to Henry. Neither her nor Phil were answering their cell phones.
No sooner did I finish my chicken club sandwich and shake, did my cell phone ring. I looked at the number, saying, “Henry, I'll just be over there... I... need to take this.”
He nodded, then as soon as I was out of hearing range, I answered, “Sam? Tell me what you know.”
He sighed heavily before saying reluctantly, “It was, Bella. Not one of that family, but the one that was skirting around the border of the rez while you were still in school. Damn it, I knew she had been too quiet lately.”
I choked a bit, “S-she? Sam, who are you talking about? Please... tell me you aren't talking about a female with flaming red hair and a weird fur coat.”
He gasped slightly, then got serious. “Jesus, Bella, who is she? We could never figure out why she wanted on the rez, but now that I think about it, that's where you were most of the time.”
I shook my head, “Sam, I'll call you when our flight lands. As soon as I take care of what needs to be done at the station, I want you and a couple of boys to pick me up there. Call a pack meeting with the elders, and I'll explain it to everyone at the same time.”
Sam agreed, making sure to tell me to stay safe until then before he hung up.
Not long after we boarded, something kept prodding at the back of my mind, and I asked Henry softly, “When, Henry? What was the date of his death?”
He looked at me with a question in his eyes, but said, “Last night, Bella... September 16th. I flew out as soon as I got things situated at the station.”
I nodded as I played with my fingers, trying to hide the recognition in my features when it hit me. It was one year to the day of Edward leaving me in the woods. She was doing this as revenge. She wouldn't stop until she had taken everyone I loved away from me.
My anger started building during the flight. It was hard to stifle it enough to keep a level head and appear semi-calm. I tried to focus on other things, but I ended up just trying to shut my brain off and listen to my iPod.
I must have dozed off after our flight change in Chicago, because when I woke, my head was leaning on Henry's shoulder. He had removed my earbuds, and was whispering, “Bella? Time to wake up. We're getting ready to land now, Honey, so I need you to buckle up for me.”
I nodded and rubbed my eyes, then buckled up as I yawned, “How long did I sleep?”
He patted my shoulder, “Just under 4 hours. You were out almost as soon as your earbuds were in place. You needed it, though. Are you planning on staying at the house while you're in town?”
I shook my head, “No... I don't... I don't think I can, Henry. I'll probably stay on the rez with Billy and Jake or Sam and Emily. The rez was Dad's second home, so I know they'll want me to stay close.”
Henry gave me a small smile, then said, “I know how they feel. I was going to say that you could stay with June and me while in town, for the same reason. Charlie was always good to us. I'd feel like a failure to him if I didn't do anything I could to help. You'll let me know if things change? You're always welcome with us, you know.”
I smiled, hugging him as I whispered, “I know, Henry... and that means a lot. I still haven't been able to reach my mom, but I know she won't want to stay in the house without me. We'll just have to see how it goes.”
It’s amazing how your whole life can change in just a matter of a few years. You can think that your life is set and on a certain path -that you know what your future will hold- then suddenly, you find yourself on a totally different path than you thought. The path you thought your life was taking, somehow isn’t in the equation anymore. Nothing you knew is the same, so you pick up the pieces and make a new path for yourself.
Then, out of the blue, your path changes yet again… suddenly things you thought were lost to you long ago, are now making themselves attainable again.
My name is Isabella. That is what happened to me, and this is my story.
Chapter 1:
The tragedy that was my eighteenth birthday party happened, but everything seemed to fall into that slow-motion complete clarity that not many people get. Though in real-time, the whole incident happened in less than two minutes, my slow-motion clarity made it seem like ten times longer… long enough for me to fully comprehend what was actually happening.
As soon as that one single drop of my blood hit the pristine white carpet of the Cullen living room, I heard Edward growl behind me. At the same moment my head whipped up to see Jasper’s still-golden eyes, I heard Edward’s deep inhale, then saw the rest of the family tensing for Edward’s next action.
