My Path To You
by Wizardtho
Chapter 4:
The next several days were filled with lawyers, wills, Phil's team stopping in at all hours to see if there was anything they could do, and planning the funeral.
News had gotten out that Renee and Phil had been murdered. Of course, the media was scrambling for answers, so I had chosen to have a private service for only family, their close friends, and Phil's team. The large church was still packed to overflowing during the service, but it turned out just as beautiful as Charlie's in its own way.
The owner of Phil's team came by the house after the service, along with the team and their wives or girlfriends, to ask if there was anything they could do. They also gave me Phil's personal items from his locker. They ended up presenting me with his official jersey, telling me that they had retired his number.
It was such a touching gesture, that I was choked up as I whispered, “Thank you... all of you. You've been wonderful while I've been here. As for what you can do to help, I need to know who came by to check on them, along with who made the call to the police. I'm filing a suit against the department. Their times of death were just over six hours before your call to the department, which is days after I called, asking them to check. The coroner's report stated that they looked to have been held captive for several days before their deaths. Mom and Phil could still be alive right now, had they just sent someone out after my call, so I may need some of you to speak to my attorneys about when you came out to check and called the police station.”
I heard all of them agree quickly, then I suddenly felt light-headed. Paul caught me before I could hit the floor, whispering as he hugged me to him, “Come on, Bells. You haven't eaten anything all day, plus I could barely get you to eat yesterday. You need food before you end up in the hospital.”
Immediately I heard Angela, the team owner's wife, say that she would make me something up quickly. I saw her retreat to the kitchen, all of the other females following her as Paul sat with me curled up on his lap.
I knew I hadn't eaten much, but the only thing that kept running through my mind was the note Victoria had written in Renee and Phil's blood, then left for me in the tree that she had tied them to. She had nailed it into the high branches of the tree. The only reason we found it was because Paul had gotten her scent on the breeze as we searched the area that first night.
She was twisted... just as twisted as James. All of the stress was starting to turn my stomach any time I thought of food. Knowing that she wasn't done, that she planned on killing more people, had me constantly on the lookout for her next attack.
I managed to force down about half of what was given to me before Mr. Bradley Colton, Renee and Phil's lawyer, arrived. He had come to go over and sign more paperwork. It seemed that Renee and Phil were just as well off as Charlie. When it was all settled, I was wealthy enough to keep a small country afloat... for a very long time.
It took me the rest of the week to pack up the personal things of Renee and Phil's that I wanted to keep, get the lawyers settled with who was going to do what, decide that I just couldn't live in either of the houses, and fly back to Forks to pack up what I wanted to keep of Charlie's. I talked to the realtor about putting Charlie's place up for sale on the way back to the rez after Jake and I finished.
Before I hit the supermarket to pick up a few personal items, I was already getting a phone call back from the realtor. She told me that Mr. and Mrs. Newton were actually looking into putting up the down payment on a house for Mike and Jessica, as they were getting married soon. I told her to go with it, as long as the funding was there and they could meet the asking price.
One month later, I was up to my eyeballs in lawyer meetings, case details, house closings, and getting ready to fly back to Connecticut for the review hearing on my scholarship. I barely felt like I had time to breathe.
Sometimes my head was so jumbled that I couldn't think straight, but life went on... without one sighting of the Cullens or Victoria. It was weird, but I thought of Jasper and Carlisle ten times more than any of the other Cullens. I really wished I could have at least talked to them.
Three Years Later:
The verdict was finally handed down on the lawsuit filed against the Jacksonville police department. The jury sided with me. Though I would have given anything to have my parents back instead of the money, I was awarded 54 million for a combination of pain/suffering and preventable death, plus the policies and practices in Florida state's law enforcement were undergoing strict changes. We were actually able to somewhat limit the media frenzy hounding me with closed hearings, the private jet, and my Quileute bodyguards. That didn't stop my face and the case from being plastered on the news, in the tabloids, or on the radio several times throughout the process of the trial, though.
I guess that's why everyone was surprised that I didn't fully drop out of college. You would think with everything going on in my life, I wouldn't have been able to make it to classes, but I was able to work it out with the review board to transfer me to Washington State University, so that I could work on my architecture degree through their online program. It was a load off my mind that I could actually still further myself through all of the chaos. I didn't let any of it stop me from living my life or getting my degree.