Jasper cautiously slipped down into a crouch, his eyes darkening as slowly as his crouch deepened, while in a low tone he growled something menacing to Edward. Then Edward screamed, “No!” throwing me into the glass table that held the tiered cake and crystal plates.
Jasper launched himself with a growl at Edward, then instantly Carlisle was crouched in front of me facing Edward, looking more deadly than I had ever seen him. He roared for everyone to get Edward and Jasper out -to make them hunt- then turned to me once everyone was out, scanning my body for damage.
Even though his eyes were the darkest obsidian, they held an extreme amount of tenderness, so I couldn’t find it in me to be afraid of him. There was another emotion swimming in those black pools, yet I couldn’t quite decipher what it was; my mind was consumed at that moment with how intently he was looking over me for the slightest injury.
He started calming slowly when he finished his assessment, telling me that he wanted to take me up to his study, so he could tend to my arm.
With how that night went, I wasn’t at all surprised that Edward put an end to our relationship three days later. I knew that almost every word to me was a lie from the moment they left his lips, yet I wasn’t surprised that they were all moving. It hurt that some of them didn’t say good-bye, but they were a family unit that stuck together, so I never expected that any of them would stay behind.
Instead of falling into a deep depression, I found myself working harder on school, even getting a full scholarship to more than one ivy league college.
No sooner did I get a month into classes for my degree in Architecture at Yale, did my life change drastically. The professor of my third class got a call for me to head to the dean's office. As I walked in, he looked at me sadly, telling me to go quickly because it was an emergency. I, of course, went straight to the dean's office.
He immediately rushed me into his office, where Henry was waiting. Henry was Charlie's right hand at the station, so I knew something horrible had happened. I was sure my face showed my heartbreak, just as much as my voice did, as I frantically asked, “Henry... what... tell me he's alright. Tell me, now, Henry! Please... he's got to... he has to be okay!”
He shook his head as tears filled his eyes, his voice no more than a choked whisper when he said, “I'm sorry, Bella. It... it was an animal attack. He said he'd been hearing disturbances at night near the edge of the woods at the house... I guess he went out to check and got too close without realizing it.”
I shook my head violently, not understanding. The Cullen scents would still be strong enough to deter animals from the woods around the house. No animal would venture that close to their scents and not know it. Then it hit me... Victoria. I knew I'd have to call the pack as soon as possible, to see what they knew.
The tears came quickly as I plopped down in the chair, realizing it was more than likely that I got Charlie killed. I couldn't seem to voice the pain that came with that knowledge. Henry ended up pulling me up into his arms to hug me tightly, letting me ruin his shirt with my tears until I calmed.
When I did, we both sat down in the chairs. The concerned dean said right away, “Don't worry about your classes, Miss Swan. You're an exceptional student, in the top 3 of all of your classes. You can make up the work as soon as you get back. I've cleared you for two weeks to go back to Washington and settle your father's affairs, but if you need more time, please call to let me know.”
I nodded while wiping my eyes, giving him a choked, “Thank you, Dean Harper. I don't think it will take that long, but I'll call if the situation changes. I... I need to go pack, if it's alright for me to go.”
He nodded, “Of course, Miss Swan. You can take Deputy Chief Williams with you, if you wish. I know you'll be leaving as soon as you pack.”
Forty-five minutes later, we were in Henry's rental car heading toward the airport. The questions started swirling. I needed to know. “Henry, I... I need to know.”
He nodded solemnly, then said softly, “He was found not far inside the trail from your house into the woods. It was... it was horrible, Bella. Please make sure you don't go into the woods alone until we take down the animal that did this. We've had to put a notice out to the townspeople to steer clear, too.”
I nodded, then asked, “Can you show me on a map, Henry? I just... I want to be able to place flowers there once it’s safe, on my visits from college. I need him to know that my time with him meant a lot to me.”
Henry nodded seriously, and soon we were at the airport. Once we were checked in and waiting for our flight, Henry asked me if I needed anything. I shook my head, “No... I should probably eat something, though. I think I'll hit the McDonald's and bring it back here. I need to try calling my mom while I'm at it. You want me to get you anything?”