I ended up with a Master’s degree in Architecture just three years after Charlie's death, and only a week after the finalization of the lawsuit. I worked my ass off, often having to schedule and reschedule things to work around the trial. WSU was extremely accommodating, especially with my crammed course load, yet my work was always top quality.
I knew I didn't need to work, but I went ahead and got my state licensing, then started drawing up the plans for my first project. Sam and Emily were surprised as could be when I presented them the plans for their addition on their anniversary, but gracefully accepted my offer of making it happen, since they had taken me in for the last few years.
It was only a few months later that the addition was completed -along with the whole outside of the house being redone- because Sam's construction company was the one to do all the work. They didn't like that I paid them more than standard for the job, but I wouldn't hear of them doing it for any less.
Victoria and the Cullens had been practically forgotten about, except for Jasper and Carlisle being missed by me, since there had been no vampire activity since finding her note. Sam and the elders agreed it would be safe for me to start venturing out on my own to town. If all went well, then I would start putting my next plan into action.
I was tired... extremely worn out. I needed to find my own peace and quiet.
Two Years Later:
I managed to find my own peace and quiet... well, I built it, actually. I found this gorgeous property in the Black Hills and fell in love with it immediately. It was 670 acres of nature's finest. Though there wasn't a house on the property, that was no problem for a budding architect with big plans. To be exact, 18,280 square feet of plans, but it was my dream come true.
When move-in day came, ironically, it was the anniversary of Charlie's death. It felt like he was with me, cheering me on. I had already gotten the furniture put in over the prior week, with the help of some of the pack. Jake actually joked that it would have made the perfect wolf den. I grinned in agreement, “That's the point, Jake. I know there's no way in hell this house will lack visits from my rez family. I wanted you all to be comfortable. I have the safe room, but I know you guys would never leave me out here for long without coming to check on me and re-scenting the perimeter.”
Needless to say, the perimeter was thoroughly scented by my pack brothers before we left to take them to the airport, then I was reminded about a thousand times to make sure I kept the alarm on.
I decided to stop and pick a few things up at the store before making the drive back to the house. I ended up eating dinner while out, so I wouldn't have to fuss with it once I got home. I just wanted to settle in... finally unpack my things. I was looking forward to soaking in the spa for a while, which was one of my guilty pleasures in the building of the house.
I got all my shopping taken care of quickly, then sighed as I finally made it to the long, hidden drive to my dream home. The sight that met me about 100 feet from the gate made my heart practically stop as I slammed on the breaks.
There in front of me, dismembered in the middle of my drive, was none other than Carlisle Cullen.
I didn't even think. After jamming the vehicle into park, I scrambled out of the truck and ran straight for him, horrified at the sight of him so hurt, “Carlisle, shit! What the hell happened to you? Where is everyone?”
I grabbed the squirming hand at the edge of the grass on my way to him, not even taking a second to think, but the arm it was supposed to be attached to was nowhere to be seen. Then I noticed why Carlisle wasn't answering me. His head was almost completely severed, hanging awkwardly and precariously. It looked quite painful.
I gently straightened his head out, then held it in place the right way, waiting for it to start healing. As soon as it did, I looked deep into his pain-filled black eyes to say sadly, “I have to find your other parts, Carlisle. Do you know where they are? Blink once for yes or twice for no.”
He blinked once slowly, so I said, “I have one hand, but I don't know where the rest of your limbs are. Are they outside the gate or in? Once for outside, twice for in.”
Carlisle blinked slowly, then blinked again. I sighed in relief. “All the rest of your parts are inside the gate?”
Carlisle blinked once, so I nodded, “Alright, is whoever did this to you still near?”
He blinked twice, causing some of the tension to ease from my body. “Let's get you fixed up, then I'll go out to find you something to eat.”
He gave me a funny look, which made me chuckle, “Don't even go there. I was talking about a deer or something. The property is full of wildlife, and I'm a damn good shot with a bow and arrow. I'll take one down without killing it, then bring it to the edge of the clearing on the trailered 4-wheeler for you to get to. I know that won't fill you right now, but will it make you strong enough to be able to hunt on your own?”
Carlisle blinked once, so I nodded, “Alright. I'm sorry, but I'm not strong enough to pick you up. I'm going to have to pull you over far enough that I can get the suv in front of you. Then I'll pull you up into it by the ramp. I'll try to be gentle, okay?”
He looked deep into my eyes with a caring look, then blinked once as he rasped hoarsely, “Thank you, Bella.”
The next several days were filled with lawyers, wills, Phil's team stopping in at all hours to see if there was anything they could do, and planning the funeral.
News had gotten out that Renee and Phil had been murdered. Of course, the media was scrambling for answers, so I had chosen to have a private service for only family, their close friends, and Phil's team. The large church was still packed to overflowing during the service, but it turned out just as beautiful as Charlie's in its own way.
The owner of Phil's team came by the house after the service, along with the team and their wives or girlfriends, to ask if there was anything they could do. They also gave me Phil's personal items from his locker. They ended up presenting me with his official jersey, telling me that they had retired his number.
It was such a touching gesture, that I was choked up as I whispered, “Thank you... all of you. You've been wonderful while I've been here. As for what you can do to help, I need to know who came by to check on them, along with who made the call to the police. I'm filing a suit against the department. Their times of death were just over six hours before your call to the department, which is days after I called, asking them to check. The coroner's report stated that they looked to have been held captive for several days before their deaths. Mom and Phil could still be alive right now, had they just sent someone out after my call, so I may need some of you to speak to my attorneys about when you came out to check and called the police station.”
I heard all of them agree quickly, then I suddenly felt light-headed. Paul caught me before I could hit the floor, whispering as he hugged me to him, “Come on, Bells. You haven't eaten anything all day, plus I could barely get you to eat yesterday. You need food before you end up in the hospital.”
Immediately I heard Angela, the team owner's wife, say that she would make me something up quickly. I saw her retreat to the kitchen, all of the other females following her as Paul sat with me curled up on his lap.
I knew I hadn't eaten much, but the only thing that kept running through my mind was the note Victoria had written in Renee and Phil's blood, then left for me in the tree that she had tied them to. She had nailed it into the high branches of the tree. The only reason we found it was because Paul had gotten her scent on the breeze as we searched the area that first night.
She was twisted... just as twisted as James. All of the stress was starting to turn my stomach any time I thought of food. Knowing that she wasn't done, that she planned on killing more people, had me constantly on the lookout for her next attack.
I managed to force down about half of what was given to me before Mr. Bradley Colton, Renee and Phil's lawyer, arrived. He had come to go over and sign more paperwork. It seemed that Renee and Phil were just as well off as Charlie. When it was all settled, I was wealthy enough to keep a small country afloat... for a very long time.
It took me the rest of the week to pack up the personal things of Renee and Phil's that I wanted to keep, get the lawyers settled with who was going to do what, decide that I just couldn't live in either of the houses, and fly back to Forks to pack up what I wanted to keep of Charlie's. I talked to the realtor about putting Charlie's place up for sale on the way back to the rez after Jake and I finished.
Before I hit the supermarket to pick up a few personal items, I was already getting a phone call back from the realtor. She told me that Mr. and Mrs. Newton were actually looking into putting up the down payment on a house for Mike and Jessica, as they were getting married soon. I told her to go with it, as long as the funding was there and they could meet the asking price.
One month later, I was up to my eyeballs in lawyer meetings, case details, house closings, and getting ready to fly back to Connecticut for the review hearing on my scholarship. I barely felt like I had time to breathe.
Sometimes my head was so jumbled that I couldn't think straight, but life went on... without one sighting of the Cullens or Victoria. It was weird, but I thought of Jasper and Carlisle ten times more than any of the other Cullens. I really wished I could have at least talked to them.
Three Years Later:
The verdict was finally handed down on the lawsuit filed against the Jacksonville police department. The jury sided with me. Though I would have given anything to have my parents back instead of the money, I was awarded 54 million for a combination of pain/suffering and preventable death, plus the policies and practices in Florida state's law enforcement were undergoing strict changes. We were actually able to somewhat limit the media frenzy hounding me with closed hearings, the private jet, and my Quileute bodyguards. That didn't stop my face and the case from being plastered on the news, in the tabloids, or on the radio several times throughout the process of the trial, though.
I guess that's why everyone was surprised that I didn't fully drop out of college. You would think with everything going on in my life, I wouldn't have been able to make it to classes, but I was able to work it out with the review board to transfer me to Washington State University, so that I could work on my architecture degree through their online program. It was a load off my mind that I could actually still further myself through all of the chaos. I didn't let any of it stop me from living my life or getting my degree.