He shook his head, then told me he'd be waiting right here for me.
I nodded as I made sure my phone was in my back pocket, then stood and walked toward the McDonald's line. I pulled out my phone when I was sure I was out of earshot, dialing Sam's house number quickly.
When I heard a man's voice answer, I said softly, “I'd like to speak with Sam, please. Tell him it's Bella Swan, and it's an emergency.”
He agreed, then seconds later, I heard, “Bella? Did Henry get to you?”
I let out a breath, then said softly, “Yeah, Sam. I need your special brand of help. I think it was one of them, not an animal attack. I need you to check the woods and let me know. I'm at the airport now. I have a little over an hour until the plane is supposed to board.”
Sam let out a breath, then said, “Jesus, Bella. Are you sure?”
I choked out, “It's too much of a coincidence, Sam. Where he was found... the way Henry said it made me think of the exact spot where Pussward broke up with me. This doesn’t feel right… not when Jake said my back woods still reeked of Cullen just 2 months ago. Please, Sam. Please check for me, then let me know.”
He agreed quickly, telling me he'd call me back within 30 minutes. I thanked him before hanging up. I went to get my food quickly after that. I had to leave a message for Renee on my way back to Henry. Neither her nor Phil were answering their cell phones.
No sooner did I finish my chicken club sandwich and shake, did my cell phone ring. I looked at the number, saying, “Henry, I'll just be over there... I... need to take this.”
He nodded, then as soon as I was out of hearing range, I answered, “Sam? Tell me what you know.”
He sighed heavily before saying reluctantly, “It was, Bella. Not one of that family, but the one that was skirting around the border of the rez while you were still in school. Damn it, I knew she had been too quiet lately.”
I choked a bit, “S-she? Sam, who are you talking about? Please... tell me you aren't talking about a female with flaming red hair and a weird fur coat.”
He gasped slightly, then got serious. “Jesus, Bella, who is she? We could never figure out why she wanted on the rez, but now that I think about it, that's where you were most of the time.”
I shook my head, “Sam, I'll call you when our flight lands. As soon as I take care of what needs to be done at the station, I want you and a couple of boys to pick me up there. Call a pack meeting with the elders, and I'll explain it to everyone at the same time.”
Sam agreed, making sure to tell me to stay safe until then before he hung up.
Not long after we boarded, something kept prodding at the back of my mind, and I asked Henry softly, “When, Henry? What was the date of his death?”
He looked at me with a question in his eyes, but said, “Last night, Bella... September 16th. I flew out as soon as I got things situated at the station.”
I nodded as I played with my fingers, trying to hide the recognition in my features when it hit me. It was one year to the day of Edward leaving me in the woods. She was doing this as revenge. She wouldn't stop until she had taken everyone I loved away from me.
My anger started building during the flight. It was hard to stifle it enough to keep a level head and appear semi-calm. I tried to focus on other things, but I ended up just trying to shut my brain off and listen to my iPod.
I must have dozed off after our flight change in Chicago, because when I woke, my head was leaning on Henry's shoulder. He had removed my earbuds, and was whispering, “Bella? Time to wake up. We're getting ready to land now, Honey, so I need you to buckle up for me.”
I nodded and rubbed my eyes, then buckled up as I yawned, “How long did I sleep?”
He patted my shoulder, “Just under 4 hours. You were out almost as soon as your earbuds were in place. You needed it, though. Are you planning on staying at the house while you're in town?”
I shook my head, “No... I don't... I don't think I can, Henry. I'll probably stay on the rez with Billy and Jake or Sam and Emily. The rez was Dad's second home, so I know they'll want me to stay close.”
Henry gave me a small smile, then said, “I know how they feel. I was going to say that you could stay with June and me while in town, for the same reason. Charlie was always good to us. I'd feel like a failure to him if I didn't do anything I could to help. You'll let me know if things change? You're always welcome with us, you know.”
I smiled, hugging him as I whispered, “I know, Henry... and that means a lot. I still haven't been able to reach my mom, but I know she won't want to stay in the house without me. We'll just have to see how it goes.”