I ended up with a Master’s degree in Architecture just three years after Charlie's death, and only a week after the finalization of the lawsuit. I worked my ass off, often having to schedule and reschedule things to work around the trial. WSU was extremely accommodating, especially with my crammed course load, yet my work was always top quality.
I knew I didn't need to work, but I went ahead and got my state licensing, then started drawing up the plans for my first project. Sam and Emily were surprised as could be when I presented them the plans for their addition on their anniversary, but gracefully accepted my offer of making it happen, since they had taken me in for the last few years.
It was only a few months later that the addition was completed -along with the whole outside of the house being redone- because Sam's construction company was the one to do all the work. They didn't like that I paid them more than standard for the job, but I wouldn't hear of them doing it for any less.
Victoria and the Cullens had been practically forgotten about, except for Jasper and Carlisle being missed by me, since there had been no vampire activity since finding her note. Sam and the elders agreed it would be safe for me to start venturing out on my own to town. If all went well, then I would start putting my next plan into action.
I was tired... extremely worn out. I needed to find my own peace and quiet.
Two Years Later:
I managed to find my own peace and quiet... well, I built it, actually. I found this gorgeous property in the Black Hills and fell in love with it immediately. It was 670 acres of nature's finest. Though there wasn't a house on the property, that was no problem for a budding architect with big plans. To be exact, 18,280 square feet of plans, but it was my dream come true.
When move-in day came, ironically, it was the anniversary of Charlie's death. It felt like he was with me, cheering me on. I had already gotten the furniture put in over the prior week, with the help of some of the pack. Jake actually joked that it would have made the perfect wolf den. I grinned in agreement, “That's the point, Jake. I know there's no way in hell this house will lack visits from my rez family. I wanted you all to be comfortable. I have the safe room, but I know you guys would never leave me out here for long without coming to check on me and re-scenting the perimeter.”
Needless to say, the perimeter was thoroughly scented by my pack brothers before we left to take them to the airport, then I was reminded about a thousand times to make sure I kept the alarm on.
I decided to stop and pick a few things up at the store before making the drive back to the house. I ended up eating dinner while out, so I wouldn't have to fuss with it once I got home. I just wanted to settle in... finally unpack my things. I was looking forward to soaking in the spa for a while, which was one of my guilty pleasures in the building of the house.
I got all my shopping taken care of quickly, then sighed as I finally made it to the long, hidden drive to my dream home. The sight that met me about 100 feet from the gate made my heart practically stop as I slammed on the breaks.
There in front of me, dismembered in the middle of my drive, was none other than Carlisle Cullen.
I didn't even think. After jamming the vehicle into park, I scrambled out of the truck and ran straight for him, horrified at the sight of him so hurt, “Carlisle, shit! What the hell happened to you? Where is everyone?”
I grabbed the squirming hand at the edge of the grass on my way to him, not even taking a second to think, but the arm it was supposed to be attached to was nowhere to be seen. Then I noticed why Carlisle wasn't answering me. His head was almost completely severed, hanging awkwardly and precariously. It looked quite painful.
I gently straightened his head out, then held it in place the right way, waiting for it to start healing. As soon as it did, I looked deep into his pain-filled black eyes to say sadly, “I have to find your other parts, Carlisle. Do you know where they are? Blink once for yes or twice for no.”
He blinked once slowly, so I said, “I have one hand, but I don't know where the rest of your limbs are. Are they outside the gate or in? Once for outside, twice for in.”
Carlisle blinked slowly, then blinked again. I sighed in relief. “All the rest of your parts are inside the gate?”
Carlisle blinked once, so I nodded, “Alright, is whoever did this to you still near?”
He blinked twice, causing some of the tension to ease from my body. “Let's get you fixed up, then I'll go out to find you something to eat.”
He gave me a funny look, which made me chuckle, “Don't even go there. I was talking about a deer or something. The property is full of wildlife, and I'm a damn good shot with a bow and arrow. I'll take one down without killing it, then bring it to the edge of the clearing on the trailered 4-wheeler for you to get to. I know that won't fill you right now, but will it make you strong enough to be able to hunt on your own?”
Carlisle blinked once, so I nodded, “Alright. I'm sorry, but I'm not strong enough to pick you up. I'm going to have to pull you over far enough that I can get the suv in front of you. Then I'll pull you up into it by the ramp. I'll try to be gentle, okay?”
He looked deep into my eyes with a caring look, then blinked once as he rasped hoarsely, “Thank you, Bella.”